When he first met Sovereign Thatched Mountain, he was somewhat surprised. He had assumed someone with such a powerful-sounding Dao title would be a man, but it turned out to be a woman, and a fairly delicate one at that. Xiao Buhuan had not mentioned her gender before, and Luo Chen had not thought about it. 11

Men accounted for as much as eighty percent of rogue cultivators, while women were few and far between. The reason for this was not hard to understand. After stepping into the Great Dao, the difference between men and women became less important, yet even so, many women preferred stability. The cultivation world was filled with danger and uncertainty, so many low-tier women chose to attach themselves to powerful men. Moreover, women tended to be more meticulous and perceptive. They often excelled in crafts, which made them valuable to larger forces. And if they became members of these forces, they found it much easier to pass down their own cultivation lineage. When cultivators with spirit roots became Dao companions, their children were more likely to awaken the same spirit roots.9

Luo Chen had never discriminated against women. In fact, along his path, he had met many powerful women, and some were dangerous enough that he didn't even dare to bat an eyelid in their presence. From his perspective, a female rogue cultivator who held a proper Dao title rather than just a self-assigned nickname was certainly worthy of respect.5

Inside a mountain palace on Winding Island, this graceful woman looked Luo Chen over with a hint of confusion on her face. "Azure Yang?"0

"That would be me." Luo Chen smiled faintly and cupped his hands....0