An Xiaolin shook his head in disapproval.
"Obedient disciple, think carefully. They are not human. Perhaps, you are not human either!"
Yao Ranran froze. "Master, could it be that you too know my true identity is unusual?"
An Xiaolin nodded with a gentle smile. "Naturally. I am your master. I understand you better than you understand yourself."
"Then if I am not human, I am…?" Yao Ranran hesitated, yet her eyes carried a flicker of anticipation as she looked at him.
An Xiaolin merely reached out his hand and patted her head a few times. "Obedient disciple, you are a fairy maiden from the Nine Heavens who descended into the mortal realm!"
Yao Ranran: "…" She had heard this cliché far too many times already!
Seeing her pout, An Xiaolin chuckled softly. "Obedient disciple, what your master can confirm is this: you are not a demon, nor are you half-human and half-demon."
"Oh." Yao Ranran replied with a tone utterly flat, "So, in the end, I'm still not human."
It was rare for An Xiaolin to see her show such a childish side. The faint smile at the corner of his lips flickered, then quickly vanished.
"Yes, my obedient disciple, you carry an aura as if unstained while rising from the mud. Those ladders that should not exist in this world naturally fear your power. They hide among the clouds, not daring to reveal themselves."
Yao Ranran blinked, looking at him with surprise. "Master, although it sounds like you are calling me a white lotus, the way you said it makes me suddenly feel amazing!"
An Xiaolin's smile froze midway.
"Obedient disciple, when have I ever insulted you?"
He looked at her, puzzled. What exactly had he said wrong? How could his words sound like insults to her ears?
Yao Ranran suddenly remembered that in this world, "white lotus" only meant the pure flower, without the negative implications.
Scratching her head with an awkward grin, she said, "No, no, Master didn't insult me. But in that case, does this mean the Western Sea has also been targeted by the cultivators from the Spirit Realm?"
The topic shifted back to the Spirit Realm's plans. An Xiaolin gazed at the sky where black mists had dispersed, his eyes deep and grave.
"If I am not mistaken, the cultivators from the Spirit Realm seek to claim the entire lower realm. The Heaven's Punishment Miasma in their world must be far worse than before."
"Heaven's Punishment Miasma?" It was Yao Ranran's first time hearing those words strung together.
"Yes. Heaven's Punishment Miasma. The Spirit Realm was once just another ordinary lower realm. Back then, when I followed the previous palace master, your grandmaster, I saw with my own eyes a land filled with lingzhi and immortal herbs."
Yao Ranran's eyes lit up. "A land filled with lingzhi and immortal herbs—then the Spirit Realm must have been incredibly rich!"
"Just as you said, it flourished for tens of thousands of years. Until one day, a strange miasma attached itself to the verdant leaves of those lingzhi. From that moment, the Spirit Realm fell into endless fear."
The memory seemed to replay before An Xiaolin's eyes, grief surfacing in his gaze.
"Our Shu Xi Palace… Shu Xi Palace… Shu Xi Palace… Shu Xi Pal—"
"Enough, Master. The Heavenly Dao forbids you from speaking further, so do not force it. Even without your words, I already understand."
Yao Ranran spread her hands in resignation.
An Xiaolin's lips trembled softly. "Obedient disciple, so long as you understand…"
He looked as if saying those few words had drained all his strength.
"Master, the people of Shu Xi Palace must have consumed the lingzhi tainted with Heaven's Punishment Miasma. That is why they fell into their current state."
Though An Xiaolin said nothing, the admiration in his eyes said everything.
"Suddenly, I recall something your grandmaster once said."
"What was it?"
"When choosing disciples, pick the powerful ones. Never choose the useless, especially those like yourself. Obedient disciple, the future of Shu Xi Palace will rest in your hands!"
An Xiaolin chuckled warmly, his figure slowly fading until he returned into the palm-sized Shu Xi Palace.
"…You rely on disciples, and so will I!"
Yao Ranran narrowed her eyes mischievously as she looked outside the village. A group of cultivators from the Spirit Realm had already been subdued and escorted back by the surging tide of demon soldiers. Lu Ziqian stood tall and elegant, commanding them with perfect order.
"Indeed, Grandmaster's words make sense. One must choose disciples who are already ready-made!"
If An Xiaolin had heard this, he would certainly wonder when his own master had ever said such a thing.
Satisfied, Yao Ranran withdrew her gaze and headed toward Gu Ling Mountain.
At Lone Star Peak, a surge of violet qi coiled around her ankle and spat out one dazzling supreme-grade spirit stone after another.
"The supreme-grade spiritual vein has begun to condense stones already. In no time, the spiritual energy here will rival the Spirit Realm, perhaps even surpass it!"
Delighted, she held the luminous stones in her hand. Looking toward the blackened foot of Gu Ling Mountain, she leapt gracefully and landed lightly upon the dark stone.
"Wuuu… wuuu…"
The cries of demon bats echoed, a chilling wail drifting through the rising black mists.
Yao Ranran casually swept aside the shrouding fog as she walked through the eerie mountain wind.
"Wuuu… wuuu…"
Hearing the cries carried by the wind, she lifted her hand, and a ball of gray mist fell into her palm. Within it gleamed two eerie green eyes, baring sharp fangs as it tried to bite into her pale jade-like hand.
Yao Ranran watched with amused interest, then used her other hand to pluck out its teeth and study them closely.
"These teeth look newly grown. So, while I was away, more demon bats were born?"
She released the mist-creature. The little fog ball tried to bite her again, but toothless now, its mouth merely stuck uselessly to her skin.
"Wuuu… wuuu…"
It let out a weak cry, glaring at her with its ghostly green eyes.
"Little one, where is your master? Take me to him at once."
Ignoring its rage, Yao Ranran poked its head, her finger passing through its smoky body.
The fog-creature's eyes widened in shock.
"Lead me, or I'll knead you into dumplings."
She squeezed its misty body until it twisted into a deformed shape.
"Wuu… wuu… yueee—"
At last, a tender white claw emerged from within its body, pointing toward a direction opposite the demon bat cave.
Yao Ranran released it. "If I don't find him there, I will devour every last one of you."
The mist-creature quivered as it merged back into the gray fog. From within the void, a massive hand of mist extended, pointing toward the same place.
"Very well. Since you all insist he hides there, I'll believe you this once."
Yao Ranran turned and walked in that direction.
Behind her, the mist creatures bent with laughter, but when she glanced back, they reformed into another massive hand of fog.
Yao Ranran smiled faintly. "Do you know why I'll only believe you once? Because you have no next chance to speak."
A chilling white radiance slashed through the air. Before the mist-hand could react, it was shredded into fragments by lotus petals of peerless elegance, scattering upon the ground.