Chapter 155: The Two Junior and Senior Sisters: Master is Most Certainly a True Immortal!

"This..."

The snake demon's expression lit up with joy at the sight. How could she possibly fail to realize that the senior before her was truly intending to take her as an adoptive daughter!

Realizing that this person was her benefactor's sister-in-law and thus her senior, and that she now had the opportunity to grow even closer, she was naturally overjoyed...

Instantly dropping to her knees, she changed her form of address and said, "This humble demon has cultivated for only a short time and has just barely attained human form, with neither name nor surname. I beseech my foster mother to bestow a name upon me..."

"Since you are a disciple of Boqing's and now my, Ao Lan's, adoptive daughter, it simply won't do to not have a name..."

Ao Lan pondered for a moment, her expression shifting before she smiled and said, "Bestowing a name should rightfully be done by your benefactor, but since he is absent, I, as your senior, shall overstep my bounds just this once."

Her voice paused for a moment, and then she asked with a meaningful undertone, "Your benefactor's surname is Xu, and my surname as your foster mother is Ao. Whose surname would you like to take?"

"I..."

Looking at her foster mother's enigmatic smile, the snake demon's mind drifted back to her benefactor's visage, and she could not help but fall into a brief trance.

She knew full well that since her foster mother had posed the question of whose surname to take, she undoubtedly wanted her to lean toward her own...

However...

Her benefactor had bestowed upon her the grace of rebirth!

How could she accept a foster mother and forget her benefactor?

She bit her lower lip, deliberated for a moment, and spoke from the very bottom of her heart: "That this humble demon could attain human form and possess the cultivation I have today is entirely due to the teachings bestowed upon me by my former benefactor...

To my benefactor, it perhaps amounted to nothing of great significance.

Yet to this humble demon, that grace is akin to a second birth, and therefore, this humble demon wishes to take the surname Xu..."

With that, she bowed deeply in prostration and said, "I beg my foster mother's forgiveness."

"It matters not..."

Ao Lan watched her quietly. After confirming that everything she had said came from the sincerity of her heart, she broke into a radiant smile and said, "Boqing did not misjudge you..."

"Ah?"

"Just as you said, Boqing gave you the grace of rebirth. Now that he is not here, if you had said you wished to take my surname, he would have said nothing even if he found out later."

Ao Lan wore a look of gratified satisfaction as she continued, "And as for me, while I would still have taken you as an adoptive daughter, I would have thought you fickle and disloyal, unworthy of any great responsibility."

"This..."

The snake demon's expression turned somewhat dazed...

She finally understood that when her foster mother had asked whose surname she wanted earlier, it had actually been a test of her character!

Ao Lan smiled slightly and said, "Fortunately, your affection for your benefactor is genuine and unfeigned. Boqing did not misjudge you, nor did I..."

A trace of bashfulness appeared on the snake demon's face. Lowering her head, she stammered, "This humble demon... this humble demon merely spoke from the heart and is unworthy of such high praise from foster mother."

"It is precisely because it came from the heart that it appears all the more sincere..."

Ao Lan sighed with a smile, then seemed to think of something as her tone shifted. "Your figure is slender and delicate, your bearing refined and pure, and your surname is Xu. How about the name Xu Susu?"

"Xu Susu... Susu..."

The snake demon, overjoyed to have finally received a name, beamed with happiness. She immediately bowed in salute and said, "Susu expresses her deepest gratitude to foster mother for the name."

"Since you are Boqing's disciple, there is naturally nothing wrong with the name Xu Susu."

Ao Lan nodded slightly. As she spoke, a glint of golden scales appeared between her brows, and the mist behind her faintly converged into the phantom image of a golden dragon!

Xu Susu's breath hitched, and her body trembled slightly as if it no longer listened to her command...

When she saw the golden scales between her foster mother's brows and the phantom of the golden dragon behind her, how could she fail to realize that the foster mother before her was a true dragon!

A true dragon!

"However, I do not wish to fall behind Boqing either..."

