Chapter 120

Chapter 120: She Plans to Go to the Phantom Mirage Domain

Daoist Wu Wei stayed shut in the Artifact Forging Room for several days, then finally finished repairing Ye Huai’s Nether Shadow Sword.

As Shen Sang Ruo stepped out of her own cave dwelling, she saw Ye Huai waiting outside. She had already joined the Ninghua Sect, so of course she would be living here.

For this, Daoist Wu Wei and Immortal Lord Chang Li even argued for a while over whether she should live in the Young Sect Master’s cave or in the cave for Immortal Lord Chang Li’s Personal Disciple. In the end, Immortal Lord Chang Li won out by force, no, with reason, and persuaded Daoist Wu Wei.

Shen Sang Ruo greeted him, “Senior Brother,” yet her gaze landed on the fluffy cat in his arms.

It was a snow-white cat in an exquisite pink dress. Nine tails arched high behind it, proud and graceful.

She asked, “Is that your Sword Spirit, Senior Brother?” She had heard of the Nine-Lives Spirit Cat before; seeing the real thing now, her eyes brightened.

He answered, “Mm. Its name is You You.”

“You You?” She called softly, “You You,” and the white cat opened its mouth to reply: “Meow~”

You You’s personality was the total opposite of the cool and quiet Ye Huai. That meow rose and fell with so many lilting turns that Shen Sang Ruo could not help smiling.

Ye Huai said, “It came especially to thank you,” then handed You You to her.

The fluffy bundle leaped into her arms. She could not resist stroking it a few times; its fur was soft and sleek. You You seemed very pleased with her and stretched out along her forearm, showing its pillowy belly.

Surprise flashed through Ye Huai’s eyes, then faded. It felt normal enough. After all, who would not like their Junior Sister? He said, “It likes you very much.”

You You even bobbed its head. The nine tails almost twisted into a flower and brushed against Shen Sang Ruo’s cheek now and then like a soft little brush.

[Warm. Kitty likes this a lot. With her Fire Spiritual Root, she feels like a little stove.]

A bit flustered by the attention, she scratched You You under the chin, then told Ye Huai, “Senior Brother, I’m going to see the Sect Master.”

“That works. I need to see the Sect Master too, let’s go together,” Ye Huai said calmly. You You had just reappeared, and he had not yet told Daoist Wu Wei.

They walked side by side toward the Sect Master’s Hall.

On the way, You You showed no desire to hop back onto Ye Huai, and he did not mention it. Shen Sang Ruo kept holding the cat. With Spiritual Power supporting her arms, she did not feel tired. In fact, she felt relaxed and happy.

Daoist Wu Wei waved them in as soon as he saw them: “Ye Huai and Sang Girl, come in quickly.”

Inside the Sect Master’s Hall, Bai Ruo An was also present.

She bowed and said, “Sect Master, Third Senior Brother.”

Bai Ruo An smiled and nodded, and she suddenly remembered their first meeting. Back then he had also smiled with his eyes closed, the curve of his lips as gentle as a spring breeze. It made one wonder, [If he opened his eyes, how soft would they be?]

Among her Senior Brothers and Senior Sister, only he had not recovered yet.

She snapped out of it. After brief greetings and a simple report about Ye Huai’s Sword Spirit, Daoist Wu Wei turned to Shen Sang Ruo and asked, “Sang Girl, what brings you to the old man today?”

She answered, “I plan to make a trip to the Phantom Mirage Domain. Master has entered Closed-Door Cultivation again, so I came to inform the Sect Master.”

The Phantom Mirage Domain lay in the Southwest. The terrain shifted and tangled, covered by deep forest. It was mysterious and dangerous, but also full of opportunities. People said the forest teemed with miasma and poisonous insects. Those with weak wills would be poisoned and fall into illusions, which was why it was called the Phantom Mirage Domain.

Daoist Wu Wei asked with worry in his voice, “What are you going there for?” Ye Huai and Bai Ruo An also looked her way.

“To find Protean Wood,” she said. “Lately I feel like I’ve hit a bottleneck. My cultivation has not moved for a long time.”

She was only one step away from Forming the Nascent Soul, yet she could not cross that last small step. In the Cultivation World, most people take hundreds of years to go from Golden Core to Nascent Soul. She was not anxious. Maybe her chance had not arrived yet. Still, that did not mean she would stand still. If she could not break through herself for now, she would start with her life-bound weapon.

“That day, Bai Mu Mu’s art, the Myriad Aspects Frostheart Art, gave me an idea,” she continued. “My main cultivation method is set, so I cannot change it, but maybe I can modify the Luan Feather Fan so its attacks can shift form like hers.”

Her current method was powerful but had a clear weakness: poor close combat. If she met a tough opponent and a few swings of the fan could not finish the fight, and the enemy pushed into her range, she would be in a losing position. In the Cultivation World, one careless moment could be fatal. She would not leave that danger lying in wait.

“People say Protean Wood can grow for ten thousand years. After that, the tree’s center turns from wood to stone and forms a Crystal Heart Core that can change shape,” Shen Sang Ruo said.

Protean Wood grew in the Phantom Mirage Domain. She had learned that in her previous life. The clustered forests made it easy to get lost, but she had once entered the domain with a team of cultivators and marked many notes on her map. At least she would not lose her way.

“Alright, go look for it. Once you find it, give it to the old man, and I will definitely rebuild the fan for you,” Daoist Wu Wei agreed without fuss. He did not ask where her information came from.

The Ninghua Sect was steadily improving. Especially with Shen Sang Ruo joining, the sect’s fortune had risen several degrees, and he could once again draw on Spiritual Power. He looked at her with open praise. So young and already at Late Golden Core, with a steady heart and great diligence. She was someone who would achieve great things. Passing the Young Sect Master’s seat to her had been the right choice.

After a moment of thought, Shen Sang Ruo looked at Bai Ruo An and added, “Also, there is an Old Shaman in the Phantom Mirage Domain. He is extremely mysterious and knows many rare Secret Arts. Maybe he knows how to heal Third Senior Brother’s eyes.”

She had been to the Wuqing Stockade where the Old Shaman stayed, but he showed himself only one day a year, and during that time he saw only one or two people to answer their questions. So she had never met him. Recently was exactly when the Old Shaman appeared.

Bai Ruo An knew she would try to help his eyes. Before, she would not have left it alone, and now that she had joined the Ninghua Sect, she would care even more. He smiled lightly and said, “Be careful. Your Senior Brother will prepare many talismans for you.”

Ye Huai also took out a good number of artifacts and treasures he had saved. Every time Shen Sang Ruo left the Ninghua Sect, various tools and treasures piled up like a small hill inside her Cosmos Pouch.

She did not refuse and accepted them calmly: “Thank you, Senior Brothers.”

As for the extra items, she could always send them to auction at the Linglong Pavilion.