With Elder Yan’s command, the entire Kun-Lai expedition forces sprang into action.

The grudge between Ziyun Dao and Kun-Lai had existed since the great battle a hundred years ago. Back then, with Great Sages involved, Kun-Lai’s focus was entirely on the Great Sages, and they had no time to retaliate against these shrimps, feeling extremely aggrieved.

This time, stopping by on their route was inherently a show of force, but since the other side had not taken action, Kun-Lai was also reluctant to start a conflict.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

However, now that the battle had begun, it didn’t matter whether it was Peak Master An or the Ziyun Dao elder who was at fault. The fight was on!

Almost all the disciples instantly returned to the flying peaks. The peaks’ great wards could be activated at any time, with invisible ripples immediately spreading to automatically block attacks from outside the wards—not because the Kun-Lai disciples feared casualties, but to protect the flying peaks and its contents from harm.

On the opposite side, purple-robed cultivators flew out of the city. Seven of them automatically formed a formation, their robes and spiritual swords working in conjunction with the formation. As they acted, the Seven Stars glowed, greatly enhancing their power.

These cultivators included both Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages, nearly a thousand in number, which should be the limit here. They did not attack the ward-activated flying peaks but focused on encircling and exterminating the scattered Kun-Lai cultivators outside the flying peaks.

A squad of Ziyun Dao cultivators surrounded a Nascent Soul Kun-Lai cultivator, who, judging by his robes, was a medical cultivator. The medical cultivator calmly threw out a breaking formation stone.

The small formation stone seemed to be stimulated by the formation’s true essence, instantly emitting countless rays of light, absorbing the true essence, and turning into numerous fragments that exploded into the bodies of the Ziyun Dao cultivators, causing their meridians to reverse and nearly fall from the sky.

“Retreat!” The leading Nascent Soul cultivator of Ziyun Dao roared in anger. Cultivators’ fights are often determined by the smallest margin. Their true essence was unstable now, and they couldn’t continue fighting this person, even though the opponent had barely fought back earlier.

“Don’t run, don’t run!” The previously calm medical cultivator suddenly exclaimed, his ten fingers moving quickly to throw out ten more stones!

Their formation had not yet stopped when the ten stones, optimized over ten years by Senior Brother Yang from Kun-Lai’s Taiyi Peak, were quickly triggered by the formation’s true essence, exploding into countless fragments. These fragments followed the true essence and sought out their acupoints, creating chaos in their true essence. Even though they immediately used methods to block it, many fragments as fine as grains of sand entered their acupoints, disrupting their true essence. Except for the leading Nascent Soul cultivator, the rest of the Golden Core cultivators he led, like pigeons shot by arrows, fell from the sky with several thuds.

The Nascent Soul cultivator immediately fled at high speed, knowing he couldn’t be caught. The medical cultivator ignored him, only taking out his spiritual tools and, with a smile, confined the six Ziyun Dao cultivators on the ground, disregarding their expressions of resignation, and contentedly dragged them to the nearby flying peak.

Before the Nascent Soul cultivator had even run a few steps, a golden-robed sword cultivator appeared, holding a Ziyun Dao cultivator who was already knocked out, and smiled as he blocked his way.

Before the Nascent Soul cultivator could speak, he suddenly felt faint and fell from the sky, caught by a large net and landed in the hands of a black-robed cultivator with jellyfish patterns.

“The trash from Poison Peak, put that person down! That’s mine.” The Sword Peak cultivator roared in anger, pointing his sword directly at his opponent’s nose.

“This one will be shared with you later, there are more over there, and you’re quick, so help out,” the black-robed cultivator said, pointing to the fleeing ones nearby, instructing him to hurry. At that moment, the sword cultivator suddenly swung his sword, and the poison cultivator was momentarily stunned, thinking it wasn’t worth it for just a prisoner, but didn’t dodge.

With a loud bang, the sword cultivator’s strike blocked the approaching purple-gold needle spiritual tool, and the attacking Ziyun Dao cultivator, realizing they couldn’t save their companion, turned into a streak of sword light and fell towards the city.

The sword cultivator immediately chased after him.

In the meantime, injured Kun-Lai cultivators returned to the flying peaks, where medical cultivators went forward to treat them. They had been waiting for a long time, but Qingnu was displeased by the wounded’s cries of “Don’t send me to Demoness Qingnu” and only grumbled a bit.

Within less than an hour, the battle ceased.

Although Feng Qingxiu remained on the flying peak, his formless sword energy was fearsome and sharp, even heavily injuring a Ziyun Dao cultivator at the Demigod stage. After falling down to the flying peak and captured, he was bought at a high price by the excited Qingnu.

As for what Qingnu would do with her newly purchased guinea pig, Feng Qingxiu didn’t dare to investigate further. After all, no one had ever died under Qingnu’s administrations, so he could only comfort himself in this way.

The battle between Peak Master An and the Ziyun Dao First Elder Yan Hui continued in the sky, while the city’s protective ward was also activated. Some Kun-Lai disciples were still in the city, presumably captured or hiding, but some casualty in such a battle among cultivators was unavoidable.

“Why don’t we help Peak Master An?” Feng Qingxiu looked worriedly at the sky.

You Jia, with eight tentacles out, casually answered while rummaging through the ten or so captives next to him, “Peak Master An fights indiscriminately. Anyone who goes to join will be hit. Elder Bai and Elder Yan went to help her once in the past and were beaten up for their trouble. Elder Yan even got a black eye. Later, it was stipulated that Peak Master An’s battles must be fought by her alone.”

