Chapter 19 Stargazing "Then let's look up." Zhong Jiuli reached out and lifted...

The lively atmosphere on the threshing ground lasted for a long time. The aunties got drunk, and those who couldn't hold their liquor lay down and fell asleep on the spot.

Unlike adults, the children couldn't sit still; after finishing their barbecue, they dispersed.

Bai Ye was still thinking about the drop of jade dew she had received that morning. She quietly slipped over to Bai Shu's side, tugged at her sleeve, and whispered, "Mother, I'm going home now!"

"Okay, remember to fetch your own water to wash up," Bai Shu reminded her before letting her go.

Anyway, she's already brought Zhong Jiuli to the tribe, so there's no need to worry about the kid sneaking out in the middle of the night.

Zhong Jiuli stood up and said to the group, "Please enjoy your meal. I am injured and will not stay any longer."

Even though the people at the table wanted to chat with her a bit more and get some pointers, they couldn't insist that she stay, since Zhong Jiuli was indeed seriously injured.

Bai hadn't run far from the drying ground when he suddenly heard a clear, cold call from behind.

"Little Black!"

She abruptly stopped and looked back; Zhong Jiuli had caught up with her at some point.

"Why did you follow me here?" Bai asked her.

"My injuries haven't healed yet, and I'm exhausted."

Bai's gaze was fixed on her face. Zhong Jiuli's complexion looked much better than before! Before, she looked like she was about to die, but now her lips had more color, and she was lively and energetic.

As if sensing her gaze, Zhong Jiuli lowered her eyes and glanced at her. Her eyes were clear and bright, like a spiritual fruit chilled by a mountain spring in summer, cool and penetrating, and she saw through her thoughts at a glance.

"My injuries won't heal so easily. The healing pills Liu Xianyue gave me only healed the superficial wounds."

"Oh, let's go home then," Bai said, nodding his little head as he led the way.

The moonlight was exceptionally bright tonight, illuminating the way home for the two of them.

Zhong Jiuli lagged behind by a step, her gaze never leaving the little white tiger's round body. The moonlight fell on her, making her snow-white fur stand out clearly, and her shadow cast on the muddy ground was also a fluffy ball.

The two figures moved in sync, one tall and slender, the other short and stocky, yet they blended together in a wonderfully harmonious way.

It seemed as if only the two of them existed in the world, and no third person could be included.

Back home, Bai ignored Zhong Jiuli and went to the yard to fetch a basin of water before returning to her room.

Bai closed the door tightly before contentedly taking out the jade dew and pouring it into the basin.

The moment the jade dew drops into the clear water, the emerald green color spreads like mist in the water. In the blink of an eye, the basin of clear water turns into a translucent jade color, and a vibrant life force emanates from the basin, just like the legendary celestial elixir.

The crisp, refreshing scent of grass and trees filled Bai's nostrils, and he felt a sudden clarity in his mind.

She eagerly jumped into the water and sat cross-legged. The emerald green liquid washed over her chest, cool yet carrying a strange, burning heat. It felt a bit like being soaked in Tiger Balm, both cool and tingling.

Bai let out a soft hiss, steadied his mind, and began to circulate the mantra of the Great Creation Scripture.

In an instant, the green liquid in the basin seemed to come alive, transforming into countless tiny emerald-green specks that rushed eagerly into her pores. Every inch of her skin felt as if it were being pierced by countless fine needles, causing both pain and itching.

Those points of light rampaged through Bai Ye's body, peeling away the impurities from her body bit by bit. It was a painful baptism, yet it brought new life. After the pain came the comfort of new life.

Bai Ye's mind was completely immersed in this wonderful state, his breathing became long and even, and he gradually fell into a state of selflessness.

The emerald green in the basin faded at a visible rate, and the white fur became increasingly translucent, with the skin hidden beneath it shimmering with a jade-like luster.

Outside, Zhong Jiuli sat cross-legged on the eaves, waving her hand to set up a barrier, sealing all the vitality in the room within the small courtyard.

The moment Bai poured the jade dew into the water, she sensed its rich life force.

A full hour passed before the atmosphere in the courtyard gradually faded. Zhong Jiuli waved her hand to release the sealing array and sighed softly, "What a troublesome little fellow with such incredible luck."

Under the moonlight, her sigh was barely audible.

