「Two days later.」
Just as Bai Ruxue had said, the Daoist priestess ca to their door again.
Xiao Mo looked at the Daoist priestess. Her re presence exuded an otherworldly aura.
Even though she was incredibly beautiful, it was impossible to harbor any indecent thoughts toward her.
It was as if one subconsciously felt an insurmountable chasm separating them from her.
Upon seeing the Daoist priestess, Bai Ruxue quickly hid behind Xiao Mo.
It was as if she were worried the Daoist priestess would whisk her away.
"I am Duster. Greetings, Young Master," Duster said, performing a Daoist salute.
"I am Xiao Mo. Greetings, Fairy," Xiao Mo replied, bowing with his hands clasped.
"Young Master, may I ask your relation to this young lady...?" Duster inquired.
"Her friend," Xiao Mo replied.
Duster nodded and looked at Bai Ruxue, who was hiding behind Xiao Mo. "Miss, have you considered my offer?"
Bai Ruxue timidly peeked her head out from behind Xiao Mo, her small hand clutching the corner of his sleeve. "I... I don’t want to pursue Cultivation! I don’t want to go with you!"
Duster looked at Xiao Mo.
Xiao Mo looked a little helpless. "I tried to persuade Ruxue yesterday, but she refuses to leave."
Duster looked at Bai Ruxue calmly and nodded. "I understand. It seems our fates are not yet aligned."
Duster took a Jade Pendant from her robes. "If Miss Ruxue changes her mind, she can bring this Jade Pendant to the Tianxuan Sect to find at any ti."p>
Bai Ruxue glanced at Xiao Mo, who nodded.
Only then did Bai Ruxue carefully reach out and accept the Jade Pendant.
"Then I shall take my leave. My apologies for the intrusion."p>
"Let see you out of the village, Fairy."
Xiao Mo spoke up just as Duster was about to leave.
Duster turned, looking directly into Xiao Mo’s eyes, and nodded. "Then I shall trouble you, Young Master."
"This way, please."
After asking Bai Ruxue to watch the house, Xiao Mo led Duster toward the edge of the village.
...
"Is there sothing you wish to ask , Young Master?"
Once the two of them had walked a fair distance, Duster asked the man beside her.
When Xiao Mo had offered to see her out, Duster guessed he had sothing to ask—sothing he didn’t want Bai Ruxue to hear.
"As expected, nothing escapes a Fairy’s notice. I do have so questions, and I was hoping you might be able to enlighten ."
"Please speak freely, Young Master."
"I’d like to ask about a snake transforming into a dragon."
A hint of surprise appeared in Duster’s eyes. "So, you already knew, Young Master."
"How could I not know?"
Xiao Mo smiled and shook his head.
"When I was a child, I saved a small White Snake. Three years later, a little girl in a white dress ca to find .
"She had no place to call ho and would disappear every winter. In the beginning, her transformations weren’t very practiced, and she even let her snake tail show a few tis.
"The only one kept in the dark was probably herself.
"But since she never ntioned it, I never asked."
"And you are not afraid, Young Master?"
"She has never hard anyone. What do I have to fear?"
"Well said," Duster said, looking at Xiao Mo with approval. "You have a Dao Heart, Young Master, but alas, you lack a Root Bone. You cannot cultivate."
"To each their own path. If I cannot cultivate, then I shall live as an ordinary man," Xiao Mo said with a smile. "I presu you ca for Ruxue, Fairy?"
"Indeed."
Duster did not hide anything.p>
"When I was passing through this village, I sensed a faint demonic aura coming from a courtyard. But this aura was as pure and clear as the light of the sun and moon.
"This told she had never hard anyone, but was rely cultivating with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power.
"My curiosity piqued, I ca to have a look. I found that Miss Bai in your courtyard possessed an exceptional Root Bone and remarkable talent, which gave rise to the idea of taking her as my disciple.
"Please forgive my earlier concealnt, Young Master."
