In later times, traveling from Xiangyang to Mount Shaoshi covered a distance of around four hundred kilometers—just a few hours by highway at modern speeds.

But with the imperial carriage at full speed? Even faster.

And since it flew through the sky in a straight line, ignoring terrain and obstacles, the travel time was even shorter.

Once optical stealth mode was activated, it didn’t even take a full hour to reach the destination.

Although this wasn’t Huang Rong’s first time riding in the imperial carriage, it was her first time traveling through the skies alongside Xuan Yuan   like this. She was full of enthusiasm, eager to admire the scenery along the way. Seeing her joy, Xuan Yuan   wasn’t in a rush either, deliberately slowing down to accommodate her mood.

Even with the reduced speed, after about an hour and a half, the two of them arrived in the airspace above Mount Shaoshi.

Huang Rong clicked her tongue in amazement and said with a sigh of admiration,

«A morning ride to Beihai, an evening visit to Cangwu—isn’t this the life of a Celestial?»

Just as Xuan Yuan   was about to take action, Huang Rong suddenly pulled his arm and smiled mischievously.

«Xing-ge, how about you let Rong’er take care of this one for you?»

She tilted her head slightly and showed off the earrings she had received from him.

The crystal-clear earrings sparkled in the sunlight, making the girl look radiant—like a blooming begonia flower at its peak.

«Don’t worry! This little treasure lets me go invisible, right? Nobody will spot me.»

«Rong’er will be very careful. As soon as I scan the manuals with the terminal, I’ll be out of there right away.»

The girl’s face was full of eagerness and anticipation. To her, sneaking into Shaolin Temple using mystical stealth tech and «scanning all the martial arts manuals» was something thrilling beyond words. She absolutely had to try it herself.

Xuan Yuan   wasn’t worried about her safety. Even if she couldn’t handle some of the hidden old monsters in Shaolin, Xuan Yuan   didn’t believe any monk there could break through Huang Rong’s trigger-based energy shield.

They found a remote, unoccupied area and landed the imperial carriage. Huang Rong gave a playful wave—and in an instant, she disappeared completely without a trace.

Xuan Yuan   then released a few small birds, instructing them to fly into the Shaolin Temple and act as surveillance.

Bored while waiting, Xuan Yuan   began to tinker with the Mysterious Radiance Pendant again.

This object reacted strongly to internal energy—but it consumed far too much of it.

It also seemed to be influenced by ordinary people’s worship or reverence toward Xuan Yuan   himself.

«…If it’s secular worship, would it still have an effect in this world?»

That thought led to an irresistible desire to experiment.

However, without Nuwa’s support and the various cyber-Celestial techniques she provided, just relying on the flashy visuals he could summon in this world wasn’t enough to produce satisfying results.

Still—it wasn’t as if there was no room to maneuver.

As he continued mulling over his options, time passed unnoticed—until Huang Rong suddenly came running back, full speed.

«Mission accomplished, Xing-ge!»

She grinned like a little fox who had just stolen a chicken, eyes gleaming with playful pride.

«The seventy-two supreme techniques—they were all in the scripture library, and I scanned every single one!»

As time flowed and generations passed, even though Shaolin remained a powerhouse of martial arts, it couldn’t avoid the interest of outsiders.

So many years later, some of the seventy-two supreme techniques had undoubtedly been lost. Huang Rong hadn’t expected to find everything. She just scanned all that was still preserved—it was enough.

Xuan Yuan   couldn’t help laughing.

«I feel like I was an idiot back then.»

«Huh?»

«I mean—why didn’t I do what you just did? Just sneak in, go invisible, and scan everything? Instead, I sat there obediently copying Buddhist scriptures like a fool.»

«Back then you didn’t know martial arts yet!» Huang Rong immediately defended him. «Of course you had to be cautious and act safe!»

Huang Rong couldn’t tolerate even Xuan Yuan criticizing himself. Hearing his words, she instantly stood up for him.

«Let’s go, Xing-ge! Next up—Quanzhen Sect! Hmph, I’m going to loot all the goodies those Daoist geezers have hidden!»

Her face showed a hint of pouting dissatisfaction. Xuan Yuan   was briefly puzzled, but then realized the reason.

In the past, during the Huashan Sword Debate, Central Celestial Wang Chongyang had taken the top spot. This had always weighed heavily on Huang Yaoshi’s heart—and as a result, Huang Rong, having inherited some of that feeling, also didn’t have much affection for the Quanzhen Daoists.

And so, the imperial carriage took flight again and soared into the sky.

Within Shaolin Temple, the sound of bells echoed into the distance. No one realized that just moments earlier, all their treasured seventy-two techniques had already been digitally copied.

The journey continued uneventfully. By late afternoon, they arrived safely at Zhongnan Mountain.

Because of the lingering resentment passed down from Huang Yaoshi, Huang Rong once again volunteered to sneak in and scan the Quanzhen Sect’s martial arts manuals.

In Xuan Yuan  ’s view, the girl had clearly developed a taste for raiding.

Had he inadvertently triggered some strange switch in her personality?

He simply let her do as she pleased.

This time, however, rather than wait idly in the carriage, Xuan Yuan   wandered to the back of Zhongnan Mountain.

He hadn’t particularly planned to visit the Ancient Tomb, but since he was already here, he figured he might as well explore. Who knew? Maybe something interesting would come of it.

So, with a relaxed gait, Xuan Yuan   strolled through the dense forest behind Zhongnan.

The trees cast long shadows, and the forest floor was thick with fallen leaves.

Not long after, a loud call echoed through the mountains:

«Sun Bu’er of Quanzhen Sect requests an audience with the Mistress of the Ancient Tomb!»

The voice repeated several times, persistent and strong—clearly coming from someone with solid internal cultivation.

Although the Quanzhen Seven were not the stars of the story, they were respected and renowned in the martial world, second only to the Five Great Celestials.

With a flick of his foot, Xuan Yuan   appeared silently on a tree branch, high above.

Looking ahead, he saw a Daoist woman carrying a swaddled infant in her arms, standing before a stone tomb.

Sun Bu’er had no idea that someone was watching from behind.

A short while later, the stone door of the tomb slowly opened. From within emerged a woman with an icy expression, followed by a girl around Huang Rong’s age, and an elderly woman.

(The Mistress of the Tomb… must be Lin Chaoying’s maid. And that girl… that must be Li Mochou in her youth!)

Xuan Yuan   shifted his gaze toward Li Mochou.

She had delicate features and an enchanting demeanor. Bright eyes and pearly white teeth, her complexion soft and radiant—undeniably a stunning beauty.

Compared to the cold, unfeeling expression of Lin Chaoying’s maid, the young Li Mochou’s eyes were bright with intelligence, and her expression carried a hint of cleverness.

The moment she exited the tomb, she saw Sun Bu’er holding a baby in her arms—then…

…her gaze landed directly on Xuan Yuan  , standing atop the tree.

«Wah! Such a beautiful person!»

Sun Bu’er was instantly confused:

«?»

Was… was that aimed at me?

Subconsciously, she shifted the baby in one arm and reached up with the other to touch her face.

Though she had taken vows and followed her husband Ma Yu into the Daoist life, she was still a woman. To be complimented like this—even if unexpectedly—left her feeling just a little pleased.

She looked at Li Mochou with softer eyes.

«Young lady, this humble Daoist has long renounced worldly appearances. Such things hold no meaning to—»

Just as she was preparing to humbly wave off the compliment—

A barely stifled laugh came from behind her.

Sun Bu’er: «——!!???»