Chapter 135: Ji Yao's Multiple-Choice Question

To Ji Yao, this statement was simple: as long as one holds to the Dao in their heart, their actions will naturally follow a standard. Why must the boundaries between immortal and demonic be drawn so clearly?

Isolated yin cannot flourish; isolated yang cannot be born. The relationship between the two is inherently one of coexistence. How can there be any true distinction between good and evil?

"The little girl is quite clever, though she does see things clearly."

Master Wujie raised the black and white sand spheres in his hands. Fine sand trickled down, forming a curtain that stretched endlessly, cutting off the Taiji diagram between them.

"If you remain in Wujie City, abandon the cultivation techniques you currently practice, and switch to my Dao, I will not only resolve the problems within you, but I can also grant you eternal youth and immortality in this realm!"

This statement seemed to reveal much, yet it left everything open to suspicion.

Mu Baiyun had the advantage of a poker face, while Ji Yao was merely forcing a composure she didn't feel. Had it been the Ji Yao of her past life, she certainly would not have been this tense when meeting such a powerful figure.

Take, for example, when she first arrived in the Micang Realm. Although she was cautious and intimidated by Situ Jing’s aura, she had not felt a direct threat to her life. It was only by luck that she had encountered someone who bore her no malice; had it been anyone else, they might have crushed her on the spot. As she integrated more into this world and faced more realities, the more reverence Ji Yao developed for life.

Throughout the journey, Mu Baiyun had kept Ji Yao shielded behind him. Though they were not touching, they were closer than usual. Sensing the stiffness of the person behind him, Mu Baiyun could not speak or transmit a voice message, so he subtly moved even closer, secretly tugging at her wrist to signal that he would always be there.

The City Lord’s mansion in Wujie City was not the magnificent, atmospheric place Ji Yao had imagined. Instead, it was constructed entirely from black and white boulders. It looked starkly monochromatic and exceptionally minimalist, which suited the Great Dao of Yin and Yang perfectly.

Their guide did not lead them into the main hall, but brought them directly to the inner courtyard, allowing only the two of them to enter. The Nascent Soul cultivator leading them stopped outside the courtyard, and the Golden Core city guards halted in the front yard, seemingly unconcerned that the two might flee.

The courtyard gate closed silently behind them. In the center of the courtyard lay a large Taiji diagram, paved with fine white sand and black soil, flowing slowly without interfering with one another.

"So, you finally came!" A man’s voice, possessing an indescribable charm, drifted from the only room in the courtyard. The voice was magnetic, stirring the heart involuntarily.

The speaker had said "you" (singular). Of the two of them, only one was the person he was seeking. Ji Yao and Mu Baiyun exchanged a glance, and Ji Yao suddenly felt that the person he referred to was likely her.

Her heart pounded violently. A familiar sensation welled up—one she had deliberately sought out before; how could she not recognize it?

Stepping forward to stand beside Mu Baiyun, Ji Yao could not help but ask, "Who are you?"

Although the feeling was the same, the location she had sensed previously was the Qijue Abyss. She had not discovered this presence here. If her senses were not mistaken, the person inside must be keeping a secret.

"Ha! Little girl, weren't you told who I am before you arrived?" The man’s voice held no displeasure, sounding as casual as everyday conversation.

"We know you are the Lord of Wujie City, but," Ji Yao pursed her lips, "I personally wish to ask why you sought us out. To speak presumptuously, you must be looking for me, not my Senior Brother, right?"

"Junior Sister!" Mu Baiyun, fearing Ji Yao might say something that would cause trouble, reminded her quietly.

The person inside laughed softly. "As for the reason I am looking for you, didn't you already have a guess? Now that you are right under my nose, even if I were indifferent, wouldn't I want to take a look and satisfy my curiosity?"

"As for your Senior Brother, do you think he could rest easy letting you leave with the city guards to come here alone? Or perhaps, could you bear to exclude him, leaving him to worry for you somewhere out of sight?"

Ji Yao had to admit that this person understood human nature well. Neither of the two conditions he mentioned could be met by them, so she stopped dwelling on it.

"Senior, forgive my presumption. Since you invited us here, you must have anticipated my questions. What connection do you have with the Qijue Abyss?"

Once Ji Yao finished speaking, silence fell within the room. Just as she grew anxious, fearing the person might be offended, the door opened, and a white figure appeared in her line of sight.

In the blink of an eye, the figure vanished, and when it reappeared, it was standing in the center of the Taiji diagram in the courtyard, feet planted on the yin and yang, remaining perfectly still as the elements flowed around it.

Only then did they see the man clearly: white robes, black hair, an attire so simple it could not be simpler, yet radiating a breathtaking, untouchable beauty.

His features were exquisite and graceful, surpassing even Mu Baiyun's. His appearance was perfect—a touch more would be excessive, a touch less would be dull. It was as if the Creator had favored him, bestowing upon him the finest qualities, so that merely looking at him made one’s heart intoxicated.

To call him an immortal descended to earth would not be an exaggeration; compared to Situ Jing, the immortal from the Upper Realm, he appeared even more ethereal.

"The world favors physical beauty. Can you not escape this, little girl?" The man spoke, his voice still mellow. Facing him directly, there seemed to be a seductive power that made one grow even more obsessed.

Although Ji Yao’s gaze never left his face, her voice remained clear and lucid.

"This junior is merely a common person. Since the world favors beauty, why should I be an exception? Training the heart in the dust of the world, I must naturally experience all things to understand the desires of my own heart. Only by staying true to one's original intention can one reach the end."

"An interesting little girl." Master Wujie, who appeared before them, did not look old. It was impossible to tell his age, but he appeared only slightly more mature than Mu Baiyun.

"Little girl, why don't you tell me how you view the Yin, Yang, Spirit, and Demon?"

As the master raised his hands, the white sand and black soil on the Taiji diagram gathered slowly into his palms, forming two rotating spheres—one black, one white.

Two types of energy rose from Master Wujie: spirit and demon. They relied on and generated one another, yet they did not interfere, circulating with ease. These forces caused his presence to flicker seamlessly between immortal and demon—at one moment as ethereal as a banished immortal, at the next, as seductive and dark as a Demon Emperor.

Clearly, this effect was targeted at Ji Yao. At the very least, Mu Baiyun could clearly hear their conversation, but when he looked over, he could not see clearly; through a haze, he only perceived a face of extreme beauty.

Mu Baiyun watched Ji Yao with concern. She was staring at the figure without blinking, yet her words remained clear and rational. Fearing that speaking out might displease Master Wujie and cause him to act against Ji Yao, Mu Baiyun remained quiet, ready to pull her away at the first sign of danger—though he wondered if such a thought could ever be realized before a master at the Integration Stage.

After a long while, Ji Yao finally spoke.

"Yin and Yang rely on each other; immortal and demon are but a single thought. Boundaries exist, yet they do not; it is all merely a matter of one's own Dao!"