Chapter 21: 境界

The woman then noticed a young boy and girl, dressed in Daoist robes, sitting behind the window curtains. They looked about fifteen or sixteen years old, still with a youthful innocence about them.

Ning Xiaoling, who had been a little distracted, immediately became much more alert. She exclaimed in admiration, "As expected of a senior Daoist from an immortal's mansion, you've recovered so quickly despite such severe injuries."

Ning Changjiu noticed the woman's wary gaze and explained, "We found you unconscious in the courtyard earlier, and my junior sister and I brought you back into the house. I was in charge of boiling water and buying medicine, while my junior sister handled applying the poultices and bandages. You don't need to worry."

His words were unhurried, and his tone carried an unquestionable calm.

The woman tried to struggle up, but the tearing pain throughout her body slowly drained her strength, forcing her back onto the couch.

She looked earnestly at the young boy and girl and said, "Thank you both for saving my life. If I return to my sect one day, I will certainly prepare a generous gift for you."

After saying this, she couldn't help but shrink back, placing her face in the shadow cast by the bed curtains.

Ning Xiaoling, confused, asked, "Sister, you are so beautiful, why do you hide your face?"

From the shadow beneath the bed's sheer curtains, the woman's face appeared even more serene and faint. "I cultivate the Heavenly Dao to seek tranquility," she said. "Naturally, I must withdraw from the world."

Ning Xiaoling moved her chair slightly to the right, getting a clearer look at the woman's pure, flawless, and captivating face. Resting her chin in her hand, she smiled and said, "Sister, you are already so peerless; you don't need to isolate yourself from the world anymore."

The woman felt a stir in her heart. She knew she was very beautiful. Since she began cultivating, fellow disciples would often hide in the distance, secretly watching her as she listened to the spring by the stream or cleansed her sword. Her nature was reserved; she seemed to remain silent with downcast eyes, but in truth, she understood everything. As she grew older, disciples from her own sect or young talents from other immortal sects in Nanzhou would frequently express their admiration. With her enlightened sword heart, she could perceive the romantic intentions behind their admiration, but she simply focused on her cultivation, ignoring or feigning ignorance of such matters.

As her cultivation level rose, and especially as her swordsmanship became truly astonishing and unparalleled, fewer people expressed romantic interest, replaced instead by awe and admiration.

Now, hearing the young girl's praise, a faint smile finally appeared on her serene and beautiful face. She said, "You, little sister, are indeed bright and charming. Have you cultivated before, and what is your current realm?"

Ning Xiaoling thought for a moment and replied, "I've only been with my master for about a year. I hadn't even had time to learn much before Master passed away."

The woman looked at the girl, and the more she looked, the more she felt that the girl possessed a refined spirit and clear mind, a rare seed for cultivation. She said in a deep voice, "Come a little closer, let me examine you."

Ning Xiaoling obediently walked over and sat down by the edge of the bed.

The woman raised her hand with some effort, placed it on the girl's forehead, closed her eyes, and concentrated. Then she slowly withdrew her fingers. When she opened her eyes again, there was a barely concealed look of astonishment in them.

"Such a rare cultivation talent as yours is uncommon even within a major sect," she said. "Following your master to cultivate was truly a delay."

Ning Xiaoling touched her forehead and smiled, "I didn't even know I was that amazing."

The woman looked at Ning Changjiu on the other side, thinking to herself that their master certainly had some skill in selecting disciples. This pair of siblings were truly handsome and clear-eyed; one glance told her they were no ordinary people. She wondered how the immortal envoys who sought out cultivators could have overlooked such a boy and girl, allowing an old Daoist to take them in.

She called Ning Changjiu over and similarly placed her hand on his forehead.

Ning Changjiu asked with a smile, "Sword Immortal Lady, how is it?"

The woman opened her eyes, but a hint of disappointment showed. The young man's meridians were blocked, and his qi sea was narrow; even the ordinary path of cultivation would be difficult for him. Reaching the Profound Realm would be considered lucky. While for mortals, being able to cultivate at all was rare, in the world of immortal cultivation, his aptitude was... truly mediocre.

Not skilled at lying, she said, "The path of immortal cultivation will be much, much harder for you than for your junior sister."

To her surprise, there was no trace of disappointment on the young man's face.

His temperament, however, was quite good.

The woman suddenly remembered something. Looking at them, she said earnestly, "You have shown me great kindness. Since you have no master now, you might consider coming with me to cultivate in the Decree Sword Heavenly Sect. If you don't mind, I am willing to take you as my disciples."

Ning Xiaoling trembled. Although she hadn't heard of the Decree Sword Heavenly Sect, she was sure it was due to her own limited knowledge. For a sect to bear the character "Zong" (Sect) meant it was at the pinnacle of cultivation in Nanzhou—an immortal destiny that ordinary people couldn't achieve in lifetimes. Her lips trembled slightly, and for a moment, she felt bewildered.

