Chapter 41#

When the Tianya Haijiao Talisman arrived from afar, An Wuxue happened to be “passing by” the entrance of Shuanghai.

He pretended to be taking a stroll, slowly walking toward the fake soul-calling bell he had swapped in.

Even though it had been swapped for so long, the soul-calling bell still hung there quietly, and surprisingly, no one had noticed anything wrong.

Even Xie Zhefeng seemed to have no inkling of it.

He had originally swapped the soul-calling bell because he didn’t know that the furnace seal could not be undone at all, and he was thinking of leaving this place quickly. However, Xie Zhefeng had issued a mountain-sealing order. If he wanted to leave, he had to borrow Xie Zhefeng’s aura on the soul-calling bell to activate the mountain-protecting array.

But afterward, something happened to the Yunjian Sect, and he ended up going to Zhaoshui City by chance. Now that he had returned, he was about to go to the Northern Abyss with Xie Zhefeng.

Due to the existence of the furnace seal, he was no longer in such a hurry to leave.

But… after all this time, Xie Zhefeng actually hadn’t noticed?

As long as someone came to visit Shuanghai and couldn’t make it ring, wouldn’t this fake soul-calling bell be exposed?

He was somewhat puzzled.

But not being exposed was a good thing after all. He stared at the fake soul-calling bell, wanting to swap the real one back.

However, although the mountain-sealing order had long been lifted, Xie Zhefeng’s inner demons had become increasingly severe, and the number of disciples guarding Shuanghai had increased instead of decreased.

Just as he arrived here, wanting to see if he could quietly swap the soul-calling bell back, a disciple appeared and bowed: “Does Young Master Su have any instructions?”

In the eyes of the Shuanghai disciples, his public identity was the furnace of Immortal Venerable Chuhan, so they naturally treated him with a certain level of courtesy.

He looked toward the source of the voice and found that it was the female disciple who had led the way and settled him in on the day he first arrived at Shuanghai.

His eyes shifted slightly as he said intentionally, “I’m just taking a casual walk. Seeing this soul-calling bell, I suddenly felt a bit curious—it seems that since I started living in Shuanghai, this soul-calling bell has always been hanging here. I only know that ordinary cultivators hang soul-calling bells to welcome guests. For someone of the Immortal Venerable’s status, does he always keep it hanging as well?”

The female disciple smiled and said, “Among those who visit Shuanghai, Young Master Su is not the first to have this doubt.”

“Oh?”

“This soul-calling bell might just be something the Immortal Venerable is used to hanging; not many people ring it. I was puzzled when I first arrived, but other senior brothers and sisters always use transmission talink to find the Immortal Venerable, so I followed suit. Perhaps everyone is afraid of disturbing the Immortal Venerable’s soul with trivial matters. In all these years, there haven’t been any major issues that required ringing the soul-calling bell, so it has just been hanging there.”

So that was it.

No one rang it, so it seemed there wouldn’t be any trouble for the time being.

He would find an opportunity to sneakily swap it back later.

“Huh?” The female disciple was slightly surprised. “Young Master Su has already reached the Dacheng stage so quickly?”

An Wuxue did not conceal the spiritual power fluctuations on his body and was not surprised by this. He said casually, “Mm, a while ago I went to Zhaoshui City with the Immortal Venerable and happened to obtain some opportunities from predecessors.”

The female disciple’s expression paused. “Zhaoshui City…”

She sighed, “Speaking of which, I only met Young Master Su today and haven’t had the chance to apologize to you.”

“I was cared for by this senior sister on the day I first arrived. It should be me thanking you; why should senior sister apologize to me?”

His expression was easygoing, and his voice was light.

The female disciple regained her smile: “That night I told you not to mention the previous First Seat in the sect. It was because I speculated based on the attitude of the elders in the sect. Since you mentioned the matter of Zhaoshui, I realized that I might have been wrong before…”

As she spoke, she glanced in the direction of the Sword-Honing Stone on Luoyue Peak, her face showing worry. “The events of a thousand years ago are unclear, and no one knows how much falsehood is mixed in the rumors… Since that First Seat was worthy of Zhaoshui, how could he not be worthy of Luoyue? It turns out the elders in the sect don’t mention him not because they dislike him, but because of regret. I actually thought he had shamed the sect and almost misled you. I not only need to apologize to you but also to that First Seat—pity…”

An Wuxue was grateful for her guidance that night and originally wanted to chat with her, but when this was mentioned, his lips were tightly pursed, and he was unable to respond.

The female disciple continued as if talking to herself: “I often pass by the Sword-Honing Stone and see the sword marks he left behind. The sword marks on the stone all have masters, all coming from the ascended geniuses of the sect. Only he…”

“Alas, how did he end up going astray, harming the Lihuo Sect, and then cultivating turbid qi and falling into the demonic path?”

An Wuxue finally said, “Those are just past matters that have already been settled. Perhaps he himself no longer wishes to discuss them. Senior sister need not worry.”

The female disciple opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something.

