Chapter 2: The Code of Conduct in Another World

“Jiang Ning, what do you think of this year’s outer sect competition?” Li Qiaochan’s attention drifted only briefly before she turned to Jiang Ning again with a beaming smile.

She fluttered her lashes, glancing him up and down, leaning in close, her delicate face flawless and luminous.

“The strength is decent, I suppose,” Jiang Ning replied, his heart set ablaze under Li Qiaochan’s gaze, nearly letting slip his true thoughts.

He caught himself at once, hastily correcting: “Very strong, too strong, I can’t defeat them.”

They’re all enchantresses, all of them! I must not let myself be bewitched.

He issued a stern warning to himself in his heart.

“Junior Brother Jiang Ning is so modest,” Li Qiaochan said with a gentle laugh, her voice so sweet it nearly melted Jiang Ning’s bones.

“I haven’t seen Junior Brother Jiang Ning fight yet.”

“I’m not any good,” Jiang Ning responded as if facing a formidable foe, “I haven’t even stepped past the Spirit Gathering stage to this day, so I can only devote myself to quiet cultivation. Unlike what you say, I’m far less talented than others and have struggled to break into the Opening Orifices realm.”

“In that case, let me help you.”

“No need!” Jiang Ning’s head began to ache.

Rejected so bluntly, Li Qiaochan blinked, thoughtful, but finally said nothing more.

Jiang Ning sighed inwardly.

He glanced up at the pavilions, at the man in purple standing beside Senior Sister Lin Qian.

“Perhaps… good looks do have their uses,” he mused.

Take, for example, Senior Brother Yang Xiangtian, who could rival Senior Sister Lin Qian.

Clad in purple, he resembled a sword cold enough to pierce the heavens, with sword-like brows and star-bright eyes, exuding an aloofness untouched by mortal concerns.

He seemed to keep everyone an arm’s length away, yet drew every gaze to himself.

He carried another identity as well: the son of the sect master.

It was said that at his birth, the sun and moon cast radiant glows, strange omens appeared in the heavens, and birds circled in celebration for a long while.

He was called the Child of Heavenly Fortune, destined to stand above all blessed lands in the future.

Before Jiang Ning arrived, Yang Xiangtian was the sole object of admiration for all the junior sisters and senior sisters of Idle Cloud Sect, but no one dared to envy him—such admiration seemed only natural.

After all, like Senior Sister Lin Qian, he was hailed as a once-in-a-century genius of Idle Cloud Sect.

Now, he had already entered the eighth stage of the Opening Orifices realm, and the Body Tempering realm was not far off.

“What a pity…” Jiang Ning thought. He wished he could be as carefree in his handsomeness.

He was, in fact, much stronger than any disciple in Idle Cloud Sect.

The Celestial Spirit Body was, after all, legendary—a physique born when a hundred-thousand-year-old immortal herb was reborn as a human.

During his condensation of human form through absorbing the essence of sun and moon, he had already surpassed the initial Spirit Gathering stage of cultivation.

And being inherently attuned to the natural Dao, the Celestial Spirit Body had all nine orifices open; Jiang Ning had naturally passed all nine stages of the Opening Orifices realm.

Neither Yang Xiangtian nor Lin Qian could withstand a single move from him.

But he had a major problem—he dared not reveal his strength and had to keep a low profile.

“The Celestial Spirit Body… a legendary constitution. If discovered, I fear my very life would be forfeit.”

He realized this only after joining the sect and reading the sect’s records.

To cultivators, the Celestial Spirit Body was a supreme tonic.

If not for a stroke of fate at the time of his transmigration, which awakened his intelligence, according to common circumstances, the immortal herb would only receive inherited memories after a hundred thousand years, and the resulting spirit body could be refined into pills or consumed to achieve ascension.

The sect records did not say much—it was a peerless and legendary physique.

For an immortal herb with a hundred thousand years of cultivation to choose incarnation as a spirit body, to disperse all its cultivation, was an event nearly impossible to encounter in this world, and would certainly attract the covetous eyes of all the greatest powerhouses.

“Far too dangerous!” He felt his hair stand on end.

Thus, Jiang Ning established three rules for himself.

First, his true identity as a Celestial Spirit Body could never be discovered, or he would be captured and refined.

Second, the Celestial Spirit Body defied the natural order; for an immortal herb with a hundred thousand years of cultivation to become human, all its cultivation had to be scattered.

When he transmigrated into the immortal herb, it had but a thousand years of cultivation. By chance, his soul fused with it, awakening intelligence and inherited memories—a shortcut.

