Chapter 87: Uniquely Distinctive

Watching the sphere slowly rise into the air, joining the other Moonlight Rabbit spirit beast eggs as they hovered in place, absorbing the radiant glow of the moon, He Lingsang said, “I cannot tell you exactly when it will hatch, but I promise you, when it does, I will let you know at once.”

Raising her head to look at the glowing cluster of the Moonlight Rabbit, Ji Jiuxuan’s eyes were filled with anticipation. “Then you mustn’t forget, Uncle-Master!”

After returning from the Spirit Beast Garden, Ji Jiuxuan was in much better spirits, though Meng Jiao could still sense the subtle changes in the little girl.

She was still lacking in experience.

In her grief, the child ended matters with a life-and-death duel. It would take her some time to recover.

“Little Sister, one of these days I’ll take you out for some proper training,” Meng Jiao offered.

At the mention of training, Ji Jiuxuan could not help but recall the time her senior sister had risked her life for her. From the look in her eyes, Meng Jiao understood what she was thinking, and gently patted her head, smiling, “This time, I’ll make sure we’re thoroughly prepared. I’ll find you all sorts of ingredients.”

The taste of that Dragon Phoenix Soup still lingered in her memory, making her crave it again. “A Jiu, if you need any kitchen tools, just tell me. I’ll make them for you, and they’ll be the very best.”

Ji Jiuxuan couldn’t help but smile. “Then I’ll have to think carefully about what I want.”

Speaking of food made Ji Jiuxuan think of the Phoenix Plume Monarch Bird. “System, with Yu Heng like this now, is the task to roast the Phoenix Plume Monarch Bird still active?”

What a pity there was no reward. If only there were, that would be perfect.

“It’s still there,” the system replied, fully aware of what Ji Jiuxuan was thinking. “Still no reward, but you’re not losing out—if you succeed, you get to eat Phoenix Plume Monarch Bird meat. Just a friendly reminder—the taste is truly something special.”

It sounded as if the system had eaten it itself.

Well, for the sake of good food, she would not fuss over it any longer.

After agreeing with her senior sister to set a date for their training trip, she returned to the Palace of Study.

Looking at her obedient little disciple standing before him, Zhou Guangsheng’s face softened with affection. He spoke with great seriousness, “A Jiu, I know you must be unsettled by what happened. There are some things in this world that are inevitable and must be faced. But your attitude and understanding are what matter most.”

Ji Jiuxuan understood well the concerns of her master, her grandfather, and her family.

“Master, I understand.”

Seeing that she was no longer as distraught as when she had first left, Zhou Guangsheng guessed that Qi Shuoyuan must have already comforted her. “Good. Go on, then. Absorb all that you can from the library.”

Ji Jiuxuan bowed earnestly, smiling. “Don’t worry, Master. I’ve already come to terms with it.”

This world was one where the strong preyed on the weak. If someone was determined to kill you, there was no point in talking about kindness—only death awaited. She would not kill lightly, but she understood all too well the importance of eliminating future threats. Sentimentality would only lead to her own demise.

Returning to the library, she suddenly felt as if a lifetime had passed.

Her state of mind was utterly different now.

This time, as she stood in the library, she could clearly sense the radiance emanating from the scrolls.

She sat cross-legged in the center, closed her eyes, and gradually found a profound peace. The energy in the room began to flow toward her.

Ji Jiuxuan felt as if every book she had read recently was appearing one after another in her mind, finally merging and becoming one.

Outside, Zhou Guangsheng sensed what was happening and smiled with satisfaction.

With a wave of his hand, the entire courtyard was enveloped in an array. No one could intrude upon the powerful protective formation, and not a hint of disturbance would escape.

When a book shimmering with golden light took form in her sea of consciousness, Ji Jiuxuan’s mind gained a clarity she had never before experienced.

She had fully mastered the knowledge contained in those books, and could, with a simple gesture, extrapolate and mend any gaps.

The moment she opened her eyes, Ji Jiuxuan was filled with joy and wanted to share it with someone. She instinctively glanced at the ring where the little slender dragon usually lounged, but the ring had been dim for some time, and she didn’t dare disturb him.

She finally turned her attention elsewhere and asked the system, “System, have I now entered the Way of the Book?”

“Yes, congratulations,” the system replied. Her innate aptitude was already exceptional, and with the system’s improvements and the solid foundation laid by Wen Ying, this outcome was hardly surprising.

“So now I can refine and even create my own techniques?” This was truly wonderful.

“Yes, but I advise you to keep a low profile, or you may attract invisible dangers.” In the cultivation world, it was all too common for people to kill to seize treasures. The way those people looked at her in the dueling arena when she showed signs of entering the Way of the Book—their eyes nearly turned green with envy.

Knowing her host was always cautious, the system still made a point to warn her, “You wouldn’t want to be captured and imprisoned, forced to revise techniques every day, would you? There isn’t a single sect or family in this world that doesn’t long for greater strength.”

Ji Jiuxuan understood and found the system’s advice sound. She had no intention of drawing attention to herself. “System, do you have a way to conceal this?”

“Your master has a way. Just ask him.” With that, the system suddenly triggered a task.

“Ding! For the host’s safety, the system will now deal with the exposure of your Book Way talent in the dueling arena. Please proceed with the task draw.”

Exposure?

Only then did Ji Jiuxuan recall the formation she had used to trap Wang Yunyao, the one that had seriously weakened her from the start.

“If I use techniques derived from the Way of the Book in the future, will this keep happening?” This worried her.

“That only happened because your Book Way was just awakening. Now, it won’t happen again. If you keep things hidden, no one will know,” the system explained.

Ji Jiuxuan relaxed. “Can it be erased completely? What about the competition? Will that be erased too?”

“No, only traces of the Book Way aura will be removed.” It was probably the most fretful system in history.

She began to ponder which hand to use for the task draw. “System, can you erase people’s memories on a large scale?”

Judging by her tone, the system knew she was up to no good. “Let me warn you—everything exists for a reason. I can deal with your exposure this once, but not a second time.”

If it weren’t for the risk of her running into serious trouble, the system would never expend so much energy to help her. If the Heavenly Dao caught it, it would be struck down by lightning for sure.

“All right, thank you this time. I’ll be more careful in the future.”

Sensing the system’s genuine goodwill, she didn’t argue, but mused aloud, “System, do you think there’s some connection between us? You’re nothing like the systems I know—so unique.”

In this cultivation world, she was beginning to suspect there was some karmic bond between her and the system, the feeling only growing stronger. It was utterly unlike any system she had ever read about before.

“Isn’t being different a good thing? You said it yourself—unique,” the system replied, half-suspecting it was being too good to her and that was why she had such notions. “Hurry and draw your task—if you delay, trouble may arise.”

(End of this chapter)