Magic Sect of Beauties: The Strongest Mage is in a Cultivation World

Shu Fu escorted Mu Lingxi back to the northern border post of the Linwu Kingdom, bidding her farewell with a wave as she set off on her way.

"Come back soon!" he called out, to which she responded with a bright smile and an enthusiastic nod. . .

"I promise I will! Thank you, sir!"

With that, she turned and ran off into the forests of the Dragon's Peak Mountain Range.

As the hours passed and night descended, the moon rose in the sky, casting its silvery light over the land. The echoing howls of powerful wolves and the rhythmic chirping of crickets made up the dense night forest as Mu Lingxi trudged on.

Exhausted from two days without sleep, she eventually found a spot beneath a tree to rest.

"I'm so tired..." she groaned wearily, sinking against the rough bark.

*grumble!*

Indeed, her moment of rest was short-lived as her stomach began to rumble once more.

Frowning, she placed a hand on her abdomen.

"What? But I just fed you!" she complained, feeling frustrated.

There was no reasoning with her stomach──if it was hungry, it was hungry, and she had to deal with it. With a sigh, Mu Lingxi stood up and ventured further into the forest in search of food.

Less than an hour later, Mu Lingxi returned with a massive boar slung over her shoulders. It was quite a sight to see such a petite girl accomplishing something so remarkable, especially considering the boar was at the 4th level of the Mortal Realm. Not a scratch marred her body, easily telling she had killed the boar with a single strike.

"I guess the next step is to start a fire?" she mused, glancing to the side in thought. "Yes, I think that's what Elder Brother Jun mentioned──setting up a fire would help signal our location to others."

The forest surrounding the Dragon's Peak Mountain Range was dense with so spiritual energy it was difficult for cultivators to sense someone's presence unless they used specialized sensory techniques or had a high cultivation base.

Before long, Mu Lingxi had a fire crackling and the boar meat roasting.

"Hmm..." she murmured, holding a small ball of fire in her hand. "Right now, I can only manage small fire techniques with my weak fire spirit root... But when I'm older, I want to master a powerful fire arrow attack! Maybe I could use it for hunting monsters."

A smile spread across her face as she envisioned her future adventures.

Then, recalling the ramen man's comment about bringing her future husband for a date, her cheeks flushed red.

Mu Lingxi extinguished the fire in her hand and curled up, resting her chin between her knees while wrapping her arms around her legs.

Her cheeks still flushed, she pondered. . .

I've never really thought much about boys before. Mother says they aren't important, and mother's never wrong, right? Still, that ramen man seemed very nice, so I'll make sure I marry a handsome man and bring him to that shop, maybe?

"Hmm... maybe I should just stick to doing what mother says for now."

*sniff* *sniff*

Suddenly, she heard someone loudly sniffing, drawing her attention.

Startled, she looked up to see a stunning woman beside her, deeply inhaling the scent of the roasted boar meat.

"Huh?"

The woman was stunning──like a true goddess in human form. Mu Lingxi had never laid eyes on someone so breathtaking. It was like all the beauty she'd ever seen, from nature's landscapes to picturesque scenes, paled in comparison to this woman's radiance!

"Hm?" the girl uttered, still puzzled by the woman's behavior.

Disregarding Mu Lingxi's question, the woman continued to focus intently on the meat, drooling slightly.

"So, who are you?"

Mu Lingxi had asked calmly in order to break the silence.

The woman finally looked at her, momentarily forgetting her obsession with the food.

She was none other than Su Meirong.

Though not her true self──a secret avatar she used to discreetly observe events like her nephew's granddaughter, Liu Jing's, birth ceremony. Su Meirong preferred to remain hidden and rarely appeared in person, relying on avatars to keep an eye on things in the sect.

However, even her response to Mu Lingxi was discreet. . .

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just an old lady who's passing through."

In her view, there was no need to reveal her true identity to a child.

Afterward, Su Meirong glanced back at the roasted boar meat and started licking her lips hungrily. Su Meirong's avatars couldn't get hungry, but they could feel, and if Su Meirong wanted, she could feel everything they felt. So, when the avatar caught the aroma of the boar meat, the true Su Meirong, wherever she was, was eager to have a bite, and she possessed the body of her avatar.

Mu Lingxi noticed the woman's longing stare at the boar meat and smiled as she asked, "Uhnn... would you like one, Miss?"

