Runes • Rifles • Reincarnation
48. Stubborn

“Have her show you a cultivation technique,” Nano spoke suddenly, nearly making Jin Shu jump in surprise.

Why? he asked inwardly.

“If we know what a true cultivation technique consists of, we may be able to extrapolate one that can complement your auxiliary technique.”

You can create a cultivation technique for me?!

“Perchance.”

Good enough. I’ll try.

Jin Shu considered the idea before glancing at Sect Master Chen. After a brief pause, he asked, “Sect Master Chen, could you show me a cultivation technique?”

She raised a brow, clearly intrigued. “Why would you need to see a cultivation technique?”

“I want to know what one looks like so I don’t confuse an auxiliary technique again,” he replied, lying smoothly—though curiosity also drove his request.

Sect Master Chen studied him for a moment before nodding. “I can show you. But be warned—you cannot attempt to cultivate it. This technique is designed for women only. If a man tries, he will gain no strength and instead become… impotent.”

Jin Shu shivered at the warning. Are you absolutely sure you can make a usable technique, Nano? Preferably one that doesn’t leave me impotent.

“We should be able to. But first, we must see the technique,” Nano replied.

Jin Shu’s confidence wavered slightly at the response, but the alternative was no technique at all.

With a graceful flip of her hand, Chen Ai Yun retrieved a scroll from her space ring. A soft glow emanated from the ring, catching Jin Shu’s attention momentarily before he focused on the scroll being offered.

He took it carefully, hesitating for just a moment as the earlier warning about impotency lingered in his mind. Slowly, he unfurled the scroll.

The text within was dense, filled with principles and procedures he had never encountered before. Yet, as he read, Jin Shu found that he could grasp their essence after a few lines.

Concepts like turning Yin into Yang and harmonizing with nature filled the parchment, shrouded in an air of mysticism that felt both profound and foreign.

“Ah, I see…” he muttered when he reached the section explaining where the warning of impotency originated. The scroll described a set of specific veins in the female body, located in a region essential for cultivating this technique—veins a male body simply did not possess.

Nano, don’t copy this part! Jin Shu thought sharply.

“Not to worry,” Nano replied calmly. “We’ve already formulated a potential workaround. However, we will need time to run simulations.”

Good enough, Jin Shu thought with a sigh of relief. I needed to ask her about my mother anyway.

He carefully rolled up the scroll and handed it back to Chen Ai Yun. “Thank you, Sect Master Chen.”

Chen Ai Yun took the scroll with a faint smile. “There’s no need for such formalities.” She paused briefly, her expression softening. “You can call me… Aunt, if you’d like.”

The look in Chen Ai Yun’s eyes told Jin Shu that she wasn’t asking—she was telling him.

“Aunt,” he said with a slight bow, acquiescing to her unspoken demand. Straightening, he met her gaze. “Can you tell me more about why my mother is in the southern region?”

Her gentle smile brightened at his changed address, bringing a glimmer of warmth and softening her demeanor. “I can,” she replied, folding her hands together as though gathering her thoughts. “Mei’er, has gone to the southern region in search of the Hidden Phoenix Realm.”

“The Hidden Phoenix Realm?” Jin Shu echoed, unfamiliar with the name.

Chen Ai Yun nodded. “Long ago, the southern region was home to the Phoenix race before they all ascended to Xianjie. The realm they left behind is said to hold powerful secrets, but its exact location has eluded even the most skilled of cultivators. The Immortal Phoenix Sect was founded by one of those Phoenix's and has records hinting at the realm’s existence, but no one has been able to pinpoint where it lies. However…”

She paused, watching Jin Shu closely.

“…your mother has been secretly searching for clues for years. If she’s gone so deep into the southern region this time, it can only mean one thing—she’s found the location of the Hidden Phoenix Realm.”

Jin Shu frowned slightly. “Why would she go through all that trouble?”

Chen Ai Yun’s expression turned serious. “Because of her Spirit—the Phoenix Wings.”

At the name, Jin Shu’s eyes narrowed. “Right, we talked about that earlier. How she couldn’t plant a seed of sentience?”

“Correct.” Chen Ai Yun’s tone grew somber. “For Mei’er, her Phoenix Wings are unlike any other Spirit. Their unique nature has left her stuck at a bottleneck in the Spirit Realm, unable to master them or advance further.”

