A Mortal’s Journey to Immortality: Wang Yu’s Rebirth as the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor - Chapter 163

Chapter 161 Helplessness, Departure, Unexpected Encounter

“Sect Masters, could you please give Ru Shuang a little more time? I’m just a little short of reaching the Pseudo-Nascent Soul stage, and then I can try to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. If I can form a Nascent Soul, I think it will be of even greater value to the Hidden Moon Sect,”

Gan Ru Shuang pleaded.

Give her another thirty years, no, twenty years would be enough.

Give her another twenty years, and she could try to condense her Nascent Soul.

“You’ve already said that twice,”

the female cultivator, the Grand Elder of the Hidden Moon Sect, shook her head.

The male cultivator beside her remained silent.

Although he felt uncomfortable with his senior sister’s ambition, it concerned the rise and fall of the Hidden Moon Sect, and he couldn’t say much. Besides, he was indebted to her.

“Ru Shuang, you are only at the Core Formation stage, don’t be so ambitious. Becoming Fellow Daoist Wei’s concubine might not be a bad thing for you. You should know that Fellow Daoist Wei has already condensed his Nascent Soul at just over three hundred years old, becoming a top-tier young talent. He’s guaranteed to become a mid-Nascent Soul expert in the future, and Fellow Daoist Wei Lichen has a very good chance of becoming another late-Nascent Soul cultivator in the Nine Kingdoms Alliance after Fellow Daoist Wei Wuyai.”

“Being Fellow Daoist Wei Lichen’s concubine might even help you condense your Nascent Soul.”

“Don’t forget, Fellow Daoist Wei is the nephew of the great cultivator Wei Wuyai.”

“What an honor it would be to be associated with a Nascent Soul cultivator and a late-Nascent Soul cultivator!”

“Furthermore, I’ve already agreed to this matter on your behalf, and we can’t delay any longer. When you go to the Huayi Sect, it will be extremely beneficial for both yourself and the entire Yanyue Sect. You can’t be willful anymore.”

The female elder of the Yanyue Sect said sternly.

Gan Rushuang was shocked upon hearing this:

“You agreed?”

“Yes.”

The Grand Elder nodded very firmly.

This made Gan Rushuang’s face turn pale, extremely unwilling:

“My two senior uncles, you have seen my talent. I have been in the sect for over two hundred years, formed my core at over sixty, and reached the peak of the early stage of core formation at over one hundred, making me the youngest core formation cultivator in the Hidden Moon Sect back then. Now, at only two hundred and thirty, I am approaching the peak of the late stage of core formation and am about to touch the pseudo-navel realm.”

Although she did not have a Heavenly Spiritual Root, her special physique brought her exceptional talent, which was no less than that of a Heavenly Spiritual Root.

“With my talent, I will definitely be able to form a Nascent Soul within a few decades.”

“If I can condense a Nascent Soul, the situation of the Hidden Moon Sect will undoubtedly be better.”

She was still trying her best.

But the Grand Elder did not want to hear this nonsense at all.

“Alright, Junior Nephew Gan, it’s settled then. Three months later, I will personally send you to the Transformation Intent Sect. In the time that follows, you should prepare.”

The male cultivator beside her, though reluctant, did not speak from beginning to end.

Upon seeing this, a large patch of hair on Gan Rushuang’s forehead drooped down.

Her entire being seemed drained of energy.

“Uncle-Master,” she said, “I’ve heard that Senior Wei Lichen already has six or seven concubines at the Core Formation stage. They’re called concubines, but in reality, they’re used as vessels for his ‘absorption’ (sexual energy). He was able to condense his Nascent Soul at over three hundred years old, but only by seizing the primordial yin of other female cultivators and through years of arduous cultivation. If I go there, is there any hope of condensing my Nascent Soul?”

If she were to be drained of her yin, let alone improve her cultivation, she’d be lucky if she didn’t regress.

Even if she were to reach the Pseudo-Nascent Soul stage by chance, she would find it difficult to overcome her inner demons.