At this moment, a burst of spiritual power fluctuations brought a clear breeze, and a large group of cultivators suddenly appeared before Shuanghai, descending on their swords.

The newcomers all had Luoyue Peak disciple plaques hanging from their waists. The lowest among them was at the Dacheng stage, and at the very front was even a cultivator in the middle stage of Dujie.

This cultivator looked as though his lifespan was nearing its end. He could barely be counted among the ranks of experts, but he could not be considered a genius.

An Wuxue did not recognize the face of this Dujie cultivator; he must have entered the Dujie stage after An Wuxue’s fall.

The Dujie cultivator held a Tianya Haijiao Talisman in his hand.

An Wuxue narrowed his eyes and frowned.

Every sect has its own methods for crafting talismans and casting curses, and the techniques of each sect are different. He was extremely familiar with the method used for this Tianya Haijiao Talisman; he could even tell at a glance that it was the work of Shangguan Liaoliao.

A transmission talisman from the Northern Abyss, such a large commotion from Luoyue Peak…

He couldn’t help but stare at the transmission talisman and think. However, the Dujie cultivator stepped forward without hesitation. Seeing him standing leisurely in front of the Immortal Venerable’s cave dwelling, not wearing the Luoyue disciple uniform or carrying a Luoyue disciple plaque, and clearly not a member of the sect, the cultivator directly used spiritual power to push him aside and said to the female disciple: “How can you be so lacking in etiquette, chatting with an idle person in front of the Immortal Venerable’s cave dwelling? I have a matter to report to the Immortal Venerable. Convey it.”

The female disciple’s expression was indignant. After enduring for a moment, she threw out a transmission talisman curse without a word to report to Xie Zhefeng.

She didn’t dare to speak, but An Wuxue let out a sneer: “Lacking in etiquette? What is etiquette? Is it putting on the airs of a Dujie stage cultivator and looking down on people, or is it overstepping one’s bounds to manage things that even the Immortal Venerable doesn’t care about?”

The disciple was startled. She hadn’t expected An Wuxue, who had been speaking so gently just now, to be so sharp at this moment.

The newcomer was even more enraged: “I heard that the Immortal Venerable is keeping a furnace on Shuanghai; that must be you, right? You aren’t even a disciple of Luoyue Peak, yet you dare to be so sharp-tongued toward me?”

An Wuxue’s gaze paused.

The man thought he had hit An Wuxue’s sore spot, so he tilted his chin slightly and stood with his hands behind his back.

In the next moment, An Wuxue chuckled.

He said indifferently, “I am indeed not a Luoyue disciple. But isn’t that better than someone who is clearly in the number one sect of the cultivation world, who once had some talent and entered the Dujie stage, but ended up losing his original intention due to conceit and arrogance, stagnating at the middle stage of Dujie without being able to make any progress?”

The man was stunned.

The cultivators around him realized something and lowered their heads one after another.

He suddenly reacted: “You’re insulting me? How do you know that I—”

“What matter do you have to report?”

A man’s cold voice came through.

In the blink of an eye, Xie Zhefeng stood before everyone, his expression like a pool of stagnant water, without a hint of emotion.

The female disciple bowed her head in greeting. An Wuxue’s expression stiffened, and he looked away.

The Dujie cultivator hastily suppressed his anger and presented the Tianya Haijiao Talisman: “Immortal Venerable, a transmission has drifted in from the Northern Abyss. It should have been Elder Qin’s turn to guard the sect recently, but Elder Qin seems to have gone out on a secret matter more than two months ago. I am temporarily taking over this duty. I received the transmission talisman and opened it. City Lord Shangguan said this talisman is wrapped in another layer of transmission that must be personally opened by the Immortal Venerable…”

Xie Zhefeng didn’t move, only casting a side glance at An Wuxue.

An Wuxue didn’t move either, lowering his eyes and avoiding his gaze.

With a movement of spiritual power in Xie Zhefeng’s hand, the transmission talisman was instantly drawn into his palm.

As he was opening the talisman, the others naturally didn’t dare to move, and the surroundings were dead silent.

Only then did An Wuxue secretly lift his eyes, noticing that Xie Zhefeng’s brow was furrowing more and more.

Such a solemn transmission talisman, combined with Xie Zhefeng’s expression…

Had something happened on Shangguan Liaoliao’s side?

The last time he saw her, she had said she had been feeling uneasy lately. Now she had suddenly sent such a solemn transmission to Xie Zhefeng, yet she hadn’t come herself.

—Had something happened to the Northern Abyss!?

Just as the thought arose, Xie Zhefeng said in a deep voice, “The Northern Abyss Sword has been eroded by turbid qi. A Great Demon has appeared in the city, and the turbid qi in the Sea of Hades is surging. Currently, all forty-nine cities of the Northern Abyss are sealed.”

This short sentence contained enough meaning to shake the current situation of the two realms.

The Dujie cultivator’s face turned pale instantly. Everyone knelt down, and even the female disciple beside An Wuxue fell to her knees with a “thud,” not daring to make a sound.

An Wuxue did not move an inch.

