Chapter 44: 44 Weak Women

Having met Jiang Li, the Saintess Pure Heart naturally would not continue to pose as an eighteen-year-old girl at the academy.

After leaving the academy, she followed Jiang Li. Seeing his somber mood, she comforted him, “It’s just a condition you lost to me, I won’t make you do anything bad.”

With a downcast look, Jiang Li said, “I’m just lamenting the lost chance to find the Immortal Realm due to my arrogance.”

“The Immortal Realm? Have you found a new clue?” Saintess Pure Heart’s eyes blinked charmingly.

She thought of all the out-of-the-box things Jiang Li had done in pursuit of the Immortal Realm. For example, he had heard that gathering four Dragon Balls could connect to the Immortal Realm. He borrowed the Dragon Balls from the Four Sea Dragon Kings but just ended up glowing without finding a pathway to the Immortal Realm.

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Another time, he heard that resolving military conflicts could grant one immortality, so he took on the heavenly tribulation without any resistance, though he ended up unharmed when the heavenly tribulation failed to ignite.

Yet another time, someone said that sacrificing one continent’s worth of people could grant one merit and the ultimate ascension. He sought out the person who spread the rumor and executed him on the spot.

Who knew what rumors of immortality he had heard this time?

“Hey, hey, is Jiang Li there?” The Remote Communication Talisman sounded uncontrollably. Without guessing, it was clear that the Dao Sect Master was searching for Jiang Li.

“Go away, I’m not here.” Jiang Li said unenthusiastically.

The phantom image of the Dao Sect Master appeared, looking no different from a teenager. He glanced at Jiang Li, “I am looking for the Human Emperor Jiang, what are you, a wandering disciple of the Dao Sect, butting in for? Ah,

Saintess Pure Heart is also here, so great, this way I won’t have to deal with

Daoist Immortal Qingyu’s stern expression.”

“If you still want me to attend your Dao Sect’s Immortal Artifact Appreciation

Conference, be respectful.”

The Dao Sect Master immediately put on a fawning face, “Brother Jiang, look at what you’re saying, didn’t I specially come to notify you?”

“According to my estimation, the Yin Yang Heaven Seal will be able to refine another round on its own in twenty days. The Immortal Artifact Appreciation Conference will start in fifteen days. You can represent the Imperial Palace, and Saintess Pure Heart can represent the Red Dust Pure Land, how does that sound?”

Jiang Li didn’t respond but suddenly appeared behind the phantom of the Sect Master and noticed that he had indeed been holding up his middle finger behind his back.

“I knew vou were sDeaking ill of me behind mv back!” Tianz Li SDat and turned off the Remote Communication Talisman.

Seeing the connection cut off, the Dao Sect Master wasn’t worried. The Yin Yang Heaven Seal refining another round was a rare occurrence in thousands of years, he didn’t worry that Jiang Li wouldn’t show up.

Indeed, Jiang Li turned to ask Saintess Pure Heart, “We have more than ten days, how should we get to the Dao Sect?”

Saintess Pure Heart naturally wouldn’t naively suggest flying over there. It would take only half a day, even if they traveled at top speed, to reach the Dao Sect.

She gave a light smile, “Let’s take a flying boat. It’s been a while since I last took one. ”

Jiang Li nodded, “Okay, then I will fly over first.”

“Am I, a frail girl, supposed to take the flying boat alone without you worrying about me encountering any dangers?”

Jiang Li thought for a long time but couldn’t understand. How did the esteemed Divinity Transformation stage cultivator, who would be treated as a State Preceptor in any empire, relate to being a frail girl?

As for coming across danger, probably only the Heavenly Demon from another domain could threaten her.

It seemed she was worried about encountering an attack from a Heavenly Demon. Jiang Li was heartened by Saintess Pure Heart’s caution. If she was as cautious with the Lower River Town and the Upper River Town back then, later events might have been avoided.

She’s grown.

