Chapter 18#
Chapter 18#
Why care if Xie Zhefeng would mind?
Anyway, in other people’s eyes now, Xie Zhefeng was just a Luoyue Peak disciple; he had a reason for everything he did.
He didn’t want to be questioned further by Xie Zhefeng, nor did he want to be so close to him, so he quickly followed Jiang Qing’s direction and got on the carriage to sit down. Yun Zhou and Yun Yao followed closely behind, as quiet as cicadas in winter.
Xie Zhefeng stood in silence outside the carriage for a long while.
After waiting for a bit, Jiang Qing leaned out again: “Daoist Xie? If it’s inconvenient, I can drive the carriage.”
“No need.” Xie Zhefeng stepped onto the front of the carriage.
The spirit horses trotted through Zhaoshui City, and as soon as they left the city gates, they rose with the wind, soaring straight into the clouds.
An Wuxue sat in the carriage, taking advantage of the fact that there was only the sound of the wind around to recall the situation just now.
Xie Zhefeng was suspicious of his previous behavior, but he might not necessarily think directly that he would appear in Su Xue’s body with a complete soul—this matter was too fantastical, even he himself didn’t know why, so it wouldn’t be easy for Xie Zhefeng to think of it.
If he paid a little more attention later, it should be fine.
He kept his head down, lost in thought and silent, but Yun Zhou became active.
“By the way, Daoist Jiang, I was born late and didn’t make it to the chaotic era when the immortals fell. I’ve only heard the elders in the sect mention the Immortal Calamity and know some things passed down by word of mouth. You said you were born a thousand years ago, so didn’t you personally witness the era of the Immortal Calamity?”
An Wuxue rubbed the leaves of the Soul-Nurturing Tree that Kun Kun had picked for him and closed his eyes.
Jiang Qing: “Hmm?”
He shook his head: “I didn’t see it with my own eyes. Thanks to that benefactor whose whereabouts are unknown, I slept in the depths of the冥海 (Nether Sea) for the first few hundred years.”
Yun Zhou showed a look of disappointment, but Jiang Qing added: “But I have been cultivating in Beiming City ever since. Beiming is the one among the four coastal cities that preserved its heritage most completely during the Immortal Calamity, and City Lord Shangguan was one of the top figures back then. I indeed know more clearly than ordinary cultivators.”
“Is Su Xue sleepy?” He suddenly turned to look at An Wuxue, his voice carrying a smile, “If I’m noisy and disturbing you, I’ll stop talking.”
An Wuxue slightly opened his eyes and said in a low voice: “It’s fine, I’m just resting my spirit.”
Yun Zhou immediately pricked up his ears: “Quickly tell us, quickly tell us!”
The carriage traveled through the clouds, and spirit beasts occasionally flew past on both sides, their cries entering the carriage along with the whistling wind.
An Wuxue leaned to one side and closed his eyes again, listening to Jiang Qing tell the story eloquently amidst the sound of the wind: “The reason why the Immortal Calamity was a calamity was that it was a disaster brought about by long-lived immortals. Before the Immortal Calamity, there were many immortals in the two realms. For thousands upon thousands of years, people from various sects constantly ascended to immortality. With immortals falling and being replaced, the total number was maintained at around a dozen or so…”
He was clearly talking about things An Wuxue had experienced personally, but he still couldn’t help but listen carefully.
This was no different from what he knew.
In the path of cultivation, nine out of ten sought to walk that path to immortality.
If one successfully broke through the Tribulation Transcendence and ascended to immortality, they could sense the Heavenly Dao, have a prolonged lifespan, and would not fall unless there was a great catastrophe.
To ascend to immortality, one must walk their own path—just like Xie Zhefeng’s Path of Heartlessness, which must remain undisturbed by mortal desires from beginning to end, with a firm Dao heart.
How many people could achieve this step?
Very few.
“…Even when there were many immortals thousands of years ago, it wasn’t easy to ascend. But about 1,400 years ago, when Immortal Venerable Nanhe of Luoyue Peak was still around, the number of long-lived immortals in the two realms actually reached dozens.
“At that time, most cultivators thought it was due to luck. But two hundred years later, turbid qi suddenly emerged in the two realms, many spiritual veins were eroded, and demons and monsters bred.”
Yun Yao said at the right time: “Turbid Immortals.”
When this was mentioned, An Wuxue’s mood became heavy, as if a large stone was pressing on his heart.
Jiang Qing nodded: “Yes, it turns out those extra long-lived immortals didn’t become immortals by walking the orthodox path of cultivation at all. Cultivators cultivate spiritual power with clear qi, but someone discovered a secret method to cultivate demons by using the worldly turbid qi suppressed under the Heavenly Pillars’ spiritual veins.
“No need for a clear Dao heart, no bottlenecks; the more turbid qi absorbed, the higher the realm.
“This was a shortcut that damaged the vitality of the two realms.”
