Chapter 120#

The Disciple’s Rebirth and Revenge#

Hearing the Sect Master’s words, the expression of the white-robed Immortal Venerable remained unchanged.

“I have none,” he opened his lips and coldly uttered three words.

The man had a pair of pale gray eyes, with the corners slightly upturned, and his deep eye sockets added a touch of mystery to him. However, his entire body was perpetually surrounded by an aura of icy frost and snow, as if everything in this world had nothing to do with him.

This was Xiao Nian, the Immortal Venerable of Cloudsoaring Sect, who lived atop the Cold Maple Peak and was known by everyone. The Sect Master had thought that his descent from the mountain for this disciple selection was with the intention of choosing a disciple, but seeing Xiao Nian’s attitude, he became somewhat uncertain again.

“The dead are gone,” he said pointedly. “After all these years, you should also look forward.”

“What does the Sect Master mean?” Xiao Nian’s pale gray eyes shifted.

“…Nothing, just a casual remark.” The Sect Master chuckled and walked down the steps with his hands behind his back. The nearby disciples all broke into a cold sweat for their master—that was Immortal Venerable Xiao Nian!

It would have been fine in the past, but now Xiao Nian’s Path of Ruthlessness was fully realized. The heaven-shaking, earth-shattering thunder from that day was clearly seen by half of the immortal world. Even the Sect Master probably wouldn’t be able to defeat the current Immortal Venerable, right?

“Keep your eyes to yourselves,” a cold-faced beauty holding a broken blade said, turning back to stare at them. “Do you really think the Immortal Venerable doesn’t know what you’re thinking? Killing among fellow disciples is a major taboo!”

Hearing this, the disciples hurriedly lowered their heads and apologized, not daring to look forward again.

Seeing their cautious behavior, a faint touch of ironic smile appeared at the corner of the cold-faced beauty’s mouth, but looking at her eyes, it seemed more like self-mockery.

If Senior Brother were still here, how could the atmosphere within Cloudsoaring Sect be like this?

The young people still on the Immortal Ascension Path knew nothing about what was happening within the Cloudsoaring Sect they yearned for. As the steps went higher and higher, their progress became increasingly heavy and stumbling. Someone wanted to sit down and rest for a moment, but in just a blink of an eye, they screamed and fell from the clouds, disappearing from sight.

The crowd was horrified and no longer dared to be careless; every face wore an expression of extreme gravity. Several imperial grandchildren and nobles, who originally had the mood to observe their surroundings or chat with those nearby to get close, also tightened their faces and went up with the flow of people in silence.

The only ones who were still relatively relaxed were those few who already possessed some cultivation.

They walked at the very front, their postures still very relaxed, and someone even took out elixirs to replenish their strength, earning envious looks from those behind them.

“Hey, blind man, get out of the way!”

When human willpower is pushed to its limit, all morality becomes as thin as paper. A brawny man wanted to push away the blind man in front of him who was leaning on a bamboo staff, thinking that since this person definitely wouldn’t pass the assessment anyway, he might as well strike first.

But unexpectedly, the moment he touched the blind man’s back, a wisp of black energy suddenly shot out from within the blind man’s body, baring its sharp teeth like a mad dog and biting his wrist firmly!

The brawny man let out a blood-curdling scream and knelt on the spot, rolling down the stairs.

The crowd instantly erupted in an uproar, and everyone instinctively moved away from the blind man—no one expected that this seemingly weak and easily bullied person would actually be a tough nut to crack!

The Sect Master, who was watching the scene on the Immortal Ascension Path in real-time, also stopped abruptly. Not only him, but the cold-faced beauty behind him also changed her expression instantly.

“The Heavenly Demon Body!?”

“How, how is it possible?” The cold-faced beauty stammered, her expression full of disbelief. “Wasn’t the last Heavenly Demon Body just… how long has it been? How can another one appear within a hundred years?”

“Heavenly Demon Body” was the name the immortal world used to refer to the sacrifices.