Ao Lan sighed, and with a meaningful smile, she continued, "I have a dragon palace in the Tongtian River, ruling over numerous rivers and lakes in the vicinity.

You possess the body of a jiao. Outside, you are Boqing's disciple and your name is Xu Susu; when you come to my domain, you are my, Ao Lan's, adoptive daughter, and your name shall be Ao Jing."

"Foster mother is... a Dragon King!?"

Xu Susu stood there in a daze, blinking her bewildered eyes, completely at a loss as to what to do...

"What?"

Ao Lan smiled faintly, teasingly asking, "Unwilling to take me as your foster mother after all?"

"No, no, no..."

Xu Susu hastily shook her head. Coming back to her senses, she performed the full kowtow ritual of three kowtows and nine prostrations with a face full of joy, saying, "Your daughter Ao Jing pays her respects to foster mother."

"Hehehehe... Very good!"

Ao Lan smiled broadly and said, "Since I, Ao Lan, have acknowledged you as my adoptive daughter today, this welcoming gift naturally cannot be omitted!"

With a wave of her hand...

At the same time...

Deep within the treasury of the Tongtian River Dragon Palace.

A slender, crystalline sword, clear as autumn water, trembled slightly. It then shot out of the treasury like a streak of light and vanished into the horizon...

Before long, it appeared in Ao Lan's hand...

"This magical sword is named Qiushui. It was what I used in my youth, and having been nurtured by me for many years, though not an immortal sword, it has nevertheless developed a measure of spiritual awareness. Today, I pass it on to you..."

Ao Lan let out a soft sigh, her fingers gently and nostalgically caressing the sword's blade.

The crystal-clear blade rippled as if a stone had been dropped onto a calm surface...

"I cannot accept this!"

Seeing the nostalgia in her foster mother's eyes, Xu Susu immediately protested, "This sword is of extraordinary significance to foster mother, and furthermore, after being nurtured by foster mother for so many years, it has already developed a spirit. How can your daughter accept such a precious welcoming gift?"

She bowed formally and said with utmost earnestness, "Your daughter cannot take this sword. I beseech foster mother to take back your command..."

"Since when is there any logic in taking back a welcoming gift?"

Ao Lan shook her head, flicked the blade lightly with her finger, and murmured, "You have been wronged somewhat all these years. From now on, follow my daughter."

Her voice paused, and she added with a meaningful smile, "My daughter is also blessed with great fortune. If you follow her, you may well have the opportunity to advance further and rank among the immortal swords."

The Qiushui sword seemed truly possessed of spiritual awareness. Hearing these words, it rose into the air, trembling slightly, flew in circles around Xu Susu, and then its hilt dropped gently into her palm.

Even within the Liangjue Abyss, a clear, ringing sword cry echoed out, whether bidding farewell to its old master or proclaiming allegiance to its new one...

"This..."

Xu Susu looked somewhat helplessly at the Qiushui sword in her hand, then glanced up at her foster mother...

"Since it has chosen you, you should accept it."

Knowing what she was conflicted about, Ao Lan consoled her, "It no longer has any desire for advancement by my side, having lazed away in the dragon palace treasury for many years, but it suits you precisely."

"Yet..."

"There are no 'yets'."

Ao Lan waved her hand to cut her off, turning the conversation. "Now that you have attained the body of a jiao and transformed into human shape, will you return to the dragon palace with me to cultivate, or do you have other plans in mind?"

"..."

Hearing this, Xu Susu fell into a brief reverie...

Before her eyes, her benefactor's face seemed to appear once more...

Thinking of how her benefactor had saved her life previously, yet she had not been able to see him even once in the past two years and more, she felt an involuntary sense of loss in her heart...

Ao Lan perceived her absent-mindedness and smiled. "Are you thinking of going to find your benefactor?"

"I dare not conceal this from foster mother..."

Xu Susu explained timidly, "My benefactor's grace to me is heavier than mountains, yet after receiving his teachings, I have never laid eyes on him again. I... I wish to go and pay my respects to my benefactor first."

