Chapter Ten: My Dao Companion?

After Zhao Qianxue departed, Su Ji'an sat cross-legged on his bed and removed the Vajra ring from his ankle. It still retained a trace of warmth from his body. Strange spirit patterns were engraved upon the ring, but he could make no sense of them—he had never dabbled in this particular path. To this day, the object had never responded in any way; outwardly, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary trinket.

Yet Su Ji'an had already discovered the ring’s peculiar quality: it could not be stored within the storage ring. Thus, it was certainly not a common item. He recalled the perfunctory words of his late master: “Wear this on your ankle. It calms the mind and wards off evil. Don’t take it off carelessly, or if it stops working, you can’t blame me for not warning you.” Perhaps his master had intended to use him as cover, planning to retrieve the item from him at some later date. But fate had other plans—the grass should be growing on the old man’s grave by now.

A sudden thought struck Su Ji'an: could this ring be converted into spiritual power? He dismissed the idea almost immediately. Without knowing its true value, it was best to keep it for now—otherwise, he might suffer a grievous loss.

He placed the Vajra ring back where it belonged and focused his thoughts on the three cultivation companion options that appeared in his mind:

【Zhao Qianxue】
【Shen Qingyan】
【He Hansu】

Su Ji'an furrowed his brow. This was almost a single-choice question, leaving him little room for maneuver. The daughter of the Righteous Alliance leader was out of the question—her hatred for him was palpable, and she would happily see him dead. Such a companion, not even a dog would want! That narrowed his choices considerably.

He pondered, “Should I take a gamble—turn a Golden Core into an Immortal?” Although He Hansu was virtually unheard of, she was listed last. As the saying goes, the last to appear is often the true powerhouse. Besides, he really had no other options.

He made his decision at once: He Hansu it would be!

【Cultivation Companion Training has been activated.】
【To avoid harming the bond between companions, this function will simulate sparring in text form and perfectly replicate both parties’ cultivation levels.】
【Cultivation Companion Tracking has been activated.】
【You will be able to monitor your companion’s whereabouts within a certain range.】
【Mutual Assistance between Companions has been activated.】

【For the sake of harmony and compatibility between companions, the party with the higher cultivation will share their progress with the other.】

Su Ji'an felt a surge of excitement—his cultivation problems were solved in an instant! Unfortunately, there was no detailed information about He Hansu. If her cultivation was lower than his, he might have ended up shooting himself in the foot. Was this the system forcing him into a “prove the Dao by killing one’s spouse” scenario?

Then again, Su Ji'an recalled a line from the system’s earlier introduction: the companion he chose could not harm him in any way. He hoped this restriction wasn’t mutual. Otherwise, he’d be stuck with a weak companion, unable to unbind, unable to kill, and left in utter misery.

Another idea struck him: the system had given him the companion training function. In other words, he could test He Hansu’s cultivation level through sparring.

With a nervous heart, Su Ji'an selected the companion training option.

【You begin a duel with your companion, He Hansu. You calm your mind, gathering all your spiritual power. Just as you prepare to unleash your full strength, you are effortlessly defeated by He Hansu in a single stroke.】

A look of wild joy spread across Su Ji'an’s face, his long-held tension finally released. Though he was instantly crushed in the simulated duel, this was exactly what he wanted. His goal of skipping three thousand years of effort was now within reach!

He could not yet determine He Hansu’s true cultivation realm, but she was clearly far stronger than he. Su Ji'an sighed, “Hardship gives way to sweetness at last. This city of Lingzhou is not a place to linger—seeking out He Hansu is the only choice.”

In any case, she couldn’t kill him. All he had to do now was lie low; if he got tired of one posture, he could simply switch to another!

He eagerly activated the companion tracking feature.

【Your companion is not in the service area. Please try again later.】

...

Meanwhile, in a certain place in the celestial realm, a breathtakingly beautiful young woman who was deep in closed-door meditation slowly opened her lovely eyes. Instantly, she sensed messages flashing through her mind.

【Your companion, Su Ji'an, is online!】
【Companion Training has been activated.】
【Companion Tracking has been activated.】
【Mutual Assistance between Companions has been activated.】

He Hansu tilted her head in confusion. “Companion? My companion?!”

Suddenly, He Hansu’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Damn it! Who is the audacious fool plotting against me? If I catch you, I’ll tear out your soul, refine your spirit, and send you to eternal reincarnation!”

Moments later, He Hansu quickly tidied up her storage ring and prepared to descend to the lower realm.

Outside her door, a bearded old man was scared out of his wits. He rushed to her side, tears streaming, and pleaded, “Miss, please reconsider!”

He Hansu replied with unwavering resolve, “Don’t hold me back; I must go down to that realm!”

The old man’s face turned bitter. “But before the Grand Celestial left, he sealed the passage between realms. If you descend rashly, the consequences are unpredictable. If something happens to you, how will I explain it to the Grand Celestial?”

He had heard He Hansu’s earlier exclamation, but hadn’t taken it to heart. His mistress had always been this way… And after years at her side, he knew there was no companion in her life.

He Hansu snorted, “Nonsense! Nothing will happen to me!”

The old man said nothing, gazing at her with deep sorrow.

He Hansu continued, “And you, crying at your age? I’m embarrassed for you!”

Still silent, the old man watched her.

“Fine, fine, I won’t go down. Happy now?” she grumbled. She shouldn’t have made a fuss—better to wait a few days and sneak down when he wasn’t paying attention.

...

After several hours of effort, Su Ji'an had crafted several hundred custom Heavenly Star Thunder talismans. To prepare for the coming crisis, he had to be ready ahead of time. He now had hundreds more protective charms as well.

He was curious: if thousands of charms were layered together, could they withstand a full-strength blow from a cultivator at the Transformation stage? In theory, yes. But only practice could prove the truth—and he couldn’t test it on himself. If he died, who would he complain to?

He had also exchanged several hundred Greater Teleportation Talismans, intending to give some to Zhao Qianxue at the right time. As for himself, he could use them whenever needed. Unlike the protective charms, these didn’t need to be carried at all times.