“Don’t worry, she enjoys these life-and-death battles,” said a huge white squid—at least ten times larger than You Jia—who, with his pitch-black eyes, wrapped up You Jia and his captives. You Jia and his eight tentacles each wielding a sword made a futile struggle as he was only able to slice off a few of his strong suction cups. The giant squid continued in a deep, magnetic voice, “The feeling of dancing on the sword’s edge drinking fresh blood and skirting the line between life and death is her favorite and greatest pleasure.”

However, his son clearly showed no interest in his words!

“You Bazhua, you’re not a squid, let me go. These are my captives!” You Jia angrily hacked at him.

“Some of the Sword Peak disciples just said you were using your extra hands to steal quarry, which is wrong,” the white squid admonished him gently, lifting him away, and then said to Feng Qingxiu, “I’ll be leaving now. Once we’re done dividing the spoils, we’ll have Qingnu come to buy people. The original prices remain unchanged.”

Feng Qingxiu was momentarily at a loss for words.

“It’s fine,” Madam Guan comforted him gently. “Medical cultivators are not like pill or poison cultivators. New disciples need practice, and if not practiced on other sects, then it’s on our Kun-Lai people.”

Feng Qingxiu couldn’t help but smile, “I’m not opposed, just relieved that there are plenty of opportunities for practice during the expedition.”

They chatted a bit more and then looked at the cultivators in the sky. The Ziyun Dao cultivator controlling the large formation in the city was gradually falling behind in the battle against Peak Master An.

Feng Qingxiu, currently observing, noticed that his vision was gradually becoming clearer. Initially, he couldn’t see the details of the great battle, but now he could discern every detail, even observing that the enemy was completely not used to Peak Master An’s rhythm.

Peak Master An was a battle fanatic, confident in every strike and form. She dared to exchange wounds for wounds and lives for lives. Even though she was covered in blood, her demeanor remained proud and unrestrained. Her movements were grand and forceful, each sword strike heavier than the last, each form more fierce. Feng Qingxiu felt that her graceful, slender body contained not human blood and flesh but the essence of an ancient primordial beast.

The elder of the Ziyun Dao sect wielded a light and ever-changing sword technique, full of profound subtleties. However, despite his countless variations, Peak Master An could always find the unchanging point amidst the endless transformations, forcing the elder to compete in terms of spiritual power. Both the elder’s hand holding the sword and Peak Master An’s hand were drenched in blood from the shock of their clashes.

With the same injuries, Peak Master An’s grip on her sword only tightened, while the elder’s stance grew increasingly unstable.

Finally, Peak Master An let out a long, hearty laugh. Sword energy surged like the Milky Way, with immense stars rising behind her. She seized the opening her opponent gave her from prolonged battle and struck down fiercely.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

The opponent, unwilling to be outdone, unleashed a full-force sword attack, his sword transforming into that of a swallow, as if vowing to traverse the endless river and sea of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning.

In the sky, the stars and the giant swallow collided violently.

After a moment of stalemate, the stars fell, crashing the giant swallow and the elder into the earth.

Fantastic!

Feng Qingxiu clenched the paper man tightly and, along with all the disciples, cheered loudly!

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As the voice spoke, a figure slowly emerged from the void—white-haired and clad in dark robes, cold and aloof, as if a god walking down from the distant celestial river in the skies. You could see him, but there was an immeasurable distance between them, a gap that neither mortal hearts nor minds could bridge.

The expression of the young man in green opposite him seemed to darken for a moment. His demeanor was warm and gentle, like green mountains and flowing waters, ever-present. Even under the luminescence of the high, solitary moon, his charm remained undiminished. The two of them, together, seemed to harmonize like the bright moon illuminating pine and spring, without a hint of earthly smoke.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

He seemed to want to speak, but after a long while, he lightly sighed and said, “It’s not that I’m unwilling, but now, what is there left for us to say?”

The meaning behind those words was too profound, too much for Ji Yunlai to contemplate.

Before meeting him, Ji Yunlai had already sensed his own attitude toward this person. He must have seen him somewhere before or even crossed paths with him because he felt a deep and resolute imprint on his soul. He could even deduce what he had said to this person the last time they met.

Thus, he naturally expressed his thoughts and raised his hand, saying, “I’ve said before, if we meet again, I will kill you.”

As he raised his hand, a formless, almost invisible sword energy appeared at his fingertips. Yet, even this faint hint of energy caused the surrounding illusory space to begin trembling uneasily, as if paper feared a cutting blade and wax feared fire.

“If you return the Three Lives Stone to me, there would be no need to kill me,” the other sighed softly. “If the Nine Abyss is not opened, our entanglement will only cause more casualties.”

Ji Yunlai listened silently, feeling an intense anger and a chilling coldness in his heart, so he did not respond.

He only extended his hand and drew a sword.

No answer was needed; his sword was his answer.

The young man closed his eyes, and the surrounding chaotic void suddenly became clear—trees, forests, green mountains, flowing water, even the white clouds in the sky, and the flowers and birds—all were visible, all were clear.

The sword energy, which was usually so fiercely lethal, seemed to be dispelled by this vibrant life, turning harmless, becoming a gentle breeze in the void.

Ji Yunlai’s invincible sword energy encountered such an obstacle for the first time.

The young man then slowly said, “Even so, I still want to speak with you. The events of the past, though partly my fault, were largely the will of heaven. Your resentment is misplaced.”

Ji Yunlai’s expression remained cold, and then he raised his hand again.

The young man’s smile was slightly bitter.