Every hundred years, when the sacrifice was completely tormented to the point of soul dissipation by the array, the Cloudsoaring Sword would return to its position and search for its next owner. But now the Cloudsoaring Sword hadn’t returned, and according to the timing, the previous sacrifice had only recently been offered, yet another person with the same constitution had appeared!

The cold-faced beauty subconsciously turned her head to look toward the Immortal Venerable. Xiao Nian’s expression seemed no different from usual, still the same unchanging indifference of ten thousand years, but the man’s furrowed brows still indicated that his state of mind was not as calm as imagined.

Was he wondering why, just after he personally killed his own disciple, another Heavenly Demon Body popped up within a mere decade? Perhaps he regretted striking too early?

No, that’s impossible.

She thought ironically. After all, those who cultivated the Path of Ruthlessness would no longer have any worldly emotions. Rather than calling them human, they were more like a cold instrument.

Let alone regret, when Senior Brother’s coffin was placed into the array that day, as his master and… Dao companion, Xiao Nian didn’t even come to take a look.

She walked quickly to the Sect Master’s side and asked solemnly, “Master, what should we do?”

The Sect Master’s brow tightened, then relaxed: “Bring the person to the main hall. Since he has the Heavenly Demon Body, whether useful or not, we cannot let him fall into the hands of outsiders.”

“…Yes.”

So the blind man, under the wary or envious and jealous gazes of the crowd, boarded the immortal’s flying boat and was taken to the main hall of Cloudsoaring Sect.

The Sect Master had already summoned the elders of each peak. All the high-level officials gathered in the main hall, sizing up this suddenly emerged Heavenly Demon Body with various calculating looks. But perhaps due to his blindness, the youth with closed eyes had a faint expression, leaning on his bamboo staff in the middle of the hall without the slightest fear or nervousness.

“This—” Finally, it was the Sect Master who spoke first. He coughed and asked gently, “Young friend, how may I address you?”

“My surname is Wang, given name Ling,” the blind man replied. “Ling as in ‘Mausoleum’.”

The atmosphere momentarily chilled.

Would a normal person introduce their name like that? And naming one’s child Wang Ling… the name itself sounded inauspicious.

Thinking the youth couldn’t see, the Sect Master directly exchanged a glance with the Great Elder beside him. The Great Elder shook his head silently at him, signaling the Sect Master to continue probing first.

“Well then, young friend Wang Ling,” the Sect Master withdrew his gaze and smiled, “The skill you used just now was very peculiar. Since you’ve come to our Cloudsoaring Sect to seek a master, could you tell us what it is?”

“I don’t know either,” the blind man said calmly. “I’ve had it since I was a child.”

However, the Sect Master did not show any displeasure at this answer.

Naturally born with demonic energy protecting his body, he truly was the Heavenly Demon Body!

“If I’m not mistaken, this thing is probably harmful to you,” he sighed. “Your eyes shouldn’t have been blind from birth, right?”

“Yes.”

“Coincidentally, we have an immortal technique within Cloudsoaring Sect that can teach you how to control demonic energy,” the Sect Master finally confessed his purpose. “Young friend, the elders of all the major peaks are already here. You should have some understanding of us before you came. Choose one to be your master.”

Under everyone’s gaze, the blind man was silent for a moment and then asked softly, “Thank you, Sect Master. Am I to choose any one of them?”

The Sect Master gave a quick glance at Xiao Nian, who was standing not far away like a statue, paused for a moment, and still answered, “Yes.”

So the blind man gripped his bamboo staff tightly, and the demonic energy within his body extended outward like tentacles. Everyone present held their breath as they watched this scene, thinking, Is this kid going to let the demonic energy choose for itself? Then wouldn’t that mean—

Sure enough, the demonic energy swarmed toward one direction without hesitation.

A clear, long ring.

Xiao Nian drew his sword, and in a hair’s breadth, blocked the wisp of demonic energy that was heading straight for his throat.

Just a little more, and his neck would have had an extra bloody hole.

The Sect Master stood up abruptly: “Wang Ling, what is the meaning of this?”

