“My body… it aches!”

Jiang Wang awoke from his unconsciousness. The first thing he did was instinctively reach beside him, searching for his sword.

Thankfully, it was there.

With the sword gripped firmly in his hand, he opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was an upside-down stalactite.

He was in some kind of cave.

The entire sequence of the previous battle was imprinted in his mind, with seemingly nothing omitted.

His fatal mistake, without a doubt, was underestimating that deer-ox creature.

This realization filled him with vexation. But when the deer-ox had charged at him through the air, he had truly been at his limit, with no way to evade.

Before pushing open the Gates of Heaven, the human form was unable to tread the void. Jiang Wang, relying on the advantages granted by the Four Spirits Body Tempering Art, could at most only increase his airtime a little. There was no way he could have escaped with his life after falling from such a high cliff.

Not to mention, the deer-ox’s full-force impact had shattered the nascent Dao essence he had instantly summoned.

He still remembered the sensation of rapid descent, the feeling of his heart rising endlessly, as if trying to leap out of his throat, escaping with all of his life force… a terrifying feeling.

But he could not recall how he had fallen unconscious.

So, who had saved him?

“Of course, it was I, who saved you with a secret art.”

That extraordinarily charming voice, as if having read Jiang Wang’s thoughts, drifted from afar, landing softly in his ears.

Jiang Wang sat up, feeling a strange sensation in his body. But he didn’t have time to examine it closely, because the woman wearing a long black dress and a black veil over her face had already walked to his side.

She was strong!

This was Jiang Wang’s first assessment.

“Your grace in saving my life, I will engrave it in my heart.” Jiang Wang expressed his gratitude earnestly, before asking, “May I inquire as to your name?”

“My maiden name, I will not reveal. Men are all the same, after all. They don’t remember what they obtain too easily.” The black-veiled woman’s voice was light and airy, like a feather that couldn’t quite scratch an itch, never quite landing on solid ground.

She extended a frost-white hand, and gently traced Jiang Wang’s nose with her finger. “You just need to remember that it was I who saved you…”

Jiang Wang was not Zhao Rucheng. He had never experienced such a situation. Add to that the fact that he had only just escaped death, and panic began to well up in his heart.

Fortunately, he was gripping his sword, its cold touch helping him to regain a modicum of composure.

He forced a smile. “Since I do not know the lady’s name…”

He glanced at her veil, and said with a stiff smile, “Nor do I know the lady’s appearance. This…”

*How am I supposed to remember?* He thought.

“Hee~” The black-veiled woman covered her face, laughing. “You are quite adorable.”

“Uh…” Jiang Wang instinctively tightened his grip on his sword, not because he sensed a threat, but because he was genuinely nervous.

The black-veiled woman crouched down in front of Jiang Wang, her long dress pooling on the ground. Resting her elbow on her knee, she supported her chin with her hand and looked directly into Jiang Wang’s eyes. “It doesn’t matter. I will come find you in the future. When that time comes, as long as you see me, you will recognize me. Unless you… pretend not to.”

A hint of sorrow suddenly appeared in her captivating eyes. “Would you… do that?”

“No… I would not.” Jiang Wang recited the scriptures of the Scriptures for Human Salvation in his mind, and said solemnly, “The grace of saving my life, I dare not forget.”

“I knew it. You are a good boy.”

*Boy?*

*Perhaps she’s a senior cultivator who has achieved great success…*

Jiang Wang subconsciously shuffled backward.

But the woman seemed to read his mind again, and said in a coquettish tone, “What are you thinking? I’m about the same age as you!”

The feeling of awkwardness was like a chain of pitfalls, one foot stepping into another.

Jiang Wang couldn’t help but ask, “How is the situation on Jade Balance Peak?”

“How else? They returned empty-handed.” The black-veiled woman said casually, then added, “Don’t worry, your little lover is fine.”

“What little lover!” Jiang Wang almost jumped up. “Rucheng and I are good brothers!”

“I was talking about that beauty from the Cloud Nation, why are you getting so excited?” The black-veiled woman widened her eyes deliberately, feigning surprise, but the mischief in the depths of her eyes betrayed her.