It wasn't until dawn that Bai Ye awoke from her meditative state. The moment she rose from the basin of water, her bones crackled and popped, as if every inch of her body had been reforged, radiating an indescribable comfort and vitality.

Bai looked down at the slightly murky water in the wooden basin, then jumped out with some disgust. He instinctively wanted to shake it off, but then realized that this was his own room, and soon all the water droplets were splashed onto the blanket.

She suppressed her instinct to shake off the water, carried the basin out of the room, poured the dirty water into the drain, and then shook off the water droplets from her body.

As she shook her head, she noticed something was wrong. Her body hair seemed to have become smoother and shinier, and even water droplets couldn't stay on it.

Bai also raised its paws to examine the tiger. In the morning light, the snow-white tiger fur shone with a satin-like luster. With a casual stroke, the fur flowed through the gaps between its paws like water, and the touch was even softer than the finest velvet.

Of course, she had never touched the finest velvet; it was all just Bai Ye's own speculation.

In any case, the effects of the jade dew on her were extremely obvious, not only in terms of external changes, but also in terms of the strength of her physical body.

Bai felt she could definitely kill a rhinoceros with a single punch; she had that intuition. Unfortunately, she couldn't. There was only one rhinoceros in the tribe, and if she killed it, Bai Shu would definitely not let her off the hook.

"Ye Zai~" Jiao Jiao's voice came from beside her. She had slept on the rock all night and was finally awake now.

Bai heard the sound and quickly ran to her side. He touched the golden tortoise shell, where the cracks had completely disappeared, and it looked as good as new.

"Jiaojiao, are you all healed?" Bai asked with concern.

Long Jiao shook her golden head and said, "I'm fine now. I feel like I'm all better after a good night's sleep. How did I end up at your house?"

“You’re injured. I can’t just throw you back into the river. What if you drown? I have to take you home and look after you.”

"You idiot, I won't drown in the water," Jiao Jiao retorted loudly.

"Jiaojiao, are you hungry?"

I'm hungry!

Bai chuckled, "Come on, I'll take you hunting. You saved everyone yesterday, and the aunties will definitely thank you properly."

Jiaojiao also laughed foolishly, using all four limbs to climb down from the big rock and crawl towards the outside of the yard.

Looking at the golden tortoise shell in front of her, Bai was also a little tempted. She asked again, "Jiaojiao, are you really healed?"

Long Jiao turned around and glared at her, "I'm in amazing shape! I can take on ten of them by myself now!"

"Hey, then I'm relieved!" Bai said, then jumped onto Jiao Jiao's turtle shell.

Long Jiao suddenly realized that this brat had been checking her injuries repeatedly because he had this in mind.

She shook her head helplessly and let Bai go. Anyway, the little brat wasn't heavy and wouldn't hurt her, Lady Long Jiaojiao.

A tiger and a tortoise roamed through the tribe, but the scene of the aunties warmly offering dried meat to them, which they had imagined, did not happen, because they did not see a single person in the tribe.

It wasn't until we got close to the drying ground that we realized why everyone had disappeared.

In the center of the drying ground, a disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, dressed in snow-white robes, wielded his long sword with great skill and flair.

Everyone in the tribe, adults and children alike, was focused, holding either a large knife or a small wooden stick, practicing each move with precision.

However, this serious teaching atmosphere was suddenly broken by the arrival of the Golden Tortoise Carrying a Tiger duo.

Under the sunlight, this pair was extremely eye-catching. The children learning sword techniques in the arena looked on with longing; they also wanted to ride a tortoise!

Seeing that everyone had lost interest in learning, the Tianjian Sect disciple in charge of teaching simply waved his hand and told them to rest.

Immediately, a group of children gathered around the tiger and tortoise duo, chattering about whether they could exchange a piece of the tortoise shell for some sugar figurines in the city.

Long Jiao shook her head in fright and shouted, "Jiao Jiao's color is just like gold, it's not real gold!"

"Young clan leader...I want to ride too." A sweet, childlike voice came from the group of children.

The children dispersed, revealing the youngest child in the crowd. The child was only two or three years old and had been hidden in the crowd so much that Bai hadn't even noticed her presence.

Bai looked at the adults standing under the shade of the trees in the distance and asked loudly, "Mother, can I take them out to play?"