Without a clear mind, how could she overcome the tribulations of her inner demons?

Which female cultivator who could condense her Nascent Soul wasn’t a remarkable woman with a firm Dao heart and a clear mind?

“Those are just rumors to slander Fellow Daoist Wei, don’t take them to heart.”

The elegant and graceful Ni Cai, dressed in white, softened her previously cold gaze, her stern eyes even flickering for a moment.

“Grand Elder, has my Hidden Moon Sect… really fallen to this state?”

Gan Rushuang pursed her lips.

She no longer addressed him as Martial Aunt, but instead as Grand Elder.

The distance between them was particularly evident.

“Shut up!”

The white-clad female cultivator at the head of the table slammed her hand on the table:

“It seems Master was too indulgent and lenient with you back then, making you ignorant of seniority and unable to restrain your tongue. Hmph, giving you three months to prepare was too much. Come with me to the Transformation Intent Sect in half a month.”

With that, she turned and left.

On the summit of Linglong Mountain, this woman could not escape her grasp.

After a moment’s hesitation, the male cultivator sighed softly,

“Junior Sister, I’m sorry, I couldn’t persuade Senior Sister. This time, consider it an indebtedness of the sect to you.”

The male cultivator, clearly a Nascent Soul cultivator, addressed Gan Rushuang as Junior Sister, obviously a disciple of the former Grand Elder.

Of course, the more i*imate tone stemmed from his inner shame.

“Uncle-Master, I understand, you’ve done your best. We’ve managed to hold out until now thanks to your mediation. Since the Grand Elder has made up his mind, let’s not argue anymore,”

Gan Rushuang comforted the male cultivator.

However, the distance in their address didn’t ease the male cultivator’s conscience; instead, it made him feel even more guilty:

“Junior Sister…”

“Uncle-Master, I’m tired and need to tidy up.

I’ll take my leave now,” Gan Rushuang bowed and quickly left,

her hands clenched into fists the entire way.

Having endured a life of hardship since childhood, the life of a beggar in the mortal realm made her increasingly aloof, desiring only to cultivate her strength and avoid involvement in the treacherous schemes of the world. Her

master, while alive, constantly warned her not to place her hopes on outsiders,

a principle she consistently upheld.

In recent years, some have said she was one of the more reclusive fairies within the Hidden Moon Sect, lacking even a single friend. However, before the demonic invasion of Yue Kingdom, while she lived a secluded life, she did have close friends. For example, Senior Brother Qiong, and Senior Sister Ni Chang, among others.

Unfortunately, most of those who were close to her perished in that battle.

Senior Sister Ni Chang and a newly promoted Core Formation stage junior sister also perished in the war against the Mulan people.

This led to her increasing isolation.

Originally, because of her deceased master, she still felt a strong sense of belonging to the Hidden Moon Sect. After all, it was her mentor who brought her back from the mortal world to the mountain sect years ago, taking her in as his last disciple and carefully teaching and nurturing her.

That mentor had done her a great favor.

It was precisely this nurturing, cultivation, and guidance that made her never consider betraying the Hidden Moon Sect.

Coupled with the vivid memories of her time in the sect, she had always strived to reach the Nascent Soul stage, hoping to break through this impasse.

However, the Grand Elder’s repeated aggressive tactics, constantly trying to use her as a bargaining chip, had eroded any sense of belonging she felt to the Hidden Moon Sect.

“Kindness is kindness, and an individual is an individual.”

“My master once said that when external forces severely damage one’s path, especially when someone uses so-called kindness as leverage to control me, there’s no need to hesitate; one must prioritize one’s own path.” “

Senior Sister disregards my path and wants to use me as a bargaining chip to gain the Wei family’s favor. Then, I’d rather not stay in the Hidden Moon Sect.”

She only owed her master an immense debt of gratitude. She

could repay the debt to the Hidden Moon Sect after she reached the Nascent Soul stage.

“To be honest, I’ve been living a secluded life in my cave, and the only time I went out, I just happened to run into that Nascent Soul cultivator from the Wei family…”

This was too much of a coincidence!

