A faint red glow spread along the horizon, casting itself through the distant mountain ranges. It tore through the thin veil of night, bringing light back to the land.
"In the end, Guo Heavenly Venerable and Yellow Sacred Mother lived a life of hardship and happiness together. Truly gratifying. Truly gratifying."
As Ye Ling applauded, The Legend of the Phoenix-Slaying Immortal Gods finally arrived at its perfect conclusion.
After narrating all night, he had gradually figured out Ai Yueli's facial expressions.
If she blinked rapidly three times, it meant she liked what she heard. But if she blinked once, with the faint sign of a frown to follow, that meant displeasure.
Because of this, Ye Ling not only altered the relationships between characters, he even skimmed over the darker parts of the story in a single sentence, afraid of provoking Ai Yueli.
"Mhm. It really is a good story."
Ai Yueli blinked her eyes quickly. Though there was no obvious smile on her face, this was already the happiest expression she could show in front of Ye Ling.
After a brief pause, she spoke again. "So, Martial Nephew, what exactly were you trying to tell me through this story?"
"Hoo…"
Ye Ling let out a breath, but there was no trace of discouragement in him. Ai Yueli's reaction was entirely within his expectations.
In fact, if she had immediately understood the deeper meaning of his words, he would have had to reassess her altogether.
Single-threaded beings were those who could only focus on the task directly in front of them.
Unfortunately, the Fourth Martial Aunt he had once thought reliable seemed to fall squarely into that category.
Their earlier conversation had revolved around the master–disciple relationship, so in Ai Yueli's mind, her current objective was still to have Ye Ling set aside any past grievances with her.
As a result, once Ye Ling introduced a new topic, she couldn't naturally link it back. She had to wait until he finished before returning to the original line of discussion.
Ye Ling had seen people like this back in school.
They possessed talents and achievements in their own fields that ordinary people could hardly imagine.
But once they sat down to listen to someone else's topic, they were easily led along.
Ai Yueli was subtly different. Her way of thinking and conduct were both top-tier, yet perhaps because of her personality, she focused too intently on whatever she was doing, leaving her lacking in flexibility.
Seeing through Ai Yueli's true nature, Ye Ling didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He should have felt relieved, but when he thought of Bai Yiyi, he couldn't help feeling that his Fourth Martial Aunt wasn't all that reliable either.
Nine Heavens Immortal Maiden, could it be that all your disciples have one flaw or another?
For a moment, Ye Ling felt uneasy about the future.
If his guess was correct, then in a sense, he really had reached Guo Heavenly Venerable's level, because he had seven oddities teaching him.
Just then, a sudden gust of wind swept past, lifting the hem of Ai Yueli's qipao. The long, jade-like pale legs that had previously been half-hidden in the slit were now fully exposed before Ye Ling's eyes.
I will devote myself completely to the Heavenly Gate Sect, without hesitation!
Ye Ling silently made his vow.
"Martial Nephew?"
Ai Yueli spoke again, her tone carrying a hint of displeasure. She didn't seem to mind Ye Ling's improper gaze, instead reprimanding his distraction. "Martial Nephew, when speaking with others, you must stay focused. Letting your mind wander is extremely rude."
"My apologies, my apologies!"
Ye Ling snapped out of his daze at once. Losing focus in front of Ai Yueli would only hurt his standing, so he hurried to recover. "I was just thinking that if the Seven Immortals of Nanjiang could work together to teach a Guo Heavenly Venerable, then why couldn't Master and Fourth Martial Aunt both be my masters at the same time?"
As he spoke, he added with a trace of hesitation, "But saying it like that feels a bit greedy, which is why I got distracted. I hope Fourth Martial Aunt can forgive me."
"Together with the Sect Master?"
Ai Yueli also fell into thought, but quickly reached a conclusion. "As far as I'm concerned, that's not an issue. As long as you show talent in the Talisman Dao, I'm willing to teach you. As for the Sect Master, that's not something I can decide on my own. I'll need to ask her."
Ai Yueli had no experience with situations where multiple people taught the same disciple, but she didn't seem bothered by it.
After all, she had long wanted to pass on her abilities to a successor. Unfortunately, among all people, not a single one possessed her level of aptitude, and so the matter had been delayed time and again.
"But before that, I'll first test your aptitude in talisman arts."
"Fourth Martial Aunt, please ask."
The sudden shift to the main point made Ye Ling a little uneasy. He quickly paved himself a way out. "This disciple has only been cultivating for a short time. If I answer incorrectly, I hope Fourth Martial Aunt will be lenient."
"It's fine."
Ai Yueli flicked her sleeve and said calmly, "I know your cultivation talent is outstanding. You reached the Foundation Establishment stage after only a few days of cultivation, so naturally you haven't had the time to study the Six Arts. That's why I'll only ask about your impression of the Talisman Dao."
"An impression?"
In Ye Ling's mind, the image of Mount Mao Taoist priests drawing yellow talismans to capture hopping zombies immediately surfaced.
But he dismissed it just as quickly. That sort of thing was merely extraordinary, still far removed from the level of true immortals.
"Reciting the incantation to activate the talisman, forming hand seals to condense the spell."
For some reason, the image of Ai Yueli in the kitchen appeared in his mind.
Talismans fluttered through the air one after another, glowing and dimming as they transformed ingredients into Spirit Food.
He didn't know much about incantations, but in his impression, they had to work in tandem with precise hand techniques.
"Not bad."
Ai Yueli's expression didn't change, nor did her blinking speed. She simply said lightly, "For someone who has never come into contact with talismans, your impression of the Talisman Dao is barely acceptable."
Ah… this…
I thought you'd praise me as some peerless genius.
Ye Ling pursed his lips. He only entertained those brainless scenarios in fleeting moments of distraction anyway.
Straightening himself, he adopted a serious expression and asked, "Fourth Martial Aunt, please instruct me. What exactly is a talisman?"
Seeing Ye Ling's earnest attitude, Ai Yueli did not hold back. She said frankly, "A talisman is nothing more than a method that stimulates the surface of the world to link with its underlying laws and concepts."
Huh?
You cultivators really know how to play. I'm only at the Foundation Establishment stage, and we're already talking about laws and concepts?
Ye Ling froze on the spot.
Seeing the confusion on Ye Ling's face, the trace of expectation in Ai Yueli's eyes faded. She shook her head and said, "It seems that Martial Nephew is not quite—"
Before she could finish, Ye Ling hurriedly interrupted with a wry smile. "It's just that I didn't expect Fourth Martial Aunt's understanding of talismans to align so closely with my own. That caught me off guard for a moment. Please forgive my lapse."
"Oh?"
Ai Yueli said nothing, clearly wanting to see whether Ye Ling truly understood what she meant.
Unfortunately for her, while Ye Ling might struggle with actual cultivation, this kind of abstract, conceptual level was precisely his strongest domain.
Otherwise, how could I possibly make everything you say sound reasonable?
My Fourth Master!