Because this time, the sword energy was no longer the small trace from just now.

Instead, it filled the entire sky, so numerous that even he could not count them all at once.

The surrounding mountains and waters, once like a dream, were now shattered and broken, precisely the most troublesome scenario for him.

Even though he had served as a high priest for thousands of years in the Great Xuan Dynasty, later orchestrating the chaos among princes and collecting countless cultivation methods from the world, he could only remain helpless in the face of Ji Yunlai.

To him, the Xing Dao Master was not impressive in the art of utilizing spiritual techniques.

Yet, this was how it was—no matter how many marvelous methods and techniques one had in their arsenal, Ji Yunlai would still break through with a single sword in hand.

It was true then, and it remains true now.

The Way of Heaven and the Way of Man are all insignificant, the young man smiled bitterly for a moment, then dissipated into a bubble of illusion.

He had come as a split divine consciousness, carrying just enough power to build a small mirage world. Now, with Ji Yunlai’s destruction, the divine consciousness vanished as well.

As the gentle breeze passed, the illusion receded. The long street was lively with people coming and going. Yang Fuyin, before he could even call out to the Sect Leader with joy, saw the other had already disappeared.

***

Master still doesn’t want to see me, Yang Fuyin lowered his head in disappointment.

On the other side.

After Ji Yunlai returned to Zhuiyun Peak, he transformed into a piece of paper and fell back onto Xiao Qing.

He needed to take a rest.

This piece of paper was made from a special jade paper he had personally made, but it still could not bear his immense power. If he did not transform back quickly, it would turn to ashes like before.

Then he would have to throw out another talisman and find a particularly fast beast to deliver it to Xiao Qing.

But the distance was so great that it would take another month of flight.

As for what Yang Fuyin wanted to say to him, Xiao Qing could relay the message.

He had a premonition that the matters of the Yuntian Domain were not over yet, and he could not let this fragment of his divine consciousness return to its main body so soon.

Today, that person was quite impressive, with the five elements perpetually sustaining each other and the aura of Heaven and Earth supporting him. This did not align with the cultivation principles of the other three major sects, so it must be the legendary Great Xuan High Priest.

And what are the Three Lives Stone and Nine Abyss? What are those?

Moreover, the aura was very familiar, and the tone was very familiar—thinking about the day he became the Sect Leader, the backup memories of that disdainful remark, “How deep does blood even run?”

…Ji Yunlai had a very unpleasant guess.

If his suspicion were true, how unlucky had his past self been a thousand years ago?

High Priest, if I were to beg you, please don’t be my uncle Luo Qingxiao, would it be too late now?

At least let me keep a shred of hope for my old life.

Ji Yunlai pressed his chest and did not feel much pain, as if it had been thoroughly cleared out.

But he could imagine how much of a blow this would have been to him at that time.

At the age of five, when he awakened in this new young body, the first person he saw was not his mother but his uncle Luo Qingxiao—his parents had long passed away. Although he never lacked for food in the clan, the person who cared for him the most and guided him onto the path of cultivation was this uncle.

Later, preparing to venture into the path of cultivation, it was also thanks to his uncle’s guidance and education.

So… this feels very ominous.

Suddenly, he felt a weight on him, but it was the sleeping Xiao Qing instinctively clutching his chest.

The emptiness and strange emotions within Ji Yunlai gradually receded, calming down. He had another flash of heavenly insight and began to deduce the previous events, including Yang Fuyin and Qiu Yuansheng who was imprisoned in his eye.

***

Yang Fuyin returned to the flying peak and recounted the recent events to the two elders.

“You said the Sect Leader appeared to save you,” Bai Shuixian said, already aware that Yang Fuyin wouldn’t lie about such things. She felt something was off and shook her head, “Earlier, during the Dragon-Phoenix Selection, the master of the flying peak mentioned that the Sect Leader had once appeared beside Feng Qingxiu, so is he now again following his apprentice?”

“Back then, I didn’t see him so attentive towards Li Xianjing,” Yan Zhao said with slight jealousy, “Who exactly did the Sect Leader repel? One of the three Human Immortals or the Great Xuan High Priest?”

Among the human race, only these four could spar with the Sect Leader on equal footing.

Yang Fuyin lightly pressed his right eye, and Qiu Yuansheng appeared in the main hall, looking at him with a speechless expression.

“Junior Brother Qiu, are you going to tell us who that was?” Yang Fuyin asked mildly, “You know, we could ask the Sect Leader the same question.”

“Alright, that was the Great Xuan High Priest,” Qiu Yuansheng admitted with a nod, “But I did not follow his orders.”

Yan Zhao’s demeanor turned cold instantly, and Bai Shuixian watched him silently.

“How about this. The Mountain Patrol Bureau has plenty of mind-reading techniques, which you can use to check my memories and see if there’s anything,” Qiu Yuansheng said calmly, “Anyone can have a look.”

The mind-reading technique is a method of probing memories, and a slight mistake can lead to the destruction of one’s sea of consciousness, with lighter cases leading to madness and heavier ones to idiocy.

“I’ll do it,” Yang Fuyin said coldly.

Qiu Yuansheng made a gesture of invitation.

Yang Fuyin extended a finger and delved into his forehead where his sea of consciousness was located, penetrating into his spiritual soul.

Countless bubbles surrounded him, and in an instant, he saw the most profound scenes.

A tall, elegant, godlike youth picked him up from the grass and sighed softly, “You’ve been hungry for two days, yet you can still call me to save you. Heaven envies such that it does not want you to be alive in this world; saving you is going against Heaven.”