Bai Shu sighed, rubbing her forehead. These kids had been practicing so well just moments before, but now they'd all been led astray by this show-off brat. Just as she was about to agree, the children started pleading with each other.

"Clan leader, can we go out and play with the young clan leader?" Dayue asked loudly.

“Yes, yes, we want to go out and play with the young clan leader,” another child asked, mustering his courage.

Stared at by more than a dozen bright, sparkling eyes, Bai Shu couldn't take it anymore. She waved her hand helplessly, "No going into the water! You must be back before sunset."

"Okay, thank you, Mother!" Bai cheered and waved to the children below: "Jiaojiao is ready to set sail, children, please board!"

Jiaojiao resignedly enlarged her body until the turtle's back was big enough for more than a dozen children to sit on, and the children cheered as they climbed up.

"The army marches on! Target: the river! Mission: catch fish for Sister Jiaojiao!" Bai Ye stood at the turtle's head, issuing orders with an imposing air, completely forgetting Bai Shu's words from a moment ago that no one was allowed to go into the water.

"The army marches on! Let's catch fish and eat!" the children shouted.

The adults watched with amusement as a group of children were led out of the tribe by the dragon turtle. The disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect also watched the children's simple joy with smiles in their eyes.

They had experienced this kind of happiness before, so they knew how precious it was; it would be one of the most beautiful memories of their lives.

The time spent playing freely was very enjoyable, but unfortunately, it was too short; in the blink of an eye, two days had passed.

The Heavenly Sword Sect is taking its newly recruited disciples back to the sect for the formal apprenticeship ceremony.

Early in the morning, the people of the White Tiger Tribe gathered at the entrance, while the spirit boat of the Heavenly Sword Sect hovered in the sky.

Ayu and Dayue were held tightly in their mothers' arms, their faces filled with reluctance, but they still forced smiles and patiently instructed them that after entering the sect, they should listen to their masters and senior sisters, not be naughty or mischievous, and if they missed home, they should send a letter home.

The disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect did not urge them on, allowing them to take their leave.

As the sun rose higher and higher, the two mothers had no choice but to let go of their embrace, wipe away the tears from the corners of their eyes, and watch as their children were taken onto the funeral boat.

Dayue and Ayu leaned over the railing and waved to the crowd below.

Ayu waved vigorously at Baiye, "Aye, we will definitely come back to see you in ten years, don't forget me."

“And me, I will come back to see you all too,” Dayue said.

Bai also looked up and replied, "Okay, I'll wait for you to come back."

The other children also shouted at the top of their lungs, "Sister Dayue, bring back some delicious spirit fruits!"

Accompanied by the children's calls, the Heavenly Sword Sect's spirit boat rose higher and higher until it could no longer be seen.

The aunties returned home in a group, picked up their longbows and broadswords, and gathered together again. Aunt Wu and Dayueniang were among them, and together they went into the mountains to hunt.

The child has been sent away, but life must go on.

Bai Shu went into the mountains with the hunting party, so Bai had to go home alone.

As for Li Shoumo, she rushed back to the capital after drinking with everyone the night before. As the actual ruler of Da Li, she is extremely busy. It is already very rare that she could take the time to show her face in front of Zhong Jiuli.

After returning home, Bai walked around the house but didn't see Zhong Jiuli and Liu Xianyue. So she went back to her room to meditate and cultivate.

After experiencing the changes brought about by the Jade Dew Bath, Bai also worked harder in meditation and cultivation, trying to get Xiao Lü to spit out a few more drops of saliva.

When she awoke from her meditation, it was already dusk. She pushed open the door and found that no one was home.

Bai also left the main room, jumped onto the roof, sat cross-legged, and looked at the setting sun. For some reason, he felt that he should let out a couple of "howls" to fit the mood, just like Simba.

She had just opened her mouth and let out a few "woofs" when Zhong Jiuli suddenly appeared.

Bai awkwardly shut his mouth. The cultivation world was quite annoying; people would always suddenly descend from above your head.

"Are you watching the sunset?" Zhong Jiuli landed beside her and gazed at the evening glow on the horizon with her.

"Mmm," Bai responded awkwardly. She looked up at the woman beside her; even from this unflattering angle, Zhong Jiuli looked like a fairy.

"Why are you alone? Where is Liu Xianyue?"

Zhong Jiuli looked down at the little tiger, her expression somewhat strange: "Aren't you afraid of her anymore?"

