Inside her body, Yang Qi continuously arises.

And in the Ghost Realm, Yin Qi continuously arises.

Such a balance serves as suppression.

But such a thing, no one at the Fourth Grade would do, after all, it’s just a drop in the bucket.

Gu Xuejian continued experimenting with her power while hurrying on her way.

By evening, she landed atop an old tree.

Suddenly, her mind was filled with a buzzing noise.

Immediately, an inexplicably familiar voice, as if she had forgotten it, came to her.

’Where... where am I?’

’Where is my beautiful dress?’

’Where is my guqin?’

’Where am I?’

’I...’

’Where on earth is this?’

’What am I doing?’

’Why am I holding a sword in my hand?’

’My head hurts...’

Gu Xuejian: ?????

Upon reaching the Fifth Grade, she thought she had truly found herself, this was her.

And the entire cultivation at the Fifth Grade was about honing this self to perfection, only to finally break through to the Fourth Grade in life-and-death combat.

But now, what is this familiar voice?

Gu Xuejian listened to this voice in silence.

She slightly started to recall.

This seems to be from a very, very long time ago.

She thought that upon stepping into the Sixth Grade, that ’former self’ had already become the ’present self’, but isn’t that the case?

Then, what is the perfection of the Fifth Grade self?

No!

If that her is the true her, then who is the current her?

’Who am I?’ The joy of Gu Xuejian entering the Fourth Grade was overshadowed by doubt, and she felt a bit stunned.

Immediately, Gu Xuejian mentally shouted at that voice in her mind: ’Can you hear me?’

However, that voice did not give any response, as if... only Gu Xuejian could see her, yet she couldn’t see Gu Xuejian.

Gu Xuejian tried various ways to communicate, even attempting to write on the ground.

Yet, the her in her mind always inexplicably perceived what Gu Xuejian did as if she herself did it.

Gu Xuejian was stunned for a moment and temporarily gave up communication because she had more important matters to attend to now.

At the same time, she found she could block out this voice...

As long as she willed it, the voice would fall into a temporary slumber, and everything that happened during that time would be forgotten.

Gu Xuejian let the voice fall asleep, then flicked a drop of blood into a secluded, deserted valley, then composed herself and flew swiftly southwards.

...

...

Several days later.

Cloud Mountain Path.

After assigning the task of "investigating the west and collecting information on the Ice Race and the Immortal Tomb," Li Yuan chose to visit Shanbao County.

It had been nearly twelve years since he established the Martial House and created She Xiang.

With cultivation skills, resources, and suitable talents, one could break into the Ninth Grade in a few months, the Eighth Grade in a year and a half, and the Seventh Grade in three and a half years, reaching the Sixth Grade in about seven years.

And those entering the Sixth Grade would certainly acquire a Seed of Thought, or rather an "Ancestral Talisman."

More accurately, it is the "Ancestral Register Fragment."

Because the process from Sixth Grade to Fifth Grade involves seizing the remaining "Ancestral Register Fragments" from those practicing the same but different cultivation skills.

These "Ancestral Register Fragments" are usually three, and once these fragments merge into one, you can enter the Fifth Grade.

Li Yuan was very curious...

Because he himself had no Ancestral Talisman, how could those disciples break through to the Sixth Grade?

At this moment, he calmly sat in the black and white eerie Black Market Ghost Realm, facing an ancient copper mirror.

A cyan-robed woman with a deathly pale complexion held rouge and a paintbrush, drawing and sketching on his face.

Before long, Li Yuan’s appearance changed in the copper mirror, transforming into the look of an unremarkable passerby, who from any angle seemed like a down-and-out wanderer of the social world.

"Thank you, Sister Yan, you’re so skilled, much better than me using the rouge box for makeup," Li Yuan said with a smile.

Lady Yan in the Cyan Robe said, "Be careful on this trip to Shanbao County... When I left, I already felt something was amiss."

"How so?"

"The red dress of the little flower girl turned cyan, and on the winding path in front of the door, snakes and pigs appeared..."

"Flower shop... Miracle Beast Garden..."

"So husband, please be cautious."

"Alright."

After talking with Lady Yan in the Cyan Robe, Li Yuan went to look for his daughter.

The daughter had become a young lady, no longer suitable to be held, so he smiled and said, "Daddy is going to Shanbao County, do you want anything?"

"Candy!" Xiaozhao said happily.

Li Yuan nodded.

Xiaozhao added, "Daddy, be safe. Xiaozhao can do without candy, but Daddy mustn’t have any mishaps."

After a brief conversation, Li Yuan beckoned with a finger and instantly arrived near Yu Chaoyin.

As soon as he landed, the copper pendant he wore began to heat up, indicating that the air here was filled with too much Yin Qi.

Li Yuan employed the Concealing Breath Skill and Stealth Skill, expanded his senses, and his powerful hearing allowed him to capture every movement around him.

The last time he came here was almost three years ago.

He patiently hid in a fake rock cave, during which a little sparrow landed on the rock.

Just as Li Yuan was about to tame it to serve as his scout, he suddenly stopped because he noticed that under the moonlight, the sparrow’s shadow seemed unusual, casting the form of a mouse in the empty courtyard.

Li Yuan watched for a long time, and it was indeed a mouse.

Even more strangely, above the sparrow’s head floated a "0~1," while above the mouse shadow, a "0~2" was floating.

The number "2" was very blurred, sometimes skipping to 1, sometimes to 3, and astonishingly even jumping to 6—exaggerated and bizarre.

In a blink, the sparrow flew away, and the mouse’s shadow slowly faded.