Various scenes flashed by, quickly showing the baby’s memories over the years. He was learning, and in another scene, he read books that others found obscure with ease. The godlike youth praised him, “Even in the ten thousand years of the Great Xuan, few are as extraordinary as Ah Sheng.”

In the blink of an eye, he saw the child asking the youth for cultivation books, but the youth smiled and said, “My techniques are outdated. It’s better to go to Kun-Lai for learning; it won’t waste your talent.” The child slyly asked, “Priest, are you asking me to go to Kun-Lai to be your spy?” The youth laughed, “No, Kun-Lai is where you can showcase your talents. After ten years, when you attend the Mountain Ascension Ceremony, it won’t be too late to choose.”

The child grew up into a handsome youth, made a great impression on the sect, and later said to a spirit demon, “You want to go to Kun-Lai? It’s difficult. I also think Kun-Lai is quite good and don’t want to go back.”

Then came scenes of him drawing various alchemical pill formulas and casually handing them out. Following that was his time at Qingdi Peak, where he did not waste his talent and learned exceptionally well.

Then the scene changed to the upheaval at Qingdi Peak. He was sent with fellow disciples to seek help, but along the way, Ziyun Dao pursued them relentlessly. To save him, his companions sacrificed themselves, leaving him the only survivor, severely injured and delayed, until he was eventually rescued by the later Sect Leader’s reinforcements.

Later, he returned to the sect and ascended a mountain…

Yang Fuyin was puzzled, wondering why no signs from a hundred years ago were detected.

As he was about to look further, he suddenly felt his strength waning and was bounced back from the other’s sea of consciousness.

He had been watching for too long, and their sea of consciousness was out of sync. As it was about to go wrong, it was interrupted by Bai Shuixian.

Qiu Yuansheng, sweating profusely, weakly asked, “How is it?”

“Although I haven’t found any problems for now, you should understand that it’s related to the High Priest. You will no longer be able to control the Pill Peak,” Yang Fuyin also suffered significant damage. He was tempted to deal with him directly, but recalling Master’s teachings, he ultimately repeated what he had seen in the other’s memories, “And when you recover, I will review the parts I haven’t seen yet!”

“Do as you wish.” Qiu Yuansheng snorted coldly, “This matter will be decided by the Sect Leader when we return. To avoid suspicion, I won’t return to the Pill Peak for now and will stay here with the elders.”

Lest he ended up being locked up again, he thought.

He only made a small push to let the High Priest come to Kun-Lai back then, leaving no trace himself.

However, he and the High Priest had a tacit understanding; some things didn’t even need to be spoken.

Of course you definitely wouldn’t see anything from a hundred years ago.

Should’ve looked from the end to the beginning~

Qiu Yuansheng’s lips curled into a slight smile.

Yang Fuyin turned and left, realizing that his impatience after meeting Second Master led him to try to resolve everything at once, which ended up not directly convicting him. However, he had already committed the previous memories to his mind and could certainly deduce the clues, making sure he wouldn’t get another chance!

Yan Zhao reached out to restrain Qiu Yuansheng’s meridians, ordering his capture. No matter what, the suspicion of colluding with outside factions still remained.

Bai Shuixian’s expression was gloomy, and she did not speak.

At that moment, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from within Ziyun Dao City, and a sword light appeared in the sky, almost covering half the sky like a peacock spreading its feathers.

Then, a world-shattering light tore through the peacock screen, forcefully smashing the enemy into the ground and creating a giant pit.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Simultaneously, countless sword lights appeared, as if Ziyun Dao had brought their entire force.

“The Yanque Sword Technique—only Ziyun Dao Elder Yan Hui can match An Xian in a single move,” Bai Shuixian recognized at a glance. “What’s happening now?”

“Ziyun Dao…” Yan Zhao nodded, “In that case, let’s start the battle. I’ve wanted to deal with them for a long time.”

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Xiao Qing looked so embarrassed when he left that Ji Yunlai couldn’t help but laugh for a long time. Then, recalling the little clothes his apprentice made for the his figurines, he suddenly felt a bit melancholic. It was clearly an ordinary room, yet it felt as though he had spent a long time guarding an empty house. 

He suddenly felt a chill of discomfort. I’m supposed to be a CEO, a winner in life—how could I feel like this? Forget it, forget it!

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

He leaned by the window, straining to hear how Xiao Qing was persuading Yan Zhao and Bai Shuixian. Over there, they were at an impasse. Although Xiao Qing’s status was special, he was still too young. While Yan Zhao and Bai Shuixian valued his opinion, it wasn’t to the point where they would obey him unquestioningly.

Yan Zhao said, “I understand your point, but leaving like this would make it seem as if our Kun-Lai sect fears the Ziyun Dao sect.”

“Indeed,” Bai Shuixian added, “The Taiqing Sect and Tiandao Sect are both hostile towards Kun-Lai now. If we retreat too easily, it will damage Kun-Lai’s prestige. The three major sects are about to become four, and they won’t miss any opportunity to suppress us.”

Feng Qingxiu nodded but asked, “Kun-Lai’s strength is already equal to the major sects, so why won’t they acknowledge it?”

“It’s all about fortune and the human heart,” Yan Zhao replied coldly. “The three major sects have divided the world for a long time, recruiting the best talents from the four continents. If not for our Sect Leader starting from scratch in the Central Continent back then, they could easily have poached our talents during their selection rounds and condescendingly compensate us with some pills and spiritual items. They have this routine down to a fine art across the other four continents.”