"You are too kind, Fairy." A shadow of lancholy crossed Xiao Mo’s face. "In truth, she shouldn’t be here. It is I who am holding her back."
Duster smiled. "Whether human or Demon, all beings have their own destiny. Since she wants to stay by your side, it ans that to her, you are her ’Dao.’ How could you be holding her back?"
Xiao Mo fell into thought.
Duster continued, "To answer your earlier question, a snake’s transformation into a dragon is indeed difficult.
"First, a snake must beco a python. This is the most fundantal stage. It must avoid natural predators, including being hunted by humans. It must find a suitable spiritual land, withstand diseases and disasters, and, most importantly, overco the instincts and lethargy of a lesser creature to persevere in its cultivation.
"She originally faced a tribulation, but you saved her, Young Master. Now, she has already beco a white python.
"She has passed that trial."
"Next is the transformation from a python into a Transford Python. In addition to evading mortal hunters, she will also have to contend with being hunted by Cultivators.
"I can see that Miss Ruxue shows signs of atavism and possesses the aptitude to beco a dragon. This will make her an easy target for Cultivators. You must be sure to tell Miss Bai to be careful, Young Master."
Xiao Mo nodded. "I will rember."
Duster continued, "After becoming a Transford Python, the next step is to beco a Jiao. This is the most critical stage for the Snake Race.
"To beco a Jiao is to ’ride the flood.’
"This typically occurs during tis of torrential rain, flash floods, and surging rivers.
"The Snake Race borrows the imnse power of the floodwaters, riding the current downstream toward the sea. The process is fraught with peril. They must either smash through or navigate around natural obstacles in the river, like massive boulders and mountains.
"There are also man-made obstacles, such as Dragon-slaying Swords hung under bridge arches, or bridge piers, dams, and Dragon-locking Chains carved with talismans.
"When ’riding the flood,’ there will inevitably be gales, downpours, thunder, and lightning.
"Lightning will strike violently at the mbers of the Snake Race as they advance. Many of them will be annihilated in the Thunder Tribulation, their bodies and bones turned to dust."
"The final step is the dragon transformation.
"After a mber of the Snake Race enters the sea, they are known as a ’Subrged Jiao.’ At this point, they must focus on their cultivation.
"Once their cultivation reaches a certain level, nine bolts of pure-yang golden lightning will descend.
"Failure ans their body will be destroyed, their Dao will collapse, and their soul will be scattered to the winds.
"Success ans transformation into a True Dragon."
Listening to Duster’s words, Xiao Mo’s brows knitted together.
"I know what you are worried about, Young Master."
As they reached the village entrance, Duster stopped and turned to face Xiao Mo.
"You’re worried, Young Master. You’re worried that the dragon transformation is so perilous that keeping her by your side will hold her back. You think she would be better off coming up the mountain with , where she would have protection.
"You even thought back in the courtyard that although Miss Ruxue didn’t agree to co with this ti, you could gradually persuade her to change her mind later."
Xiao Mo was silent.
His silence was an admission.
Duster shook her head.
"Young Master, in this world, everyone has their own fate.
"You believe that if she were to accompany up the mountain, her chances during the future dragon transformation would be more guaranteed.
"You believe that you will only hinder her great path.
"But is that really the case?"p>
Duster looked up. Though it was dayti, her eyes seed to shimr with stars and nebulae, as if she were divining the secrets of the heavens.
"Who is to say that tempering oneself in the Mortal World is any worse than pursuing quiet cultivation on a mountain?
"You may be a mortal, Young Master, but who’s to say you will do any less than we Cultivators?"
Xiao Mo looked up. "What are you trying to say, Fairy?"
Duster lowered her gaze, and the cosmic light in her eyes faded, returning them to their normal dark hue.
The woman smiled at the man before her.
"Simply follow your heart."
"You are her good fortune, Young Master."
"And you are her destiny."
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