Chapter 102: The Pocket-Sized Paradise

Page (1/3)

Jia Fugui's life was rich and varied, marked by extensive experiences and even the founding of the Seven-Star Immortal Altar, which attracted numerous followers. After digesting his memories and experiences, Jiang Min found her own understanding greatly enriched.

Of course, what caught her attention most, aside from the locations of the Seven-Star Immortal Altar’s branch temples, were the hidden moves Jia Fugui had laid within several sects to gain entry into the Nine Ancestral Halls' secret realm by acquiring the Tongxian cultivation techniques.

These secret moves might prove useful in the future.

Jiang Min withdrew her thoughts and focused again on the immortal statue in her hand.

According to Jia Fugui’s memories, there truly was a small, self-contained world within the immortal statue—the same Immortal Lord Hall she had previously entered.

Now, the flesh-and-blood monster had been devoured by the peach tree, the illusion vanished, and the Immortal Lord Hall had returned to its original dilapidated state. Only a towering peach tree occupied the entire hall, its bark pitch-black, with bulges writhing beneath its surface—these were undigested energies.

“Hm? It swallowed that flesh-and-blood monster but yielded no memory in return. Does such a creature lack a soul?” Jiang Min was somewhat surprised and grew ever more curious about the origin of that monster.

She was mentally connected to the peach tree’s avatar within the Immortal Lord Hall and could clearly sense the cold, eerie black energy being continuously absorbed by the tree. These repulsive forces were paradoxically potent nourishment, strengthening the tree’s aura and abilities, causing a fundamental transformation within it and inexplicably awakening a craving for blood food...

“Tsk tsk! Luckily, this is only a peach branch avatar growing outside my body. Otherwise, I wouldn’t want to nurture such a mutated thing inside my dantian.”

“Anyway, the peach tree can keep splitting. From now on, I’ll let its avatars handle devouring such strange creatures.”

Jiang Min examined the statue in her hand and thought, “It looks like fully digesting this monster will take quite a while. For now, I’ll leave this peach tree inside the Immortal Lord Hall.”

“But how should I store this statue?”

She willed to place the immortal statue into her universe bag but, as expected, failed.

After all, the immortal statue contained a miniature world within it—how could it fit into a universe bag?

But this mysterious immortal statue definitely couldn’t be carried on her person; it had to be hidden away.

Jiang Min’s spiritual eyes flickered. Perhaps she should try another method.

She raised her hand, bit her fingertip, and let a drop of blood fall onto the statue. Immediately, it emitted a radiant glow that repelled her blood.

Suddenly, a hallucination seemed to arise before her eyes: the statue of a white-bearded old immortal’s face came alive, shaking his head and sighing helplessly, as if reproaching her rashness.

Jiang Min widened her eyes in shock, nearly throwing the statue away.

“Is this thing alive?!”

But looking again, the statue was still an inanimate object without any movement. It seemed the old immortal’s helpless expression was merely her illusion.

This... might actually be a genuine statue of an Immortal Lord!

Even if not a true immortal, it was certainly the statue of someone with profound cultivation, imbued with a fragment of their divine consciousness or soul. Her method of refining it with her blood was somewhat disrespectful.

After all, she was just a lowly cultivator attempting to refine the golden body of a revered immortal statue. If it were merely a statue, that would be one thing, but if it held a divine soul or consciousness, it was impious.

Jiang Min immediately raised her hand.

Page (2/3)

She suspended the statue before her and bowed respectfully, feeling a bit embarrassed as she said, “Ahem! Esteemed Master, please forgive my disrespectful act. I only wish to properly preserve this statue but do not know how. If Your Spirit still lingers, please guide me.”

Respect must be shown.

And storage was necessary.

Jiang Min had never seen any place where this immortal was worshipped, nor heard of any ancestor or great master who practiced the Seven-Star Great Radiance technique. If it were some taboo, it would be troublesome if discovered.

Honestly, upon seeing the immortal holding the Seven Stars, her first thought was of the “Seven Policies Strange Treatise” and the Seven Sword Techniques she had recently obtained from the tomb mansion. The mysterious destruction of that tomb cast a shadow over her thoughts... She had a vague sense that this immortal statue could be a major headache and must not be found by others.

If she could hide it well, that would be good—just another secret besides the peach branch’s devouring power.

