Before Meng Wei, there was no need for Yu Ci to hide anything. He pointed towards the towering Sky-Supporting Mountain Pillar and said with a smile:

"Head there."

The more casually he spoke, the more worried Meng Wei became. Holding her Dust Whisk, she drew closer, wanting to speak out and persuade him, but Yu Ci's attitude left her no opening. To speak now would likely have the opposite effect. After a moment's thought, she too smiled:

"May I accompany junior brother on this journey?"

Yu Ci's smile was as bright as the sun: "Of course, but let me say this upfront..."

"What is it?"

"I intend to ascend via the Self-Enquiry Route. You know, that daunting challenge, haha!"

The daunting challenge? Meng Wei's mind spun and she quickly understood. Yu Ci was referring to the legendary path where one ascends step by step without any gaps, straight to the peak. With a sigh in her heart, she nodded: "I'd be delighted to accompany you."

Sword Light flashed as their figures swiftly descended, and in an instant, they arrived at the base of the Sky-Supporting Mountain Pillar. The narrow mountain path was intermittently visible through the mist, enough to dishearten the faint-hearted.

Both looked up, and after a moment, Yu Ci grinned at Meng Wei, signaling her to follow as he stepped onto the path. Due to the narrowness of the path, it was too crowded to walk side by side, so Meng Wei fell half a step behind. As night fell, shadows stretched across the path, and they ascended one after the other, their pace steady and unhurried.

Both possessed exceptional control over their bodies and naturally fell into perfect rhythm with one another. Though they climbed side by side, the sound of their footsteps merged as if made by a single person.

Yet, their thoughts were likely as different as could be.

After ascending a hundred or so steps, Meng Wei wanted to strike up a conversation with Yu Ci, but all she could see was the upright figure of the man ahead. It seemed Yu Ci had no intention of looking back. His shoulders rose and fell with the rhythm of their ascent. Perhaps because she was so close, Meng Wei felt the breadth of his shoulders conveyed a strong sense of power and pressure.

The words she had wanted to say were suppressed once more. Meng Wei flicked her Dust Whisk, suddenly feeling that the words she had prepared might be of no use. It was then that Yu Ci took the initiative to speak:

"Senior sister, have you ever traversed the Self-Enquiry Route?"

"I have."

Her heart stirred, and Meng Wei promptly replied: "When I was eight, I begged my master for permission to ascend the Star Plucking Tower, and that's when I took that route."

As she spoke, the female cultivator lightly brushed her hair from her temples, smiling faintly: "Unfortunately, although I reached the end, I fell asleep several times along the way and didn't meet the requirements."

"That's truly remarkable."

Yu Ci praised sincerely. After all, what could an eight-year-old child, no matter how precocious, achieve in terms of Cultivation Level? It must have been purely a matter of willpower. But soon he realized the true reason for Meng Wei's ascent back then.

There was no need for him to confirm it, as Meng Wei had already said: "Indeed, that was because Grandmaster Fang and Uncle He were cultivating the Great Yin-Yang Extent together."

Yu Ci made an "oh" sound, still without turning his head, and his pace remained unchanged.

"I've forgotten how I came to know of this matter, but I remember being very puzzled. I took out the Daoist scriptures and asked my master: 'The Supreme Commandment, Taixiao Commandment, Microthought Commandment, Lao Zi Commandment, and other scriptures all condemn lewd acts as a great evil, explicitly stating that one must not dishonor women. At that time, Uncle Yu and Uncle He were a couple, and Grandmaster Fang's actions were clearly a violation of the precepts. Why has our sect not punished him?'"

She spoke softly and slowly, recounting the words of the past. Her speech seemed unremarkable at first, yet the mere utterance of the word 'truth' imbued her narrative with an undeniable gravitas.

Meng Wei's master was none other than Su Ji Ren, the head of the Discipline section, and a Vacuum Walking cultivator just one step shy of eternal life. Yu Ci chuckled, "What did Elder Su say at the time?"

"Master said nothing, but an uncle-master by her side spoke up: 'The Great Yin-Yang Extent is a wondrous essence of Taoism Intercourse Cultivation. It is pure and righteous, untainted by vulgarity, and must not be judged by worldly standards. Moreover, before embarking on her cultivation, He Shi Shu had already severed her worldly ties with Yu Shi Shu, hence there's nothing to criticize purely on the matter at hand.'"

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Yu Ci maintained a disquieting silence as he listened.

As Meng Wei spoke, her mood grew steadier, regaining her usual composure and indifference, "At that time, I responded, 'Discipline is the regulation of heaven and earth, the direction of the human heart, thus it is omnipresent and relevant in all matters. That which aligns with the regulation is natural and can be called 'true'; that which follows one's heart demonstrates virtue and benevolence, and can be called 'good.' Both must coexist without contradiction, and neither can be dispensed with. The affair of the Great Yin-Yang Extent complies with the former but contradicts the latter, and can thus be deemed 'ungood' or even 'lacking in virtue.' How can there be nothing to criticize?'"

Yu Ci listened in silence until Meng Wei finished, then he softly praised, "Well said!"

The female cultivator thought he would turn to face her, but he did not. Instead, he continued with a smile, "So, did elder sister come forward to criticize them?"

"Yes, but Master was worried that my indignation was impulsive, so she taught me this method. She wanted me to make my way here as a test to temper my will."

