The Cautious Second Senior Sister

The System is… dead?

Di Yao froze in place, unable to recover for a long while.

If the System was dead, then what was with the woman she had seen by the crystal coffin on the overseas immortal island!

Fortunately, having experienced many great storms, she quickly regained her composure and carefully pondered the information Senior Lin had provided, arriving at two possibilities.

First, the System was indeed dead, and that woman was merely an imposter using the System’s name to cause trouble.

Second, the System was dead, but not completely; she had occupied Master’s body in some form and was resurrected in an incomplete state.

“This is all the information I can give you. If you wish to obtain more, you may come find me at any time these days, though I am sometimes not in the shop.”

Lin Shao had no intention of lingering.

He stood up, bowed politely with arched hands, and walked toward the door.

Seeing the girl making a move to stand and see him out, he reached out to stop her.

Di Yao had no choice but to remain in a half-risen posture, said “safe travels,” and watched Lin Shao leave the room.

Sitting back down, she pinched the space between her eyebrows with her right hand to relieve her fatigue.

The exchange with Lin Shao had not been long, but the amount of information gained was massive.

To prevent any errors during the conversation, she had funneled all her energy outside of thinking into her memory; she had already memorized every word and sentence of the talk for future organization.

“Clearly I know so much now, yet it feels useless.”

She leaned back and lay down, covering her face with her hands and letting out a heavy sigh.

She held the position for a while, then suddenly sat up and pulled a talisman from the void.

With a casual shake, the talisman began to burn on its own, yet the paper itself suffered no damage in the flames.

The fire existed for a few seconds before dissipating with a pop at a certain moment, while the incantations on the talisman emitted a faint light.

“Greetings, Second Senior Sister.”

Knowing the connection had been established, Di Yao gave a polite greeting, then spoke in a brisk tone.

“I have obtained some information regarding the System.”

Lin Shao had just stepped out of the room when he saw Lu Haifu rushing toward him.

He didn’t know what the man was nervous about, but the fat cheeks were covered in sweat.

“You’ve been waiting here?” Lin Shao raised an eyebrow.

“Only for a short while.”

Lu Haifu smiled, glanced at the room behind Lin Shao, and asked in a lowered voice.

“Does the Young Master know who the guest inside is?”

‘Just a loyal fan of the Yuanshi Immortal Venerable,’ Lin Shao smiled in his heart.

He didn’t actually know the girl’s background, so he didn’t answer the question.

Instead, he displayed the red jade pendant he had obtained to Lu Haifu and asked.

“This jade pendant was personally made by the Yuanshi Immortal Venerable. It has the effect of dispelling misfortune and gathering blessings, and can even block a disaster for its owner. Boss Lu, how much do you think it would fetch at auction?”

Lu Haifu stared intensely at the jade pendant, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

The Duke had specifically instructed him that the Emperor had a beloved jade pendant she wore at her waist wherever she went.

The pendant was shaped like a coiled azure dragon and was a translucent red; it was one of the key points for identifying the Emperor.

By showing this jade pendant, Young Master Lin was answering his question in another form.

Lin Shao definitely knew the guest was the Emperor.

Lu Haifu gave two dry laughs, but his heart was in a state of upheaval.

What on earth was Lin Shao’s identity for the Emperor to personally bestow her beloved jade pendant upon him?

“Young Master must be joking. Even if you gave me ten times the courage, I wouldn’t dare auction this pendant.”

He assumed Lin Shao was joking about the auction, so he shrank his neck and gave a hollow laugh.

‘As expected of an old fox who has worked for thirty years; he saw through this fake jade at a single glance.’

Liuli Hall was famous for its fairness, so naturally, they couldn’t sell fakes; it would damage their reputation too much.

Lin Shao tucked the jade away with a bit of disappointment.

He had originally wanted to see if he could offload the pendant through an auction, but it seemed that wasn’t possible.

He could only take it back to display in the shop and see if he could run into some unlucky sucker.

Unknowingly, they had arrived at the main entrance of Liuli Hall.

Lu Haifu gave Lin Shao an apologetic smile and said.

“This servant will stop here. I will immediately lead people to the antique street to buy the shop you fancy. Rest assured, Young Master, it will definitely be finished within two hours. You may go there to rest tonight.”

Lin Shao nodded without speaking and walked out the main gate with his head held high.

The auction had just ended, and many people were still gathered at the entrance.

When these people saw Lin Shao, they instinctively made way while sizing him up curiously.

To be treated so politely by Boss Lu, just what kind of sacred existence was this young master?

Lu Haifu watched Lin Shao leave and breathed a sigh of relief.

He turned and instructed his most valued young attendant.

“Go to the antique street immediately, buy that shop behind the scholar tree, and hire the best craftsmen in the city to renovate it. Simple but grand. Go!”

After instructing the boy, he took a cup of cold water from a maid and drank it.

He gazed into the distance where Lin Shao had left, his expression serious.

“I must hurry to report to the Master and have him personally meet Young Master Lin. If we can curry favor with such a figure, he will surely be of great use in the future.”

Di Yao held the talisman and recounted everything that had just happened in great detail.

