River

Xia Qinghe's eyes were instantly drawn to him.

After which, she stepped up to him, truly a pleasant sight due to her indescribable beauty.

When she passed by the vendor, she asked the vendor to give her a plate as well.

"Fellow Daoist, forgive me for keeping you waiting. I was gone for so long, even though I promised to guide you in this sect," she said once she arrived at the table.

She then sat down opposite him, revealing a beautiful, thin smile, dazzling those who saw her.

However, unlike the others, Ming Ze pretended to knit his brows before shaking his head.

"Don't worry, I'm used to wandering around by myself," he said in a low voice that sounded like he didn't want to speak.

Although he was uncomfortable, he wasn't really angry that she was gone for so long. It was just that, he needed to maintain his image as a mysterious character, and of course, a man with pride.

He couldn't show too gentle a demeanor, especially after being left alone for so long.

Xia Qinghe seemed to feel even more guilty after seeing his reaction, yet she still tried to smile, perhaps she hoped he would forget about this matter.

Their orders finally came after that, each a plate of meat that had been cut into pieces. They were also given a small plate that contained a sauce made from chili peppers and various spices.

Even Ming Ze's mind seemed to be telling him that he was hungry right now just by looking at that dish.

Fortunately he was good enough to hide his expression.

"This is beef developed by our sect, I hope it's good enough for your taste buds," Xia Qinghe said as Ming Ze picked up his chopsticks.

"Then I'll taste it, I guess there's no need to doubt the ability of the Holy Light Sect," Ming Ze replied with a faint smile, acting as if he had already tasted many delicious foods.

He picked up a piece of meat then popped it into his mouth.

As the son of a rich man, he had already been educated in the way of eating of a nobleman, so he was able to display an extraordinary demeanor.

When the meat entered his mouth and he chewed it, he had to admit that it was the most delicious food he had ever eaten.

Since he started eating, Xia Qinghe also started eating. The latter actually looked very elegant when she ate, definitely able to put to shame the nobles on earth who always considered themselves to have the most civilized way of eating.

"By the way Miss Xia, what did you say to Sect Master? I'm sure the Sect Master definitely won't let me wander around any longer if I don't get a defense from you," Ming Ze said.

Personally, he was indeed curious about the meeting, which was why he asked.

"I'm afraid I can't say this, Fellow Daoist. Everything we talk about is a sect secret," Xia Qinghe replied, refusing to answer directly but with a polite tone that made the listener unable to feel disappointed.

Of course, the people around who had their ears perked up to listen were also curious about her meeting with the Sect Master and the elders.

Unfortunately, she wasn't going to talk about that.

Even so, it could be seen from her expression that she was indeed defending Ming Ze, making him have to admit that he really didn't understand this woman's thoughts.

The fact that she welcomed him and showed him around in this sect was already very surprising, but she even defended him despite his unclear identity.

Isn't she someone who has the ambition to become an Immortal?

There was only one person who could obtain that position. Everyone should not be so kind to their rivals.

Unless she gave up because she knew that she couldn't beat him?

"However, I must say that you are smarter than that Sect Master, Miss Xia," Ming Ze said, a slight laugh giving off a mysterious impression.

"Why?" Xia Qinghe asked in response.

"Well, he'll only make trouble for his sect if he makes trouble for me. Miss, perhaps you need to take over the position of Sect Master soon," Ming Ze replied.

Although his tone sounded ordinary, Xia Qinghe could see the dominance in his eyes.

Unfortunately, she knew that he was very powerful, and might actually have power behind him even though there should be almost no power that could suppress the Holy Light Sect in the Seven Realms.

"Fellow Daoist, I believe you are joking," Xia Qinghe said, clearly wanting to lighten the slightly tense atmosphere.

Ming Ze no longer spoke, not insisting on a constant dominant attitude.

Xia Qinghe might be a good woman, but she was definitely not a coward. If he behaved too much, she could have directly challenged him to a fight without caring about the consequences.

Not long after, the two finished their meal.

It was paid for by Xia Qinghe so Ming Ze didn't have to pay, something that made him realize that he actually couldn't pay because he didn't have the money used to transact in this world.

"Fellow Daoist, where do you want to go next? If you just explore this market, you probably won't find anything interesting with your current level. You need to go to the bigger markets out there." Xia Qinghe started the conversation again.

Ming Ze was having a bit of trouble deciding now. Although this sect had many places, most of them could not be visited by outsiders.

"I don't think I can decide. Miss Xia, how about you choose." In the end, Ming Ze left the decision to the woman.

