Song Shuhang talked as they moved forward.

The ❮Diary of the Ascetic Senior Monk❯ was written from the perspective of an onlooker rather than the protagonist. It was a story about the hardships in the process of becoming a senior monk.

Song Shuhang said, “A long, long time ago, there was a senior monk. He had a bald head, wore thin linen cloth, and walked barefoot. His body was thin, but his eyes were bright and full of energy and spirit.”

Soft Feather asked, “That looks like a very ordinary monk. Is this story interesting?”

Su Clan’s Sixteen covered her mouth and chuckled. “Shuhang, you’re also still a baldy.”

Song Shuhang subconsciously touched his bald head. “No need to fear. I have the ‘hair growing technique’… In the future, when the ‘blue hair’ problem is solved, I won’t have any problem with growing my hair as much as I want. As long as I am willing, I could even grow it until it reaches my waist.”

Soft Feather grinned, and said, “Is Senior Song going to get married after his hair reaches his waist?”

Song Shuhang rubbed his temples. “Why should I marry someone? Hmm, well, I am the only seedling in my family. Of course, I’d eventually get myself a wife.”

The fine tradition of the Nine Provinces Number One Group—sudden topic changing.

“Soon, you won’t be the only seedling anymore.” Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind Song Shuhang.

It was a strange voice, erratic, and made one feel as if the speaker was smirking.

Song Shuhang turned his head but saw no one.

Song Shuhang doubtfully said, “Was that an auditory hallucination?”

Soft Feather said, “No, I heard it too. Just now, there was a voice saying that you wouldn’t be the only seedling.”

Su Clan’s Sixteen nodded. “I heard that too.”

Song Shuhang said, “What does that mean? I’m not the only seedling? Could it be that my parents are going to have another child? Although the second child policy was revised a few years ago, my parents said that they were no longer prepared to have another child, because I was already in junior high at the time.”

Soft Feather poked Song Shuhang, and said, “Senior Song, after we got locked inside the Wielder’s small black room, everyone in the universe forgot about us. Could auntie and uncle have forgotten about you?”

Song Shuhang froze.

Su Clan’s Sixteen said, “Also, auntie and uncle have been drinking spirit green tea and living spring water, so they should be getting younger and younger as time passes.”

Because Song Shuhang was kind to Sixteen, Su Clan’s Seven had quietly arranged some disciples to live near Song Shuhang’s home to protect Song Shuhang’s parents. As such, Sixteen was privy to the intelligence on Papa Song and Mama Song becoming younger and younger as well.

Soft Feather clapped her hands. “Auntie and uncle forgot about Senior Song, and they’ve also been getting younger and younger… Well, according to detective Soft Feather’s inference, when Senior Song gets home, auntie might already be pregnant. I wonder if it’s a younger brother or younger sister?”

Song Shuhang immediately knelt down.

…The possibility of it happening was too great.

What was he supposed to do if he returned home and found that he had an extra brother or sister?

Song Shuhang pondered for a moment…

In fact, after thinking about it carefully, he felt quite moved.

Having a younger brother or younger sister would be cute.

He could take them out to play secretly—such as letting them secretly fly through the skies on a sword, and making them laugh happily in the sky.

Or he could take them into the sea, wrap them in the sword light, and then run to the depths of the seabed in a single breath, allowing them to experience the beauty of the underwater world up close.

And he was even at the Fifth Stage now, so it was no problem for him to directly go to space!

With him, he could have his younger brother or sister experience a dreamlike life at a very young age.

While other children were dreaming of superman, or immortals, or heroes, he could directly have his younger brother or sister experience the life in their dreams.

Not good, I’m suddenly really looking forward to having a sibling!

❄️❄️❄️

Sixteen asked, “If aunt gives birth to a son, can you get married into a girl’s family?”

Song Shuhang was confused. “Huh?”

“From your expression, I understand.” Sixteen squeezed her chin, and said, “Then, can you accept a mutual marriage?”

“Mutual marriage?” Song Shuhang continued to be confused.

Sixteen gestured with both of her hands, and said, “The woman will marry into the man’s family and have a wedding. Then, the man will marry into the woman’s family and have another similar wedding.”

It was an inconceivable wedding plan.

“Is there really such a thing?” Song Shuhang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Su Clan’s Sixteen said, “Mm-hm, there is. It can deal with those old customs.”

Song Shuhang curiously said, “Old customs?”

Soft Feather chuckled, and said, “Senior Song, you know too little about the world of cultivation. In some cultivation families, there are some old ways of thinking like ‘secret techniques cannot be leaked outside’, ‘daughters are to be married off to another family, so secret cultivation techniques can only passed on to males’, and ‘after a daughter learns the unique cultivation technique of her family, she also has to try to avoid having it spread elsewhere’.”

While chuckling, she suddenly had an epiphany.

Is Sixteen trying to marry Senior Song?

Is the relationship between Sixteen and Senior Song already that good? Why did I not know this?

“So that’s the case.” Song Shuhang understood. In fact, these old ways of thinking weren’t wrong for a ‘family’, because it was this way of thinking that allowed a family to last longer. After all, cultivation families were different from sects, and they had to pay more attention to prevent their cultivation techniques from spreading.

“Actually, there is a solution to this.” Soft Feather raised one finger, and said, “If you’re strong enough, you won’t face any trouble at all. If you’re at least a Seventh Stage Venerable… No, an Eighth Stage Profound Sage, you would have no problem. Mm-hm, and if you’re a Ninth Stage Tribulation Transcender, no matter which sect or family you’re trying to join, everyone will agree. Even if you wanted to marry the female head of that family, nobody would object.”

