The Teachings of the Sixth Senior Sister

Walking to the edge of the cliff, the girl did not stop. She stepped out into the void as if walking on solid ground, her sleeves hanging low and fluttering with the wind.

Xu Xian also circulated his true essence, stepping into the air to follow closely by her side.

A clear sky.

Green mountains.

A youth and a girl.

Red attire and white robes.

Jiang Wanyin began her lecture in a leisurely manner. "I entered the Wendao Sword Sect roughly seven thousand years ago. Unlike most disciples in the mountains, I was picked up and brought here. I grew up in these mountains. At the age of five, I began attempting body refining. Because I was still small then, Master made me climb the mountains—one trip every single day... While ordinary disciples enter the sect at ten, I had already reached foundation establishment by that age."

As she spoke, she glanced at Xu Xian before continuing her story.

"However, Master said I was too young then. Fearing my temperament was not yet firm, he forbade me from entering the Sword Mound and disallowed me from continuing my cultivation. Instead, he threw me into the red dust of the mortal world, where I stayed for ten years."

"When I returned ten years later and entered the Sword Mound, I came back with an immortal sword."

"My Senior Brother accepted me as a disciple on behalf of our Master, so I became the Wendao Sword Sect's Little Junior Martial Uncle—and I suppose, the Little Grand-Uncle as well."

Xu Xian was slightly surprised.

Starting cultivation at five and reaching foundation establishment at ten took five years. However, the difference between starting at five and starting at ten was immense...

Jiang Wanyin teased, "Hmm... if not for that, I might be the youngest disciple to ever enter the Sword Pavilion in the sect's history books. I might even be the youngest nascent soul in the history of the human race in Fanzhou."

Feeling Jiang Wanyin's gaze, Xu Xian's heart skipped a beat.

This was bad; she was aiming this at him.

"Uh... Senior Sister, that shouldn't be my fault, right?"

Jiang Wanyin burst into a giggle. "Pfft... look at how nervous you are. I was just speaking casually."

Xu Xian breathed a sigh of relief.

Jiang Wanyin then spoke with a meaningful tone. "There is much to be said about cultivation. Some have high talent and run a bit faster; some have good luck and walk a bit smoother. Some enter the sect early and gain the upper hand, while others enter late and catch up from behind. Whether one is fast or slow doesn't actually matter much."

"The first, second, and third stages are merely the beginning."

"The fourth, fifth, and sixth stages don't count for much either."

"Only upon reaching the seventh stage can one be said to have touched the threshold of longevity."

"That is the start of the immortal path, yet it could also be the end of the Great Dao."

Xu Xian fell into deep thought, nodding in response from time to time.

Jiang Wanyin looked at Xu Xian, offering guidance in a lecturing tone.

"I am telling you this because I want you to settle your heart and progress step by step. Do not let your original heart become flighty because of some useless, empty fame. Whether one is an eighteen-year-old nascent soul or a hundred-year-old nascent soul, they are both at the nascent soul stage."

"A twenty-five-year-old in the soul transformation stage and a thousand-year-old in the soul transformation stage are actually the same; they are both in the soul transformation stage."

"The only difference is that it sounds a bit better when spoken aloud."

"Others might be shocked, jealous, or envious when they hear it, but to yourself, soul transformation is just soul transformation. On the path of the Great Dao, it is the same..."

Xu Xian understood Jiang Wanyin's meaning.

She was using her own background as an opportunity to warn him not to become arrogant or complacent due to his youthful success.

To put it simply, she was telling him not to let it go to his head and to stay grounded.

To be honest, Xu Xian had indeed been feeling a bit conceited.

Of course, he couldn't be blamed. During the battle at the Demon Suppression Abyss, he had crushed the beast race in a single day and night, becoming invincible under the eighth stage. Furthermore, at the walls of Spirit Elixir City, he had unleashed two sword strikes that made his name famous across the world. With such achievements, who wouldn't be a bit inflated?

