After the time travel, my cheat program disappeared.

But I never expected that I would actually encounter someone frying fish.

"Playing with fire."

"Is it from the 'Taiyi Sect'?"

"It seems that only those who are said to possess the 'Heavenly Connection' fortune can perform the ritual so quickly."

"but..."

"The Taiyi Sect members all wear those kinds of cloaks."

"Or is she...the legendary little princess of the 'Taiyi Sect' who was wandering outside?"

The more the girl thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

The organizers of the "Enlightenment Conference" are also very knowledgeable.

The giant projection at the top was directly replaced with a scene of Ming Zhongqing riding flames through the air, his fiery hair flying everywhere.

The stands were filled with cheers and applause.

If Shi Yan hadn't slipped back to "Heaven and Earth," he would definitely have noticed.

The master and apprentice of "Valley of a Thousand Flowers" looked at the girl's small face.

Then... attention was focused on the Yangyan Bird behind Ming Zhongqing.

"Garuda..."

"It's Garuda."

"Is the layperson going to see her?"

"certainly--"

The enormous Sunfire Bird hovered in the air, seemingly curled up with its arms crossed, protecting the fire-spirit-like girl under its wings.

Then--

Phew! ! !

The sound of screams echoed throughout the entire Xingtian Square.

The Garuda of the Sunfire spread its wings, accompanied by a swirling, fiery tornado that stretched to the heavens.

That is, the person in charge of Xingtian Square is Shi Hongjian.

A cultivator at the Enlightenment Realm could easily suppress the towering flames; otherwise... Ming Zhongqing could probably singe everyone in the square to a crisp.

But the girl in front of Ming Zhongqing didn't seem to be so lucky.

The girl watched helplessly as the almost incandescent flames approached, her pupils gradually contracting until they brightened.

"Eeya ya ya!!!!"

She immediately crouched down, covering her head, and piled all her magical treasures and talismans in front of her as if they were free, creating layers of colorful protective circles.

But she knew...

Useless.

It's completely useless.

The attack from that girl high in the sky was something that a cultivator like her, who had just entered the Nascent Soul Realm, could not possibly withstand.

He squatted on the ground, trembling, with tears welling up in his eyes.

I've heard that burns... are very painful.

It hurts so much.

Even if no one dies at the "Enlightenment Conference," the "Heaven and Earth Gods" will provide treatment for serious injuries, but... it will hurt a lot.

But... things seem to have turned out differently than she expected.

The waves of flame swept past her like flowing water. She turned her head to the side, staring blankly at the magnificent, fiery torrent.

"Your men... showed mercy?"

despair--

Su Guo's delicate white toes touched the ground as Ming Zhongqing walked past the girl.

"You lost."

Looking at the girl's back, the girl's eyes seemed to light up.

Completely ignoring what the girl behind him was thinking, and whether his current appearance... was slowly resembling Shi Yan's.

Ming Zhongqing was fixing his hair with one hand.

The flames subsided.

The hair that had been flying amidst the flames returned to its original state and gently fell down, though a few sparks still landed at the ends.

Her hairline is still very high.

However... this time, she listened to her teacher's advice.

She no longer tied her hair up in a high ponytail.

Instead, she made some minor adjustments and cut a thin fringe that curled slightly inwards, subtly revealing her eyebrows and eyes.

In fact, Ming Zhongqing had thought about embellishing himself before, but... at that time, he didn't want to do what his master said.

But ironically... almost every possible way to embellish or decorate had already been mentioned by that guy when he was making fun of himself.

Sometimes Ming Zhongqing even wondered if she was doing it on purpose.

As he straightened his bangs, Ming Zhongqing stepped out of the barrier.

Then--

She immediately spotted a pretty, delicate-looking little girl waiting for her.

Ming Zhongqing held his breath slightly.

She could sense... that girl was dangerous.

—Extremely dangerous.

Although she appears to be harmless,... the girl's petite body conceals a terrifying amount of energy.

Like a walking bomb.

Hmm... I think that's how Shi Yan described it.

She is better than me.

Is he a person from "Heaven and Earth"?

Is this the power of the "Nine Provinces and Ten Regions"?

Is this... the wider world that Shi Yan saw...?

"Hello~~~" The girl, whom the Hermit of Sorrowful Smoke called Aying, bowed forward and greeted Ming Zhongqing.

"Is there something you need?" Ming Zhongqing asked the girl warily.

"I'm Mingying from 'Valley of a Thousand Flowers'," the girl said with a smile. "You can call me Aying, or you can call me Yingmei."

"The technique my sister just used was the 'Blazing Sun Heaven-Burning Scripture,' right?"

"Then we're really destined to meet..."

"Interested in coming to 'Valley of Flowers' for a ride?"

"Master will definitely like you very much."

Overly enthusiastic girls seem like the kind of people Shi Yan talks about when he talks about pyramid schemes.

Ming Zhongqing frowned.

But... "Valley of a Thousand Flowers"?

Ming Zhongqing remembered that name.

A sacred site of Zen Buddhism in the nine provinces and ten regions.

Moreover... it's a Zen Buddhist holy site frequented entirely by girls.

However, the reason why Ming Zhongqing had a deeper impression of this name was... that Shi Yan had mentioned this place to him.

A teacher once said something similar when criticizing himself—

"Valley of a Thousand Flowers" is definitely the place that suits me best.

"Excuse me..." Ming Zhongqing coughed lightly and tried to walk around Ming Ying.

"Hey hey hey~" the girl wanted to say something more.

"Blazing Sun Burning Heaven Scripture" is one of the unique skills of "Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers".

But... Mingying didn't want to pursue anything.

Going into trouble for the sake of a martial art is not something a Zen disciple should do.

Maybe they just found it at the "Langya Pavilion".

The reason she cared about Ming Zhongqing was that... Ming Zhongqing, who was at the Nascent Soul stage, was already able to summon the Garuda of the Wet Life.

So... this girl must have had some extraordinary encounter, or have a special bloodline, or... she must be a person of great wisdom and intelligence.

No matter which reason it is, it's definitely the right thing to do to bring her back to "Valley of a Thousand Flowers" to be my junior sister.

Mingying, who was just about to continue chatting with Ming Zhongqing, seemed to freeze in place.

She slowly turned her head.

Even Ming Zhongqing seemed to sense something and slowly turned his head as well.

The girls all turned their heads to look at the other side of Xingtian Square.

Not just them... almost everyone's eyes followed, just as everyone's attention had been focused on Ming Zhongqing just now.

The giant projection above Starry Sky Plaza also changed from Ming Zhongqing, who was flying with yang fire, into the figure of a girl whose whole body was wrapped in a black cloak.

The reason I'm so certain it's a girl is...