Over the years, Meng Wei's understanding had grown clearer, "On my journey, I reflected deeply. I had regrets, considered turning back, and doubted whether my reasons would sway the grandmaster. Fortunately, I persisted and finally reached the Star Plucking Tower to meet the grandmaster."

"And?" Yu Ci asked, feigning ignorance.

Knowing Yu Ci couldn't see, Meng Wei couldn't help but smile sheepishly, "I came down in tears."

"Oh?"

"At that time, the grandmaster admitted to each of the transgressions I mentioned. He then asked me what the Sect Discipline would dictate as punishment. I said that according to the law, one should be cast into the 'Infinite Prison' for three hundred years, or have their Cultivation Level revoked, spiritual consciousness sealed, and be expelled from the Sect. Either of the two."

"Ha, that's just like Elder Sister Meng Wei."

Yu Ci's voice sounded genuinely amused. The so-called 'Infinite Prison' was the Sect's most formidable place of confinement, reserved for the most treacherous and evil, as well as for malevolent spirits and demons. It was incomparable to the minor cells used for solitary reflection. That an eight-year-old Meng Wei dared to speak such words before the Sect's most formidable elder was not just the fearlessness of the ignorant but also a cause for pride.

Meng Wei smiled too, but her smile was tinged with bitterness, "The grandmaster then said he chose the first option... He had personally set up all the seals in the 'Infinite Prison,' so going inside wouldn't affect him much. Then, with his Yang Spirit Leaving the Body, he could continue to explore the Yin-Yang transformations with Senior He Qing, only about thirty percent slower than at the Star Plucking Tower."

Upon hearing these words, Yu Ci finally couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter, a sound that echoed through the empty mountains, lingering in the air.

Amidst the laughter, Meng Wei spoke calmly, "At that time, I was so frustrated and crying as I descended the mountain, and that's when I encountered my master. He said to me, 'Precepts serve as boundaries, distinguishing good from evil, truth from falsehood, yet they are not the strings that control puppets—they cannot compel people to act strictly by the rules. The law is like the chestnut burr, it can instill fear in those who use deception for evil, but for those who fear nothing, it is utterly meaningless.' This is the limitation of Discipline, and those who uphold precepts and enforce laws must be aware of it."

"Is that so?" Yu Ci's tone carried a subtle nuance, perhaps one of sarcasm.

Meng Wei, the female cultivator, did not comment on Yu Ci's attitude but continued, "However, at that time, my master also mentioned to me that for those who practice cultivation, if they go against the heavens, the earth, and the human heart, Discipline cannot constrain them, but the will of heaven can. Thus, there is the Heavenly Calamity Demon Leader, who constantly attacks, and there are the intrinsic natures and principles of things that impose their own limits.

"The Great Yin-Yang Extent, in fact, is a top-tier technique that sacrifices oneself for the benefit of others. Grandmaster Fang circumvented the 'step by step reality' restriction of the Empirical Department with this technique, enabling him to simulate the various aspects of the Earth Immortal Level with a Thunderbolt Tribulated body, perfecting our sect's Heart Method. However, as a result, he prematurely faced suppression from the higher realms, completely severing any possibility of further advancement.

"As for Elder He, although he ascended from the Golden Elixir Stage to True Immortal in seventy years, his foundation is unstable, and his spirit is gradually diminishing. It is said that Elder He's temperament was not like this originally, but over the years, he has been transformed by the Yin and Yang energies, becoming more and more like Grandmaster Fang. His prospects of passing the major and minor Heavenly Tribulations are more perilous than promising."

"Indeed, they do bear a resemblance," Yu Ci commented nonchalantly.

This was not what Meng Wei wanted to see; she had intended to use the turn of conversation to alleviate the negative emotions in Yu Ci's heart. But the effect was not very good, giving her the feeling of being unable to exert her strength. She slightly furrowed her brows, wanting to "make her point" as planned, but felt that the timing was not right. Hesitating for a moment, she then heard Yu Ci exclaim:

"What a fine breeze upon this mountain!"

Human thoughts are indeed strange; with a mere shift in perspective, the mood can change entirely. As she walked slowly on the narrow mountain path, the previously unnoticed sounds of birds and the wind became suddenly clear, layered and harmonious, like a ballad sung on the move.

In such an environment, Yu Ci laughed first and said, "Senior Sister, do you know why you can't hold on to Grandmaster Fang?"

Meng Wei had her own ideas but merely smiled and replied, "I would like to hear Junior Brother's profound views."

"The situation is right here. One of you adheres to precepts and laws, while the other seeks practical results; you're on completely different paths. When it comes to principles, it's like talking to a wall, playing the lute to a cow. In the end, it all comes down to brute force, just like us walking on this mountain path, one in front of the other. If you want to get ahead, you naturally have to push me aside. Without sufficient strength, you're bound to suffer a great defeat."

Watching Yu Ci's retreating back, Meng Wei couldn't help but feel a mix of laughter and tears, yet she had to admit that there was truth in his words.

"There are also those who, despite possessing considerable strength, have no desire to compete. When others push against them, they instead give a push back, propelling the other forward, always following behind... But they must beware, for just after they pass, that person might take the opportunity to kick them, causing a pain that pierces the heart."

As he spoke, Yu Ci laughed again, while Meng Wei remained silent.

Within the laughter, the galaxy turned, the fog rose and dissipated, and the night grew deeper.