Jin Shu’s mind whirled with questions. “And the Hidden Phoenix Realm can help her?”

“Potentially,” Chen Ai Yun replied. “According to legend, the Hidden Phoenix Realm contains a powerful auxiliary technique that can only be used by those with a Phoenix Spirit. Mei’er believes that with this technique, she may finally overcome her bottleneck and continue advancing her cultivation.”

Jin Shu nodded slowly, absorbing the weight of her words. His mother’s journey made sense now—her unwavering determination, her prolonged absence. And yet, unease gnawed at him. The southern region was vast and treacherous, and if it had once been home to mythical creatures like the Phoenix, then what dangers might still remain?

“I see,” he murmured, his gaze drifting toward the horizon as though he could glimpse the distant southern lands. Mother… I’ll find you soon.

Chen Ai Yun watched him quietly, her expression softening with a hint of wistfulness. After a moment, she said, “The path she’s chosen is dangerous, Jin Shu. But knowing Mei’er, she won’t stop until she succeeds. She’s always been that kind of woman.”

Jin Shu’s lips curved into a faint smile. “I know.”

“You want to go find her, don’t you?” Chen Ai Yun asked, a knowing smile tugging at her lips.

“Of course!” Jin Shu’s expression hardened, resolve gleaming in his eyes. “I’m going as soon as you help me with her Soul Jade.”

“No, you are not,” she said firmly, shaking her head. Her smile vanished, replaced by a stern look. “You will stay here.”

Jin Shu’s expression darkened, his body tensing as his voice dropped to a cold, cutting edge. “What? Are you imprisoning me?”

Chen Ai Yun sighed softly and motioned for him to come closer. “Come here. Let me show you where Mei’er is.”

The mention of his mother’s location softened his sharp edges. Hesitantly, Jin Shu stepped closer, watching as Chen Ai Yun pulled a smooth, palm-sized jade from her sleeve. Its polished surface glimmered faintly in the light.

Noticing his curious gaze, she explained, “This is the Soul Jade you came looking for. I’ve been keeping an eye on her with it from time to time.”

Jin Shu’s brow shot up at her words. “You’ve been watching her?”

Chen Ai Yun turned away briefly, clearing her throat as though to avoid answering directly. Instead, she held up the jade and pressed her finger against a rune etched on its surface. “The jade records an image once every six hours,” she said, as the stone began to glow with a soft green light.

An image appeared above the jade—his mother’s face, seen from below at a hilariously awkward angle.

Jin Shu blinked, then snorted in laughter, unable to stop himself. “What… what is this angle?”

Chen Ai Yun chuckled along with him. “Her Soul Jade must be in her space ring. That’s why it looks like this.”

Still smiling, she pressed another rune on the jade. The image shifted into a map, now showing a small, glowing dot moving steadily across it. “This,” she said, tapping the glowing marker, “shows her position in real time.”

Jin Shu’s amusement faded as he focused on the map. Chen Ai Yun’s space ring flared with light, and in the next moment, a large map unfurled across the table between them. The glowing dot on the jade matched a location she pointed to.

“She’s here,” Chen Ai Yun said, her tone calm as she waited for Jin Shu to process the information.

Jin Shu leaned over the map, following her finger to the very bottom—almost at the southernmost edge of the region. His eyes widened.

“Uh… where are we right now?” he asked hesitantly, though he already had a sinking feeling.

Chen Ai Yun didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she dragged her finger upward—slowly. Seconds ticked by like hours as her finger traced the map’s expanse. Jin Shu’s heart raced as the distance stretched farther and farther.

By the time her finger finally stopped near the Immortal Phoenix Sect’s location, a cold sweat gathered at his brow. The gap between his mother’s position and their current location was so vast it felt like they weren’t even in the same world.

Jin Shu blinked at the map, trying to comprehend the scale. “That far…” he muttered, disbelief sinking in.

Chen Ai Yun’s gaze softened as she looked at him. “Now do you understand why you can’t go rushing off after her?”

Jin Shu didn’t respond right away. He clenched his fists at his sides, jaw tight as he stared at the map. The weight of the distance threatened to drag him down, but he pushed it aside, determination flaring behind his eyes.

“I’ll get there,” he said quietly, more to himself than to her. “No matter how far it is… I’ll find her.”

Chen Ai Yun studied him for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. “Stubborn, just like Mei’er,” she murmured, though there was a trace of mirth in her voice.

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