The long path of immortality: from this parting, we shall never meet again.

A moment later, Su Jiu turned around.

In her hand now rested a dagger no longer than three inches.

Its blade was as thin as a cicada’s wing, with a faint crimson pattern along the edge—whether decoration or dried blood, it was impossible to tell.

Holding the knife, Su Jiu walked step by step back to the bedside.

She sat at the foot of the bed.

Her face was expressionless, but her clear eyes remained fixed on Su Ji.

Or, more precisely, on the location of his spiritual root.

"Junior Sister," Su Ji continued his performance, "before you start cutting, could you at least let me die with some clarity?"

Su Jiu raised an eyebrow.

She spun the dagger deftly between her fingers and replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "What do you want to know?"

Then she added, "Speak plainly. There’s no one else here—I’ve temporarily set up a soundproofing array."

"Just… why does our Love-Longing Sect have such a vendetta against male disciples’ spiritual roots?"

Su Ji voiced the question that had plagued him since he realized the truth about this sect.

"To sever desires and focus on the Dao? That’s a flimsy excuse. Without that thing, do people really lose all desire? The senior brothers in the sect are all so twisted they’ve practically lost their humanity."

Su Jiu fell silent for a moment, as if weighing her words.

"This rule was established by a sect master five hundred years ago."

"That sect master was a woman. She believed… that most men in this world only know how to take, not what true ‘love’ is. She thought this was the only way to truly transcend the barrier of passion."

Su Ji was stunned.

So, the female sect master thought—male cultivators only knew how to do love, not what it means?

"And so… this rule has lasted five hundred years?"

Su Jiu shot him a glance, the beauty mark beneath her eye adding to her charm. "Because that old hag still hasn’t kicked the bucket."

Su Ji said nothing.

A Golden Core lifespan was about five hundred years—if she wasn’t dead yet, she was close.

Su Jiu scoffed. "Besides, once you reach the Golden Core stage, you can reshape your body. Reforging a spiritual root is child’s play. So, for most talented disciples, this is just a minor setback on the path of cultivation."

"Honestly, I don’t know why you’d react so strongly in the future…"

"The sect even has a saying: ‘Cut early, reach Golden Core sooner.’"

Su Ji understood now.

No wonder the disciples took it in stride—there was a way back.

But the problem was, this promise…

How many actually reached Golden Core?

For most, wasn’t this just permanent castration?

This sect was rotten to its core.

He looked at Su Jiu and asked his second question.

"What about Heavenly Mandates? I heard you say that for Qi Refining cultivators, green is the norm. My initial Heavenly Mandate was blue, which is already decent. So, what’s the highest tier a Qi Refining cultivator can achieve?"

At this question, Su Jiu’s expression finally shifted.

She rolled her eyes at Su Ji, as if to say, You’re playing dumb on purpose.

"Purple."

She uttered the word with absolute certainty.

"Your Heavenly Mandate is purple, isn’t it?"

Su Jiu leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice.

"At this point, we’ve bared enough to each other. There’s no need to keep hiding it, right?"

Su Ji’s heart stirred, but his face remained calm. "What do you mean, Junior Sister?"

Seeing his feigned ignorance, Su Jiu grew both annoyed and resigned.

She waved the knife menacingly above his spiritual root.

"Senior Brother Su Ji, did you really think you were heaven’s chosen, casually breaking through and obtaining a Heavenly Mandate far beyond the ordinary?"

"When I guarded your breakthrough, I used a secret art of our Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox lineage—one that can temporarily amplify a person’s fortune to an extreme degree."

"Under such a blessing, the Heavenly Mandate a cultivator receives is guaranteed to be purple-tier, or a top-tier Mandate perfectly suited to their path, one they can wield for life."

She paused, locking eyes with Su Ji as she spoke each word deliberately.

She had absolute confidence in her clan’s secret art.

Su Ji: "…"

So that was it.

Except…

His multicolored Heavenly Mandate probably couldn’t be explained by mere "fortune amplification."

Since Su Jiu believed his trump card was just a "purple Mandate," it worked entirely in his favor.

He gave her a genuinely grateful smile.

"Thank you, Junior Sister, for your generosity! This kindness is one I’ll never forget!"

Seeing his reaction, the last traces of Su Jiu’s displeasure finally dissipated.

Soon, Su Ji seized on a loophole in her words. "We were strangers before this. Why use a secret art to help me?"

"Nothing comes for free—either you’re scheming or stealing."

"And I’ve got nothing worth stealing…"

"Unless you’re planning to—wait, no no no!"

As Su Jiu slowly lowered the knife, Su Ji hastily swallowed the rest of his sentence.

Even if he knew she wouldn’t actually do it, fear was fear.

"Senior Brother, we’re not close enough for such probing questions. Some things are better left unsaid."

Not close enough again, huh?

One day, I’ll make you say it yourself—

"Deeper."

[Conversation with Su Jiu meets aesthetic standards. Romance option triggered.]

[Option 1: "Not close enough? I’ll make you close enough right now!" (Reward: Get ensnared in an illusion, ‘getting close’ to the wall with fervor.)]

[Option 2: "Junior Sister, can’t we at least call each other friends now?" (Reward: Su Jiu still refuses to answer, but as compensation, +1 Su Jiu affection, ten low-grade spirit stones.)]

[Option 3: Make a bold guess. (Reward: Unknown)]

[Permanent Option: "With your meager life, honor my peerless sword path!" (Current kill count: 0)]

Seeing the word "compensation," Su Ji grew pensive.

"Because you feel guilty."

"The secret art, the Blood-Coagulation Pills—they’re all compensation for me."

"Because you’ve long since decided to steal the ‘Heavenly Dao Secret Realm’ that was meant to be mine!"

The more he spoke, the more it made sense. "You not only know when the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm opens, but even the condition that ‘only one person can enter.’"

"Enough."

Su Jiu’s surprise lasted only a split second before her icy demeanor returned. She cut him off.

"If you’re done talking, it’s time to get to work."

She raised the dagger.

"I’m lifting the soundproofing array now. Remember what I told you yesterday—cooperate and scream like it hurts."

Su Ji didn’t press further.

Her refusal to answer was the answer.

The waters of Great Xia ran deeper than he’d imagined.

And the secrets this junior sister carried were even more vast…

Almost like…

A reincarnator—

Someone who seized opportunities with foreknowledge…

Su Ji almost asked, "Did you never meet someone like me in your past life?"

But then he reconsidered. The fragile friendship between them hung by a thread—his spiritual root.

No need to risk being silenced for knowing too much.

Guess we really can’t ‘get close’ yet.

So, he let out a bloodcurdling scream:

"AHH—MY ROOT… MY ROOT…"

Seeing this, the weight in Su Jiu’s heart finally lifted.

"The path of immortality is long and winding. After this parting, we shall never meet again."

Su Ji: "..."

This damned sense of familiarity.

A foreboding feeling suddenly gripped him...