Jiang Qing paused.
Everyone’s expression was grave, and no one spoke.
Because the following content was something everyone in the four seas and two realms knew.
How many people in this world could resist the temptation of cultivation without bottlenecks?
Not to mention those ordinary cultivators and demons born with the ability to cultivate demonic energy, at that time, even cultivators who had already become immortals went astray for the sake of reaching a higher level.
—The Immortal Lord of Beiming was one of them.
She was originally a genius who ascended through the Path of Floating Life, and then she drew turbid qi into her body to cultivate demonic energy; her strength was not to be underestimated, which was why the battle at Beiming was exceptionally tragic.
Cultivators and demonic cultivators fought to the death, and corpses piled up like mountains in the two realms.
As long as that secret method of ascending to immortality through demonic energy existed, cultivators would continuously cultivate turbid qi and become demons.
Once the matter of turbid qi began, it was as if there was no end to it.
This was the Immortal Calamity.
“…In order to set things right, Immortal Venerable Nanhe, along with the other long-lived immortals who had not turned into demons, sacrificed themselves to set up a great array, perished together with all the Turbid Immortals, and destroyed that secret method of ascension.”
Jiang Qing sighed, “It is said that after that, although the chaos of the Turbid Immortals ended, there was not a single immortal in the two realms, so it was still chaotic for many years. The Ten Thousand Sword Array of the Four Seas was set down at that time.
“It wasn’t until the Chuhan Sword Venerable ascended and came out of seclusion, his sword light cleansing the surroundings and clearing the world of demons and monsters, that the Immortal Calamity truly came to an end.”
At this point, it was unknown if Xie Zhefeng, who was outside the carriage, was also listening and had remembered something; he seemed to have dazed off slightly.
The barrier maintained by that man loosened for a moment, and the long wind from both sides rushed in, blowing the curtain hanging on the small window.
An Wuxue looked through the gap opened by the curtain and saw the ten thousand layers of mountains below, full of vitality.
He was also prompted by Jiang Qing’s words to think of many memories.
He and Xie Zhefeng had once supported each other through the chaotic world.
Although Xie Zhefeng was the Immortal Venerable who governed the two realms after the chaos and was a man of integrity in the eyes of the world, he would still take action for him when it came to the rumors that he, the First Disciple, “killed the innocent indiscriminately” and “had too much blood on his hands.” Those who came to Luoyue Peak to complain were driven out of the mountain gates by this man who knows how many times.
Before the siege by the ten thousand sects, Xie Zhefeng led the master immortal cultivators to fight in all directions, while he hurried around the four seas for the Ten Thousand Sword Array of the Four Seas. The sword array involved too much and would always entangle many grudges; those that Xie Zhefeng couldn’t see were all handled by him, the First Disciple.
It’s just that what was gained in the end from the so-called mutual support was only that man’s phrase “deserving of the punishment.”
“Su Xue?” Jiang Qing called him, “Why are you frowning? Is the silk quilt I padded for you uncomfortable?”
He came back to his senses and subconsciously raised his hand to touch the space between his eyebrows.
“No,” his voice was a bit hoarse, “I’m just hearing others talk about these things for the first time and felt some emotions.”
“That’s right, Su Xue, you weren’t a cultivator before,” Yun Zhou said. “Speaking of which, since the two sides were evenly matched back then and the immortal cultivators barely won—what if the ones who barely won were the demonic cultivators led by the Immortal Lord of Beiming? Would the immortal cultivators be the ones everyone despises now?”
Yun Zhou scratched his head: “It seems a bit rebellious for me to say this…”
Jiang Qing narrowed his eyes: “It is indeed a bit rebellious, but children’s words carry no harm, and what you said also makes some sense.”
Yun Zhou’s eyes widened: “Children’s words carry no harm? Who is a child? Daoist Jiang, you look about the same age as me. You can’t distinguish seniority just because you are a spirit of heaven and earth, right?”
“Hmm, that also makes sense.” Jiang Qing nodded.
Yun Zhou: “…”
Jiang Qing looked towards Yun Yao: “Daoist Yun Yao is so quiet, why don’t you talk more? I see that you also give me a feeling of meeting an old friend, and I’d like to get to know you.”
Yun Yao: “I…”
“My senior brother has always been like this, a man of few words,” Yun Zhou interrupted. “Wait, something’s not right, Jiang. You feel like you’ve met Su Xue before, and you feel the same about my senior brother, but not me? Are you doing this on purpose?”
“I’ve already said it out loud,” Jiang Qing said leisurely, “how could it be unintentional.”
Yun Zhou: “…………”
An Wuxue burst out laughing.
The carriage suddenly came to a stop.
Outside, Xie Zhefeng said as if without sorrow or joy: “The Yunjian Sect has arrived.”
Yun Zhou’s expression froze, and he jumped out instantly with Yun Yao.
