"You, you don't mind that the founding master of the Myriad Worlds Sect is a great demon?"
"What of it? Can humans truly be nobler than demons?"
"You don't mind the Myriad Worlds Sect's rule of teaching all without discrimination?"
"The world bustles, and all beings can receive the Dao. I am willing to impart this talisman technique to you, so naturally, I won't mind this rule. Besides, power itself has no good or bad; it depends on the person wielding it."
The two of them spoke, discussing the Dao in this room.
The more they discussed, the clearer it became, and even Hongluan's eyes brightened considerably.
She looked at Jiang Wen with admiration, never having imagined that the young cultivator she met back then could now possess such a broad-minded spirit.
"I want to learn, I want to learn this talisman technique. I want to become stronger!" Hongluan said firmly.
Jiang Wen smiled without a word, taking out a 'Talisman Compendium' and handing it to her. This was a book compiling all the talisman techniques he had learned, complete with his annotations.
Every member of the Quiet Void Temple had one.
Since the Dao preaching at the Heavenly Net Assembly, he had also gained many insights.
When he had first started out, he might have hoarded this talisman technique. But now, he was not what he used to be, and naturally, he would no longer dwell on such trivial matters.
To him, the law could be understood, and the Dao could be comprehended. Confined to a single flower or tree, one would only obtain a single flower or tree.
"How should I thank you?" Hongluan murmured.
"Eating this grilled meat is thanks enough," Jiang Wen said, handing over the food, then picking up a skewer of grilled meat and taking a large bite.
He also took out some wine from his storage pouch, eating and drinking heartily.
"Such a small matter, why mention thanks? In one's life, one should be true to one's heart and live freely."
Hearing this, Hongluan no longer acted coyly. She accepted the wine and, letting go of her inhibitions, chatted with Jiang Wen about everything under the heavens, recounting various events.
"You mentioned the calamities in Mingtai and Cang Provinces? My master said that these are natural disasters, not man-made ones. He also said something about the 'Five Extremes Time,' 'Great Harmony of Heaven and Earth,' and 'Saints Returning to Emptiness, Nourishing All Life.' Sigh, just mumbo jumbo; I can't understand any of it."
"Why did I come to Cang Province? Hah, it's all because of a mission I received from the sect. They said they wanted something from Yellow Wind Mountain in Cang Province, but who would have thought there was a beast living inside? It chased this lady for three days and three nights. If I didn't want to bother with it, I would have shown that grandson what a proud disciple of the Myriad Worlds Sect is capable of."
"What's going on with the Light Tree? I'm not too sure about that either. I only know that several months ago, there was an anomaly in the sky, and the entire sky above the Great Qian was filled with red light. Then my master started muttering to himself, something about 'Saints Returning to Emptiness,' 'Great Disaster Approaching.' Then this strange, bright tree grew between heaven and earth."
"You're asking how long we've been separated? If you count carefully, it's been about four or five months. That amount of time is nothing; it passes in the blink of an eye when you're in seclusion. →"
Laughter and conversation filled the room. Jiang Wen looked at Hongluan, who was somewhat tipsy. Her eyes were already hazy, and her words were slurred. As a cultivator, she could get drunk from drinking; it was truly strange.
Although his wine was brewed from spiritual spring water, it shouldn't be able to get a cultivator drunk. After all, whether it was Bai Jing or him, they were fine drinking this wine.
Seeming helpless, he helped the slightly drunk Hongluan to the bed to rest.
After finishing these things, a small head popped out from his chest, calling out to Jiang Wen in a childish voice.
"I know you're hungry," Jiang Wen said, rubbing its head. He picked up a bottle filled with a mixture of dragon blood and spiritual vein spring water and slowly fed it to the Sky Fox.
The little guy sucked frantically, and after drinking its fill, it closed its eyes and fell asleep peacefully.
Eat, then sleep; sleep, then eat. This was the little guy's current situation. Jiang Wen didn't have much experience raising children and couldn't tell if this was normal. But since the little guy seemed healthy, he didn't pay too much attention to it.
The room quietly fell silent, with only the crackling sound of the firewood in the fireplace remaining.
Jiang Wen sat cross-legged in front of the fireplace, his thoughts sinking into the depths of his consciousness.
In a daze, it seemed as if someone was calling him.
"Jiang Wen..."
"Jiang Wen..."
Jiang Wen opened his eyes, only to find himself in an unfamiliar place. Before him was an enormous tree emitting a red light. Countless embers of red light drifted from the tree's branches, following the breeze into the distance.
He stared directly at this tree, which was dozens of times larger than a giant locust tree. The scarlet color even made him feel a sense of warmth.
It was a warmth of instant familiarity, of déjà vu. It was like a long-lost friend whom one happened to meet again after countless years.
Jiang Wen was silent, taking a step towards the Light Tree. But no matter how he walked, he could never get close to the Light Tree. Finally, he stopped and looked indifferently at the center of the Light Tree. He saw that there seemed to be a person inside, and that person slowly turned around to look at him, eventually meeting his gaze.
He could see that person's appearance, that person's face, clearly at this moment. It was the most familiar face to him, even a face he lived with day and night.
"Who are you?" Jiang Wen asked.
"Who are you?" The other person asked in the same way.
"You are not me," Jiang Wen shook his head.
"I am not, but I am also you," that person said in a calm tone, simply stating a sentence.
"However, I will find you."
After that person finished speaking, the Light Tree gradually disappeared. Everything returned to chaos, and darkness surged like a tide.
Jiang Wen's thoughts returned, thinking about what had just happened. He could be certain that the person in the Light Tree looked exactly like him. But he was here now and had never come into contact with that Light Tree. So what was that 'self' that existed within it?
"It's really interesting. I didn't expect this matter to be related to me," Jiang Wen suddenly smiled. Thinking about the person saying they would find him, he laughed even more happily.
"Very well, let me see what you are, daring to impersonate me," Jiang Wen said, a trace of unusual ferocity flashing in his eyes. But this ferocity swept past and disappeared silently into the tranquility.
At this time, the little guy in his arms let out a burp, and Jiang Wen's eyes cleared. He looked down at his chest, his brow furrowing slightly.
"It seems... something is not quite right with me."
Jiang Wen hid this thought in his heart. He sensed that something invisible had quietly approached him.
This thing was formless and without a shadow, not within the Three Realms.
But deeply hidden in his body, concealed in his heart.
"It seems that this trip to Cang Province to save people will probably not be so simple," Jiang Wen said with a relieved smile, taking out a copy of the 'Yellow Court Scripture' from his storage pouch and quietly reading it by the fireplace.
And at this moment, outside the house, the giant Light Tree swayed its branches, scattering even more scarlet things.