“Back when Kun-Lai was still a small sect in the Central Continent, the Taiqing Sect came to select disciples and took many promising ones with excellent spiritual roots,” Bai Shuixian added, suddenly pausing before snorting coldly, “Many of the disciples that my senior brother had found with great spiritual potential were taken by them, and we had no choice but to comply. That place was practically the Taiqing Sect’s single domain.”

Feng Qingxiu mused, “So if Kun-Lai becomes one of the major sects, those with extraordinary talents who don’t want to join the other three sects will have another option, and other small sects that don’t want to submit might choose to align with Kun-Lai.”

“Exactly. The other three sects may seem agreeable during trade negotiations with us, but in their own territories, they refuse to let anyone mention Kun-Lai. So while Kun-Lai dominates the Western Continent, it has no reputation elsewhere,” Bai Shuixian explained in detail. “When the flying peak was first created, we planned to trade with the other four lands of the human race, but the Sect Leader instructed us to change our route, implying that going there would be like throwing dumplings to a dog—no chance of getting anything back.”

Feng Qingxiu nodded to show he understood but still opposed staying any longer. “This place belongs to the Ziyun Dao sect, and there’s already a track record of ambush. If we let them act freely, it would be too passive and wouldn’t show Kun-Lai’s true power.”

“You do have a point,” Bai Shuixian said, seeing his firm resolve. She exchanged a glance with Yan Zhao, and both understood each other’s thoughts. “Since you insist, we’ll follow your lead. After all, you are the future master of Kun-Lai.”

That title was too lofty, and Feng Qingxiu was momentarily taken aback. Shaking his head, he said, “Senior Aunt, you’re joking. My master is eternal; I’m far from being his equal.”

“Enough, your master has been wanting to hand over the reins for a long time,” Bai Shuixian sighed, shaking her head. “Although we wanted to teach the Ziyun Dao sect a good lesson this time, you are right as well. This is foreign territory; we should be cautious. Tomorrow, we’ll send the word and leave the day after.”

The flying peaks had disciples who had entered Ziyun City, so they needed to give them time to return. Being left behind in foreign territory was no laughing matter—not to mention the countless fierce beasts along the way, just the tens of thousands of miles would take them a year of constant flying to cover.

Feng Qingxiu nodded and took his leave.

Ji Yunlai thought to himself that his apprentice’s influence wasn’t strong enough yet, so he’d have to step in as support. Xiao Qing, don’t be so unhappy. I’m more than happy to let you lean on me.

On the other side, Feng Qingxiu returned to his own Zhuiyun Peak. Thinking back on the events earlier, he couldn’t help but cover his face in embarrassment.

He didn’t return to his room but turned toward a corner instead, standing coldly in the backlight, staring at his shadow.

The shadow, as if it were a real person, responded to him with cold indifference.

Feng Qingxiu was filled with anger but had no way to vent it.

It was too humiliating to punch the ground or the walls outside, so he couldn’t bring himself to do it—especially since his master was probably silently watching him from the room.

“Let’s make a deal. You can move however you want normally, but not when Master is around,” he bargained with his shadow. “That clothing—I need to find an opportunity to give it to Master. You can’t deliver it for me, understand?”

The shadow remained indifferent.

Feng Qingxiu almost wanted to hit it again, but with his master not far away, he maintained his composure. So instead, he unleashed a burst of sword energy from his fingertips, stabbing the shadow a few times.

But as the sword energy entered the shadow, a feeling of deep connection surged in his heart. He realized almost instantly that, if he wished, he could easily split his shadow into countless demonic shadows, capable of devouring souls and growing stronger.

Something seemed to be watching him coldly from the surrounding void, observing his every move with disdain and hostility, as if rejecting an anomaly in the group.

He suddenly loosened his grip, retracting his sword energy, only to find his palm already drenched in cold sweat.

Just now, the feeling of being able to control everything seemed like an illusion.

A gentle hand rested on his shoulder, the familiar sensation seemed to have a familiar power, gradually calming his heart.

The vast and terrifying intent in the void gradually receded.

Feng Qingxiu fell directly into Ji Yunlai’s arms.

Ji Yunlai embraced his apprentice, coldly staring into the void. He certainly felt the strange aura in the void and understood what had just happened.

When the sword energy of Xiao Qing’s celestial demon form entered the shadow of the demon, it connected with the celestial demon domain in the void. A new Great Demon King emerged in the void again. Although Xiao Qing’s cultivation was still shallow and the opponent’s intent could not hurt him, his body was inevitably impacted.

He’ll be fine after resting.

Ji Yunlai suddenly froze, puzzled for a moment.

…Why did I say “again”?

Carrying his apprentice back to the room, Ji Yunlai drew out the spiritual energy from the flying peak. After conversion, his somewhat ethereal body became solid again.

The new flying peaks, each of them could become his incarnation. With his divine consciousness, he could easily exert seventy percent of his full power… It just consumed some spiritual stones. Next time, he should remind Xiao Qing to be more careful; his shadow seems quite strange.

He looked at his apprentice on the bed, the moonlight spilling on the young face that had already matured.

His apprentice seemed to be growing more and more attractive.

As he was observing his apprentice to pass the time, the Sect Leader suddenly felt something with his spiritual sense and turned to look out the window at the mountain below.

***

An Xian did not kill Yan Ling, only severely injuring him. Bai Yue, in her haste, did not notice this.

Yang Fuyin noticed this and shook his head: “If you don’t save your senior brother now, he will really die.”

