Unexpectedly, this person was actually a woman disguised as a man. Thinking back to how she had just been shouting that she wanted to take him as her concubine, it was truly absurd and laughable.
But at the same time, she felt a sense of closeness to him.
Bai Suzhen had cultivated in the mountains for over a thousand years. Although she had rabbit and fox demon friends who cultivated together, this was the first time she had met a woman who had also attained enlightenment as a snake.
Overjoyed, she said happily, "That's wonderful, Little Qing, get up quickly. My name is Bai Suzhen, and we can call each other sisters from now on."
Xiaoqing stepped forward, took Bai Suzhen's arm, and called out affectionately, "Sister!"
"Little Qing!"
Bai Suzhen was overjoyed to have such a sister.
The path of cultivation ahead is long, but at least I have a companion to accompany me. If we can ascend to immortality together, that would be the best outcome.
However, Bai Suzhen also knew that such things depended on fate and the hope was slim. There were countless people in the world who sought the Dao, but how many of them could truly become immortals and attain the Dao?
Her purpose in descending the mountain this time was naturally to seek a sliver of opportunity to become an immortal and to repay the life-saving grace that had been owed to her a thousand years ago.
Thinking of this, Bai Suzhen felt a mix of confusion, unease, and hope.
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Chapter 4: A Nationwide Drought (10k) [Please Subscribe!]
The two returned to the dilapidated palace. Xiaoqing looked at the ruined mansion and frowned slightly, saying, "Sister, how could you live in such a place?"
Bai Suzhen smiled and said, "Qing'er, don't be in a hurry. We'll stay here for now!"
After speaking, she formed several hand seals in front of her chest with her jade-like hands, and a faint spiritual light emanated from between her fingers. Then, she pointed forward, and the spiritual light seemed to transform into a gentle breeze, sweeping through the palace.
Where the magic passed, the weeds disappeared, artificial hills rose, and buildings stood tall. In an instant, the original abandoned garden was transformed into a grand mansion and a royal palace. Where could one still see the desolate scene of the past?
Every blade of grass, every tree, every house, every building is within reach, as real as if it were a dream.
Such miraculous magic, the exquisite wonders of creation, are all contained within, which shows the profound cultivation of Bai Suzhen.
Xiaoqing was stunned when she saw this, her eyes filled with surprise.
She had never seen such miraculous methods before, turning decay into magic and bringing withered trees back to life; it was almost like a divine art.
Only then did she realize that Bai Suzhen had been yielding to her all along when she had tried to help her, and she felt even more grateful to this older sister.
"Big Sister is awesome!"
Xiaoqing couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, and took Bai Suzhen's arm as the two stepped into the newly renovated palace.
Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing entered the newly renovated palace and sat facing each other in the pavilion in the courtyard.
Bai Suzhen brushed a strand of hair from her forehead and asked gently, "Little Qing, where are you from? And how did you embark on the path of cultivation?"
Upon hearing this, Xiaoqing said sweetly, "Sister, please forgive me. I was born in the deep mountains of Jinhua Prefecture. When I was young, I accidentally ate a strange flower and it awakened my intelligence. In my ignorance, I realized that I could absorb the power of the moon to cultivate. It has been 1,500 years since then!"
Bai Suzhen exclaimed, "My sister is so lucky to have obtained such a spiritual flower and treasure that helps to open one's mind. She has already entered the Longevity Realm after only a little over a thousand years of cultivation. I am so envious!"
Xiaoqing shook her head and said, "Sister's cultivation is truly unfathomable. Putting aside everything else, I couldn't even arrange this mansion with magic! And you, sister, where are you from?"
Bai Suzhen replied softly, "My sister was born at the foot of Qingcheng Mountain in Sichuan. She was enlightened by the teachings of the Old Mother of Lishan and embarked on the path of Taoism. She just passed the tribulation of transformation a few days ago and was able to truly transform into a human form!"
"Survived the tribulation of transformation? My sister is awesome!"
Xiaoqing exclaimed in amazement, "I've heard that the tribulation of transformation is the most terrifying, with only one in a hundred of us alien beings surviving it. Sister, you actually managed to overcome this tribulation! I really don't know what to say!"
The cultivation methods of demons differ from those of humans.
Enlightenment and spiritual awakening are the first major hurdles in a demon's cultivation, enough to stop billions of beasts in the world.
Those who can become demons are all people with great fortune. They either consume rare and precious materials to awaken their innate spiritual energy, or they are enlightened by senior masters who have helped them awaken their spiritual energy later in life.
Once it gains sentience, it is no longer a beast, but a demon.
With spiritual intelligence comes wisdom, which enables one to understand the methods of cultivation, comprehend the teachings of great beings, and at the very least, absorb the power of the moonlight to formally embark on the path of cultivation.
Then, one must undergo arduous cultivation for hundreds or thousands of years until one condenses a demonic inner core and passes through the tribulation of transformation lightning before one can achieve the Golden Core realm.
After transforming into human form, they were able to break free from the shackles of the demon race and thus increase their cultivation speed.
All of this is because humankind is the most intelligent of all beings.
The sky is round and the earth is square, corresponding to the round head and square feet of a person; the sky has the sun and the moon, and a person has two eyes; the earth has nine provinces, and a person has nine orifices; the sky has wind, rain, sunshine, and gloom, and a person has joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness;
The sky has thunder and lightning, and people have voices; the sky has four seasons, and people have four limbs;
The heavens have the five notes of the pentatonic scale (角徵宫商羽), and humans have the liver, heart, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.
The heavens have six musical pitches, and humans have six internal organs; the heavens have winter and summer, and humans have cold and heat.
There are ten Heavenly Stems, just as there are ten fingers in a person; Heaven has the interaction of Yin and Yang, and people have husbands and wives;
There are 365 days in a year, and 365 festivals for people;
The earth has high mountains, and people have knees and shoulders; the earth has deep valleys, and people have armpits.
There are springs underground, and the human body has protective energy; weeds grow on the ground, and the human body has fine hairs that correspond to them.
All of these correspond to the close connection between humanity and the universe.
This is why monsters, demons, and other strange creatures eventually evolve into human bodies.