"Alright, then let's go to a place of interest," Xia Qinghe replied.

She stood up before flying into the air.

Ming Ze was somewhat curious since she spoke of a place of interest. He followed her quickly.

When there are too many people who know a secret, it is bound to spread.

As it turned out, the talk at the meeting spread among the senior disciples.

Ming Ze overheard as his powerful hearing managed to catch the conversation of those few disciples.

The Sect Master actually offered Xia Qinghe a cunning way to get rid of Ming Ze so that her obstacle to becoming an Immortal would no longer exist.

However, Xia Qinghe rejected that method because she wanted a fair competition.

Her decision and the fact that she said Ming Ze was stronger than her shocked the sect disciples.

Most didn't believe that Ming Ze was really that strong because they thought Xia Qinghe was already unrivaled.

To Ming Ze, the sect disciples' disbelief didn't matter.

How Xia Qinghe came to her decision was something that he thought was beyond estimation.

Knowing that he already knew, Xia Qinghe calmly said, "Fellow Daoist, I have my own point of view. If I act not as my heart desires, my Dao will suffer a disability. It is true that many have managed to become Immortals by such means and they are still respected, but if we look at history, all the greatest Immortals were people who relied on themselves, not the power behind them. It's just that, you better not think that I'm giving up or you'll lose without knowing why you lost. In cultivation, even a human without talent can become a dragon. The potential of talent or Merit Law has a limit, but not the potential of one's willpower."

When she ended her words, the woman showed a deep smile, like she was warning Ming Ze to be wary of her.

'Master, that woman is right. You can't boast too early. Even if you have the best talent, it doesn't guarantee you're invincible.' System also spoke.

When he heard all that, Ming Ze was reminded of the main characters in cultivation novels.

He finally smiled.

"You don't need to doubt my vigilance. I may be a bit overconfident, but I'm not the type to underestimate an enemy," he said.

"It's just that, what if the result is that you still lose after all your efforts?" he asked after speaking.

Despite being friendlier to Xia Qinghe, he still showed a bit of arrogance, which he himself actually couldn't control. Perhaps it was because of his three Great Primordial Talents that kept pushing his dominant feelings upwards.

"Defeat is not a scary thing, so there's no need to ask what if I keep losing," Xia Qinghe calmly replied. "If I get killed when I lose, then that's my destiny. If I stay alive, I'll just keep on living. In the Seven Realms, there are many failed Immortal Candidates who are still alive today. They are fine and can live happily. Some succeed through their disciples or children."

"Perhaps at that time, you can become the wife of that Immortal." Ming Ze replied while laughing softly.

The occasional joke wasn't wrong either, but he was serious when he said that.

Xia Qinghe was a seemingly perfect woman in every aspect. The Seven Realms might be vast, but there wasn't necessarily anyone better than her.

Who wouldn't want to take her as a wife. Being an Immortal without an extraordinary wife might be no different from the nonsense of life.

Because of what he said, the woman rolled her eyes.

"Fellow Daoist, you're really good at joking around," she said, then increased her flying speed.

It seemed that being asked to be a wife was somewhat disturbing to her mind.

Ming Ze only laughed when he saw her reaction.

Not long after, they landed beside a river that was over two kilometers wide, filled with boulders.

What was interesting about the river was the light that constantly emanated from its water, like there was a power hidden beneath it.

It was a crowded place, but most people were busy meditating on the boulders.

Some were fishing with their eyes fixed on their lines.

Ming Ze observed the river carefully.

Its features could be clearly seen, and as a powerful cultivator, he felt that this river had the mystery of a long history.

"Our founder, the Holy Light Immortal is exceptional among all Immortals. He is one of the five Strongest Immortals in history." Xia Qinghe began to speak, like she was about to explain something.

The information about it had already been read by Ming Ze in the library.

He was indeed said to be extremely formidable, born in an era with many invincible geniuses yet he still managed to defeat them all in a domineering manner. Even many False Immortals were helpless before him.

When he becomes an Immortal, his aura can make the air in the Seven Realms stand still for up to a year.

"This river is unique because it was originally just an ordinary river. Then the founder did something to turn it into this. He revealed something hidden within this river. In the Seven Realms, there is no better place to study the Dao of Light than this river. Now I will show you what is hidden under this river." Xia Qinghe continued as he pointed towards the river.

Shua!

Something then jumped out of the river, waking up those who were meditating.

Seeing what came out of the river, they looked at Xia Qinghe in surprise.