Ten?

The door was closed, so Li Miao couldn’t see what was happening inside.

But he could sense that Guo’er’s aura was gradually growing stronger, bit by bit, nourished by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth—it was the best sustenance for her.

Ji Lingyu glanced toward the room and said, “I can’t fathom just how extraordinary you are, but that little girl—I’m certain she’ll become a figure of great renown in the future.”

“How does she compare to you?” Li Miao asked.

The talent Guo’er was displaying truly surprised him, though his understanding of cultivators was limited. He wasn’t sure whether Guo’er’s aptitude was better or worse than Ji Lingyu, who had attained the Xuantong realm.

Ji Lingyu was momentarily stumped by his question and could only reply, “It’s hard to compare a demon to a human. I was just an ordinary little demon, but with my master’s guidance, my life transformed and I achieved what I have today. As for Guo’er… her talent is exceptional. Reaching my current level shouldn’t be difficult for her. But whose endpoint will be higher depends on the opportunities she encounters later.”

“Hearing you say that, your master must be quite remarkable?” Li Miao said.

Ji Lingyu immediately smiled, the corners of her lips curling, her beautiful eyes shining. “I don’t want to explain. One day, when you hear her name from someone else, you’ll know just how formidable she is.”

It sounded as if ordinary cultivators weren’t even qualified to mention her.

Li Miao pursed his lips.

No matter how formidable, could she surpass the Master of the Universe?

The sky grew brighter, the sound of roosters crowing resounded everywhere, and the townsfolk awakened, preparing to begin their day.

At that moment, the spiritual energy fluctuations from Guo’er’s room gradually subsided.

The girl had finally finished her cultivation.

Li Miao and Ji Lingyu exchanged a glance and walked toward the room.

When the door opened, Guo’er was seated cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed, a faint golden glow radiating from her, her young face adorned with a solemn expression.

As the two entered, she opened her eyes, and a flash of golden light vanished.

“Guo’er, how do you feel?” Li Miao couldn’t wait, taking two or three steps forward to sense the changes in her.

After a night of cultivation, the girl had become vastly different from before.

Not only had she grown taller, her constitution was now twice as robust, far beyond the scope of ordinary people.

In terms of realm, she had reached the second layer of Qi Refining. However, since the “Reincarnation Lotus Method” was a physical cultivation technique, no true energy appeared within her; its effects were manifest in her physique.

Reaching Qi Refining Level Two in a single night—such talent would make countless people green with envy.

Normally, even with diligent daily practice, it would take two or three months to reach this point; those with poorer aptitude might need several times that.

Guo’er’s talent could truly be described as heaven-sent!

Guo’er smiled, her brows arching as she stood up—her height now nearly reaching Li Miao’s chest.

She replied, “Very good,” then looked with some confusion at Ji Lingyu in her white robe, uncertain why she had come.

Li Miao explained, “You’re gifted, so Fairy Ji came specially to teach you some skills—to help you become even stronger.”

Guo’er was still puzzled. “Teach me… what?”

Having not spoken for a while, her words were now few and precious, unlike her former lively self.

Ji Lingyu was fond of Guo’er’s porcelain-doll appearance and explained, “Some secret techniques and exceptional skills suited for you. Once you master them, you’ll be able to beat ten people like Li Miao at once.”

“Ten?”

Guo’er frowned slightly, not quite believing it.

In her eyes, Li Miao was the strongest—no one could defeat him. Even those powerful villains who had kidnapped her were slain by his blade.

Li Miao, used as a reference point, found himself both amused and helpless.

He didn’t believe there were people in the same realm so much stronger than himself, but to persuade Guo’er to follow Ji Lingyu’s tutelage, he agreed, “That’s right. She’s formidable—ten of me, or even a hundred, wouldn’t match one of her fingers.”

In fact, his words were true.

The gap between the Condensing True and Xuantong realms was not something numbers could bridge.

Seeing him say so, Guo’er became a bit unhappy.

She pouted. “Then… I won’t learn!”

“Huh? Why’s that?” Ji Lingyu was baffled.

Others would jump at the chance to become the strongest, yet this girl didn’t seem interested.

Guo’er clutched Li Miao’s large hand, gazing up at him, two heads taller, and mumbled, “I just want to be… about the same as him.”

Li Miao burst out laughing.

He pinched Guo’er’s soft cheek and said, “Silly girl, you shouldn’t set me as your target. Everyone is unique. I’m Li Miao, you’re Guo’er. I won’t become you, nor will you become me. We’re both one-of-a-kind in this world. If you became Li Miao, then wouldn’t my Guo’er disappear?”

---

“But…”

Guo’er didn’t care what he meant by changing back and forth. A child’s mind was simple—she just wanted to become someone like him, no more, no less.

Yet this stumped Ji Lingyu.

She smiled gently. “I’ve always thought people strive relentlessly for their goals. I’ve never heard of someone refusing a great opportunity just because they’re afraid of becoming too strong.”

She had dozens of ways to train an outstanding powerhouse.

But to train someone who was neither here nor there—she truly wasn’t sure how.

She told Guo’er, “You should think carefully. I don’t casually instruct others. If I teach, I teach to the best; otherwise, I treat it as if we never met.”

She had her principles.

Better to leave a raw gem untouched than to carve it into mediocrity.

Guo’er looked at Ji Lingyu, then turned to Li Miao, seeking his advice.

Li Miao rubbed her little head and persuaded, “Learn from her. My skills can’t be passed on to you. Staying with me would only waste your talent. As you said, you want to protect me in the future. If your abilities aren’t stronger than mine, how will you protect me?”

Guo’er thought it over.

She lowered her head, pondering for a while, before solemnly nodding. “I’ll learn.”

