NOVPUB"You seem afraid to speak," Xu Zimei said.
He was somewhat curious about the identity of the woman in the white dress, but it appeared that she was no ordinary person.
Even his Senior Brother Shi didn’t dare to answer him.
"Junior Brother, I’m just an ordinary smith; I know nothing," Shi Jian hastily shook his head.
Xu Zimei didn’t press the matter and headed directly for the cave dwelling he resided in.
The cave dwellings on Vermilion Bird Island were quite simple due to the lack of inhabitants.
Inside, there was only a stone bed, a stone stool, and a stone table.
A few garments and some weapons hung on the walls,
all of which had been presented by Shi Jian.
As Xu Zimei sat down on the stone bed, the woman in the white dress followed and took a seat on the stone stool beside him.
"What exactly do you want?" Xu Zimei frowned and asked.
"I want to get to know you," said the woman in the white dress.
"Now that you know me, can you stay a bit farther away from me?" Xu Zimei said indifferently.
"I want to propose a transaction to you," the woman in the white dress said.
"Not interested," Xu Zimei waved his hand dismissively.
"Aren’t you even going to listen to what the transaction is about?" the woman said with a smile.
Xu Zimei frowned slightly, showing a trace of impatience.
Between his fingers, a Blade Intent coalesced and shot directly towards her.
The Blade Intent cut through the still sky, carrying an imposing might.
Watching the Blade Intent coming towards her, the woman in the white dress simply smiled, flicked her finger, and the Blade Intent vanished without a trace.
"Do you always treat all women with such disdain?" the woman in the white dress said with a light laugh.
"I mean no harm."
"I’ll give you ten seconds to speak your piece, then get lost," Xu Zimei said coolly.
"I am here on behalf of the academy," the woman in the white dress said seriously.
"If you have any needs, you can tell the academy.
The academy just hopes that you can help out in times of crisis."
"I’m all alone and powerless; what help can I offer?" Xu Zimei said.
"The True Martial Holy Sect behind you," the woman in the white dress said.
Before she could finish her sentence, Xu Zimei cut her off.
"Enough," Xu Zimei waved his hand.
"If it concerns the True Martial Holy Sect, go talk to the True Martial Holy Sect. I’m not in charge of this."
"Think it over anyway. I’ll come back," the woman in the white dress said, then left.
Xu Zimei slightly furrowed his brow.
He was beginning to understand her purpose. The Heavenly Dao Academy was facing difficulties, and knowing that he was the Saint Heir of the True Martial Holy Sect,
she wanted to secure aid from the True Martial Holy Sect.
However, Xu Zimei couldn’t be bothered with this issue.
If the True Martial Holy Sect had any friendly ties with the Heavenly Dao Academy, lending a hand wouldn’t be a problem.
But the key point was that in the history of the True Martial Holy Sect, none of the four Great Emperors had ever come to the Heavenly Dao Academy for cultivation.
He was not in a position to make a decision about such matters.
He sat cross-legged on the stone bed and began his cultivation.
His cultivation now was about building up gradually to unleash power explosively.
With the morning light and dew, as the early sun rose,
Xu Zimei awoke from his cultivation. As he stepped out of the cave dwelling, he found Venerable Nu waiting outside.
Venerable Nu was seated at the highest point of the valley, presently inhaling the essence of the sun and the moon, with the most concentrated spiritual energy present at the moment when darkness and the dawn’s light intermingled.
When Venerable Nu saw Xu Zimei exit the cave dwelling, he finally stopped.
"Teacher, what brings you here?" Xu Zimei asked.
Regardless, the other was his teacher in name.
"I’ve specifically come to find you," Venerable Nu said with a smile.
"I’m taking you to a place."
"What place?" Xu Zimei stepped forward and asked.
"You’ll know when we get there," Venerable Nu said with a smile.
...
Following behind Venerable Nu, the two of them soared into the air.
They continued straight north from the Heavenly Dao Academy for half an hour.
Xu Zimei noticed that the sky and earth in the distance seemed to be changing color.
From the original azure to a mix of black and white.
It was as if the black and white fish of the Yin and Yang were reflected across the sky and earth in the shape of Bagua.
Their silhouettes stopped in front of a large gate.
The surface of the gate was engraved with a rotating Yin and Yang wheel as well.
Endless streams of Yin and Yang Qi were gushing out.
"Where is this?" Xu Zimei looked at Venerable Nu with curiosity and asked.
"This is the land of life and death," Venerable Nu replied.
"Since the academy has made you my student, I, as a teacher, must take some responsibility." 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝔬𝔪
Seeing Xu Zimei’s puzzled expression, Venerable Nu continued.
"I have observed you carefully, with your current strength, so-called divine medicines, martial skills, or secret techniques no longer offer you much enhancement.
I have thought it over and perhaps only this place can be of some help to you.
It might give you an edge in the struggle for destiny."
"Land of life and death," Xu Zimei murmured to himself.
He always felt the aura here was familiar as if he had seen it somewhere before.
But for a moment, he couldn’t quite recall.
"Our Heavenly Dao Academy was founded by ten ancestral masters, established during the era of Wild Desolation, this you should know."
Venerable Nu replied.
Xu Zimei nodded slightly, actually among the ten ancestral masters, he only knew of One-Qi Daoist and Green Tiger Ancestral Master.
"One of the ten ancestral masters, the Yin-Yang Ancestral Master, had ascended to Heaven Beyond Heavens, and what he cultivated was the Great Dao of Life and Death within the Great Yin-Yang Path."
Venerable Nu replied.
"This Great Dao of Life and Death is immeasurably profound, many people can’t even enter its threshold after a lifetime of arduous cultivation.
When the Yin-Yang Ancestral Master achieved greatness in the Dao of Life and Death, he was unexpectedly slain in Heaven Beyond Heavens.
Thousands of years later, no one would have imagined that the Yin-Yang Ancestral Master would resurrect within the Heavenly Dao Academy."
"Resurrection?" Xu Zimei was somewhat surprised.
Aside from himself, this was the first time he had encountered someone returning from the dead.
"This is actually well-known, not surprising," Venerable Nu said with a smile.
"After his resurrection, the Yin-Yang Ancestral Master began his cultivation anew.
Using less than a hundred years, he had already achieved ascension.
According to the ancestral master, the reason he was slain in Heaven Beyond Heavens was that he had obtained a treasure from the realm of life and death."
"And then?" Xu Zimei asked.
"The ancestral master brought the treasure from the realm of life and death here and cultivated at this place.
Within a hundred years, not only did he achieve ascension and return to Heaven Beyond Heavens,
but even this place where he cultivated became the land of life and death,"
Venerable Nu explained.
I sensed the Qi of Life and Death on you and thought this place might be of use to you.
In the entire Yuan Central Continent, in terms of the Qi of Life and Death, our Heavenly Dao Academy’s land of life and death is definitely in the top three."
"The Qi of Life and Death, what does that have to do with me?" Xu Zimei said with a frown.
If it were Demonic Qi, he might accept it had something to do with him.
But he had never come into contact with the Qi of Life and Death.
"I practice a very special cultivation technique, and my perception is particularly strong," Venerable Nu said.
"Along with the demonic Qi, there is a very pure Qi of Life and Death on you.
I am absolutely sure of it."
Xu Zimei pondered for a long time, and then a light flashed in his mind.
"That’s right, the Book of Life and Death."
He had retrieved the Book of Life and Death from the Life-and-Death Cave of the True Martial Holy Sect with the help of several old ancestors.
