The End of the Immortal Path

「In the Law Enforcement Hall’s prison.」

"You actually let him enter the competition for the spot? You’ve competed before, so you should know how difficult it is." Xia Jin looked at Yu Wanyi in her cell and sighed. "Do you even know what his Cultivation is?"

"You know, Senior Sister?" Yu Wanyi asked, a little surprised.

Xia Jin shook her head. "I don’t."

Yu Wanyi added, "Neither do I."

Xia Jin sighed. "So you let him enter without even asking? Aren’t you worried that exposing him to this so soon will shatter his Invincible Mindset?

"Even though he’s young and failure isn’t a big deal, if he’s been fighting his way up this far, his mindset should be exceptionally solid. It shouldn’t be so easily impacted."

"What’s there to be afraid of? He doesn’t need to follow in others’ footsteps. Wouldn’t that just hold him back?" Yu Wanyi said, completely unconcerned. "Besides, even if you don’t trust him, you have to trust his dao companion. As long as his dao companion is around, you don’t have to worry about that.

"My job is to shove him into any good opportunity that comes along.

"Whether he can handle it or not has nothing to do with me.

"I just assume he can handle it.

"There haven’t been any mishaps so far."

Xia Jin was stunned for a moment. She was truly at a loss for words.

So far, aside from being arrested by the Law Enforcement Hall, Jiang Man really hadn’t had any other mishaps.

She finally let out a heavy sigh. "If he really manages to secure the spot this time, you need to be careful."

"Why?" Yu Wanyi asked, confused.

"Getting the spot means his Cultivation can’t be low—at least the Late Stage of Golden Core. It won’t be long before he reaches Golden Core Perfection." Xia Jin stared at Yu Wanyi. "And what’s your Cultivation?"

Yu Wanyi froze for a second. "Oh no. Does this mean I won’t be able to beat him anymore?"

Then she said seriously, "It seems I’ll have to find time to advance my Cultivation. This messes with my plans. I was hoping to temper myself for a while longer."

"Stop tempering yourself. If you keep at it, the Immortal Dao lectures will be over before you know it. It’s a good thing you were taken as a Direct Disciple. Otherwise, you might not even pass the Core Disciple assessment. You’re wasting your incredible Talent," Xia Jin said.

Yu Wanyi sighed. "I never expected that as the person I’m investing in improves, I’d be forced to improve too."

"Don’t worry, this is probably the only time you’ll be pushed like this," Xia Jin consoled her.

Yu Wanyi didn’t feel very comforted.

"You should focus on advancing as soon as possible. I’ll go watch this competition for the spot and see if any miracles happen," Xia Jin said.

She knew just how difficult the competition for the spot was.

After bidding farewell to Yu Wanyi, Xia Jin walked out of the Law Enforcement Hall prison.

She had just stepped outside when she ran into Senior Brother Lu.

"Senior Brother Lu, what are you doing here?" Xia Jin asked, a little surprised.

"Just strolling around and happened to end up here. I didn’t expect to run into you, Junior Sister Xia. Were you visiting Junior Sister Yu?" Senior Brother Lu asked.

Xia Jin nodded.

"Was it about that Jiang Man? For him to enter the competition for a spot in the Immortal Sect’s Grand Competition... that’s certainly reckless," Senior Brother Lu said.

Hearing this, Xia Jin asked curiously, "If he wins the spot, will you regret it, Senior Brother?

"Back when you were with the Yunqian Bureau, you said you didn’t regret passing on him—that it was his loss, not yours.

"Do you still believe that?"

At her words, Senior Brother Lu chuckled. "Don’t you regret it, Junior Sister Xia? You were the one who saw his potential. If you had pushed for a spot for him back then, it wouldn’t have been impossible to get one.

"Then, he would have been the one you were investing in.

"And all the glory and benefits he’s bringing in today would be yours.

"But not investing in him might not be a bad thing either. ’The unyielding blade is easily broken.’ He has never once compromised.

"His path forward won’t necessarily be smooth. This competition for the spot, in particular, is a major hurdle for him.

"He’s overreaching. He’ll only end up hurting himself."

Xia Jin kept her smile. "I do regret it, a little. But I probably couldn’t have helped him improve this quickly.

"Only an unconventional sponsor like Junior Sister Yu could have enabled Jiang Man to rise so rapidly.

"As for whether this is an opportunity or an obstacle, it’s still too early to tell."

Senior Brother Lu said softly, "Then we shall see."

After he left, Xia Jin sighed, hoping that Junior Sister Yu was right.

’All she had to do was provide the resources, and Jiang Man could handle the rest on his own.’

’Maybe there’s a special way to invest in a genius.’

「Ji Meng’s residence.」

"Young Master Jiang wishes to spar with me?" Ji Meng asked, somewhat surprised.

The ethereal chime of a Silver Bell accompanied her surprise, ringing softly.

In the courtyard, Jiang Man nodded emphatically. "Yes. I recently learned Immovable as a Mountain, and I’m not sure how powerful it is.

"So I wanted to test it out against you, Miss Ji Meng.

"And at the same time, see how much of a gap there still is between us."

Ji Meng nodded. "Oh, so you’re looking to me for some practical combat experience. I suppose that’s fine, but I charge a fee."

"Is it expensive?" Jiang Man asked curiously.

"It’s improper for men and women to be in close contact. Since Immovable as a Mountain is a Body Technique, it may not matter to you, Young Master Jiang, but it’s a bit different for me. Therefore, the fee will naturally be a bit steep." Ji Meng said with a smile. "What do you say, Young Master Jiang?"

Jiang Man thought for a moment before asking tentatively, "Can I put it on a tab?"

Ji Meng rested her chin on her hand, pondering for a moment. "I suppose that’s not out of the question."

Jiang Man’s eyes lit up. "Are there any additional conditions?"

’Being able to run a tab... what’s the difference between that and it being free of Spiritual Source?’

’If I owe her for long enough, Miss Ji Meng will forget, and the debt will disappear.’

"It’s simple. You help me keep track of how much Spiritual Source you owe me, so I know. Otherwise, I might forget after a while, and then the debt would just disappear, wouldn’t it?" Ji Meng said with a grin. "And in that case, wouldn’t running a tab be the same as not paying in Spiritual Source at all?"

Jiang Man was silent for a moment. ’I’m starting to think Miss Ji Meng can read minds,’ he thought.

Then, he said aloud, "No problem. I’ll keep track."

"One thousand Spiritual Source per match, then?" Ji Meng asked.