Su Meirong wiped off some saliva that had drooled from her mouth and replied, "Really?! Thank you for sharing, little one!" Without waiting for Mu Lingxi to offer her some, she broke off a meaty leg of the boar and examined it closely, imagining how juicy it would be in her mouth. "Ooo, it looks really delicious!"

Mu Lingxi watched the woman with a smile and observed as she took a bite out of it. "Well…" Mu Lingxi chuckled proudly. "I caught and roasted it myself! My Elder Brother Jun taught me a special way to roast wild meat, and I thought I wouldn't need it for anything, but it turns out I do, haha!"

Su Meirong took another bite and nodded as the little girl talked. "Mhmm~~" The woman wasn't even concerned with how hot the meat was; she was just happy to eat it while being entertained by someone kind enough to share their food.

Half a moment later. . .

Su Meirong had devoured most of the boar meat, while Mu Lingxi ate enough to satisfy her, enjoying the company while she ate.

Su Meirong let out a loud burp and gazed up at the night sky.

"Hmm, look at all those stars in the sky. Each one is the spirit of our deceased ancestors or even celestial beings who sacrificed their lives for either a foolish or noble cause."

Mu Lingxi glanced at the woman. "Hm? So anyone who dies becomes a star?"

Su Meirong kept her eyes on the night sky and leaned back against the tree behind her.

"Well, I guess you could say that. Death is a funny thing, and while most say cultivating immortality is the only way to avoid it, it's also the hardest way. The universe is limitless, which means the chances of failure and disappointment are also limitless. So, why bother cultivating if you're just going to fail to reach your goal in the end?"

Mu Lingxi tilted her head, unsure of what to say.

Su Meirong chuckled, "It's simple, really. The world is too vast for us, and we're too small for the world. We don't understand the simplicity of living a normal, mortal life... so we pursue what we don't have──a life of immortality and power, where we can live eternally with our loved ones always in our hearts."

Mu Lingxi didn't understand most of what the woman was saying, but it didn't stop her from nodding at every word that came from her cherry-colored lips.

"Wow, you're so wise, Miss!"

Su Meirong grinned at the little girl and extended her arms to continue her talk.

"The vastness of the world is incredibly incomprehensible and extraordinary, which makes our own lives seem quite understandable and ordinary. So, what's the whole point of cultivation, or even cultivators? It's a path for the weak to tread, hoping to grasp what cannot be grasped and achieve what seems unattainable. To a god, the universe is just a speck in a flower...

but to us, it's everything, and we live and die in it so that our soul may return to the vast sea of stars!"

Mu Lingxi took a bite of her boar meat, chewed, and swallowed.

"Wow! If the universe is that big, I want to cultivate and become strong so that someday, I can be strong enough to see the universe in a flower!"

Su Meirong cleared her throat and composed herself.

"Well, it's not that easy. But in the end, we're all the main characters of our own lives, so the decisions we make will shape our destiny... so choose wisely, little girl."

Mu Lingxi held out her fist and grinned.

"I already made my choice long ago! I want to be as strong as the legendary Fairy Su Meirong!"

Su Meirong looked shocked as she watched the little girl speak.

There was an uncomfortable silence.

Mu Lingxi grew embarrassed and glanced at the woman. "D-, did I say something wrong?" her face turned red.

"HAHA!"

Su Meirong couldn't stop herself from laughing.

"HAHAHAHA!"

Soon, even Mu Lingxi joined her and both of them started laughing.

"BAHAHAHAH!"

Su Meirong placed an arm over the little girl's shoulder to rest a bit as she continued to laugh. It was one thing to be praised by others, but another for one to see you as their role model.

"Miss, do you want some berries?!"

"Ahhh, sure if you have enough to spare..."

"Here, have them!"

"Hmm, aren't these poisonous?"

"No, no... well, they're a little poisonous but I promise it won't kill you."

"Hahah! Fine then, I trust you!"

~End~

...

The grown beauty, Mu Lingxi, found the hair crown Yang Wei had given her, and a smile appeared on her face.

Becoming an immortal so that we can live eternally with the one we love in our hearts... I wonder if I'll ever be able to see the universe in a flower with Wei──I wonder if we'll ever get that opportunity.

She stood up and exited her room.

She wanted to go see the man who made a promise to her.