“What beauty? She was wearing a veil too. Who knows if she’s beautiful or not.” Having been teased constantly, Jiang Wang couldn’t help but retort. “I don’t even know her, so please don’t say things like that…”

“Oh, you’re not even concerned about the beauty…” The woman blinked her eyes. “Then rest assured, your brother… is also fine.”

She deliberately emphasized the word “brother.”

Jiang Wang truly couldn’t handle it. If this were a battle, he would have already surrendered.

He simply clasped his fist and said, “Thank you, Senior, for saving me. I will definitely repay you to the best of my ability in the future. Now, I need to go back. My friends must be very worried.”

“Who is your Senior? Maybe I’m younger than you?”

“Then…”

The woman’s eyes were full of smiles. “Call me *elder sister*.”

“…”

“Alright, I won’t make it difficult for you. But, do you not feel any changes in your body?”

Now that she mentioned it, there was something different about his body. Especially in his lower back, there was a slight cool sensation. But he had only just woken up, and this woman had been close to him the whole time, so he had no time to investigate.

“What do you mean?” Jiang Wang asked.

“You have no idea what state you were in when you fell. You looked so pitiful…” The black-veiled woman shook her head, as if reluctant to recall the scene. “That I could save you, allowing you to be so lively and energetic. First, it’s because my cultivation is high. Second, it’s because my secret art is powerful. And third… you and this secret art are particularly compatible!”

From the woman’s tone, Jiang Wang sensed that something was amiss. “May I ask, what secret art did the lady use?”

The black-veiled woman avoided the question, and only said, “You seem to have a faint connection to the Taiyin Star? There aren’t many orthodox Daoist methods that involve the power of the Taiyin Star. Especially at your level.”

Drawing down star power was something only cultivators at the Outer Building Realm could do. If Jiang Wang had any connection with the Taiyin Star, it could only be because of the Illusionary Realm. But this was his biggest secret.

Now that he had officially become Transcendent, he had more knowledge about the cultivation world. But he had never heard anyone mention the Illusionary Realm, so it must not have been revealed to the public yet. Or perhaps, at Jiang Wang’s current level, he was simply not qualified to touch it yet.

Naturally, he didn’t want to expose it.

“Your secret art… involves the Taiyin Star? From what the lady is saying…” Jiang Wang said deliberately, “Are you not part of the orthodox Daoist sects?”

“Call me *elder sister*.” The black-veiled woman lightly tapped Jiang Wang, a gesture that felt more like flirtation than anger.

Then she said, “We are one of those few orthodox sects.”

“May I ask…” Jiang Wang glossed over the form of address, “Which branch do you belong to? Great Luo Mountain, Jade Capital Mountain, or Penglai Island?”

“Classified!” The black-veiled woman’s eyes were full of smiles. “Don’t you want to take a look?”

“Look at… what?”

The black-veiled woman gently raised a soft, boneless hand to Jiang Wang, then drew her index finger downwards.

Caught off guard, Jiang Wang’s entire upper garment split open, revealing his muscular torso.

He instinctively wanted to hug his chest with his arms, but felt that it would make him look too weak. So he simply froze, unmoving.

Little did he know that this only made him look more awkward.

The black-veiled woman took out a small mirror from who-knows-where, and slowly approached Jiang Wang, placing the copper mirror behind his back.

“Look at me,” she said.

“Huh?” Jiang Wang was stunned.

“Look at my eyes~”

The woman was so close, her fragrant breath seemed to brush against his face through the veil.

“Don’t overthink it… From my eyes, look at your back reflected in the mirror.”

*Clang!*

Jiang Wang drew his sword.

The black-veiled woman didn’t seem surprised at all, and didn’t move in the slightest. She continued to look at him like that, still so close.

Jiang Wang leaned back slightly, holding the sword horizontally in front of him, using the blade to reflect the mirror.

“It’s easier to see this way,” he said.

Then he saw it. At the base of his neck, where his cervical vertebrae connected to his spine, a lotus flower had bloomed at some point.

It was an eerie lotus flower, with petals made of white bone.