I made the entire cultivation world cry

Chapter 539 The Wicked Woman Seeks Immortality - Part Two (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Ji Ning wiped the mixture of rain and blood from his face, gripped the machete tightly again, and plunged it into the muddy mountain wall. Using both hands and feet, his fingernails dug into the cold cracks in the rocks and the slippery soil, he climbed upwards inch by inch with unwavering determination.

The wind and rain lashed at her frail body like whips.

One step, one step... I fell, I got up... I slipped, I climbed back up...

Time lost its meaning in the darkness and storm; she only knew how to rise, and rise again.

After an unknown amount of time, when Ji Ning felt that the last bit of strength in her body was about to be drained, and her consciousness began to blur amidst the cold and pain, she struggled to climb to the top of the last boulder.

My eyes suddenly opened up.

The raging wind and rain had quietly stopped at some point, as if isolated below the mountain peak, and the air, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees and the fresh moisture after the rain, filled my lungs.

Ji Ning struggled to lift his head. The thick clouds on the horizon were slowly torn apart by an invisible giant hand, revealing a dazzling golden edge.

At the top of the flat boulder, the white-clad figure she had glimpsed in the twilight of yesterday sat cross-legged with his back to her, his posture still as languid and casual as ever, blending into the world and the rising sun.

The morning glow began to burn, dyeing the edges of the white-clad figure with a magnificent golden-red hue.

The magnificent and sacred scene made Ji Ning, who was disheveled, covered in mud and blood, and almost exhausted, forget all the pain and hardship, and blurt out the words in a daze.

"What a beauty……"

Just then, Jiang Yi, who was sitting cross-legged, slowly turned around and casually waved his hand.

In an instant, all the pain, cold, and exhaustion from the night's hard work on Ji Ning's body melted away.

A warm current surged through her limbs and bones, making her feel completely comfortable, as if she had never experienced that hellish climb.

The stark contrast left Ji Ning stunned. Then, she knelt heavily on the cold rock, her forehead hitting the ground with a thud.

"I beg a master to teach me the methods of cultivating immortality!"

Jiang Yi didn't answer her, but instead patted the empty seat next to her.

"Come and sit down, take a good look at this world."

Jiang Yi's gentle voice dispelled Ji Ning's last trace of fatigue and fear.

Ji Ning followed Jiang Yi's instructions and carefully sat down on the flat rock. His gaze was quickly drawn to the magnificent scene before him.

Where the sea meets the sky, the golden-red sunrise spreads out freely, igniting the surging sea of ​​clouds.

The rising sun broke free from the sea's shackles and leaped out, scattering its golden rays across the boundless blue waves and the mountains below. The entire world was illuminated at that moment, filled with magnificent and pure vitality.

"What did you see?"

Ji Ning opened his mouth, racked his brains, and could only awkwardly utter three words.

"So...so beautiful!"

After saying that, she lowered her head in annoyance, regretting that she hadn't learned more poetry and other classical Chinese poems from the literate old man in the village.

Jiang Yi chuckled softly. At this moment, Ji Ning was still a very innocent person.

"Why cultivate immortality?" Jiang Yi asked again.

This question invigorated Ji Ning, and she blurted out without hesitation, "I want my parents to live a good life! I want them to not have to work so hard anymore, and to be able to eat their fill and stay warm."

This was her deepest, simplest wish. Ever since she learned that she had spiritual roots and could cultivate immortality, Ji Ning often fantasized about achieving immortality, returning home in glory, and seeing the proud smiles on her parents' faces.

However, the expected praise from the immortal master did not come.

Ji Ning cautiously raised her eyes to look, and when she saw Jiang Yi's slightly furrowed brows, her heart skipped a beat.

Said the wrong thing?

Was the immortal master disappointed in her? Are all cultivators heartless and devoid of emotion?

Is she... being too sentimental?

Countless thoughts churned in Ji Ning's mind, making her face turn pale.

After a brief silence, Jiang Yi spoke again, her voice as sharp as the cold wind on a mountaintop.

"Ji Ning, if you had to choose between 'cultivating immortality' and 'your parents,' which would you choose?"

This question struck Ji Ning like a thunderbolt.

Ji Ning was completely dumbfounded. Wasn't her goal in cultivating immortality to give her parents a good life?

How can these two be separated?

How can we let her choose?

Ji Ning twisted the already tattered hem of his clothes, his knuckles turning white from the force. His gaze involuntarily turned once again to the red sun that seemed so close yet so far away, and to the vast and boundless world beneath it.

In the midst of this bewildered struggle, a clear yet unfamiliar voice seemed to emerge from the deepest part of her soul.

Are you really willing to spend your whole life trapped on this tiny island, like your parents, weaving nets and fishing day after day, worrying yourselves out over a little boat fare?
Aren't you curious about the magnificent world that lies where the sun rises and at the end of the sea?
Don't you want to wield the power to overturn rivers and seas, and be like this immortal master before you, transcending worldly affairs and living freely?
Are you willing?

These words were like a magic spell, instantly igniting the suppressed flame of longing for the vast world within Ji Ning's heart.

The excruciating cold and pain during last night's climb, the indomitable spirit of falling and getting back up countless times, and the awe-inspiring view of the magnificent landscape at the summit...

Everything converges into a force under this soul's questioning.

That's right, she wasn't willing to give up just so her parents could have a better life!

"I choose to cultivate immortality!"

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear.

Jiang Yi nodded slightly. "In that case, go and say goodbye to your parents. This farewell will sever our ties to this world, and we may never meet again in this life. I will wait for you at the shallow beach yesterday."

Jiang Yi swept his long sleeves across Ji Ning's eyes, and in an instant, Ji Ning found himself back at the entrance of his own courtyard.

As dawn broke, the village was quiet, not a sound of chickens or dogs. The storm of the previous night seemed to have left no trace. The courtyard looked dilapidated yet peaceful in the morning light.

It all felt like a dream.

Ji Ning stood there, stunned, his mind filled with a sense of disbelief and unreality.

She looked down and found that she was holding a wooden box filled with spirit pearls the size of pigeon eggs, enough to ensure her parents' lifelong comfort.

This is not a dream! The immortal master is real! Her opportunity to cultivate immortality is also real!
The immortal master not only gave her a choice, but also resolved her last remaining worries...

Ji Ning hugged the box tightly, took a deep breath, and gently pushed open the half-closed courtyard gate.

In the courtyard, it seemed that her parents had just gotten up and were getting dressed inside the house.

Ji Ning hesitated for a moment, not having the courage to say goodbye in person. Instead, she knelt down outside her parents' house and kowtowed three times.

"Father! Mother! Your unfilial son is going to cultivate immortality with the immortal master today. The journey is long and the mortal and immortal realms are different. In the future... I'm afraid I won't be able to return to serve you both! Please... please take care!"

After shouting this, she put down the wooden box and ran out of the courtyard without hesitation. The morning breeze wiped away the tears on her face. Ji Ning ran more and more determinedly, more and more lightly, and more and more realized that she wanted to cultivate immortality not only for her parents, but also for herself.

What Ji Ning didn't see was that before her parents came out of the house after she left her courtyard, the box of spirit pearls vanished into thin air.

Jiang Yi was a petty person. Even though she could fabricate everything in her dream, she didn't want her biased and vicious parents to have an easy time in this dream.

　See you tomorrow~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)