She didn’t believe it was just a simple coincidence.

Moreover, Wei Lichen’s first reaction upon seeing her wasn’t the initial amazement he showed at their first meeting, but rather satisfaction upon confirming her identity.

In other words, her information had most likely been leaked to him beforehand.

That encounter was definitely not a coincidence.

“I have to escape down the mountain quickly.”

The thought of running away immediately conjured up an ordinary-looking figure in her mind.

Compared to that person’s astute judgment and decisiveness in using the ancient teleportation array to escape countless miles as soon as they sensed something was wrong, she was far inferior.

“I wonder if that little guy has reached the Core Formation stage yet? I hope he doesn’t die on the other side of the ancient teleportation array.”

She was still hoping that he would return to Tiannan with the opportunities from the forbidden area.

“If all else fails, I’ll risk leaving the Hidden Moon Sect and joining the Joyful Union Sect!”

It seemed that the Joyful Union Sect would be very willing to accept a former Hidden Moon Sect disciple with a high chance of reaching the Nascent Soul stage.

The Hidden Moon Sect was originally a branch of the Joyful Union Sect, but it only decided to go solo after it grew too powerful.

If she were to “abandon the darkness and embrace the light,” the Joyful Union Sect would most likely spare no expense to acquire her.

They could also quickly investigate her situation.

Besides, wasn’t the Yue Kingdom now under the control of the Joyful Union Sect?

Whether it was the secrets of the Crimson Forbidden Land, the Moon Sun Pearl she had specifically acquired, the exact location of the ancient teleportation array, or the Great Teleportation Token she had painstakingly obtained, all of these could be used as leverage.

“As long as she can demonstrate her value, as long as she shows the potential to reach the Nascent Soul stage, the possibility of being absorbed is quite high.”

“As long as things are handled properly, she might not be targeted by a Nascent Soul cultivator and thrown into a soul-searching session.”

As long as her personal future value is greater than the value of being soul-searched, the risk can be minimized.

In short, risk and reward coexist.

But it’s still better than sitting and waiting to die in the Hidden Moon Sect, waiting for the Grand Elder to throw her away.

If this place doesn’t keep her, there are other places that will.

Gan Rushuang was now determined.

In short, she absolutely refused to become a concubine for a Nascent Soul cultivator and be reduced to a furnace. Let

whoever wants to go, go.

…

Gan Rushuang didn’t return to her cave to pack her luggage; for her, that would be too much of a waste of time.

“If I’m not mistaken, those two should be chatting again right now, right?”

One plays the good cop, the other the bad cop.

They can’t all be bad guys, can they?

There has to be a good guy to keep her heart.

In the past, she wouldn’t have suspected that her former senior brother, now her uncle, was also trying to trick her. But by chance, when she learned that the other party was able to form a Nascent Soul largely due to the Grand Elder’s help, that was a different story.

“The Grand Elder and that other person, following their previous habits, will most likely meet again to continue discussing my affairs…”

This was her opportunity.

It was also the only remaining window of opportunity.

If she missed it, she would never be able to leave the Linglong Mountain territory.

Her future would inevitably be controlled by others.

“Down the mountain.”

Escape.

However, just as she reached the halfway point, having passed the area where Foundation Establishment cultivators were concentrated and was about to reach the foot of the mountain, someone approached her.

Their eyes met, staring at each other.

“It’s you?”

“It’s you!”

they both exclaimed in unison.

Both were overjoyed.

Truly, what they had searched high and low for had come to them effortlessly.

…

Not long after Gan Rushuang left,

in the council hall, the Grand Elder and the Nascent Soul male cultivator indeed met again.

“Senior Sister, are we really just going to give up on Junior Sister Gan like this? She’s still our junior sister, after all.”

“Have you taken a liking to her, or are you really just unable to bear it?”

“Senior Sister, what are you saying?”