He suddenly widened his eyes, his breath hitching.

The Northern Abyss Sword was eroded by turbid qi!?

All forty-nine cities sealed!???

Such a situation was rare even during the Immortal Calamity a thousand years ago.

There were many experts in the Northern Abyss, and Shangguan Liaoliao was even at the Half-Step Ascension stage. How could it suddenly fall into such a state now, when the four seas were peaceful?

He remembered when something happened in Zhaoshui, the Zhaoshui City Lord seemed to say that Jiang Qing had to rush back immediately because of an emergency in the Northern Abyss…

Could there have been signs several months ago?

“The sealing of the Northern Abyss should have only happened in the last day or two,” Xie Zhefeng said. “The Sea of Hades is vast; this matter cannot be suppressed. You all pass the orders to the various peaks to perform their duties. Devise an excuse to temporarily hide the true reason for the Northern Abyss’s sealing and stabilize the situation in the two realms.”

Everyone hurriedly said, “Yes.”

“I will go to the Northern Abyss first to investigate, departing tomorrow. After entering the city, if necessary, I will issue orders using the Tianya Haijiao Talisman. All disciples above the Dacheng stage, peak masters, and elders in the sect are to stand by.”

“Yes.”

“Dismissed. Someone needs to be in charge while I am away from the sect. Have Xuanfang come to see me.”

The crowd hurriedly withdrew. Even the female disciple who had been chatting with An Wuxue earlier withdrew respectfully with her head bowed.

As the Dujie stage cultivator who had come to report was about to leave on his sword, Xie Zhefeng suddenly said, “What Su Xue said just now is not false. You are impetuous and arrogant, so much so that your words and deeds are unseemly, unworthy of the Dujie stage. Go and receive seven days of punishment in the Canggu Tower to temper your disposition. Luoyue Peak does not lack Dujie stage cultivators with unstable mental states.”

Entering the Canggu Tower for seven days—even if it wasn’t the top floor, one would lose a layer of skin even if they didn’t die.

The man’s whole body went limp, and he wanted to beg for mercy, but Xie Zhefeng waved his sleeve and took An Wuxue away with him.

An Wuxue was still thinking about what exactly had happened to the Northern Abyss City and the Northern Abyss Sword when the world suddenly spun before his eyes. When he stood firm again, he had returned to the small courtyard where he resided.

Yun Wan was still practicing swordplay in the courtyard. Seeing the two of them suddenly appear, she was so startled she almost dropped her sword.

“Immortal Venerable, Young Master Su—”

Xie Zhefeng did not pause at all, pulling An Wuxue directly into the room, leaving only a “bang” as the door closed.

Inside the room.

An Wuxue abruptly shook off Xie Zhefeng’s hand and said sharply, “What’s wrong with the Immortal Venerable now?”

Xie Zhefeng didn’t speak.

This man first looked down at the hand that had been shaken off, his fingertips curling and trembling slightly, and then looked back at him.

It was as if he were anticipating something, yet also afraid.

As if he were in sorrow, yet also happy.

Those eyes were as black as the deep night, yet seemed to contain frosted stars. For a moment, he actually couldn’t understand what Xie Zhefeng was thinking.

He only heard the man ask him, “You are currently only at the late stage of Dacheng. How could you see the reason for someone else’s stagnation at the middle stage of Dujie at a glance just now?”

So he had heard it.

Maintaining his composure, An Wuxue said neither humbly nor arrogantly, “What does the Immortal Venerable want to hear this time?”

Xie Zhefeng’s expression paused.

He said, “My answer is: that peak master has cultivated to the Dujie stage, yet his words and deeds are not even equal to an ordinary disciple’s. Anyone could guess why his cultivation cannot progress further. I naturally poked at his sore spot like that just to vent my anger.”

“Every time the Immortal Venerable asks, I answer truthfully like this.”

Contrary to his usual behavior, he took a step forward.

Xie Zhefeng’s cold aura brushed against his face, surrounding him. He forced himself to suppress the urge to flee, meeting the man’s complex gaze as he walked right up to him.

“But the Immortal Venerable clearly doesn’t want to hear this answer. Yet the Immortal Venerable clearly refused to dual cultivate with me last time… Oh, I see. Is it because of the inner demon?”

His own entire body was tense, and his heart felt as if it were hung high by something, blocking his throat and making it difficult for him to breathe.

But he would rather be blocked like this than face the Xie Zhefeng who treated him as his senior brother.

He leaned in, tugged at his junior brother’s sleeve, and let out a soft chuckle.

“It’s the inner demon that hopes I am him, the Immortal Venerable who is afraid I am him, and ‘you all’ who want me to be him. In that case, next time the Immortal Venerable shouldn’t ask so indirectly. When you want me to be him, just tell me directly. After all, I still rely on the Immortal Venerable a great deal; I am willing to cooperate with the Immortal Venerable and pretend to be someone else.”

Xie Zhefeng’s breath hitched.

“…Why don’t you call me Senior Brother anymore?” He smiled until his eyes were curved, repeating his old trick, “Junior Brother.”