Ji Lingyu smiled, clearly expecting this. Anyone but a fool would know what to choose.

She said lightly, “Then say goodbye to him. The day is bright; it’s time to go.”

“Do we have to part…” Guo’er was reluctant.

She thought Ji Lingyu would stay and teach her, not that she’d have to leave.

Li Miao comforted her, “It’s only a temporary separation. When you finish learning, I’ll come pick you up.”

Three months wasn’t long. For focused cultivation, it was just a single retreat.

Guo’er was hesitant.

But she was clever enough to weigh things. After a moment’s consideration, she made her decision.

“You… mustn’t forget.”

She told Li Miao, afraid that today’s farewell would be their last.

After a night’s cultivation, she hadn’t even had time to enjoy the joys of immortality before having to part from her closest companion; her heart was tinged with melancholy.

Li Miao understood and smiled. “I won’t forget. You’re my only friend—if I lose you, I’ll never find another.”

“Mm.”

Guo’er replied softly.

And so they said their goodbyes.

Ji Lingyu, seeing the daylight, said, “Let’s go,” pulling Guo’er toward the door.

The girl didn’t know how long this separation would last, fearing it might be years before they met again. She walked reluctantly, looking back at every step.

At the doorway, she suddenly called, “Li Miao.”

Ji Lingyu paused.

Li Miao raised his brow.

This girl was calling his name again…

Guo’er bit her lip, hesitated, then said, “Don’t be so good to others.”

It sounded both like an order and a plea. Her rosy cheeks flushed.

Li Miao felt a strange emotion, but nodded, “Alright, I’ll be best to you alone.”

Guo’er finally felt at ease.

Ji Lingyu gave her a sly glance, the corner of her mouth twitching. “What a pair of odd flowers.” With a tap of her foot, she took Guo’er and soared away from the courtyard.

Two figures vanished into the sky.

The house fell silent, leaving Li Miao alone.

He shook his head, murmuring, “So young and already knows how to defend her territory. This girl is something else…”

Reflecting on the past month, he felt deeply moved.

---

Guo’er had changed so much. At first, she was a tearful child with nothing to eat; now, she was strong and ambitious, blessed with extraordinary talent and a boundless future.

Had he not stayed by her side every step, he wouldn’t have believed that the current Guo’er and the scrawny wild child from a month ago were the same person.

At this moment, he couldn’t even guess what Guo’er would become after three months. With Ji Lingyu’s dedicated guidance, perhaps next time they met, that girl would astonish him!

Yet what troubled him most was Guo’er calling his name twice that night.

When she called him “uncle,” it meant little. But from her actions today, she clearly no longer saw him as just an uncle.

He began to worry that his old jokes might prove prophetic, and their pure relationship would change.

“Ah, humans are such complicated creatures.”

Li Miao shook his head in distress.

If possible, he hoped he and Guo’er could always keep their clean, simple bond. No age barriers—just companions who could confide in each other.

He didn’t want their relationship to become ambiguous or distant.

“Forget it. Better to focus on cultivation. Can’t let a little girl outshine me.”

Li Miao sighed, closed the door, sat where Guo’er had meditated the night before, and began practicing the “Heart of the Universe” guiding technique.

Tomorrow was the day the competition would begin. He would participate as a guest of the Shaoyin Sect, helping Liu Xuanfeng secure as many cultivation resources as possible.

Afterward, he planned to go to the county city of Pangshan Prefecture to see if he could obtain martial arts techniques for physical cultivators.

In the past, as a soldier in the expeditionary army, he relied on comrades and battleships, so he never felt his weaknesses. But recent battles had left him stretched thin—he had great power but lacked diverse means, fighting with just three basic moves, easily exposing his limitations.

There was still a long road ahead.

His intuition told him that being found by the expeditionary army was unlikely; he’d likely spend the rest of his life in this world of cultivation.

He didn’t want to be seen as a fake cultivator. He needed to learn a few things, at least to disguise himself.

After all, not every powerhouse was as reasonable as Ji Lingyu. If he encountered someone unreasonable, and they discovered the special nature of his original force, he might end up as a research subject.

The sun gradually rose, ushering in a new day.

The competition was imminent. All the major forces in Longling were preparing to make their mark tomorrow and seize as much of the Sun Family’s legacy as possible.

Naturally, some harbored ill intentions, plotting to trip up others.

The day passed swiftly.

With Guo’er gone, Li Miao spent all his time cultivating, not even bothering to eat.

With his constitution, going three or five days without food was nothing.

In the blink of an eye, the day of the competition arrived.

That morning, Liu Xuanfeng knocked on Li Miao’s door, rousing him from cultivation.

“Brother Li, are you ready?”

“I’m in peak condition—ready to fight at any time.”

“Then today, we’ll be relying on you.”

“No problem.”

Li Miao smiled, too confident to even bother with modesty.

“Let’s go—the competition is outside the city, so we’ll have to walk a bit.”

Princess Qi was already waiting in the courtyard. The three walked side by side, heading toward the eastern city gate.

Along the way, cultivators streamed by endlessly. The bustling streets were filled with disciples from various sects, bearing swords, dusters, banners, and magical artifacts.

As they walked, Princess Qi explained their main competitors in the tournament.

Though Longling County wasn’t a spiritual land, there were plenty of sects.

Excluding Hanshan Valley, Baicao Sect, and Luohua Lake—the three major sects protected by Guiyuan cultivators—there were twelve other formidable forces, each with at least one or two Condensing True cultivators.

These twelve sects were roughly equal in strength, with a few exceptions.

The first was the Fire Refining Hall. Under its banner were five Condensing True cultivators, and its master, Lu Yan, had reached the late stage of Condensing True, known as Longling’s number one in that realm, and was poised to challenge for the fourth major sect.