Chapter 2013

Zhu Yanyi walked into the cave and discovered a hidden complexity within. There were several rooms, separated for men and women. In the center lay a large wardrobe room, with men’s and women’s clothes hanging on either side. The cleanliness of the garments indicated that someone regularly tidied this place.

"When did you set this up?" Zhu Yanyi asked Yan Aohan curiously.

"It was established long ago. As you know, I occasionally travel to other planes and sometimes bring Yin messengers along. So, I had clothes prepared here," Yan Aohan said casually.

This was indeed the truth. Yan Aohan had originally set up the wardrobe for this reason. Later, knowing Zhu Yanyi would also travel to other planes, he had expanded the section for women.

Zhu Yanyi could have changed clothes inside her own Ruyi Space, but the other three—Ouyang Tianyun, Yi Yunfei, and Sikong Xuran—could not. They lacked such spaces, and even if they had, they possessed no clothing suitable for the mortal realm.

Thus, they searched for clothes. Fortunately, the garments here were pre-matched in sets, allowing them to quickly find their sizes and change in their respective rooms.

It had to be said that every cultivator possessed good looks and figures. The three men were no exception, though they mostly chose Tang-style suits.

Once everyone was dressed, Yan Aohan led them to a nearby path. With a casual wave of his hand, he summoned a car. He instructed them to get in, then drove them away.

"To be honest, the transportation in this mortal realm is truly surprising," Yi Yunfei said, his face full of astonishment.

Zhu Yanyi smiled slightly. "Actually, this is easy to understand. People in this mortal realm live only a few decades. Reaching eighty is considered extremely long-lived, and those over a hundred are rare. Because life is limited, they cherish it deeply."

She looked around with a smile. "The scenery here is open, so you might not feel it yet. But in the cities, you will notice. People living in the mortal realm strive to make their limited lives exceptionally meaningful."

"Can you tell us more?" Sikong Xuran asked, equally curious about this surprising mortal realm.

Zhu Yanyi smiled. "Perhaps because life is short, people here constantly use their brains to improve their lives. First, of course, is filling their stomachs."

She paused to think, then continued. "Legend says Shennong discovered grains, teaching everyone what was edible. Humans evolved from eating raw meat to cooked food. Over time, this evolution accelerated.

Once full, they sought warmth. With warmth came the pursuit of fine food and beautiful clothes. As life improved, they elevated their spiritual world, creating writing, building perfect homes, and inventing transportation. The car we ride in now is the result of that gradual change."

Zhu Yanyi explained simply. "I do not know how cars are manufactured; it differs from our artifact refining.

Cars are assembled from many individual parts, powered by gasoline. Simply put, it is similar to our flying boats. We use flying boats powered by spirit stones. Here, people use cars powered by gasoline."

She continued with a smile. "Besides ground vehicles, they built airplanes for the sky and ships for the ocean. Human knowledge drives their brains to evolve constantly, inventing tools suitable for their needs."

"It seems people in this mortal realm are very smart, perhaps smarter than us cultivators," Yi Yunfei remarked.

"There are gains and losses. Mortals are intelligent, but their lifespan is short. This is likely a constraint by the Heavenly Dao. If they lived longer with such high intelligence, who knows? They might even open channels between planes in the future."

Zhu Yanyi sighed slightly. "After all, people in the mortal realm are now trying to explore the stars." She pointed to the sky.

"What stars? We see nothing," the others said.

"Hehe, I was just using a metaphor. More importantly, I want to tell you that these people are hardworking. Although they cannot cultivate, they use external conditions to reach the sky and study celestial objects. However, because of this, they cannot break through certain barriers, so they cannot see other things."

Zhu Yanyi did not hide this truth. There was no need to.

Since Ouyang Tianyun and the others had come to this world, they would gradually discover its differences. People here were fragile, yet also the most resilient. For true cultivators, tempering their minds in this realm was the best practice.

Zhu Yanyi suddenly realized she had subconsciously chosen mental cultivation for this very reason.

As she finished speaking, her heart moved. She felt her mental state advance by another step. With this improvement, her cultivation would rise further upon returning to the Saint Realm.

She sensed this change immediately, and the other three noticed it too.

"Fifteen, you break through right after returning? Do you want to scare us to death?" Ouyang Tianyun widened her eyes, glaring at Zhu Yanyi.

Zhu Yanyi shrugged slightly. "I can't be blamed for this. I didn't expect it either, but it’s quite good. At least it proves I am still quite capable, isn't it?"

"Your skin is truly thick," Sikong Xuran laughed, scolding her lightly.

"Can't help it. My Aohan likes my thick skin, right, Aohan?" Zhu Yanyi looked at Yan Aohan with a grin.

Yan Aohan nodded with a smile. "Yes, I truly like you. So whether you have thick skin or thin skin, as long as it is you, I like it."

"…" The three of them were speechless. They finally understood why Yan Aohan and Zhu Yanyi were together. Their skin was equally thick.