An Wuxue was leisurely. He waited until Jiang Qing got off the carriage before he lifted the curtain and leaned out.
The Yunjian Mountain gate came into view.
There was nothing special about the mountain gate. Looking in from here, one could only see the steps leading into the mountains; the surroundings were calm and peaceful, showing no signs of any ill omen at all.
But only their group knew that the peace before them was just an illusion of a solidified scene from two months ago.
A hand was extended towards him.
An Wuxue: “…?”
He looked over and saw Jiang Qing standing by the carriage, reaching out to help him down.
“Daoist Jiang,” Xie Zhefeng stood with his sword, his gaze lowered, “knock on the door.”
Jiang Qing said: “I just saw that Daoist Xie had no intention of helping Su Xue, so I reached out to take care of him a bit.”
An Wuxue: “…”
He jumped off the carriage by himself without a word.
Xie Zhefeng withdrew his gaze.
Jiang Qing showed a look of disappointment, turned around, pinched a hand seal towards the Yunjian Mountain gate, and sent a Beiming visiting card inside.
As the person who visited the Yunjian Sect on that day, he was outside the situation but could be considered half a person from within the illusion.
Having him knock on the door would not disturb the entire illusion.
Within less than a quarter of an hour, the visiting card sent by Jiang Qing received a response.
It was the phrase: “Distinguished guest, please wait a moment, we will be there shortly.”
Jiang Qing had left after receiving this phrase back then.
Now, Jiang Qing directly followed up on this phrase and continued to reply: “I have come for urgent business and am waiting here. I hope your noble sect will open the door quickly.”
The message talisman floated into the Yunjian Sect once again.
Yun Zhou nervously wiped his forehead and said seriously: “What do we do next?”
Xie Zhefeng: “Wait.”
Before long, on the mountain gate steps in the distance, a figure came from above towards them.
The figure wore a blue cloud-patterned Daoist robe and had black and white hair, looking like an elderly cultivator.
As soon as Yun Zhou saw the figure, he exclaimed in a low voice: “Sect Leader! That’s the Sect Leader!”
Xie Zhefeng, however, said: “There is no aura of a living person around except for us.”
—The one coming to meet them was a dead man.
“Daoist Xie, it seems we only guessed half of it. There is not just an illusion here.” Jiang Qing also stared at the Yunjian Sect Leader approaching them, “The person inside seems to be real. The murderer created an illusion and controlled the dead man’s body within it, creating the false impression that there are still people in the Yunjian Sect.”
He glanced at Yun Zhou and Yun Yao: “You’d better be prepared. Your ‘Sect Leader’ might just be a corpse controlled by someone else.”
Yun Zhou’s hand holding the scabbard trembled.
“Brute,” he said.
Yun Yao’s face was cold, and he remained silent.
An Wuxue stood calmly to one side.
He could tell, and Xie Zhefeng must have seen it too.
There was a great demon in the Yunjian Sect.
Once they stepped into the mountain gate, the Yunjian Sect behind the illusion would likely be completely different from the Yunjian Sect they were seeing now.
An Wuxue quietly looked around.
Xie Zhefeng would definitely enter the Yunjian Sect in a moment. Was now a good opportunity?
If he used the excuse of his low cultivation to stay outside the gate, could he slip away while these people were inside investigating…
“Su Xue.”
An Wuxue was startled and realized the person calling him was Xie Zhefeng.
He cast a confused look.
The man took out a spiritual pouch from the sleeve of his Daoist robe, loosened it, and held it out to him on his palm.
The moment the spiritual pouch approached An Wuxue, even before the things inside were revealed, he felt a wave of warmth in his soul.
Inside this was…
Xie Zhefeng said indifferently: “The Soul-Nurturing Tree Spirit.”
The expressions of Jiang Qing, Yun Zhou, and Yun Yao all froze.
The figure of the Yunjian Sect Leader was getting closer and closer.
An Wuxue suddenly felt that things were not good.
What was Xie Zhefeng doing?
He said with some difficulty: “I’ve heard Yun Zhou say that this is a unique treasure in the four seas and two realms. Why is Daoist Xie opening such a precious spiritual item for me?”
The man said to him: “Holding the Soul-Nurturing Tree Spirit, when the tree spirit comes into contact with the aura of a living person, it can reflect a person’s life and death, and clearly distinguish the resentment of the deceased.”
“Then how does this relate to me…”
“Hold the tree spirit in your hand and shine it on the Yunjian Sect Leader. If even a trace of soul or resentment remains in the Yunjian Sect Leader’s corpse, we will be able to see some clues of what happened that day.”
An Wuxue lowered his gaze and didn’t move.
His hands were hidden under his drooping robes, his nails digging into his palms, his knuckles gradually turning white from the exertion.
The Soul-Nurturing Tree Spirit could reflect the life and death of the deceased.
That was nothing.
But the “deceased” present was not just the Yunjian Sect Leader.