Bai Yue hurriedly looked down, pressed her senior brother’s pulse, and immediately tears fell like rain. She frantically recalled what her father had taught her years ago, feeling extremely flustered. But suddenly remembering something, she took out a pill and fed it to her senior brother.

Only then did Yan Ling start to breathe.

Bai Yue hurriedly took her senior brother away.

An Xian coldly said, “Why remind her?”

“You didn’t kill him because you want to keep him around to deal with later,” Yang Fuyin comforted, “Otherwise, if one sword strike did not even hit the mark, wouldn’t it be a waste of your years of cultivation?”

“I don’t need such rubbish to test my sword,” thinking of her daughter, Peak Master An almost clenched her fist, “She actually used a pill! Doesn’t she know she is from the Medicine Peak, following Bai Liu for a hundred years? What has she learned?”

“She really has no aptitude for learning. Her mind is hard to focus. It’s useless to be angry,” Yang Fuyin shook his head. “When you had her practice the sword back then, you were too strict. She developed a resistance to learning and cultivation.”

“People from the Sword Peak, practicing thirty thousand sword strikes a day is a low standard. At that time, I only required her to practice a thousand sword strikes a day, and she couldn’t handle it. Qingnu, who is ten years younger than her, practices three thousand sword strikes easily,” An Xian was almost enraged, “It’s all because of Yimeng Ruge’s excessive pampering. Every time I wanted to hit her, they stopped me.”

“Don’t mention Qingnu in front of her,” Yang Fuyin also shook his head. With Yimeng Qingnu around, Bai Yue could never win, leading to a natural resistance over time. As a fellow peak master’s daughter, Bai Yue ended up only being able to compare parents, making her more dependent on others later on.

“I know what you want to say. I’m fine. I’ll use Yan Ling to teach my daughter what’s right and wrong. Besides, I just had a practice fight with Ba Zhua and feel much better,” Peak Master An said mildly.

Yang Fuyin turned his head and indeed saw a nearly dying white squid in the corner, almost turned into a piece of dried squid skin, and was speechless.

After a long while, he said, “Do you also want to fight with Peak Master Shui?”

Making trouble for someone else’s husband, this was tantamount to slapping Peak Master Shui’s face.

“I’m not afraid of her,” Peak Master An said nonchalantly, “What she did to undermine my Sword Peak is exactly what I need to settle with her.”

Yang Fuyin was speechless, and he could only exchange a few more pleasantries before taking his leave.

Turning the street corner, he looked again at the elegant cultivator he had met before, who wanted to see the most outstanding talent from Kun-Lai.

A sudden alertness arose in his heart.

The surrounding wards began to glow.

The other party only smiled gently, but in that instant, the surrounding world seemed to become illusory and unsupported. Although his wards were ever-changing, the opponent used a cultivation level far beyond his to turn the surrounding world into a huge cage.

“If you don’t release me and clear the ward, without the cooperation of your two eyes in the Void Reversal Ward, you’ll be caught by him,” Qiu Yuansheng said coolly in his prison.

The High Priest really came. To make Senior Brother Yang release him, he even acted personally.

Qiu Yuansheng felt ashamed.

“So, this is your backing?” Yang Fuyin asked coldly.

“Don’t slander me. I’ve never had any backing,” Qiu Yuansheng said, feeling wronged.

The person across from him only walked over slowly.

His expression was calm and gentle, but the aura of the world converging completely suppressed him.

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“No need to be nervous,” he said gently, “I just want to chat with you for a while.”

Yang Fuyin was about to say there was nothing to talk about when he heard a calm voice from nearby, a familiar voice that almost made him leap with joy.

“What’s the fun in bullying juniors,” Ji Yunlai’s voice drifted from the void, “I’ll keep you company.”

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Yang Fuyin had wanted to see the Sect Leader again for a long time, but he never had the chance, which made him somewhat regret his impulsive actions from back then. But even if he could do it over again, he would still make the same choice. There was nothing to negotiate about with that kind of issue. So, to avoid a repeat of what happened back then, he first captured Xiao Qiu without any evidence.

Feng Qingxiu pinched the paper figure on his chest and nodded, saying, “I will convey your message to Master.”

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Master must have already heard it. Whether or not he is willing to see Senior Brother, only Master can decide that. But if there really is a Sect Leader’s wife…

Feng Qingxiu didn’t know why, but he felt a sense of lonely desolation, like the autumn wind sighing. Wasn’t it expected? Miss Ji Mingyu was the best proof of the wife’s existence.

He really was overthinking it.

“Thank you, Junior Brother.” Yang Fuyin felt much relieved. He was confident that Qing would persuade Master, especially since with the current Qing, Master would definitely be in a state of obedience.

The two of them chatted for a while longer, and when they were about to enter the outer circle of flying peak, Yang Fuyin quietly guided Qing back. The place where Xiao Qiu arranged the incident should be around here; it was best not to let Junior Brother go out for now.

The flying peak had been modified by him several times over the years. Previously, there was a small ward in Qingnu’s Tower that could transmit messages within a hundred meters, allowing people to travel back and forth between the nearby flying peaks. If one wanted to break through with the power of a Great Sage as they did last time, they would have to shatter every single flying peak, which was enough time for Master to arrive.

Feng Qingxiu still had to handle matters at the flying peak, so after strolling for a while, he parted ways with his senior brother and returned to the flying peak.

After seeing Junior Brother walk away, Yang Fuyin gently massaged the acupoint by his right eye and then smiled, saying, “You’re still not giving up?”