If she couldn’t, she would rather abandon or destroy it, even if it meant giving up the miniature immortal hall inside. She did not want to hold this hot potato and invite unnecessary trouble.

Of course, she merely held faint hope and dared to ask. After all, Jia Fugui himself had not fully refined the statue; how could she confidently control it?

Yet just as she finished speaking,

The immortal statue suddenly transformed into a streak of light that slipped into her palm.

“Hm?”

Jiang Min was pleasantly surprised as she opened her palm. Though nothing seemed amiss to the eye, she clearly sensed the statue and its miniature world hidden within.

She willed it again and the statue reappeared in her hand.

Another thought made it vanish once more.

“Thank you, Esteemed Master.”

Jiang Min smiled warmly and bowed to the air with sincere respect. “I will repair your immortal hall and offer more incense on your behalf.”

Without hesitation, she vanished from where she stood and reappeared inside the ruined Immortal Lord Hall.

In the center of the hall grew a towering peach tree, black as pitch, radiating a cold and eerie aura. Several bulges writhed slowly along its trunk.

Jiang Min controlled the peach tree to move near the hall’s entrance to save space. Then she formed hand seals and cast the Purification Technique.

Whoosh!

A vast spiritual force swept through, clearing away cobwebs, dust, debris, and bloodstains, restoring the hall to a clean and orderly state.

She waved her sleeve, conjuring dozens of flames that landed on the long-extinguished lampstands along the sides of the hall.

The dim Immortal Hall suddenly brightened.

Except for the black peach tree at the entrance, which somewhat spoiled the ambiance, the hall had regained a solemn and majestic aura.

Seeing the golden splendor and pristine order, Jiang Min nodded with satisfaction, saying, “Just need an offering table, some tributes, and incense. I’ll buy them at the general store when I return to Jiangning City.”

Having settled Jia Fugui’s matters and secured the immortal statue, it was time to go home.

As for the peach tree, it would need more time to digest. Jiang Min stood firmly and cupped her hands before the hall, “Esteemed Master, I cannot take this peach tree with me, so I must borrow your domain to keep it for now. I hope you will forgive me.”

Speaking kindly costs nothing, so she said as much as she wished.

After all, this miniature world within the statue was hers now.

...

Jiangning City.

Jiang Min returned to the Jiang family residence.

The dining hall was filled with fragrant aromas; fine wine and delicious dishes had been set on the table. Occasionally, puzzled voices asked, “Why hasn’t Second Sister returned yet?”

Thinking of Jia Fugui’s affair and how she had implicated her family, Jiang Min slowly curled the hand resting at her side.

“Jia Fugui, with his Foundation Establishment cultivation, could find my family by fate and heavenly secrets. How much more so would stronger cultivators?”

“Fate... must be severed.”

Separated by the mortal and immortal realms,

She would face ever stronger cultivators as she pursued the path to immortality alone. The best solution was to cut ties with her kin and never see them again.

She had once read in an ancient book that powerful cultivators could sever bloodline bonds.

Nascent Soul cultivators could sever heavenly secrets.

Deity Transformation cultivators could sever blood ties.

Unity cultivators could sever karma.

At the very least, she had to find a Nascent Soul cultivator to sever her heavenly fate.

But where could she find such a Nascent True Lord?

The only idea she had was to become a disciple of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

“Second Sister, why are you standing here?”

Behind her,

Third Sister Jiang Le came from the side hall, holding a plate of fresh fruit, a little puzzled, then warmly said, “Father and mother are waiting for you. Dinner is almost ready. Mother and eldest sister have made many delicious dishes. Our whole family will have a lively reunion dinner.”

Jiang Min immediately composed herself, skillfully embraced Jiang Le’s shoulder, and stepped inside, wearing a look of delight. Curiously, she asked, “What dishes have you all prepared...”

She knew deep down,

This might be the last days of reunion with her family in this life.

Only by wholeheartedly accompanying them, without bringing any karmic ties along, would she be doing right by her family.

The moon waxes and wanes, the flowers bloom and fade.

When people leave, when will they return?

(Zhang Mingshan’s “Pingtianle: Ode to the World”)

“...The moon waxes and wanes, flowers bloom and fade; life’s bitterest sorrow is parting. Flowers fade as spring nears its end; the moon wanes as Mid-Autumn approaches. When people leave, when do they return?”