In a time long past, there existed a mortal scholar born with fragmented spiritual roots, a man clearly devoid of any potential to become a cultivator. Yet, he harbored an insatiable thirst for uncovering the world's mysteries and unveiling the secrets hidden by the Heavens.

Driven by his unquenchable curiosity, the scholar embarked on a quest to unveil his "way," an elusive path to enlightenment. His journey spanned diverse terrains, his eyes absorbing the wonders that each corner of the world held, his mind fervently seeking answers that hid from him.

Yet, despite traversing the world for two decades, he found himself nowhere close to unraveling the mysteries he had yearned to comprehend. In fact, the number of questions increasing within him seemed to outpace any semblance of solutions.

Frustrated by this, he resolved to venture forth once again, this time not minding the solace of written knowledge in favor of the wisdom harbored by the inhabitants of the world.

During this new journey, he crossed paths with countless souls, engaging them in conversations that illuminated the expanse of human experiences. With each tale, his own story grew richer, evolving into a symphony of laughter and tears, of heartache and jubilation. Upon completing 36 years of exploration, a journey spanning a total of 56 years, he withdrew into meditation, reflecting upon the chapters of his life.

Time marched on, and the scholar, once youthful, had transformed into an aged man with white hair and wrinkles etched upon his face. In this contemplative solitude, he began to question his actions. Had he wasted half a century in the pursuit of answers that eluded him?

No. While answers to his questions that ignited his journey had eluded him, what he had gained was immeasurable. He had gathered not just answers, but a profound insight into the human experience itself. He realized that even the ageless immortals, who had lived for millennia, might not possess the breadth of experiences he had woven into his very being.

As the dusk of his existence approached, the scholar descended into profound meditation.

Three years elapsed in this state of contemplation, birthing within him a nascent seed of dao that bore witness to his life's voyage. With the passage of seven more years, this seed burgeoned into a thriving dao tree, propelling him into the immortal realm with a single, momentous step.

Elevated to the realm of immortals, the scholar decided to embark on yet another journey through the myriad worlds. This time, however, he merely observed, bearing witness to the varied fates and fortunes that befell diverse souls. As nine years quietly slipped away, he returned to his state of meditative reflection upon the wealth of experiences he had amassed.

After countless years spent in introspection, his eyes opened to a new reality. He had reached the zenith of cultivation, the third major step known as the Dao realm. Harnessing his mastery of the dao of linguistics, he manipulated and crafted words to display the wonders of the myriad Dao.

Thus, the genesis of "The Great Dao Wise Sage" marked the birth of the fourth path of cultivation—the path of will and intent.

...

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...

'I wonder if he died a virgin.' Jianyu pondered in a lighthearted manner, as he attempted to push his sword qi's boundaries, an effort that met with less-than-optimal results. However, his self-assured(narcissistic) nature remained undeterred.

"Well, I did manage to achieve the second stage of the qi condensation realm in just two days. There's no doubt that my genius knows no bounds. As expected of someone as great as me." He remained unabashed as he extolled his prowess.

Resolving to prepare for his journey to Fragrant Jade City, Jianyu's thoughts transitioned.

'I guess... It's about time... I should get ready to go to the Fragrant Jade City. Hopefully, no annoying event would take place today...'

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As I arrived at my mother's residence, This time, for once, there was no one rushing toward me.

'Well, this seems like a positive start.' I thought to myself as I stepped inside. However, instead of encountering Cao Meihui as I expected, I found myself facing someone unexpected.

"Mother? Shouldn't you be attending to clan matters right now?" I asked, my astonishment apparent in my expression.

"Am I not allowed a moment of rest?" My mother's response carried a hint of sorrow.

"It's not that you can't rest, it's just that this is the first time..." My voice trailed off, realizing the implication of my own words. However, relief washed over me as I learned that my mother was finally allowing herself a well-deserved break. I couldn't help but worry when I saw her constantly immersed in her duties.

'I suppose family and sect leaders truly have a challenging role,' I mused, my mind wandering to those times when my friend, sect leader Jinjing would often vent about her workload. 'Well, since I took the backseat regarding sect matters after becoming a grand elder, I wouldn't know much...'

With a bittersweet smile, my mother responded, "The workload has indeed grown considerably over the past few years."

Turning my attention to other matters, I asked about my junior sister.

"Where is junior sister?" I asked, my curiosity piqued by the absence of our usual ritualistic encounter(tackle).

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"She's getting ready, she should be joining us soon."

Just then, a soft voice broke the silence. I turned towards the source and saw Cao Meihui, dressed in an azure robe adorned with silver embroidered flowers.

"How do I look?" Cao Meihui's question was accompanied by a gaze that held a hint of anticipation.

"You look truly exquisite today, junior sister." I offered her a compliment, noticing her subtle blush.

'Hmm? Could it be...'

"I-is that so." Cao Meihui's response was accompanied by a shy lowering of her head, avoiding my gaze.

"Anyways, are you ready to leave?" I asked.

"Yes..." Her voice was soft, but her answer carried a sense of eagerness. With that, we bid farewell to my mother and embarked on our journey. After a short distance, I turned to Lei Qiang, seeking her assistance.

"Well then, Lei Qiang, I'll be troubling you."

"Not at all, young master." Lei Qiang produced a flying spiritual artifact in the shape of a small boat from her spatial storage ring.

"Let's go, then."

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Our journey toward Fragrant Jade City lasted around ten minutes. Though we could have reached the city sooner, I chose to take in the view at a leisurely pace. As we approached, the city's sheer size and grandeur left an impression. Tall walls encircled the city, though I couldn't help but find the purpose of such walls questionable, given that even a foundation realm disciple could easily scale them.