Afterward, she added all her conjectures and then sat silently, waiting for her senior sister’s reply.

There was a long silence on the other end before a cold voice came through.

“Are you currently in your sixteen-year-old form?”

Di Yao blinked, not understanding why her sister would suddenly ask such an irrelevant question, but she still answered honestly: “Yes.”

Another silence followed, then a voice tinged with a bit of anger within its coldness spoke.

“Your appearance has returned to sixteen, but has your brain followed suit?”

“You’ve been scammed, you idiot!”

Hearing that “idiot” spoken with such disappointment, Di Yao’s face flushed red instantly.

She argued indignantly.

“Don’t go scaring people without evidence. We know very little about the System. How can you be so sure Senior Lin is lying to me?”

The cold voice replied, “This person named Lin Shao has a problem.”

Di Yao frowned, quickly replaying the scenes of her conversation with Lin Shao in her mind.

She couldn’t see where any problem might be.

The other side sighed.

“As expected, after being the Emperor and living a life of debauchery for too long, even your basic ability to differentiate has regressed. In the future, do not mention that you are my junior sister when you are out; I find it embarrassing.”

Di Yao’s cheeks turned even redder. She became anxious, her speech stuttering.

“Who… who is living a life of debauchery! I… I am still a… a virgin!”

With a cold snort, the other side asked, “Do you still remember the basic cultivation system?”

“Of course I do!” Di Yao raised her volume.

“One draws the source qi of heaven and earth into the body, transforms it into one’s own true qi through a cultivation technique, and then opens the corresponding spiritual veins according to the technique’s requirements, forming a cycle starting and ending at the dantian. When all spiritual veins are opened and the mind attains enlightenment, that is the beginning of cultivation.”

“In cultivation, the technique plays a decisive role. Different techniques reach different heights after mastery, but the cultivation process has common points. For example, the [Immortal Talisman] we practice and the [Three Purities True Essence Scripture] practiced by Taoist sects like Kunlun, Zhenwu, and Langya—the initial goal for all of them is mind enlightenment.”

“Master categorized the world’s techniques, dividing cultivation levels from Level 1 to Level 9. The [Immortal Talisman] is divided into three realms: Great Ruler, Azure Firmament, and Primordial Desolation. I am in the early stage of Primordial Desolation, which corresponds to Level 7. Senior Sister, you are in the middle stage of Primordial Desolation, which corresponds to Level 8.”

The other side gave a cold compliment: “Not bad. You haven’t forgotten the basics.”

Di Yao smiled happily. “You were the one who taught me these things, Senior Sister. How could I dare forget?”

The other side asked, “Then how much do you remember about the function of cultivation techniques?”

“I remember everything!” Di Yao continued to answer.

“The technique determines the purity of the practitioner’s true qi and their upper limit of cultivation. Take the Fire Cloud Gang that was destroyed for causing trouble a few days ago as a comparison. The ‘Fire Cloud Evil Art’ they learned can transform heaven and earth source qi into Fire Cloud true qi. The [Immortal Talisman] we learn transforms heaven and earth source qi into Immortal Source true qi. A single drop of Immortal Source true qi can be converted into at least a hundred or a thousand drops of Fire Cloud true qi. This is the difference in true qi purity.”

“Furthermore, there is the upper limit of cultivation. According to Master’s classification, the ‘Fire Cloud Evil Art’ is a Level 6 technique, meaning that even at its peak, one only reaches Level 6. The [Immortal Talisman] is a Level 0 technique; after reaching Level 9, one can continue to improve. If one can break through Level 9 to reach Level 0, one can become an immortal.”

The other side spoke again: “Then do you remember the highest-level techniques in the world today?”

Di Yao nodded. There were only a few high-level techniques, so they were easy to remember.

“First is the [Immortal Talisman] Master taught us, which is the only Level 0 technique. Below that are the Taoist [Three Purities True Essence Scripture], the Confucian [Supreme Honor Law], the Buddhist [Great Tathagata True Law], and the Demonic [Ultimate Demon Code]—these are all Level 9 techniques. Level 8 techniques are more numerous, around ten or so, with the ‘Sword Yin True Scripture’ of the Ten Thousand Sword Pavilion and the ‘Sword Yang True Scripture’ of the Sword Sect being the most famous. It is said that if one can master both, they can break through Level 8 and enter Level 9. Unfortunately, no one has succeeded yet.”

The other side said coldly, “Very well. Then let me ask you: which cultivation technique does your ‘Senior Lin,’ who you claim is above you in strength and half a step into immortality, practice?”

Di Yao opened her mouth, but she actually could not answer.

First, her own [Immortal Talisman] was impossible. She recognized all the experts of the Level 9 techniques, and Lin Shao was not one of them.

There was no need to look at Level 8 or below. She was already at the peak of Level 7, and since her technique was the [Immortal Talisman], her true qi purity far exceeded the norm.

Unless he was at Level 9, it was impossible for her Emperor’s Pupil to have no effect.

Following her sister’s logic, Lin Shao’s identity suddenly became suspicious.

Di Yao’s eyes went blank, filled with disbelief. After a long daze, she murmured to the talisman.

“Senior Sister… I… I think I was scammed…”