"Mhm~ That is only right."

Ao Lan nodded slightly, saying, "Your benefactor is an immortal banished to the mortal realm. You have just attained human form and your mind is not yet settled; entering the mortal world to seek him and steady your thoughts is indeed a good idea..."

"Thank you for your support, foster mother..."

Seeing that her foster mother was not angry and even supported her quest to find her benefactor, a smile blossomed on Xu Susu's cheeks.

Seeming to recall something, she timidly asked, "Does foster mother happen to know where my benefactor is currently residing?"

"I do not."

Ao Lan shook her head and explained, "Your benefactor's background is profound, and his destiny is shrouded as if by clouds and mist. Even I cannot divine matters related to him.

The last time I saw his true form was on the Qianling River in the State of Liang. If you wish to seek him out, you might as well go to the State of Liang and look around."

Her voice paused, and then, as if struck by a thought, she remarked with emotion, "Your benefactor wanders the mortal world to cultivate his mind. As you retrace his footsteps, you can also temper your own character, which will be of great benefit to your cultivation."

"Thank you for your guidance, foster mother..."

Xu Susu bowed in gratitude...

"Your mind has already wandered far away, you silly girl. Very well~"

Ao Lan stood up and said somewhat wistfully, "I must return to the palace as well, so I will not keep you. When you eventually find your benefactor, tell him to come visit my dragon palace whenever he has free time... well... just drop by for a chat..."

"Yes!"

Xu Susu raised her head, wanting to say something more, but saw that her foster mother had already departed, the phantom figure dissolving like moonlight in water even as its final words faded away...

Her foster mother was a true dragon...

What about her benefactor?

Since they were brother and sister-in-law, her benefactor must surely be a true immortal as well!

Recovering her wits with an air of absolute certainty, she noticed the Qiushui sword in her hand and suddenly realized...

She hadn't returned the sword yet......

As if knowing her thoughts, the Qiushui sword suddenly transformed into a pool of autumn water and seeped directly into her body...

...............

Inside a certain tavern in the capital city...

As Xu Boqing recovered his wits, he felt his head spinning heavily. His body felt completely drained, as if hollowed out, carrying a faint sense of utter collapse...

When he used the manifestation of karma to mobilize the dual forces of Yin and Yang to forge a body, he had already sensed that, given his current level of cultivation, it was far too forced...

Nevertheless, this trip had also allowed him to uncover an inherent application of his "Wheel Turning Art"...

The mutual reinforcement of Yin and Yang!

He knew that the current sense of collapse was precisely the result of forcefully invoking unfamiliar Yin and Yang forces for manifestation, leading to an internal imbalance...

There were both advantages and disadvantages...

The advantage was that once he recovered and utilized the mutually reinforcing nature of the "Wheel Turning Art," he would be able to research even more techniques;

The disadvantage was the internal imbalance of Yin and Yang, which required a period of recuperation to adjust...

He then calmed his mind and looked inward, only to find that mixed within his bodily crucible was a ball of thunder wrapped tightly in furnace flames.

This gadget was the only thing he had managed to bring back from his manifested form.

Tribulation lightning!

Thinking that the fluorescent glow stored in his crucible had been entirely expended on his two disciples, he figured it would be a fine thing if he could refine this tribulation lightning to nourish his own deficiencies.

Unexpectedly...

Whether it was due to the wrath of heaven contained within the tribulation lightning or simply because his cultivation was too weak, when the crucible attempted to refine the tribulation lightning, it was excruciatingly slow...

Helpless, he could only use the furnace flames to wrap it into a thunder-ball and slowly refine it over time...

Meanwhile, Miaojing, who was guarding him, saw her master close his eyes for just a moment, only to find that upon opening them, an aura of terrifying intensity radiated from his body. She swallowed hard, her throat dry...

It was entirely too terrifying for a cat...

Her master was undoubtedly a true immortal without a doubt!