“Guess whether Junior Brother Qing saw the words on my hand just now, does this count as managing to send out the message?” Qiu Yuansheng calmly said in his prison, “You said that if I could still send out a message, you would kill yourself on the spot.”

Yang Fuyin couldn’t help but laugh out loud, “Xiao Qiu, if you believe that, I would have to wonder if I caught the wrong person.”

“Is that so?” Qiu Yuansheng shook his head, “It’s up to you, but if you don’t let me go, you might regret it.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Yang Fuyin retorted, “If there’s no regret, wouldn’t my life be too dull?”

With that, he went to the Sword Pavilion.

He was still a little worried about Peak Master An. Back then, Peak Master An and Peak Master Bai were together for nearly a century, their personalities perfectly complementing each other. Later, they even had a daughter. She was strong-willed and proud, disgusted by Bai Liu’s later depression, which was why she left in anger. But when he brought Bai Liu’s letter and daughter to her, he was truly worried that she might strike out with a sword. As for her daughter and An Xian, they were not just incompatible; they were like a cat and a mouse, bound to clash.

Bai Liu was his only friend back then, so it wouldn’t make sense if he didn’t look after his remaining family.

He walked into Ziyun Dao City without flying on a sword or riding the wind, as it was always better to be low-key in someone else’s territory.

But as soon as he entered the city, he stopped.

Someone was blocking his way.

It was a young man who looked very familiar—black hair, green robes, a handsome and refined face. The hem of his green robe was adorned with bamboo leaves, making him look like a scholar from an ancient book, unforgettable at first sight.

Yang Fuyin was certain he had never met this person before, so he wasn’t sure where this sense of familiarity came from.

“Who are you?” His gaze fell on the jade ring on the other’s right middle finger. With his familiarity with spiritual artifacts, he naturally knew that the ring concealed all of the other’s aura, making him appear completely ordinary.

“Just a passerby,” the other replied gently, with a warm and calm voice, “I just came to see what the most outstanding disciple of Kun-Lai looks like.”

“Then have you seen enough?”

The other nodded slightly.

“Then move aside.” Yang Fuyin said politely, but his guard was up to the maximum. In a foreign land, it’s better to avoid trouble, but you must never fear it.

The other stepped aside as instructed, watching him leave with a look of delight on his face.

After a long while, he softly recited an ancient verse, “Ziyun connects to the Heavenly Dao, Taiching gives birth to white lotuses, a strong wind produces resilient grass, and from now on, Kun-Lai is known.”

He sighed lightly, “So, this is your Kun-Lai.”

***

“Is that someone you know?” Yang Fuyin casually asked.

“Whether I say yes or no, you wouldn’t believe me, so why bother asking?” Qiu Yuansheng replied sarcastically.

“If you don’t answer, I’ll keep you locked up for another ten days.” Yang Fuyin said calmly.

Qiu Yuansheng, who had lived for over a hundred and twenty years, felt frustrated for the first time. He sneered before angrily saying, “I don’t know him.”

“Lies!” Yang Fuyin retorted decisively.

“If I said I knew him, you would ask who he was, and it would never end.” Qiu Yuansheng was genuinely annoyed now, “Don’t think I can’t deal with you, I’m just showing mercy because we’re fellow disciples.”

“Your poison pill won’t be able to seep through the Void Reversal Ward in a short time, give it at least twenty days.” Yang Fuyin said.

“Then how can you lock me up for another ten days?” Qiu Yuansheng drew various patterns on the ground of the ward, but as soon as a ripple appeared, the patterns disappeared.

“It’s no problem, I still have another eye.” Yang Fuyin said confidently and calmly.

Qiu Yuansheng fell silent.

During their conversation, they had already reached the Sword Pavilion.

Then they heard the sound of heart-wrenching cries from inside, almost tearing the roof off: “How could I have a mother like you? You’re so cruel and vicious. To you, human life means nothing. I hate you…”

Yang Fuyin stopped in his tracks, unsure whether to leave or stay. In the end, he decided to go inside.

Bai Yue was kneeling on the ground, while Yan Ling, who liked to eat blood, lay lifeless on the ground, and An Xian sat in the main seat with a cold expression.

“What’s going on?” Yang Fuyin looked up at An Xian.

“He said,” An Xian pointed with her chin at the person lying on the ground, “that if I wanted to teach Ah Yue a lesson, I would have to walk over his dead body.”

Then she calmly said, “So I granted his wish.”

***

Feng Qingxiu returned to his room, and sure enough, he saw Master looking out the window.

“Master, about Senior Brother Yang’s situation…” he asked tentatively, not knowing what Senior Brother Yang had done in the past to make Master unwilling to see him. But since Master had heard it, he must have his own plans.

Whether to meet or not, he still had to give Senior Brother an answer.

“No rush.” Ji Yunlai silently watched the countless lights below the mountain, his expression indifferent.

So Feng Qingxiu stepped aside and no longer disturbed him.

After a while, Ji Yunlai withdrew his hand from the heavenly deduction and quietly said, “They’re already dead.”

Feng Qingxiu was stunned.

“That person has already died,” Ji Yunlai said.

Feng Qingxiu paused for a moment before he understood—was Master saying that the wife had already passed away?

He suddenly felt a bit sad in his heart and chose not to respond to Master’s words. After all, these were not words he should respond to.

Ji Yunlai, however, quietly pressed his chest. He didn’t know who they were, but just the thought of it caused a pain in his heart that was not just any ordinary heartbreak—it was as if someone was gouging out his heart and stabbing it with needles.