“Hmph, put away your fake pity. Don’t you know the current situation of our Hidden Moon Sect? In the past three years, I was able to break through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage and stabilize the situation of the major sects in the Northern Liang Kingdom, all thanks to the several thousand-year-old spiritual herbs provided by Wei Wuyai as betrothal gifts. And you, too, are a beneficiary of that…”

Wei Lichen, through some channel, learned about some of the spiritual herbs and flowers she was collecting.

So, through the hands of this great cultivator Wei Wuyai, he sent them as betrothal gifts.

Betrothal gifts and engagement gifts differ by only one word, but their meanings are worlds apart.

Betrothal gifts represent buying out one’s life.

Engagement gifts represent respect and equal treatment.

Those spiritual herbs were indeed enough to buy out the future life of a late-stage Core Formation cultivator.

Because those spiritual herbs were needed to refine a batch of pills that could help advance one’s early Nascent Soul cultivation.

Combined with the dozens of spiritual herbs she possessed,

she could just enough to start a batch. And with the help of most of the finished pills, she finally crossed the peak of the early stage after three years.

The junior brother before her also received the remaining half-batch of pills, which could be used as an aid should he encounter a bottleneck at the peak of the early stage in the future .

Furthermore, this junior brother’s ability to form a Nascent Soul was only achieved by chance with her help.

With the benefits and favors laid out, how could her junior brother possibly rebel against her?

It was precisely for this reason that

she could wield absolute power, deciding the overall direction of the Hidden Moon Sect with a single-minded approach.

“Senior Sister, why did you choose to send away Junior Sister Gan? I still don’t understand.”

A Nascent Soul seed, given away so easily—was this really good for the Hidden Moon Sect? Was it really the right thing to do?

“Junior brother, have you forgotten that Master was biased? Before he passed away, he preferred to pass on his power to her rather than to you or me, to help us break through our cultivation levels? Junior brother, I’m not reconciled. Why does Master disregard our feelings and favor our junior sister so much? You and I have worked diligently for the sect for so many years, only to end up with nothing; while our junior sister always gets to reap the benefits. Why? I’m not convinced. She has received so many benefits from our Hidden Moon Sect, even taking away our early opportunities. She should make amends to us. Make amends to the Hidden Moon Sect…”

The Grand Elder spoke indignantly, still harboring resentment over something.

“But she is still young, one of the three most promising candidates for Nascent Soul in the sect,”

the male cultivator said regretfully.

It’s such a pity.

“Compared to our paths, sacrificing her is entirely worthwhile.”

“Moreover…”

“By befriending Fellow Daoist Wei, and even establishing a connection with a great cultivator, my Hidden Moon Sect is not at a disadvantage. Besides, doesn’t our sect still have Ru Yan and her uncle as Nascent Soul seeds? As long as they both grow, my Hidden Moon Sect can return to its former glory.”

A unique light shone in the Grand Elder’s eyes.

She still had nearly two hundred years of lifespan left.

The Fallen Demon Valley would open in a hundred years; she could still go in and try her luck.

If she could gain something there, she might be able to reach an even higher level.

In some ways, she differed from her master.

Her master had always considered the sect her home.

But she only wanted the sect to serve her alone.

“Senior Sister, do you intend to entrust the future of the sect to the Yan family?”

“No, I entrust it to you, Junior Brother.”

“To me?”

“Of course.”

The First Elder said solemnly,

“My lifespan is almost over, only a hundred years or so left. And you, Junior Brother, are in the prime of your life. As long as you continue your vigorous progress, when I pass away, the burden of the sect will be entirely entrusted to you.”

“Then the Yan family…”

“They will assist you well.”

As for how many deals she made in private, who knows?

“Hmm? Something’s not right…”

“What’s wrong, Senior Sister?”

“Our junior sister is indeed not so honest. Hmph, trying to run away? Do you think you can escape?”

…

The heavily guarded Hidden Moon Sect.

On the mountain path.

Gan Rushuang’s gaze was intense as she looked at Han Li, whom she had unexpectedly encountered.

Han Li, in turn, looked at Gan Rushuang with the same “most affectionate gaze in the south.”

(End of this chapter)