"Turn around!"

Xia Zihan quickly activated the spiritual energy in her dantian, and purple light immediately appeared, with wisps of water vapor rising from her robes.

After a while, once her robes were completely dry, Xia Zihan, after confirming that there were no flaws in the concealment on her face and chest, said calmly:

"Turn around."

Upon hearing this, Qin Luo turned around awkwardly; the scene he had just witnessed had been too much of a shock to him.

"You didn't see anything, did you?"

Xia Zihan stared intently at him, as if trying to discern some clue on his face.

"What are you saying, Fellow Daoist Zhao Jiu? We're both men, it won't hurt us to take a look, and besides, I didn't see anything."

Xia Zihan breathed a slight sigh of relief when she saw his seemingly genuine expression, but she felt a surge of anger when she heard him say that he was a man.

But since I was the one who started the cover-up, I have no choice but to keep it a secret now.

"Hmph! Fellow Daoist Wang Wu hasn't explained your cultivation level to me yet."

Upon hearing her question, Qin Luo had already prepared a response in his mind. His face immediately fell, and he said in a low voice:

"This is a long story..."

Qin Luo then recounted his story as a down-on-his-luck individual who stumbled upon some fortuitous opportunities, obtaining some elixirs and a master's teachings. However, he was ambushed while passing through Zhongzhou, which temporarily sealed his cultivation, leading to his capture and imprisonment in a dungeon.

"No wonder you didn't want to cultivate with me. It turns out you have a master and those precious pills."

Xia Zihan finally understood the whole story. After seeing him tell her everything, she felt an urge to reveal her own true identity as well.

But when she thought of the scene where her father was killed by those people, she suppressed her impulse. She didn't want to implicate Wang Wu. If she told him, it would inevitably cause him some trouble, which was not what Xia Zihan wanted to see.

Seeing how easily he had gotten away with it, Qin Luo felt relieved. He no longer needed to cultivate secretly. But then again, it seemed he hadn't really put much effort into cultivating.

After tidying up, the two set off again. After leaving the inner edge of the primeval forest, the road ahead became clear, and the surrounding trees returned to normal height.

Three days later, under Xia Zihan's guidance, the two finally arrived in the Southern Region. Afterwards, Xia Zihan led Qin Luo to a small town that looked very simple and rustic.

The town's streets are paved with bluestone, lined with neatly arranged wooden houses, their chimneys emitting wisps of smoke. There aren't many pedestrians on the streets, except for the occasional child running and laughing.

Qin Luo looked around curiously, taking in the peaceful and tranquil atmosphere of the small town.

Xia Zihan introduced him to the following:

"Although this town is small, it has its own unique charm. Most of the people here are ordinary people who make a living by farming and handicrafts. Their lives are simple but fulfilling."

The two strolled along the street, passing shop after shop. There were stalls selling fresh fruits and vegetables, their brightly colored fruits emitting an enticing aroma; and a blacksmith's shop, from which came the clanging and banging of hammers.

Qin Luo couldn't help but exclaim, "This place is like a paradise on earth."

Afterwards, Xia Zihan led Qin Luo to a shop that looked like it had been abandoned for a long time. Xia Zihan looked at the place with reminiscence, then took out a simple key from her body and opened the lock that was half rusted.

With a creak, the heavy door was pushed open by Xia Zihan, and a musty, rotten smell wafted out. Qin Luo couldn't help but cough a few times and fan the dust in front of him with his hand.

The shop is divided into inner and outer cubicles, except that the inner cubicle is a room and the outer cubicle is a small stall.

"This room has not been cleaned for a long time, I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Fellow Daoist Wang Wu."

Xia Zihan said apologetically, then slowly walked inside.

The room was dimly lit, with only a few rays of sunlight filtering through the cracks in the old windows and falling onto the floor.

Qin Luo carefully looked around and saw that the walls were covered with spider webs and some broken tools and debris were piled up in the corner.

"This will be our temporary residence. It's a bit simple, but it's all we can do for now."

After Xia Zihan finished speaking, the purple spiritual energy emanated and soon filled the entire room. Instantly, the dust, cobwebs, and other dirt disappeared rapidly under the shroud of the spiritual energy.

In just a few moments, the room became tidy.

Xia Zihan frowned slightly as she looked at the bed in the room. Fellow Daoist Wang Wu had been kind to her, and she couldn't let him come all this way to sleep on the floor, could she?

"Fellow Daoist Zhao Jiu, there's no need for you to trouble yourself. I can just sit cross-legged in the small room outside. For us cultivators, rest is optional."

Qin Luo then realized her predicament and chuckled before turning to walk towards the cubicle.

"Fellow Daoist Wang Wu, how can you do this? You are, after all, a guest, and you have helped me so much along the way, repeatedly giving me opportunities. How can I live with myself if I ask you to do this again?"

Xia Zihan quickly pulled him back, and then, to prevent him from being too modest again, she quickly walked to the small private room outside, leaving Qin Luo with only his straight figure.

"this......"

Qin Luo could only shake his head helplessly. He had originally wanted Xia Zihan to cultivate properly in the inner room, but he didn't expect her to be so stubborn and give him the room directly.

Seeing this, he gave a wry smile, then sat cross-legged on the bed and opened the system panel. It had been many days since he'd participated in the simulation; he wondered what reward he would receive upon completing it in the Southern Region.

After opening the simulation panel, Xia Zihan's information appeared in front of him.

Name: Xia Zihan

Gender: Female

[Realm Level: Level 3 of the Spirit Gathering Realm]

[Constitution: Purple Star Spirit Emperor Body]

[Personality: Cold on the outside, warm on the inside]

[Recent experiences: Feeling ashamed that Fellow Daoist Wang Wu concealed his true identity; feeling indignant upon hearing that he was a man; feeling deeply moved that Fellow Daoist Wang Wu gave him the opportunity...]

[Other information is unknown...]

[Start Simulation?: Yes/No]

As Qin Luo looked at the newly added experiences, his lips twitched slightly. It seemed that Xia Zihan was just thinking about writing random things every day, and not a single experience was related to cultivation. This made him quite angry.

After venting his frustrations, Qin Luo calmed down and then began another round of simulations.