Bai Ruihua looked at Li Lin with a complex expression, then turned his gaze toward Li Xue and gave a slight nod. He thought to himself: *This young girl isn't bad. She is both poised and cautious; such prudence will serve her well on the long path of cultivation.*
Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught Ji Rufeng standing nearby. Truthfully, aside from his interest in Li Lin, he hadn't paid much attention to the other two. However, under the scrutiny of his powerful Divine Sense, even the slightest changes in their demeanor could not escape him.
He had noted Ji Rufeng’s transition from initial panic to his current state of calm. During the conversation with Li Xue, Ji Rufeng had clearly deduced something. Although his expression still held many questions, he remained graceful and unhurried. This strength of character alone marked him as good potential. Bai Ruihua decided to see what his talent was like.
Bai Ruihua reached out and grabbed Ji Rufeng’s hand to probe his meridians. Ji Rufeng felt a sudden, overwhelming chill flood his heart. No matter how strong his will, he couldn't help but tremble. Fortunately, the sensation vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
"Ha! Water and Wood dual spiritual roots!" Bai Ruihua’s mood brightened instantly. "Not bad, not bad at all. As long as I, this old man—"
Upon hearing that Bai Ruihua would personally escort them to the Yunjing Sect, the three were ecstatic. If they had attempted the journey on their own, there was no telling how many years it would have taken to arrive.
Bai Ruihua did not dally. After barking a few instructions to the juniors waiting outside the door, he led the trio out of the East Beast Mountain Market.
Once they reached a secluded area, Bai Ruihua tapped his forehead. With a crisp, melodious cry and a flash of red light, a violet-red bird appeared, alighting upon his hand.
Li Xue and the others stared with wide eyes. The little bird held its head high, its violet-red feathers shimmering with a crimson luster. It was breathtakingly beautiful. To Li Xue, it looked somewhat like the Phoenix mounts she had seen in online games in her previous life, though it was a bit small. Unconsciously, she asked, "Is that a Phoenix?"
Hearing her words, the little bird let out a friendly chirp toward her.
Bai Ruihua replied huffily, "You certainly have high standards, little girl. Divine beasts like the Phoenix exist only in legends. This is my spirit beast, a Purple Oriole. It is a species of the Feng-Luan lineage." He then turned to the bird and said, "Zi'er, come meet my disciple!"
The Purple Oriole tilted its head, flew a circle around Ji Rufeng, and chirped at Bai Ruihua. The old man laughed heartily. "Well? This old man has a good eye, doesn't he?"
Zi'er then flew toward Li Lin, gave his small head a gentle peck, and returned to perch on Bai Ruihua’s shoulder. Bai Ruihua explained, "Zi'er is a fire-attribute spirit beast; she is very sensitive to Fire Spiritual Roots!"
This was a marvel to the three of them. Although they had come to the Beast Spirit Mountain region, they had hardly seen any spirit beasts and understood nothing about them.
Without further word, Bai Ruihua whispered something to Zi'er. The bird began to grow larger, and a streak of black light flew from its beak. In an instant, a carriage appeared before them.
Bai Ruihua beckoned the stunned trio to board. Zi'er was immediately harnessed to the carriage. With a flap of her wings, she took to the sky. The luxurious and solemn Purple Oriole Flying Carriage streaked across the sky above East Beast Mountain, heading into the distance. Below, the cultivators of East Beast Mountain looked up at the receding purple afterimage, some shouting in awe:
"Look! That’s the Purple Oriole Flying Carriage of the Bai Family Ancestor, Daoist Ruihua! The Ancestor is going on a long journey!"
It took quite a while for Li Xue and the others to regain their composure after sitting down. The interior of the carriage was incredibly spacious, comparable to a full room. It was fully furnished with tables, chairs, beds, and cabinets, all arranged in a most opulent fashion.
What a grand display! The three of them couldn't help but feel envious of the prestige with which a Nascent Soul cultivator traveled.
Bai Ruihua gave a light cough and said, "Don't be so envious. I only maintain such a display because I am going to visit the Five Great Sects. A cultivator primarily cultivates their state of mind; having too many flashy external possessions is useless."
The trio’s cultivation was far too low to understand concepts like "state of mind," but they understood the gist. Indeed, cultivation was about the body and the soul to seek longevity; if one wanted to enjoy worldly luxuries, it would be better to stay in the secular world.
Sitting inside the carriage, they couldn't feel the sensation of flying at all. The carriage was protected by restrictions; it remained steady even through gales and torrential rain, and it could even withstand attacks from cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage. From time to time, Li Xue and the others peered curiously out the window. They saw the white clouds in the sky whistling past them. The speed was immense, comparable to the airplanes of Li Xue’s previous life, yet many times better—at the very least, there was no noise.
Bai Ruihua did not remain idle. After asking about their cultivation progress, he tossed a manual to Ji Rufeng. It was called the *Ice Cloud Art*, a technique suitable for those with Water or Ice Spiritual Roots. He told Ji Rufeng to study it when he had the time. Next, he asked Ji Rufeng to produce his storage bag to see what he possessed. Ji Rufeng sheepishly emptied his belongings: only the Dragon-Binding Rope, a water-attribute flying sword, and about a dozen spiritual stones.
Bai Ruihua’s eyes widened. He glanced at Ji Rufeng and shook his head; "pitiful" was the only word to describe it. The sight made all three of them blush with shame.
Bai Ruihua sighed. "Meeting is a form of fate; I cannot show nothing for it." He produced three eggs and said to them, "These three are Purple Oriole eggs, bred using the unique secret techniques of my Bai family. They are famous throughout the Mangyun Mountains. You three shall hatch them and claim them as your own."
Li Lin held his Purple Oriole egg and asked curiously, "Senior Bai, once this egg hatches, can it pull a carriage like yours?"
Bai Ruihua’s mouth twitched. He replied crossly, "My Zi'er has undergone a thousand years of taming. Yours will just be a little fledgling when it hatches. It can only transform into a mount after reaching the fourth rank and undergoing transformation. However, once it reaches the second rank, it will be able to carry one person."
He continued, "As for spiritual stones and medicinal pills, I don't carry low-grade ones. You will have plenty once you return to your sect." Having said his piece, he closed his eyes and entered a meditative trance.