If the Spirit River Su Clan also hid an existence at her father’s level, then there would be total assurance once one was an Eighth Stage Profound Sage.

Su Clan’s Sixteen said, “That makes sense.”

Song Shuhang said, “What makes sense? You think Ninth Stage Tribulation Transcenders are that common? There aren’t even any Tribulation Transcenders in our Nine Provinces Number One Group, and when it comes to Profound Sages, there are only the newly ascended Senior White and Senior Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue. If you’re pushing it, there’s also Senior Spirit Butterfly, who will soon ascend.”

Soft Feather cupped her hands towards Song Shuhang. “Profound Sage Tyrannical Song, it’s an honor to meet you.”

Song Shuhang: “…”

You’re rending my heart, Soft Feather.

Su Clan’s Sixteen lowered her head and fell into thought. There was no need to become a Tribulation Transcender, and she only had to become a Seventh Stage Venerable to possess the qualifications to speak. If she were to become a Profound Sage, no one in the Spirit River Su Clan would stop her.

“Ayaya, we’ve gone off-topic.” Soft Feather clapped her hands, and said, “Senior Song, continue telling your story.”

Song Shuhang said, “I thought that you had already forgotten about the main topic.”

Su Clan’s Sixteen said, “Keep on talking, we’ll listen.”

Song Shuhang said, “Ahem, then I will continue.”

Then, he began to talk about the bitter ascetic life of the senior monk.

For example, walking in the snow without eating or drinking for dozens of days.

The senior monk also walked in the forest of pointed stones barefoot, sleeping and eating in the open.

The senior monk then encountered some monsters and defeated them, but did not kill the monsters, and only subdued them.

The senior monk walked a long distance, and finally reached a terrifying jungle with all kinds of poisonous insects. After entering it, the senior monk was immediately poisoned and almost died.

Because the original work had used a lot of vivid vocabulary to describe the state of the monk, Song Shuhang couldn’t skip this section when he told this story.

The poisoned senior monk’s lips turned purple, his face became bluish-black, he had grave difficulty in breathing, and he would let out agonizing cries every now and then while desperately gripping the ground with his fingers.

Su Clan’s Sixteen: “…”

Soft Feather: “…”

The two women felt that there was something wrong with this story. Wasn’t the process of the monk’s suffering a bit too detailed? Did the author find pleasure in writing about the suffering of the senior monk?

Song Shuhang said, “The poisoned monk’s chance at life was a mere one out of 10, but in the end, he overcame the poison with his strong willpower and regained his vitality!”

An illusory voice behind him suddenly interrupted, “Nonsense. If mere will could overcome poison, then what would be the use of antidotes? Nowadays, it’s simply bullshiet if one doesn’t look for an antidote and rely solely on their will.”

Song Shuhang turned his head and glanced behind him again.

An expert had been following them, and the strength of this expert was so profound that Song Shuhang could not even sense his existence.

Soft Feather exclaimed, “Senior Almighty Merchant? There’s something I want to buy.”

The voice that had interrupted in complaint suddenly disappeared.

Song Shuhang: “…”

It really was him.

Su Clan’s Sixteen squinted her eyes, and said, “Shuhang, continue the story.”

From listening to this story, she seemed to have been ‘enlightened’ on something, but there was still a layer of paper in between, and she was unable to completely understand what that thing was.

She wanted to finish listening to the story.

And so, Song Shuhang continued.

The senior monk walked barefoot through mountains, swamps, and deserts, and swam across seas. He encountered storms, survived lightning strikes, crossed seas of ​​fire, and was even buried alive by sandstorms.

His experience was simply Spartan, and would cause others to prostrate themselves in admiration.

“Finally!” Song Shuhang licked the corner of his mouth. After so long, the most interesting part had finally come.

When Soft Feather heard the word ‘finally’, her interest was drawn. What did the senior monk get after going through such experiences?

Su Clan’s Sixteen also pricked up her ears. She felt that she was about to ‘be enlightened’ soon—she just needed a tiny bit more.

“In the end, he died…

“Even his bones rotted in the mud.

“He used up his life to end his ascetic practice.

“His soul achieved sublimation! This is the greatest ascetic practice! “Song Shuhang read the contents of the last page of the ❮Diary of the Ascetic Senior Monk❯ without changing a word.

The Almighty Merchant couldn’t help but complain, “WTF, how can one listen to such a story? He actually died?”

Soft Feather said, “I feel that that was quite an interesting turn of events, one that would cause people to have the urge to complain.”

At this moment, Su Clan’s Sixteen suddenly stretched out her hand and pointed towards the air.

In the air, a white light flashed faintly.

Immediately after that, power of ‘virtue’ was fed back to Sixteen from that white light.

A little white dragon flashed behind her.

Song Shuhang’s eyes widened. “Sixteen, you understood something?”

The ❮Diary of the Ascetic Senior Monk❯ contained the ‘Soul Ferrying Technique’, but it had to be used in conjunction with ❮Ksitigarbha’s Soul Ferrying Scripture❯ to be effective.

But Sixteen hadn’t mastered ❮Ksitigarbha’s Soul Ferrying Scripture❯, so how did she use the ‘Soul Ferrying Technique’?

Sixteen softly said, “Is this the Soul Ferrying Technique?”

While talking, the three of them took the last step.

The road of thorns had been completed.

The light on Song Shuhang’s body skyrocketed, and the 10th ancient great ape and scholarly scripture took shape behind him.

Soft Feather’s body also flashed with colorful light, and her physique was strengthened.

A white dragon loomed behind Sixteen. Then, on top of her head, two cute little dragon horns emerged.