Mortal: Junior Sister Song Yu

Two months later, Li Xiao and Song Yu arrived at Fengri City.

Fengri City is located in the northern part of Minzhou in Xi Kingdom. It is the capital of Minzhou and the largest city in the state. Built along the boundless sea, it is the largest cultivation city in Xi Kingdom and an important gateway city to the sea.

The city spans tens of thousands of miles, its walls constructed of azure stone, standing thirty feet high, and engraved with powerful defensive formations capable of withstanding a full-force attack from a Core Formation cultivator.

The city is a rare peaceful place in the cultivation world of Xi Kingdom, where the three sects take turns sending elders at the Core Formation stage to maintain order.

The Minjiang River meanders past the city, its gentle, long waters nourishing the city's spirit.

Li Xiao and Song Yu paid two low-grade spirit stones and stepped through the city gate.

A unique aroma, a blend of the salty sea breeze and the sweet fragrance of spiritual energy, wafted towards us.

Seeing their extraordinary bearing and profound cultivation, the city guards were quite polite and took the initiative to introduce them, saying, "Is this your first time visiting Fengri City? There are three things you absolutely must not miss in the city: first, the wine brewed by Juxianlou, the aroma of that sauce is truly amazing; second, the collection of books in Wanjuange; and third, the treasures at the auction."

They settled down at Juxianlou in the city.

This is a three-story building, with a spirit-gathering array set up with spirit stones on each floor, and the concentration of spiritual energy increases with each floor.

The third-floor rooms, though not as rich in spiritual energy as the inner disciples' cave dwellings, are still rare places in the city with abundant spiritual energy. Of course, they are also quite expensive, costing five spirit stones per day.

Li Xiao gritted his teeth and booked a month's supply. He was currently earning a considerable income from alchemy, so he could afford this expense.

After settling in, the lobby on the first floor of Juxianlou became Li Xiao's daily destination.

The first floor of Juxianlou is the main hall, which has several square tables for cultivators to drink and discuss the Dao.

This place is a gathering place for cultivators from all over the country, and its information network is extremely efficient.

Every day, storytellers recount their extraordinary adventures in the world of cultivation, information brokers peddle all sorts of news, and down-on-their-luck cultivators set up stalls to sell treasures of unknown origin.

Every day, Li Xiao would go downstairs and sit for an hour, ordering a pot of the cheapest spiritual tea, and listen quietly.

From these casual conversations, he learned about the recent situation in Xi Kingdom—the three major sects of the demonic path were becoming more and more active, and several incidents of rogue cultivators going missing had occurred on the outskirts of Yunmeng Mountain.

There is a genius sword cultivator in the Ancient Sword Sect who has been in seclusion for ten years, supposedly to break through to the Core Formation stage.

The Hundred Crafts Institute has created a new type of puppet with combat power comparable to the late Foundation Establishment stage.

Song Yu preferred to visit the Wanjuan Pavilion in the city, a seven-story library containing hundreds of thousands of books, ranging from southern history to overseas travelogues, from lost elixirs to ancient battle formations.

Song Yu would often spend an entire day engrossed in reading it.

She loved reading travelogues, longing for the puppet sects in the far west, the endless ocean in the north, and the Mulan grasslands in the south.

She would often return excitedly to share interesting stories with Li Xiao: "Senior brother, I read a book called 'Travels to the West' today. It says that in the far west, there are cultivators who specialize in puppetry. Some of them can control hundreds or even thousands of puppets, forming a massive army formation. It's quite a sight!"

"Senior brother, it turns out that the secret realm in our Yunmeng Mountains is a blessed land jointly opened up by the ancient Nascent Soul cultivators of our three sects before their ascension. There might be opportunities to form a Core Formation or even a Nascent Soul within! There's also the legendary Spirit Eye Tree, whose essence is said to have special effects!"

"Senior brother, do you think we'll be able to form our Nascent Souls in the future? Will we be able to ascend to immortality? Are there really immortals in the Upper Realm who can move mountains and fill seas, and live as long as heaven and earth?"

Li Xiao listened with a smile, occasionally offering a few comments.

He found himself enjoying these moments more and more.

The girl's clear and crisp words could wash away the tedium of his cultivation path and soothe the deep-seated hatred in his heart.

She was like a ray of light, shining into his already cold and lonely life, which had been through two lifetimes.

This day is the fifteenth of every month.

Juxianlou, in conjunction with Tianxing Auction House, held its routine small auction on the second floor.

Li Xiao had obtained the auction list in advance. His gaze swept over it and finally settled on the final treasure.

Xuan Shui Inner Armor.

Crafted from the core of the shell of the third-tier demon beast Xuan Shui Turtle, this item not only greatly enhances the defense of water-attribute cultivators but also accelerates the circulation of their magical power.

"Junior sister, this suits you."

Li Xiao transmitted his voice to Song Yu from inside the soundproof private room.

"But its starting bid... is one thousand spirit stones." Song Yu hesitated.

She knew that her senior brother's cultivation was extremely costly, and a thousand spirit stones was no small sum.

"It's alright."

Li Xiao smiled and said, "Your eighteenth birthday is coming soon, so consider this an early gift."

The auction began, and the atmosphere was quickly ignited.

When the Xuan Shui inner armor, which shimmered with the light of flowing water, was presented, the auras of several water-attribute cultivators in the arena became intensely hot.

The price climbed from 1,000 spirit stones to 1,300.

The bidding from the various parties gradually subsided, clearly indicating that they had all reached their limits.

Just then, a calm voice came from the private room where Li Xiao was. It spread through the array, making it impossible to discern the original tone of the voice.

"1,500 spirit stones."

The entire room fell silent.

The few people who were vying for it all eventually chose to give up.