Thus, after becoming a Celestial Spirit Body, his inherited memories were sealed, only unlocked with constant breakthroughs.

There was another drawback: if his cultivation didn’t keep up and he failed to break through within a set period, his body would disperse back into heaven and earth, revert to being a herb, and his intelligence erased by the world’s laws—never to exist again.

Third, based on the first two points, he had to keep growing stronger, but always remain inconspicuous.

If he could avoid fighting, he would.

A single attack risked exposing his constitution, and in this world of swords and sorcery, failure meant death.

Should he be forced to act, it had to be decisive—like a lion hunting a rabbit, using all his strength to kill in one blow.

Furthermore, he should avoid close contact with anyone whenever possible.

Since joining the sect half a year ago, he had followed these three self-imposed rules.

Stay low, never show his hand.

“Disciples of Idle Cloud Sect might not notice, but I cannot take risks. Above all, there are the sect master and the powerful elders…”

After learning from the records about the rarity and value of the Celestial Spirit Body, Jiang Ning grew highly vigilant.

“Surely Sect Master Yang hasn’t guessed my true nature… The day I was admitted as an inner disciple, he did say my physique was unusual, attuned to the natural Dao…”

He was terribly anxious, but could only feign calm.

“No matter what, unless my bottom line is crossed, or unless I have no other choice, I must not act rashly. I can’t let myself be tempted or drawn close to anyone—caution above all…”

“I must reach the Body Tempering realm soon and unlock inherited memories. There must be a way to hide my Celestial Spirit Body.”

He still felt the world was too dangerous.

“Jiang Ning, you seem distracted?” Li Qiaochan’s voice broke his reverie after a moment of silence.

As Jiang Ning glanced up, he noticed the predatory stares of many inner disciples.

“No, not at all,” he replied, eager to avoid hostility.

He quietly edged sideways, trying to put a bit more distance between himself and Li Qiaochan.

At that moment, he sensed a covert gaze watching him.

He looked up and met the eyes of several elders at the elders’ seat, observing him and whispering among themselves.

“Something’s not right!”

He grew extremely alert, certain that something was about to happen, and dared not look back.

He focused his attention on the dueling platform where the competition was still ongoing.

This year’s outer sect disciples were indeed quite strong.

He had heard of many previous competitions: to enter the inner sect, an outer disciple had to fulfill one of two requirements.

Either achieve the Spirit Gathering realm on their own, or place in the top fifty in the competition.

Meeting either qualified one for promotion to inner disciple.

“This year, there’s even an outer disciple at the Spirit Gathering realm. They must have broken through recently and haven’t formally been assigned to the inner sect, so they’re still competing…”

The competition was long and tedious. At last, during the final match, the crowd became lively—because of the appearance of a Spirit Gathering outer disciple.

Jiang Ning, however, had little interest in watching; he felt uneasy and wanted to leave.

“I wonder where Erhuang is wreaking havoc now…”

He thought of the little yellow dog that had left the Tianshan Mountains with him.

Strangely enough, the place he transmigrated to—where the immortal herb grew—was the very center of the Tianshan Mountains.

He later learned that place was infamous as a land where the living could not enter and even the dead would dissolve into dust.

Yet during those ten years, a little yellow dog had kept him company.

It absorbed the same sun and moon essence he did, followed him out of the mountains, and eventually gained sentience…

He named the dog Erhuang.

After entering the sect, Erhuang ran everywhere, digging up the sect’s spiritual herbs.

Because Jiang Ning was so popular among the senior and junior sisters, that dog would shamelessly beg for treats and attention from all, causing chaos and leaving Jiang Ning owing all sorts of favors…

“Jiang Ning, please accept my challenge!”

Suddenly, a loud voice echoed across the dueling grounds, full of confidence and vigor.

“What?” Jiang Ning’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of his name. He returned to his senses to find every eye on him.

The final match on the stone platform had just ended.

A young outer disciple stood in the center of the arena, eyes fixed on Jiang Ning, a heavy sword planted before him.

“Senior Brother Jiang Ning, do you dare accept my challenge?”

It was the very outer disciple who had caused such a stir earlier by stepping into the Spirit Gathering realm.

“I refuse!” Jiang Ning replied without hesitation, his expression calm and unflustered.

The words left everyone stunned.

So direct?

Li Qiaochan’s beautiful eyes flickered as she studied the white-clad youth beside her, as if unable to see through him.

But the greatest commotion came from some junior sisters among the outer disciples, who had previously paid Jiang Ning no mind.

“That’s Senior Brother Jiang Ning?”

“No wonder…”

“He really is handsome…”