"When have I ever been afraid of her? It's just that I still owe her spirit stones, so I was just asking."

"She went back to Zhongzhou."

What is Zhongzhou like?

“It’s not much different from the Wilderness State,” Zhong Jiuli said.

"Oh, if she doesn't come back, does that mean I don't have to return the spirit stones?"

Hearing her ask this, Zhong Jiuli's expression softened considerably. "Then you're probably going to be disappointed. No one can owe Pavilion Master Liu a debt and not pay it back."

"I have something good for you. This should be helpful for your injury, right?" Bai Ye took out a small jade bottle from his spatial storage and handed it to Zhong Jiuli.

Zhong Jiuli reached out and took the bottle, uncorked it, and sniffed it lightly. Instantly, a vibrant life force overflowed from the bottle opening. She nodded and said, "It's somewhat useful."

"Then you can drink it." Bai looked at her expectantly.

Zhong Jiuli's eyes churned with emotion, and her fingers unconsciously tightened around the jade bottle. She had been pondering how to remind the little one that what she held was extraordinary and should not be displayed in public.

But before she could even speak, Bai had already presented the item to her.

Zhong Jiuli looked at the little tiger in front of her. There was no scheming in her clear eyes, only pure expectation.

What is she hoping for? Is she hoping for her injuries to heal completely?

Bai was indeed looking forward to Zhong Jiuli taking the medicine. Early this morning, Xiao Wang issued a new task, asking her to give Zhong Jiuli a drop of jade dew. The reward for the task was a cultivation technique called "The Formless Technique".

At this moment, Zhong Jiuli accepted the jade dew, her mission accomplished, and the newly acquired cultivation technique was already in her mind.

Before Bai could check, Zhong Jiuli's voice came from beside him.

"It has been a long time since anyone has ascended to heaven on this continent. So long that everyone has begun to doubt whether there is an other shore at the end of the Great Dao."

"Those ancient monsters who have lived for tens of thousands of years have countless disciples. They search the entire land of Kyushu, just to find rare and precious materials that can increase lifespan."

Upon hearing this, Bai felt a chill run down his spine. Could no one ascend to immortality?

Are they waiting for her, the main character, to arrive?

Zhong Jiuli sat down beside her, resting her chin on her hand, and continued, "Before you have fully matured, it is best not to let any third party know that you possess this treasure."

"Zhong Jiuli, you are such a good person," Bai praised sincerely.

She should apologize for her previous petty-mindedness. No wonder she's the female lead; even knowing she had something valuable, she didn't try to steal it, but instead kindly reminded her.

Zhong Jiuli smiled and said, "I'm telling you all this not so you'll praise me."

"Then thank you too."

Perhaps because life in the tribe was too peaceful, Bai sometimes forgot that this was the cultivation world, a world where killing and robbing were commonplace.

"I will stay here for a while longer. If you have any questions about cultivation, feel free to ask me."

Bai thought for a moment and asked a question, "I have a teacher who is also a tiger. He has been teaching me to strengthen my muscles and bones. This is different from the cultivation methods I know of among humans. Isn't it only body cultivators who are obsessed with strengthening their muscles and bones?"

Zhong Jiuli chuckled upon hearing this, and with a wave of her hand, she flicked out specks of starlight, which formed a small tiger and a diagram of human meridians in the air. "Your teacher asked you to strengthen your muscles and bones so that you could build the most solid foundation. When your physical body reaches its peak, you can then draw qi into your body, and your cultivation speed will be like a river flowing into the sea, without any further obstruction."

She touched the diagram of human meridians with her fingertip, and starlight began to flow along the meridians. "Humans are physically weak. Even if they forcibly temper their bodies, they can hardly match the natural strength of demon beasts. For example, those human body cultivators will have hidden injuries left in their bodies from the moment they break through the limits of their physical bodies. Only a few of them can achieve the Great Dao. As a demon beast, you do not have such worries."

Bai also looked at the meridian diagram in the air. After the starlight circled around, there were several conspicuous red dots. Those should be the places that Zhong Jiuli mentioned would leave hidden injuries.

She asked, "Then how can one reach the pinnacle of physical physical ability?"

After a moment of contemplation, Zhong Jiuli said, "I'll take you somewhere."

"Shall we leave now?"