The blind man slowly retracted the demonic energy into his body. This level of control made the expressions of the elders present change again. He then gave a faint smile to the Sect Master: “My apologies, I was just momentarily excited.”

Immediately after, he knelt on both knees to Xiao Nian without hesitation and performed a master-seeking salute:

“Disciple Wang Ling greets Master!”

The Sect Master’s face twitched.

Even if he were a fool, he could see that this blind man had come with ill intent. He looked toward Xiao Nian. The white-robed Immortal Venerable stood there holding the unsheathed Lige Sword, his long hair scattered, his face not visible, only showing a back that was as unchanging as an icy mountain stream.

“Rise.”

the man’s deep voice echoed in the hall.

The Sect Master sighed long and hard and sat back in his seat.

He knew that there was no room for him to speak in this matter.

“Thank you, Master.” The youth’s voice rose an octave, and the clearly joyful tone caused a shadow to flash in Xiao Nian’s pale gray eyes. He gave his newly minted disciple an inscrutable look, walked out of the hall, and manifested a flying boat.

“Come, I will take you to Cold Maple Peak.”

The blind man followed the sound to the entrance of the hall but stopped in front of the flying boat, his bamboo staff repeatedly poking the same spot. Xiao Nian watched silently for a moment, then directly reached out and lifted the person up.

The youth’s thin frame swayed, his back leaning against the man’s broad and hot chest, but he quickly pulled away within a second.

“Thank you, Master,” he said politely, with a touch of faint distance in his tone.

And a deeply hidden trace of loathing.

Xiao Nian said nothing, only gave a brief farewell to the Sect Master and left with the person.

Silence filled the hall.

To be honest, although every elder and the Sect Master present had a share in the construction of that array, it was impossible not to feel affection and regret for Xiao Nian’s disciple, the Senior Brother who was most beloved in Cloudsoaring Sect for a hundred years.

But for the sake of the people of the world, they had no choice but to sacrifice that child.

“To this day, I still don’t understand why Xiao Nian used such a method to deceive his disciple,” an elder murmured. “Clearly, if he had just told him frankly, given that child’s character, he wouldn’t have had any complaints even if he were asked to die. As a result, it turned out like this…”

The scene of that day still lingered in their minds.

During their tribulations, it would also become the inner demon for every person present.

But not long after the array was completed, Xiao Nian’s Path of Ruthlessness actually reached full completion! The ease with which the man crossed his heavenly tribulation made all the elders feel a chill in their hearts. A disciple is one thing, but how can someone not have even a sliver of affection or attachment to a Dao companion they were with day and night?

Can Xiao Nian really… still be called human?

This question also circled in Lin Xiaodong’s mind.

He couldn’t figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it. He came to Cloudsoaring Sect alone, sought out Xiao Nian, and once again became his disciple.

And the man’s attitude hadn’t changed from beginning to end, as if this blind man before him, who also had the Heavenly Demon Body, couldn’t evoke any of his emotional fluctuations, and hadn’t even sparked a sliver of interest to remind him of his bed partner who died tragically on their wedding night.

Truly…

The youth gave a low chuckle, unconsciously gripping the bamboo staff in his hand. He opened his eyes, which could see nothing, and stared fixedly at the back of the white-robed Immortal Venerable, his expression so distorted he wished the man before him would drop dead on the spot.

But when Xiao Nian turned around, he returned to his previous calm and indifferent state, even having the leisure to ask the man, “Master, where do I live?”

“There are seven rooms here in total. The one on the far right is mine, you can choose the rest yourself,” Xiao Nian said.

“I want to live closer to Master,” the blind man smiled, his expression showing no abnormality. “Is that alright?”

Xiao Nian’s movement to push the door open paused.

A not-so-distant scene vaguely appeared before his eyes, a lively young boy chirping as he followed behind him, looking eagerly at the seemingly unattainable Immortal Venerable: “Master, I want to live closer to you, is that alright?”

The man was momentarily dazed, but quickly regained his composure.

Along with the creaking of the door, he lowered his eyes and gave the exact same answer as decades ago:

“Yes.”