During halftime, a maid brought a jade box containing the inner armor into the private box.

Song Yu held the jade box, captivated by the pure water elemental energy emanating from the inner armor. Suddenly, she looked up and gazed intently at Li Xiao.

"Senior brother, why are you so good to me?"

Li Xiao stopped in her tracks.

He looked at the girl in front of him. She wore a light blue dress that made her skin look as white as snow and her features as exquisite as a painting.

At seventeen, Song Yu had shed all her immaturity and was like a secluded orchid in a valley, pure and elegant.

Yes, why?

Countless images flashed through his mind.

When he was five years old, a small hand grasped his fingers, soft yet with a stubborn strength, pulling him out of the shadow of death from his previous life.

At the age of ten, outside Black Wind Ridge, she stood in front of him, her tender back showing no tremor when facing the calamity cultivator.

At fifteen, on the Daoist platform, her magical power flowed like water, gently dissolving the resentment that had grown in his heart from cultivation.

And just now, the way she hesitated over a thousand spirit stones.

These fragments of memory, when pieced together, have already left an indelible mark on his heart.

This relationship was never a one-sided act of protection.

It is a two-way journey.

Seeing that Li Xiao didn't speak, a sly glint flashed in Song Yu's eyes. She gently shook his arm, her tone carrying a hint of coquetry.

"Senior brother, could you please take another picture of that century-old snow lotus? The list says it can nourish the skin, beautify the complexion, and keep you young forever!"

Li Xiao was jolted out of her thoughts. Looking into her bright, expectant eyes, her heart softened.

But when he thought of his already empty storage bag, he could only put on a stern face.

"You are already very beautiful."

"Mmm! And then?" Song Yu asked, tilting her head up with a bright smile.

"If you keep getting any more beautiful, how are the other female cultivators supposed to live?" Li Xiao said irritably, reaching out a finger to affectionately and helplessly flick the tip of her nose.

"Giggle giggle..."

Song Yu burst into laughter, her clear laughter echoing through the corridor.

She knew that her senior brother had agreed, but he was just being stubborn.

Since then, the atmosphere between the two has undergone some inexplicable changes.

Song Yu would naturally help Li Xiao straighten his slightly disheveled collar.

She would hand him a fragrant handkerchief when he was drenched in sweat after practicing his sword.

When he was tired from refining elixirs, the spiritual tea she brought him would always have an extra leaf of Ice Heart Grass, which could calm the mind and refresh the spirit.

Li Xiao would stay by her door every step of the way while she cultivated.

When she gets tired of reading, he will tell her jokes about her past life to cheer her up.

When danger looms, shielding her behind him has become an instinct that requires no thought.

That day, the two were in the market buying medicinal herbs for alchemy.

As they turned into a quiet alley, three menacing figures blocked their way.

The leader was a burly man with a face full of scars, carrying a bloodstained ghost-head knife on his shoulder, his eyes brazenly scanning Song Yu.

"Tsk tsk, what a pretty young lady, keeping us gentlemen entertained?"

He grinned maliciously, then looked at Li Xiao: "This pretty boy has such delicate skin, perfect for using as a sacrifice for my magic sword!"

Li Xiao's eyes instantly turned cold.

The longsword slid silently into his palm, a dark golden gleam flowing along its blade.

"Junior sister, step back."

"No."

This time, Song Yu did not back down.

She chose to stand beside Li Xiao, the Azure Wave Sword in her hand emitting a clear and melodious sword cry, its azure light flickering erratically.

"Senior brother, let's go together this time."

Before she finished speaking, she made the first move!

"Water Dragon's Roar!"

With a flick of the Azure Wave Sword, three water dragons materialized out of thin air, roaring as they charged toward the three cultivators, precisely separating them.

It's now!

Li Xiao moved.

His figure was so fast that he left only a blur, his long sword transforming into a golden curtain of light, each strike aimed straight for vital points.

The glint of blades and the shadows of swords, the golden flames and the blue waves, all intertwined at this moment.

The ferocious sharpness and the gentle entanglement formed a seamless combination.

Those three cultivators at the thirteenth level of Qi Refining were caught in a vortex of death before they could even summon a decent magic weapon.

puff!

The head of the leading burly man was severed by Li Xiao with a single stroke.

Another cultivator was forced into a frenzy by Li Xiao's blade light, revealing a fatal flaw.

Just then, Song Yu's cold voice rang out.

"Ice Soul Divine Needle"

Three hundred and sixty ice needles, as thin as cow's hair and formed from water elemental power, shot out from her fingertips, drawing a strange arc in the air, bypassing Li Xiao, and all piercing the heart of the tribulation cultivator.

The last cultivator, caught between Li Xiao and Song Yu, was shredded into pieces by the barrage of blades.

The battle is over.

It took no more than three breaths.

Li Xiao's gaze fell on Song Yu's light blue skirt.

There, a drop of filthy blood, not hers, splattered.

An unprecedented surge of anger and lingering fear instantly overwhelmed his reason.

He crouched down, his fingertips surging with spiritual energy, and carefully evaporated the drop of blood, his movements as gentle as if he were polishing a priceless treasure.

"From now on, you must never let yourself touch these things again."

Song Yu looked down at him. From her angle, she could see her senior brother's taut jawline and the tenderness that couldn't be hidden in his cold eyes.

"With my senior brother here, I won't get hurt."

Her voice was soft, yet it felt like a mountain, pressing heavily on Li Xiao's heart.

At that moment, Li Xiao finally admitted it.

This lonely soul from another world finally found his own bond in this cold world of cultivation.

This bond has nothing to do with hatred or the great path.

It only concerns the girl in front of him, the one he depends on for survival.

She was the only warm color in his two lifetimes.