However, Xu Xian still possessed self-awareness.

He did not resent Jiang Wanyin's prodding and guidance. After all, in her eyes, he was still just a twenty-five-year-old youth. Moreover, he had spent four years comprehending the sword stele and twelve years living deep in the mountains. By that count, he had only been out in the world for a mere eight years.

From an elder's perspective, she was truly worried that he might become self-satisfied and stray onto the wrong path. Therefore, it was better to say these things than to leave them unsaid. If he had such faults, he should correct them; if not, he should take the warning to heart.

Xu Xian humbly accepted. "I have taken your teachings to heart, Senior Sister."

Jiang Wanyin's eyes filled with gratification as she said softly, "It's not really a teaching, just a casual chat."

Xu Xian smiled but said nothing.

Jiang Wanyin suddenly shifted the topic. "By the way, back in the hall, I suggested pushing back the auspicious beast's entry into the sect by a few days. Do you have any thoughts on that?"

Xu Xian found it hard to keep up with her jumping train of thought.

One moment she was talking about her life, the next about cultivation, and in the blink of an eye, she was back to old business...

He instinctively shook his head. "No."

Jiang Wanyin talked to herself. "I can see that you want to raise that auspicious beast, and those Pavilion Elders in the sect want to raise it too. That's not surprising. For any sect in this world, when they haven't been able to make further progress for a long time, the older generation always thirsts for talent and fresh blood. Not to mention our Wendao Sword Sect's current..."

Jiang Wanyin left the second half of that sentence unsaid, pivoting instead. "Actually, I want to raise it too. Leaving aside the fact that an auspicious beast is uniquely blessed by nature, with just a bit of training, it will surely reach the beast god stage within five hundred years. Within a thousand years, it will be enough to rival a saint."

"Its presence will also attract the blessings of heaven and earth and the favor of the Great Dao. The disciples in the mountains will inevitably benefit from it as well. This is inherently a very good thing; there's nothing more to be said about that..."

Xu Xian expressed deep agreement; he had thought the same thing. He understood Jiang Wanyin's meaning and was even clearer on the little schemes of the Pavilion Elders.

With Yun Zheng's fall, the Wendao Sword Sect had lost an ancestor. At a time like this, they placed even more importance on having successors. Having just obtained an auspicious beast, there was no reason not to raise it.

Jiang Wanyin said, "Actually, when I said to push it back a few days, I wasn't just speaking casually. And of course, it wasn't really just about wanting to eat a hot meal. Except for you and Little Ten, all of us fellow disciples have already touched the Extreme Path of the Great Dao. Against those Shackles of the Heavenly Dao, eating anything is useless."

Xu Xian was slightly stunned and asked in surprise, "Then what did you mean, Senior Sister?"

Jiang Wanyin spoke bluntly. "The great sect-protecting formation at One Sword Gorge was left behind by our Master. Although its full power hasn't been unleashed in ten thousand years, I can tell you that if fully triggered, it can slay a saint."

"If the Demon-Slaying Sword moves, my strength alone is not enough to control it. However, if we combine the power of the Four Saints, we can briefly suppress it without damaging the formation's source, buying some time."

"Since everyone thinks we should raise it, we might as well leave ourselves a backup plan. If it can cross the Longevity Bridge, we will raise it inside the sect. If it cannot, we will preserve its life and can still raise it outside the sect."

Xu Xian suddenly understood. "So that's how it is."

No wonder. No wonder she had taken that extra step.

Looking at it this way, he had been short-sighted. His Senior Sister was far more thorough.

"Senior Sister is truly worthy of being called Senior Sister," Xu Xian praised sincerely.

Jiang Wanyin gave a gentle smile. "Hehe. This world isn't just black and white, nor is it simply right and wrong. Sometimes, you can have both the fish and the bear's paw. As an adult, before making a choice, one should first seek a comprehensive solution."

Xu Xian's body shook slightly as he said solemnly, "I have learned much!"