Ji Xian laughed after seeing the scowl on Xiao Yueyin’s face, “You’re still too weak, once you’re at Lihua’s level, then I’ll consider telling you,”

“…”

She unhappily looked at him, not knowing how to respond. At this moment, Xiao Yueyin felt really small. It has been a long time since she felt this way. As an Elder of the Arcane Mountain, she was viewed as an important figure in the Mortal Desolate World. Everywhere where she goes, she was greeted with respect and her opinions were highly regarded. But in front of Ji Xian and Xia Lihua, she felt like an inconsequential child.

“How did your Awakening go?” Ji Xian suddenly asked.

Xiao Yueyin was caught off guard, “Awakening?”

A thoughtful expression appeared on her face, “You mean… what happened to me before, that was an Awakening?”

Ji Xian calmly nodded, “That was what Lihua called it. Apparently, she also went through the same experience after passing Ninefalls. It was only after her Eighteenth Life Destruction when she learned more about it.”

Xiao Yueyin was quietly listening but her heart shook after hearing what Ji Xian said in the end.

Eighteen Life Destruction!

She began to breathe heavily.

“Do…you.. know how many Life Destructions she went through?” She struggled to ask.

Ji Xian indifferently shrugged, “I don’t know. I’ve never asked, but she’s probably hit the limit.”

“…”

Xiao Yueyin was speechless. Her heart raced.

Wait a minute…

She swiftly turned to him, “Didn’t you say an individual can continuously go through Life Destruction? How is it possible for there to be a limit?”

“...Oh, I guess I forgot to mention it. My words are still true, there are no limits, you can do however many Life Destruction you want as long as your Will is strong enough to withstand against the Rejection. However, after completing a certain number, you’ll hit a point of diminishing returns.” Ji Xian explained.

“What do you mean?” Xiao Yueyin frowned, feeling a little irritated that he would forget to tell her such a crucial detail.

“Simply, you won’t see any more increase in strength so there’s no reason to continue going through more Life Destructions.”

“…”

She quietly contemplated. This information was too shocking! The Arcane Mountain only has records of Empress Han Lan surpassing the Ninefalls, but there were no details beyond that.

“Then what’s the limit?”

“Thirty-three.” Ji Xian slowly replied.

Xiao Yueyin inwardly gasped. “You’re saying Xia Lihua went through thirty-three Life Destruction?"

“At least that much. Who knows? Maybe she did more just for the hell of it.”

“…”

With mixed feelings, she stared at the breathtaking figure in white while a heavy pressure weighed down on her.

At this moment, the competitive flame in Xiao Yueyin’s heart was on the verge of dying. She had always believed that her talent was on par if not greater than Xia Lihua and that she'll eventually surpass her.

But seeing how far Xia Lihua had already progressed, a sense of despair stirred within her mind. She began to question herself for the first time and the thought of forever being in Xia Lihua's shadow clenched her heart.

She had only just broken through to the Ninth Life Destruction, but Xia Lihua was already at the Extreme level of the Holy realm! If she wanted, she could've already ascended!

The difference between them was like Heaven and Earth!

Just when she was feeling distressed and just when the defiant dragon in her soul was on the verge of dissipating, Xiao Yueyin suddenly felt a poke on her cheek.

Annoyed, she coldly looked at Ji Xian. If it was anyone else touching her, she would’ve already attacked with the intention to kill.

But when she saw his gentle smile, her gaze slightly softened.

“Do you know the difference between you and Lihua?” He asked.

“What?”

Xiao Yueyin looked at him curiously, Ji Xian has brought this up once before, but at the time, he didn’t elaborate.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“It’s confidence.” He looked into her eyes as he spoke, “Lihua has lived a life full of constant turmoils. She had faced one tragedy after another, losing friends and families along the way. But all the misfortunes didn’t make her lose hope, rather, they only solidified her conviction to firmly walk on the path of cultivation to protect her home and those around her. Lihua’s confidence stems not from her endless potential, not from her cultivation, not even from her bloodline, but from herself. When she is facing overwhelming odds, her beliefs will allow her to stand out on top.”

Looking at Xiao Yueyin’s stunned expression, Ji Xian softly caressed her face, “It isn’t fair to compare yourself with Lihua because you were both born under different circumstances. Compared to her, you’ve had a relatively easier life but that doesn’t mean that all your efforts thus far are insignificant. The two of you are miracles, so your potential shouldn’t be any less than hers, but due to the environment you grew up in, you lack a little something that she has.”

Xiao Yueyin momentarily lost herself in the warmth of his touch before silently muttering, “Confidence… in myself?”

Ji Xian smiled, "Besides, Lihua is older than you, it isn't fair to compare yourself to someone who's like your big sister."

"..."

Xiao Yueyin glanced at Xia Lihua.

A big sister…. a sister...?

For some reason, she felt a sense of repulsiveness from deep within her soul at this thought and it caused Xiao Yueyin to frown.

How much longer will I allow my bloodline to control me?

She gave it a deep thought before turning to Ji Xian. She carefully looked at him, as though trying to remember every detail of his face. For some reason, his presence always seems to bring her a sense of contentment.

Unknowingly, a sweet smile appeared on her face.

“Thank you.”

Her beautiful appearance caught Ji Xian by surprise. This was the first time he'd seen her smile. He let out a sigh, "It would be a waste to hide a face like that behind a veil..."

“I can say the same to you.” Xiao Yueyin quietly muttered before quickly walking away. Her ears were noticeably red.

She sat down, crossed her legs, and immediately began meditating. There was a lot she had to think about.

Ji Xian shook his head. With nothing more to do, he pulled out a book from his spatial ring. This was the book written by Empress Han Lan. He had been slowly reading it all this time. While it contains a great deal of information that had been rather helpful, Ji Xian can’t shake the feeling that there was something more to this book.

...

Two days later, Xia Lihua finally opened her eyes. She took a minute to steady her breathing before standing up.

Ji Xian stopped reading and looked up with a smile, “How’d it go?”

She nodded, “A little easier than before.

“You’ll get used to it the more you do it.”

During these past few days, Xia Lihua has been busy inscribing new runes into the suit made from Heavenly Merit. She’s been doing this once a month. Although she still finds the process difficult, she’s been gradually improving.

Xia Lihua noticed Xiao Yueyin cultivating on the side but didn’t have much of a reaction.

Ji Xian chuckled, “There’s a Sect to the North that’s a hundred kilometers away. Once Yueyin finishes, we’ll head there.”

“Haven’t you taken enough?” Xia Lihua gave him a weird look,

In these past months, the two of them have been traveling all over Mortal Desolate. In addition to seeking out Formatics and sealing Chaos Tunnels, they’ve also been visiting every city and Sects that they came across.

She didn’t think much of it at first, but Xia Lihua quickly discovered that Ji Xian has been sneaking into their treasure vaults and libraries, taking not only their Divine Arts and Cultivation Methods, but also herbs, Artifacts, and whatever else interest him!

The worse part was that he had somehow managed to convince her to tag along as well!