"Let's go after dinner, your mother is back." As soon as she finished speaking, the courtyard gate creaked open and someone appeared, holding a snow rabbit in their hand. When she saw the two people on the roof, she immediately raised the prey in her hand to them.

"Look what I caught today! I'll make you all stewed snow rabbit with lingzhi mushrooms tonight," Bai Zhu said with a smile.

Zhong Jiuli replied, "Thank you for your trouble, Chief Bai."

"Don't mention it!" Bai Shu chuckled, carrying the prey quickly into the kitchen.

As the sunset faded on the horizon, a rich aroma filled the kitchen.

At the dinner table, after Bai finished eating a rabbit leg, he told Bai Shu that he was going out with Zhong Jiuli for a while.

Bai Shu paused for a moment, but only for a second, so quickly that Bai Ye didn't even notice. She quickly composed herself, smiled, and said, "Okay, go out with Senior Zhong. Don't be naughty, understand?"

"Don't worry, Chief Bai, this trip won't be long. I'll be back in a few months at the earliest," Zhong Jiuli said.

Bai Shu curled the corners of her mouth into a bright smile: "No one's home to bother me, and I don't have to cook different dishes for this kid every day. I'm so happy."

As if to prove that she really wouldn't miss her child, she reached out and rubbed her face. "Back in the day, I, Bai Shu, was a beauty in this wild mountain, and now I've been this little brat's maid for over ten years. Alright, you guys go ahead and don't keep me from washing the dishes."

Bai opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing, and followed Zhong Jiuli out of the courtyard.

She knew that whatever she said would only make her mother cry, so she decided to say nothing, knowing that she would be back soon anyway!

Zhong Jiuli reached out and scooped up the little tiger with its head drooping, holding it in her arms and stroking its round ears, saying, "Want to see the stars?"

"I look at them every day," Bai replied listlessly. In all these years since he transmigrated, without a mobile phone to play with on nights, he could only look at the stars.

“That’s not how you see it!” Zhong Jiuli’s voice carried a hint of amusement as she raised her hand to cover the little tiger’s eyes. “Close your eyes, and open them when I tell you to.”

Bai nestled in her arms, inhaling her cool fragrance, and obediently closed his eyes.

Zhong Jiuli looked down at the little guy in her arms with his eyes closed, a slight smile on her lips. She lightly touched the ground with her toes, and the laws and Dao patterns flowed beneath her feet, blooming with white light, like pure white snow lotuses.

With one step, one traverses hundreds of thousands of miles.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Zhong Jiuli's gentle voice reached his ears, and Bai slowly opened his eyes, instantly holding his breath in shock at the scene before him.

The bright moon was so close, it seemed almost within reach. Shooting stars streaked across her vision, leaving long trails of light, before slowly disappearing at the edge of her line of sight.

"Wow!" Bai exclaimed, stretching out his paw as if he had actually touched the moon beside him.

"Do you like it?" The voice was gentle and smiling.

Bai looked up, the moonlight like water, blurring her outline but not at all concealing her beauty, instead making her seem more real and alive.

Her porcelain-white skin was almost transparent in the moonlight, her long, black hair cascaded over her shoulders and swayed in the wind, starlight flowed in her eyes, and the corners of her eyes turned up, giving her a captivating charm.

This woman... is too unfair! Bai felt his heart skip a beat.

"Hmm? You don't like it?"

"I really like it. It's so beautiful. I've never seen such a beautiful moon before, nor have I ever seen so many shooting stars streak across my face." Bai Ye muttered softly, speaking very quickly. If Zhong Jiuli hadn't been so highly skilled, she would have almost been unable to hear what she was saying.

She frantically called out to Xiao Wang in her mind, "What is Zhong Jiuli doing? Is she flirting with me?"

【Hey kid, she brought you here to gain experience, don't get carried away.】

“Then look up.” Zhong Jiuli reached out and lifted her chin, forcing the little tiger pretending to be an ostrich to raise its head.

Bai Ye glanced around nervously, somewhat afraid to meet Zhong Jiuli's gaze; she felt she was truly being flirted with.

This is terrible! She's still a little tiger!

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Author's note: [Dog head holding a rose] There will be a clip tomorrow, so there will be no update at midnight tomorrow. I will update again after 10 pm tomorrow.

Preview: He'll turn into a human in the next chapter! [doge head with rose in hand]