You've only been cultivating for a few years, and you're already talking about cultivating

"How can I help you?" Qi Fei asked.

He did not refuse.

Crossing the great river and reaching Ghost Mountain as soon as possible was also his wish.

Yun Qiyue nodded, glanced at the caravan members peeking out behind her, and said in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist, may I speak with you in private?"

She pointed to a crooked old tree not far away.

The two walked to the tree. Yun Qiyue raised her hand and waved it gently. A faint magical energy wave rose around her, spreading outwards like water ripples. In the blink of an eye, it condensed into an invisible barrier, isolating the two of them from the outside world.

She turned around and curtsied to Qi Fei.

"Yunqiyue, from Taiyin Palace on Mount Yue, greets fellow Daoist."

His voice was clear and cool, and his manners were impeccable, displaying the demeanor of a distinguished family.

Qi Fei returned the greeting in her manner: "My name is Qi Fei."

"May I ask which mountain or sect you belong to, friend?" Yun Qiyue looked up at him, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Qi Fei opened his mouth, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"I..." He paused, then decided to be honest, "I'm not affiliated with any sect or faction, so I guess I'd be considered a rogue cultivator?"

A faint hint of disappointment appeared on Yun Qiyue's cool and aloof face.

"Fellow Daoist, your spirit is complete and your energy is abundant. Your eyes are filled with spiritual light. The purity of your aura is something I myself cannot match."

She looked at Qi Fei, her tone tinged with confusion.

"Even that two-headed beautiful python could tell you were extraordinary. You must come from a prestigious sect, so why bother with all this concealment?"

She paused, her voice growing even colder: "I introduced myself from the outset, yet you remain tight-lipped about your origins. How can we possibly cooperate sincerely like this?"

Qi Fei: "..."

He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but didn't know where to begin.

I'm a damn damn unaffiliated rogue cultivator!

I'm not kidding you!

But when he said this, not only did Yun Qiyue not believe it, even he himself didn't quite believe it!

A rogue cultivator, after three years of practice, can make the two-headed beautiful python call him "Immortal Master," and can make the female cultivator from the Moon Mountain Taiyin Palace say, "My aura is more refined than yours"?

Who the hell would believe that if I told them?

Seeing that Yun Qiyue's expression turned cold and she seemed unwilling to continue the conversation, Qi Fei had no choice but to bite the bullet and speak.

"To be honest," he coughed, "it's mainly because my sect is such a small and insignificant place, it would only make us a laughingstock if I told you..."

"Oh?" Yun Qiyue raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

Qi Fei's mind raced, and he said, "I am from... the loyalists of the Himalayas."

"The Loyal... faction?" Yun Qiyue was taken aback, but remained outwardly calm.

In all her years in the cultivation world, she had never heard of such a sect.

Perhaps, the Moon Mountain Taiyin Palace knows very little about the outside world?

"Yes, a loyalist." Seeing that she didn't refute him, Qi Fei started to make up an excuse, "Loyalty means being true to your heart and being honest with yourself."

He spoke with increasing fluency, as if such a school of thought truly existed: "The way of utmost sincerity allows one to foresee the future. Sincerity brings clarity, clarity leads to understanding, and understanding leads to longevity!"

"This is the foundation of our school."

Yun Qiyue listened quietly, the coldness on her face gradually fading, replaced by a serious expression.

"Be true to your heart, be honest with yourself..." she murmured, repeating herself thoughtfully. "So that's the way it is. I was so ignorant."

She readjusted her flight and bowed, her tone much more solemn than before.

"So you're a disciple of the Loyal Faction? My apologies."

Qi Fei returned the greeting, his face composed, but his heart was filled with questions.

But he knew that now was not the time to get to the bottom of things.

He hesitated before speaking, "How can I help you, fellow Daoist?"

Yun Qiyue glanced at the sky, then looked towards the shimmering Ruyin River in the distance, and slowly said:

"Today is May 13th. In two days, it will be May 15th. On that night of the full moon, the Water Goddess will surely rise to the surface at midnight to absorb the moonlight."

She withdrew her gaze and looked at Qi Fei: "I need to use a secret technique by the river to bring her back."

"However, I will be unable to move while performing the spell, and I fear that others may disturb me! At that time, you only need to protect me."

Qi Fei nodded, but did not immediately agree.

He stared at Yun Qiyue, then suddenly asked, "Do you know the origin of that Water Goddess?"

That's a very direct question.

Yun Qiyue was slightly taken aback, then sighed, a hint of helplessness appearing on her usually aloof face.

"Since you've asked, I won't hide it from you." She paused, "That so-called Water Goddess is actually my 'Taiyin Body'."

"Taiyin Body?" Qi Fei's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"After cultivating the Guanzhen Realm, the disciples of our Yueshan Taiyin Palace can use the Taiyin Mirror in the palace to draw upon the power of the Taiyin Star and cultivate a Taiyin Body."

Yun Qiyue explained, "This Taiyin body is like a mirror, reflecting ourselves. You should know that it is easy to see others, but difficult to see yourself."

"Having the Taiyin body is like having an extra life, and it makes it easier to see one's own path."

"Once a cultivator reaches the tribulation stage, facing numerous tribulations, most fellow disciples rely on their Yin Body to safely overcome them."

As she said this, her tone turned slightly somber: "But many years ago, something went wrong when I was undergoing my tribulation... My Yin body took advantage of the chaos and broke free."

"Over the years, I have searched everywhere and only with the help of the palace's ritual implements did I discover that it was hiding in the Ruyin River, calling itself the Water Goddess and enjoying incense offerings."

Qi Fei understood.

It turns out that this water goddess is not some river demon, but a part of the woman herself.

But new questions arose: What is the "True Observation Realm"? What is the "Tribulation Stage"? What level is Yun Qiyue's cultivation in the cultivation world?

It sounds like this "Taiyin body" also falls within the theoretical scope of the three "selves." Which "self" is it?

These questions were difficult for Qi Fei to keep to himself, but he ultimately refrained from asking them.

If a disciple of a sect doesn't even understand cultivation levels, then his lie about being a "loyalist" will immediately be exposed.

In particular, the "Taiyin Body" involves the cultivation methods of the Taiyin Palace, and asking too many questions is really too presumptuous.

He rephrased his question, his tone tinged with a hint of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and regret): "I see. The Tribulation Stage is truly terrifying..."

"Our Loyal Faction is a small sect. My master perished during the Tribulation Stage, leaving me to cultivate alone."

He paused, a perfectly timed hint of sadness appearing on his face:

"He didn't even have time to tell me what realms exist beyond the Tribulation Stage."

Yun Qiyue glanced at him, a hint of sympathy flashing in her eyes.

"I don't know either." She shook her head. "My master once said that the path of cultivation is fraught with danger. If one rashly learns too much about realms and knowledge that are irrelevant to one's current state, it may affect one's resolve and disrupt one's cultivation."

She gazed at the distant river, her voice softening slightly: "She said that I will know when I reach that point."

Qi Fei nodded and said, "I wonder what conditions the Taiyin Palace requires for recruiting disciples?"