Chapter 75

The same person, the same name. Since Dong Xiaoyu is already dead, how can she appear here alive and well unless... it's a ghost.

As Jiang Chen revealed the key point, the beauty before him suddenly changed her expression, but only for a moment. She quickly regained her composure, her smile still in place, and said with a hint of reproach, "Young Master Jiang, you really know how to joke around."

"Joking around?" Jiang Chen no longer intended to play along. They were already in the room; if he continued, would he really have to accompany a female ghost?

Although the Maoshan Sect had no strict rules prohibiting disciples from marrying, after all, the ultimate goal of cultivation and practice was to become an immortal, it was clear that not everyone had the talent or opportunity to achieve this.

Moreover, for cultivators, while the preservation of one's primordial yang was important, it was not decisive. Once a cultivator reached a certain high level, they did not fear the loss of primordial yang. Therefore, many cultivators chose to start families and establish careers after reaching a certain age, which was not uncommon.

However, for someone like Jiang Chen, who was determined to seek eternal immortality and transcend the cycle of rebirth, the loss of primordial yang before reaching a state of absolute freedom was a major taboo. He did not want to ruin his future just as he was beginning his cultivation.

"I have never liked joking around, let alone with a ghost," Jiang Chen said coldly. "Miss Dong, you should be very clear that I am a cultivator. Are you not afraid that I might subdue you?"

"Hehe..." Dong Xiaoyu let out a light laugh, slowly getting up from the bed and gracefully approaching Jiang Chen. Her voice now carried a hint of allure, "Of course, I know that you are a cultivator. I also know that you are a good person. I have no ill intentions towards you, so I believe you will not subdue me."

"That's not certain," Jiang Chen replied with a cold smile. "Have you not heard that all cultivators are detached and indifferent?"

"What's so good about being detached and indifferent?" Dong Xiaoyu asked seductively. Her body silently floated behind Jiang Chen, and a soft, tender arm gently climbed onto his shoulder. "After a lifetime of arduous cultivation, in the end, it's just a handful of earth. How many Taoists in the world truly become immortals? Why not enjoy life to the fullest and not waste the good times before you? Isn't that a pity?"

Jiang Chen remained unmoved, his voice tinged with a hint of spiritual power as he coldly commanded, "Put away your seductive techniques. Don't force me to take action. A mere spirit, how can you understand what I seek?"

"Ah." Although Dong Xiaoyu had a ghostly form and some cultivation, after Jiang Chen condensed his spiritual root, his spiritual power was on par with Uncle Nine. Her sudden cold command made her ghostly form tremble, and she spoke with a hint of reverence, "Young Master Jiang, why are you so persistent? Could it be... that I am not beautiful enough?"

Hearing this, Jiang Chen couldn't help but laugh bitterly. Truly a persistent and flirtatious female ghost. But since she had not done any evil, he could not bring himself to kill her. He replied helplessly, "No, you are very beautiful. However, our pursuits are different, which means we are unlikely to be together."

With that, Jiang Chen stood up, effortlessly freeing himself from Dong Xiaoyu's arm on his shoulder. He slowly walked to the door, looked up at the moon, and continued, "A hundred years of life is like a great dream. Youth and old age pass in an instant. But look at the bright moon and the countless stars in the sky. They have existed since ancient times, witnessing the changes of the world, the transformation of the seas and the land, and they remain unchanged to this day."

Hearing this, Dong Xiaoyu slowly walked to Jiang Chen's side, following his gaze to look at the moon. For some reason, she felt a tremor in her heart.

Jiang Chen said, "The reason I cultivate is to achieve immortality and break free from the cycle of life and death, to seek eternal freedom, not to indulge in temporary pleasures. Even if the beauty of the world is enchanting, in the end, it cannot withstand the erosion of time, becoming nothing more than a fleeting dream."

Moved by Jiang Chen's words, Dong Xiaoyu asked in a daze, "Is there really a being in this world that can transcend the cycle of life and death?"

"Of course," Jiang Chen said with certainty. "Even if there isn't in this world, I will go to other worlds to find them. One day, I will find them and become an even greater being, surpassing them. Then, I will make this world bend to my will."

Dong Xiaoyu was just an ordinary girl in life and an ordinary female ghost in death. Because Jiang Chen had offered incense for her, she had developed a desire to experience the pleasures she had never known in life, to fulfill her last wish before reincarnating.

She had not done great good or great evil, and her death was an accident. In her next life, she would likely be reborn into an ordinary family as an ordinary girl. She was content with this fate, ready to start a new life through the cycle of rebirth.

However, everything changed with Jiang Chen's words. She suddenly did not want to reincarnate. She also wanted to cultivate and seek the path to transcend the cycle of life and death.

Impulsively, she said, "Young Master, if I say that I want to cultivate with you, will you agree?" Her eyes looked at Jiang Chen earnestly, without any hint of seduction, filled with sincere sincerity.

"Do you want to cultivate with me?" Jiang Chen looked at Dong Xiaoyu in surprise, momentarily at a loss. He had never expected the situation to develop to this point.

"Yes," Dong Xiaoyu replied seriously. "I suddenly realized that instead of sinking into reincarnation, I should strive to cultivate and seek immortality. If you are willing, I will follow you and serve you."

"Ah..." Jiang Chen was speechless. Well, at this moment, he suddenly realized, could it be that he had some kind of aura that attracted beautiful female ghosts?

"Please, Young Master, fulfill my wish." Seeing Jiang Chen's hesitation, Dong Xiaoyu quickly bowed, her eyes filled with earnestness and pleading.

Jiang Chen, though decisive in his actions, was always fair. But who could tell him how to decide on a female ghost's request to follow him?

At that moment, a flash of inspiration came to him, and he smiled, "Since you are sincere in your pursuit of the Dao, I happen to have an opportunity. It seems this is truly a heavenly match." As he spoke, he raised his hand and cast a spirit-sealing spell, placing a talisman on Dong Xiaoyu's forehead.

In theory, with Dong Xiaoyu's cultivation, she should not have been subdued so easily, but with her intention to surrender and Jiang Chen's unexpected move, she was caught off guard and immobilized.

"Congratulations, Jiang Chen, for completing Sub-Task Two: Using your learned Daoist techniques to subdue a ghost alone. You have received a Contract Token, which can be claimed in the Cycle Watch space."

"Contract Token: Can be used to bind any ghost as an assistant, accompanying the Cycle Walker through various worlds to complete cycle tasks."

Receiving the message from the Cycle Watch, Jiang Chen couldn't help but smile. Tonight, he was truly lucky. Not only did he encounter a beautiful female ghost, but he also easily completed the second sub-task with his hidden aura. Although he did not receive a third sub-task after completing this one, the rewards were already substantial.

Especially, after completing the task, he received a Contract Token. He could bind this female ghost as his assistant, and in the future, he would have a beautiful female ghost by his side as he traversed various worlds. The thought of it made him a little excited.

...

Page flip, AD starts

Page flip, AD ends