The woman quietly waited for their reply. In her heart, her sect held immense significance; it was a sacred place of cultivation that countless people yearned for. Since her master entered seclusion, even when accepting disciples, it was typically experienced senior brothers and sisters who took on outer disciples. Now, she was willing to make an exception and bring them back to the sect. An ordinary person wouldn't hesitate for a moment; they would already be weeping with gratitude.

Offering this in return for saving her life could be considered fair.

However, the brother and sister remained silent.

The woman looked at them with some surprise, wondering if they simply didn't understand what the four characters "Decree Sword Heavenly Sect" truly signified.

She asked softly, "Is it because you see my injuries are too severe, and you think this sect is merely a name without substance?"

Ning Xiaoling shook her head repeatedly. "I saw the sword strike you conjured earlier, transforming into a rainbow from the imperial palace. It was incredibly powerful. I doubt I could ever be half as formidable as you, even if I cultivated my whole life."

The woman looked at the delicate and lovely girl and smiled faintly. But as she recalled the demon fox that had already entered the city, her slightly improved mood darkened again. She sighed, "It's just that, in the end, my skill was inferior."

Ning Changjiu asked, "May I ask who injured you?"

The woman said coldly, "A fox demon... a very powerful one. I'm certain it's not yet complete, but even so, I was no match for it. According to what it said, it has lived for hundreds of years and was once a great demon among the Five Paths..."

"The Five Paths?" Ning Changjiu was slightly startled.

The woman realized, thinking that ordinary cultivators barely grasped the basic immortal arts; how could they know the realm divisions that were almost at the peak of the mortal world?

She explained, "Legend says that above the Violet Court, there exists a realm beyond imagination, called the Five Paths. The Five Paths are the Human Path, the Heavenly Path, the Demonic Path, the Hell Path, and the Ghost Path. These are the five cultivation paths of the mortal world. Legend has it that if one cultivates any of these paths to its pinnacle and finds the right opportunity, they can enter the Five Paths. In the past, I thought that was merely a legend; even someone like the Sect Master has remained at the peak of the Violet Court for sixty years."

As she spoke, she chuckled softly. "I shouldn't be discussing this now; it might be too distant for you. Entering the Profound, Reaching the Immortal, and Attaining Longevity – these are the three true realms on the path of cultivation. Above these three realms is the Violet Court, which has nine levels. Don't be fooled by there only being three realms before the Violet Court; you'll only truly understand when you cultivate how difficult it is to enter the Violet Court—as hard as ascending to heaven... After you join my sect, if you cultivate diligently for ten years and can touch the threshold of the Reaching the Immortal realm, then the Great Dao can be anticipated."

As if certain they wouldn't refuse, she now slowly introduced this knowledge to them, just like a master teaching disciples.

Ning Xiaoling listened intently, silently memorizing, and then asked, "Why is the Longevity Realm called the Longevity Realm? Does it mean extending one's life?"

The woman replied, "If one can cultivate to the Longevity Realm, they can extend their lifespan by a hundred years. However, this is extremely difficult for most people. My master said I am the most talented person he has seen in a hundred years. I entered the sect at four and cultivated diligently for twenty years, yet I am only at the Longevity Realm. Furthermore, I can foresee that I won't be able to break through to the Violet Court bottleneck within the next ten years."

Ning Changjiu, however, was thinking of something else. He vaguely remembered from what seemed like a past life's memory that the books had clearly mentioned Six Paths. Where had the sixth path gone?

Ning Xiaoling worriedly said, "But, Sword Immortal Sister, that great demon is so powerful now, even you couldn't defeat it. How will we get out of the city?"

The woman said, "Before its power fully recovers, we need to find a way to return to the imperial palace and retrieve that blue-and-white sedan chair. With that, I'll have a way to send you away."

Ning Changjiu said, "Something has changed in the imperial palace. It's not advisable to go back for now."

Ning Xiaoling whispered, "What if that old fox attacks right now..."

Ning Changjiu interrupted, "Don't worry. That old fox's primary target isn't her, and it's certainly not us. It should go straight to the imperial palace. I just don't know how long Zhao Xianger can hold out."

The woman lightly shook her head, chuckling. "That old fox's demonic power is far stronger than imaginable. In all of Nanzhou, no one can kill it except for the Sect Master. Moreover, the Sect Master recently received a heavenly revelation and decided to travel to the Central Divine Continent to seek the opportunity to break through the Violet Court and enter the Five Paths."

She felt her sword heart become unstable again. After steadying herself, she looked at the brother and sister with a serious expression. "Oh, by the way, what are your names?"

Ning Changjiu said, "My junior sister and I were both bought by our master and adopted his surname, Ning. I am called Changjiu, for 'long-lasting vision and enduring life.' My junior sister is called Xiaoling, for 'an age of a thousand generations.'"

Ning Xiaoling nodded along, completely unaware that her name was connected to such an idiom. She silently made a mental note, thinking she could use it when introducing herself in the future. She looked at the woman, who, despite her pallor, possessed unparalleled beauty, and asked curiously:

"Sword Immortal Sister, may I ask your name?"

A hint of difficulty flashed in the woman's clear eyes. Her cherry lips pressed together, as if she found it hard to speak.