A pained cry echoed through the air.
"Ahhhhhhh..."
Once again, without a doubt, Mudfish was sent flying, screaming miserably.
"Tail-whipping hurts, you know! Master, you're heartless, cruel, and completely unreasonable..."
Ignoring Mudfish's complaints, Ye You's voice returned to its usual raspy and low tone, calm and deliberate. "This matter intrigues me, so I'll investigate thoroughly. I won't wrongly accuse any bird."
Jian Xiaolou hesitated before probing, "If it really was Xiao Hei who did it, as you suspect, would you kill him? He's just a poor little myna bird now..."
After a pause, Ye You responded, "I asked Hai Yazi, the so-called all-knowing entity, but he's never heard of the Chi Xiao Realm. That makes it impossible to determine which layer of the star domain you're in. I need to figure that out first. If it's nearby, great; if it's far, I might have to spend a few centuries mastering spatial transfer techniques."
Jian Xiaolou, who barely grasped the concept of star domains, compared them vaguely to the theoretical vastness of the universe.
"Senior Ye, are you a demon immortal?" she asked.
"Demon immortal? I'm a demon. What's an immortal?"
She blinked. "For example, I was once a mortal with no spiritual energy. After cultivating, I advanced to the Qi Refining stage, becoming a cultivator. If I continue, reaching Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and Spirit Transformation, I'll eventually achieve ascension and leave the mortal realm for the Immortal Realm..."
"Is that what you call 'ascension'—breaking through the boundary restriction of your realm?"
"Boundary restriction?" What nonsense was this?
"Yes, yes, boundary restriction..." Ye You stumbled for words before abruptly stopping. "Wait, let me check..."
The sound of flipping through ancient scrolls filled the air—swish, swish, swish...
Half an hour passed.
Jian Xiaolou could almost picture him buried under an avalanche of scrolls. She twitched involuntarily. Was this demon attempting a cram session to transform from a slacker into a scholar in a mere month?
"Ah, found it." Ye You's calm tone broke the silence. "Each realm has a boundary restriction. Once your cultivation is sufficient to break through this barrier, you can leave your realm and enter the greater star domain. That's what you mortals call 'ascension.'"
Jian Xiaolou was stunned. "And the Immortal Realm?"
"I couldn't find where this so-called Immortal Realm is."
"Then, where do you go when you reach the peak of cultivation?"
"We stay in the Western Constellation," Ye You replied after some thought. "But as cultivation deepens, we can break through even more profound restrictions, traverse star domains, and obtain greater resources."
So... the Immortal Realm doesn't exist?
The lengthy explanation boiled down to one thing: advanced cultivators in higher star domains were essentially godlike beings. That was somewhat reassuring. Intuitively, she figured the distance between her and Ye You must span several galaxies. As Mudfish would put it, by the time Ye You found the Chi Xiao Realm, who knew what year it would be.
Accepting Bai Lixi's invitation, Jian Xiaolou formally became a guest elder of the Baili family.
Her reward was an Elder Token, which allowed her to exchange resources at any Baili Merchant Guild. Of course, exchanges required contribution points—a standard practice among noble families. Guest elders, however, enjoyed perks, receiving 100 points monthly with no obligations. These could be exchanged for five high-quality human-grade pills or a low-quality human-grade spiritual tool.
Jian Xiaolou had planned to learn more about earning contributions but was left speechless upon entering the cave mansion Bai Lixi had arranged for her.
The place was packed with forging materials essential for advancing a two-star refiner, as well as various mid-quality human-grade spiritual tools for studying array diagrams. Bai Lixi was not exaggerating when he said he intended to cultivate her.
Her suspicions grew once again.
"You see, there's one thing missing—your furnace," quipped a crimson-clad maid named Iris. "For a refiner, the furnace is paramount, so you must choose it yourself. As it happens, the master is attending an auction today. Why not join him and pick one you like?"
Jian Xiaolou declined. "I already have a furnace. It works fine."
Iris chuckled. "It's your first time in Tianyi City, isn't it? Don't you want to see what the Immortal City of the Tianyi Alliance looks like?"
That did pique Jian Xiaolou's curiosity.
When they left with Bai Lixi, her regret surfaced immediately. She had expected these big shots to travel discreetly, concealing their presence like ordinary cultivators. Bai Lixi, however, did the opposite.
Ten golden foxes pulled his chariot, accompanied by a procession of attendants. Bai Lixi sat stoically within, silver-crowned and clad in white. His frosty demeanor deserved a full hundred points of approval from Jian Xiaolou.
Tianyi City, an advanced celestial city, far exceeded Floating Light City in scale and population. Traveling from south to north by flight alone could take two to three hours. After half an hour in the chariot, Jian Xiaolou began feeling uneasy—the entourage was too conspicuous.
Divine senses swept over them incessantly, and countless cultivators flocked around the chariot. Among them, female cultivators' predatory gazes unsettled her most. She couldn't help but imagine their despair if they learned their "cool male deity" was actually a woman.
Eventually, the chariot halted before a three-story building. Jian Xiaolou looked up at the plaque overhead: Youyuan Residence, the largest auction house in Tianyi City.
Following Bai Lixi and Iris inside, Jian Xiaolou noticed the bustling main hall fall silent. All eyes turned toward Bai Lixi. The head steward promptly greeted him and escorted them to a private third-floor suite.
While ascending, Jian Xiaolou overheard murmured discussions:
"Even the head of the Baili family is here. What on earth is being auctioned today?"
"Who knows? Three of the Four Great Clans are attending."
"Whatever it is, it's beyond us."
The third-floor private rooms were shielded by restrictions, concealing occupants from each other. Bai Lixi reclined gracefully in his seat, surrounded by maids attending to him. Jian Xiaolou, feeling out of place, stood awkwardly in the corner, peering out the window.
Then, her gaze sharpened—she saw Li Jianzhao and Nanlin.
The tyrant wasn't dead?
She extended her divine sense outward, observing their argument.
"I told you to scram! Didn't you hear me?!" Li Jianzhao barked.
"Master, going to Sixth Young Master without proof will only harm you," Nanlin reasoned, expressionless yet firm.
Their silent exchange soon became inaudible. Jian Xiaolou withdrew her divine sense, relieved that karma seemed to be catching up with Li Jianzhao.
Interrupting her thoughts, the auctioneer announced the next lot:
"Our fourth item..." He hesitated, his face conflicted.
"Out with it!" the crowd urged impatiently.
"This fourth lot..."
"Is me," declared a cold voice.
A black-clad man appeared on stage, stabbing his sword into the ground. Hands resting on the hilt, he bowed his head.
"Whoever tells me where Jian Xiaolou is, I'll sell myself to them for ten years."
Pfft! Jian Xiaolou spat out her tea.