Chapter 23: Bai Tao

"That's right, Minyue is precisely the sword I chose from the Ten Thousand Swords Grotto," Ji Chuxue replied.

Jiang Yan asked curiously, "Senior Sister, is the Ten Thousand Swords Grotto within our sect?"

"No, it's not. That place is rather dangerous. Wait until you're confident you can return in one piece—then consider going," Ji Chuxue answered.

Jiang Yan, upon hearing this, became even more eager to see the Ten Thousand Swords Grotto. If his senior sister, a young woman, could return unscathed, surely he, the destined genius, would fare no worse. Passing up such high-grade equipment? That would be the choice of a coward!

He resolved silently: once he was ready, he would head to the Ten Thousand Swords Grotto.

"Heh, Senior Sister, when the time comes, I’ll be sure to pick the most powerful sword!" Jiang Yan boasted.

Ji Chuxue nodded. "That’s a good ambition, little junior. However, the sword rumored to be the strongest is not so easily taken. You’d better focus on your cultivation for now."

She spoke frankly, but not to dampen his spirits. Those ambitious enough to try and win the acknowledgment of that legendary spirit sword had either given up—or left their bones in the Ten Thousand Swords Grotto.

After all, that sword was both righteous and wicked...

Even the sword she had chosen, Minyue, was no ordinary blade; it ranked among the top five in the Grotto. Back then, she had come close to losing her life there as well.

As if suddenly recalling something, Ji Chuxue handed Jiang Yan a map. "Little junior, this is a map of the cultivation world. Keep it well—our Qilin Sect’s location is marked on it."

Jiang Yan took the map and glanced over it. It was indeed thoughtfully made: not only were the positions of the various sects marked, but also the locations of secret realms and places for training.

"Senior Sister, why are you giving me this map all of a sudden?"

"It’s time for you to go out and gain some experience... and besides," Ji Chuxue began to explain.

Before she could finish, Jiang Yan interrupted, "Oh, I get it—I need to earn some spirit stones, too."

"Yes. You’ve reached the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. If you want to form your core quickly, the best way is through experience. Who knows, you might even run into some of your other senior brothers and sisters."

She handed him a blue communication jade token. "Here, this is our sect’s communication token. My and Master’s contact methods are already stored inside. As for the others, you’ll need to add them in person when you meet."

Next, she produced a small booklet and handed it to him. "This is a disciple handbook I wrote. It records their appearances, as well as... ahem, their personalities and interests."

Jiang Yan couldn’t help glancing at Ji Chuxue several times in surprise. Who would have thought that his usually cool and elegant senior sister had a hobby akin to being a paparazzi?

He flipped through the booklet; the handwriting was dainty and adorable, quite at odds with her image.

"Heh, thank you, Senior Sister. I’ll make my preparations and set off in a few days."

"If you’re not sure where to go for your training, I’d suggest the Sun and Moon Island secret realm. It will open in twenty days," Ji Chuxue advised.

In the original novel, the Sun and Moon Island secret realm wasn’t mentioned at this point—after all, the heroine, Lin Ruyan, was still in the Jiang Kingdom at this time. Jiang Yan was full of curiosity about this new development.

The plot was getting more and more unpredictable; even the author might shake their head at how far things had diverged. But wasn’t the unknown the greatest challenge? Heh heh...

To prepare well, Jiang Yan bought two thousand talisman papers and some alchemy materials on credit from Ji Chuxue. As for a pill furnace, he simply used a large cauldron instead.

He even made a well-fitting lid for the cauldron. It was the first time Ji Chuxue had seen anyone use a cauldron in place of a pill furnace. She could only rub her forehead in resignation—her little junior was just as frugal as their master!

Using a cauldron for alchemy, of course, raised the difficulty. Sure enough, Jiang Yan managed to blow up five cauldrons and three thatched huts in a row.

Ji Chuxue glanced over and jotted a note in her little book: “Must build five more thatched huts.”

As the saying goes, failure is the mother of success. After several setbacks, Jiang Yan finally found a solution: he built an indestructible cauldron using mechanical techniques.

From then on, whenever Ji Chuxue passed by Jiang Yan’s cottage, she would hear constant clanging from inside, and his unabashedly narcissistic remarks.

“Hahaha, I really am the chosen one! Nothing’s too hard for me!”

“Heh heh, I’m just that handsome. Don’t fall for me—I’m merely a legend!”

...

Ji Chuxue once again felt her junior brother had gone a little mad...

In the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed. Jiang Yan was finally ready, though his supplies weren’t completely sufficient—they could be replenished on the road.

This time, when Ji Chuxue came by, she saw Jiang Yan dressed in red, striking all kinds of dashing poses in front of the mirror.

“Ahem, little junior, are you all set?” Ji Chuxue asked.

“Senior Sister, I’m ready! I was just about to come say goodbye. Rest assured, I’ll bring glory to our sect!” Jiang Yan declared with confidence.

“Good. If you encounter any danger, be sure to contact me with the jade token. Also, take this spatial ring—I’ll lend it to you for now. It can hold much more than a storage pouch,” she said, handing him the ring.

“Thank you, Senior Sister. Don’t worry, I’ve prepared plenty of life-saving treasures, heh heh.”

Jiang Yan put away the ring and took his leave.

As for his mode of travel, he once again chose his motorcycle. After all, who in the cultivation world could compare to such a stylish way of crossing mountains and clouds?

This time, he had crafted a black motorcycle for himself, modeled after Batman’s high-tech ride. It was hard to spot at night and came equipped with a protective shield for maximum safety.

He had also made a silencing talisman, so the motorcycle made no sound as it moved.

Following the map’s route, Jiang Yan hunted wild game when he was hungry and tossed it into the big pot with his own spices. The aroma was so delicious that passersby resting nearby couldn’t help but drool.

A slightly chubby youth in blue sect robes approached him out of curiosity. “Fellow cultivator, what are you cooking?”

“Chicken stewed with mushrooms,” Jiang Yan replied without even looking up, busy adding coriander to the pot.

The chubby youth’s mouth watered at the sight and smell. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

“Fellow cultivator, my name is Bai Tao, disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect. There’s so much food in your pot—could you sell me some? I can pay you spirit stones.”

After introducing himself, Bai Tao asked if Jiang Yan would be willing to sell him some food.

Seeing the youth’s sincerity, Jiang Yan didn’t refuse. “Sure, two hundred low-grade spirit stones for half the pot. But do you have anything to hold the food?”

“I do, I do—just a moment!” Bai Tao excitedly took out a large bowl from his storage pouch, then handed two hundred low-grade spirit stones to Jiang Yan.

Nearby, several other disciples watched the transaction with disdainful expressions.

“That Bai Tao, bringing a bowl when he’s out on a training journey. Hah! There aren’t many gluttonous cultivators like him.”

“Exactly. He’s a disgrace to our sect. Look at him—as if he hasn’t seen food in eight hundred years.”

They muttered to each other, not bothering to lower their voices, as if they wanted to make sure Bai Tao heard every word.