Landing the spiritual boat outside the city gate, Lei Qiang displayed a Jade pendant engraved with the character 'Xin' to the gatekeeper. This led us to a special entrance, bypassing formalities while the gatekeeper exhibited an almost exaggerated level of courtesy. It was apparent that our entry was hastened, and he even offered to act as our guide.

Guided by the gatekeeper, we headed towards the Dragon's Whiskers Pagoda.

Along the way, my attention was drawn to a narrow alleyway. There, a person at the 6th stage of qi condensation was surrounded by a group of thugs at the 7th stage.

"A girl? Why are her eyes closed?" I muttered, noticing the girl's serene expression despite her closed eyes. With black hair, fair skin akin to snow, and delicate features, she possessed an aura of the unknown.

'Is she blind?' I wondered. Yet, something about her seemed to be more than met the eye. Could her closed eyes signify a latent talent? An idea took root in my mind – perhaps, I could make her indebted to me.

"Lei Qiang, I would handle this situation on my own. Interfere only if things take a turn for the worse."

"As you wish, young master," Lei Qiang concurred.

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"You cowards! Do you possess not a shred of honor, attacking a defenseless girl?!" My voice rang out with indignant righteousness, capturing the thugs' attention and causing them to turn towards me.

'Mhm, as expected, playing the hero is as amusing as I thought! No wonder all the heavenblessed did this shit over and over!'

"Oy, you brat! Turn around and leave if you know what's good for you!" one of the thugs retorted with the overused dialogue.

'Wow, an ideal low-level cannon fodder response!' My internal commentary reflected my amusement at their predictability.

"As if! Do you truly think I'm scared of scum like you?!!" My exclamation was punctuated with two exclamation marks.

"Hah! Clearly, you have no inkling of the disparity between us!" Thug-A cracked his knuckles and advanced towards me.

I smirked at their attempts at intimidation. Interestingly, they believe I don't comprehend the disparity between us.

"Oii! Don't injure his face, we could fetch a handsome sum if we sell him as a slave!" suggested thug-B.

"Hahahaha!" laughed thugs C and D.

Their crude discussion about selling me as a slave only served to make me more amused.

'Hahahaha! How perfectly cliche!'

I swung my sword at Thug-A without giving him any time to react. His right arm was severed, and the echoes of his scream reverberated through the alley. I followed up my first strike with a kick to the abdomen, slamming him into a wall.

"You cur! How dare you sneak attack our first brother Peng?!"

I couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

'Seriously, if you guys stopped monologuing and attacked all at once, then at least you wouldn't just be used as mere amusement, sigh...'

"Sneak attack? I attacked him fair and square. His inability to react was his downfall." I retorted to their accusations.

"This is for first brother!" "Take this!" "Die!!"

Their screams heralded their assault. Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply, then opened them. A sea of blue lights materialized around me, blossoming into exquisite azure flowers. Swinging my sword, I released the petals, which danced through the air. The scene was captivating until one of the petals touched thug-B, leaving a sword mark in its wake.

The subsequent cries transformed the beautiful display into something eerie.

'Well, this technique might be more about looking cool than anything else. Still, it has its use against opponents of this caliber.' I realized, reflecting on the effectiveness of this technique.

A soft voice called out, drawing my attention to the girl with closed eyes. "Umm..."

'Ah... I forgot about her...'

"Are you alright?" I asked, imbuing my voice with genuine concern.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for your assistance," she responded, her head lowered modestly.

"No need to thank me. I merely did what anyone would," I reassured her.

"...What happened to those men?" Her voice held a note of anxiety.

"Don't worry; I didn't kill them. Their injuries are minor, except for the one who lost his arm." I reassured her.

"I see..." Her voice trailed off, still tinged with suspicion.

The topic soon shifted to her closed eyes,

"Umm...if it's not too rude to ask, can you tell me what is wrong with your eyes?" I asked cautiously.

She maintained a calm demeanor. "Not at all. I just can't see through my eyes."

'An intriguing choice of words...' I thought.

"I'm sorry to hear that. If you have a destination, I could arrange for someone to guide you." I offered, my outward concern in contrast to my inner thoughts.

"It's alright. I can't trouble you again with my problems..." She shook her head dismissively.

"Please don't refuse; it would put my mind at ease." I insisted.

"....Alright," she answered, giving in.

"Anyways, you should be more careful and not go around alone like this. You could get hurt if an incident like today happened again, alright?" I advised her out of concern.

"Mhm." the girl nodded.

Taking her hand, I led her towards the main road. As we walked, we reached a more crowded area. My focus shifted, and I became aware of something significant.

"I've completely forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Jianyu. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"My name is Xiao Xiang. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She replied.

"If it isn't rude, may I ask how old you are, Miss Xiao?" I asked.

"I am 9 years old." She answered in a direct manner.

"Oh, so we are of a similar age. But to be in the 6th grade of the qi condensation realm at such a young age, Miss Xiao must be a great genius, huh..." I complimented with sincerity.

"Not at all..." Xiao Xiang's ears started to turn red as she answered.

"Miss Xiao, one mustn't let their modesty dwarf the truth." This caused Xiao Xiang to blush even more, yet her facial expressions remained unchanging. Looking at her appearance, I couldn't help but laugh aloud.

"...?" Perplexed, she looked at me with a questioning look, which in turn only deepened my laughter.

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The journey led us to the inn where she was staying.

"Well then, take care, Miss Xiao," I bid her farewell.

"Thank you for your help, sir..."

With that, after parting with her, we resumed our path towards the Dragon's Whiskers Pagoda next to the inn.

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As Jianyu's group moved on, Xiao Xiang opened her 'eyes' and watched his retreating figure. A warmth lingered in her hand, a reminder of his touch.

"Jianyu..." She whispered to herself.