Although the danger Saintess Pure Heart worried about was extremely unlikely, Jiang Li couldn’t bear to extinguish her barely-there cautious nature. He agreed to travel on the flying boat with her.

It isn’t until the Divinity Transformation stage that cultivators can fly freely, thus qualifying to traverse the nine realms. Otherwise, what good is voyage on a flying boat?

A flying boat is considered a low-grade magic artifact. It’s easy to refine and control. The only drawback is its high demand for spiritual power. If one were a Divinity Transformation cultivator, one could of course provide a continuous supply of spiritual energy, but Divinity Transformation cultivators would disdain to do so. Therefore, spirit stones must be used to supply spiritual energy.

The flying boat requires a large quantity of spirit stones, so ticket prices won’t be too low. The cultivators able to afford to travel on a flying boat should at least be at Foundation Establishment Stage.

After a careful selection, Jiang Li and Saintess Pure Heart finally found a few mid-grade spirit stones from their storage ring to use as their boat tickets.

Usually, low-grade spirit stones are used to purchase boat tickets. However, because their daily expenses start with top grade spirit stones, their storage ring is filled with top grade spirit stones and ultimate spirit stones, with only a scant few mid to low-grade spirit stones.

Jiang Li didn’t intend to show off, but he had no choice— he was so poor he only had top-grade spirit stones left.

Unsurprisingly, as soon as the two got on the boat, they caught the attention of several surly men. Especially upon seeing the stunning Saintess Pure Heart, they harbored ill intentions. The men communicated through looks.

Should we steal it?

We should steal it!

A small, red-lipped, white-toothed monk with a beaded necklace rose and saluted the men. Looking about fourteen or fifteen, his jewel-studded, radiant Kasaya was so blinding that the men could hardly open their eyes.

“The monk advises not to obsess over the illusion of beauty. Physical beauty is fleeting. and the more one obsesses over it, the deeDer one falls. Fellow

believers, please let go of your obsession.”

The young monk’s words seemed to have a curious allure that made people instinctively believe. The fierce-looking men became drowsy and their facial expressions softened.

When another passenger saw the monk using such a strange technique, he walked up to the men, shouted loudly, and like a gong reverberating in their ears, woke them up.

The men, jolted awake, hastened to thank the passenger.

The passenger was a man dressed in white scholar’s attire, holding a writing brush and a folding fan. His facial features were handsome, making him the perfect depiction of a classic scholar.

“Thank you, scholar of Confucianism.”

Only one type of person in the nine realms dressed like a scholar— the students of the Confucian School, one of the six sects.

Confucian scholars viewed educating the world as their duty. They valued benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom. Often, they went in and out of imperial palaces to spread their teachings. Among the six sects, they were the most well-known, followed by Buddhism.

The Confucian disciple gave a faint smile and said, “Sage Meng had said, ‘Man’s nature is apt to goodness as water tends to flow downwards.’ Everyone is inclined to benevolence, just as water will flow downwards. Even though you look fierce and have robbed households, you have only done so because of life’s hardships. I believe in the goodness of your hearts. I’m sure you also see yourselves as fundamentally good.”

The words of the Confucian disciple were like a lullaby, crawling into their ears and making them feel sleepy. Unaware, they started murmuring, “When a human is born, they are innately good.”

A passenger named Jiang rudely coughed and the burly men came to their senses. Anger welled up in their hearts.

These two guys had used them as practice puppets! One monk advised them to let go of their desires, and one Confucian scholar reminded them of their ingrained goodness.

Did they think that the men, with their abilities at the Golden Core stage, were pushovers?

The burly men drew their weapons, murderous intentions surging. They set aside the plan to rob Jiang Li and Saintess Pure Heart for now, deciding to deal with the baldie and pretty boy first!

The young monk and Confucian scholar sighed simultaneously, “Why must you force us to take actions?”

At this moment, the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator burst forth, striking terror into the burly men and immediately making them beg for mercy..