In that moment, he understood why he had erased nearly a thousand years of memories—heartbreak shouldn’t be so overwhelming. Could it be that he had done something else wrong back then?

I never thought I would see the day when even I am troubled by love. Is this some kind of joke?

But whatever, that’s all in the past. There are enough troublesome things to deal with now, so focusing on the present is what’s important. The current Kun-Lai can’t afford even the slightest mistake from him.

Earlier, in his spiritual sense, he detected a powerful presence in the distant horizon, separated by thousands of miles, spying on this place.

It must be the spirit demon lord of Yuntian Domain.

And just a moment ago, a familiar aura brushed past Yang Fuyin—a person who was just a shell, like himself, only sending a part of his divine consciousness here. But the true cultivation level of that person was likely not below his own.

Towards a character like this, there’s no harm in being overly cautious.

After Ziyun Dao, there are still two places where the other two major sects had migrated to long ago, but there are no special resources or spiritual treasures in those areas, so the flying peaks would skip over those two places and move toward the Nine Abyss River of central Yuntian Domain, where the most important material for the creation of Cloud Talisman Dao Seeds, the Earth Essence, is found.

So…

“Xiao Qing, based on what you’ve observed of the transactions here in recent days, what do you think?” Ji Yunlai suddenly asked.

Feng Qingxiu thought for a moment, then organized his thoughts and explained what he had observed: “It seems that the Ziyun Dao here hasn’t prepared anything particularly useful for trading. Compared to last time, when Qingqiu brought out a century’s worth of accumulated treasures for trade, it seems like the Ziyun Dao sect here has other plans. In the past few days, they’ve only had their disciples testing the waters, so I think there’s not much we can gain here.”

“So, do you have any suggestions?” Ji Yunlai asked. He could certainly make the decision himself, but Xiao Qing was someone who would eventually need to take charge, so he naturally wanted to hear his opinion.

“This apprentice thinks that we should pack up tomorrow and leave Ziyun Dao. Since they don’t have good intentions, there’s no need for us to entangle with them,” Feng Qingxiu said decisively. After all, this wasn’t a place of abundance, and in the past, they only came here because the three major sects would trade here, allowing them to gauge their opponents’ strength. But staying here and waiting for the opponent to make a move was unnecessary.

“Then let’s do as you say,” Ji Yunlai was pleased that his opinion aligned with his apprentice’s. He wasn’t afraid of anyone but simply didn’t want to be passively manipulated by others. It would be better to make the first move and flip the table.

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It’s just a small table, after all—Kun-Lai can handle it.

“Then I’ll go persuade the two elders,” Feng Qingxiu nodded, preparing to leave, when he noticed his shadow holding a piece of clothing and beckoning to him like it was offering a treasure.

Enraged, he took both the clothing and the shadow away with him.

Ji Yunlai was left alone, chuckling softly.

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After a night of intense battle, Ji Yunlai felt as if he had returned to his middle school days a long time ago and was watching the animal world on television once again, except without the narrator’s magnetic narration.

When they were finishing, that great spirit demon revealed his true form: a beautiful and domineering gray-blue nine-headed serpent, with dragon-like heads, raised ridges on the backs, and nine heads fused at the tail. In comparison, the black snake was just an ordinary beauty rat snake, commonly known as a “beauty snake.” Although it was slender and beautiful, it was undoubtedly less domineering. However, in bed, this black snake seemed more assertive, able to use his tail to slap the other even during intimate moments, insisting that not too many heads should be involved at once!

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

The world of animals was so confusing…

In the morning, Black Snake crawled out of bed and lazily walked to the window to bask in the sun.

The cultivator behind him also put on his clothes. With black hair and eyes, deep brows, and a handsome appearance, he took out a fat mouse from Black Snake’s pocket and swallowed it with satisfaction, “I’ve been waiting for you for almost a month. The higher-ups have instructed me to follow your orders. So, what should we do?”

Black Snake’s heart sank, knowing the real business was coming. Although no one was controlling him this time, he knew that if he said the wrong thing, this snake might end up eating him just like the female spider or mantis who ate their mate after mating. 

Nervous, he naturally switched to the palace intrigue mode he had learned in the Great Xuan Palace, adopting a high and aloof demeanor, “Aren’t you going to prove if I’m really the one you’re looking for?”

“By using the snake as a token, I knew it was you at a glance. After waiting so long, you are the only snake that came.” The cultivator approached and touched the smooth scales on his arm, “And indeed, it’s a unique meeting. It’s the first time a snake spirit demon has been so straightforward in showing their tail before me.”

I was just baiting, Yin Wushe thought to himself in exasperation, and didn’t pay attention to whether you were a spirit demon or not, but he certainly wouldn’t say that out loud, only giving a grunt in response.

“You’re also accompanied by many Kun-Lai monitoring sword cultivators. Have they discovered any traces?” The spirit demon cultivator asked slowly.

“They couldn’t have discovered me. Just played some minor games to deal with them. But we can’t make any rash moves now. Does that side have any other instructions?” Black Snake raised his eyebrows slightly and asked casually.

“I’m just here to cooperate with you as requested. After all, you guys made such a big move last time; we all want to try our hand as well.” The spirit demon cultivator said with a light smile, “When you live long enough, you always want to try out more things.”

Last time? What last time? Black Snake wondered how he could pass this off, so he followed the other’s lead and replied ambiguously with a smile, “Oh, so any kind of cooperation is acceptable?”

“Of course not, things that could cost our lives are out of the question.” The spirit demon cultivator flirtatiously brushed his face with his fingers and then said, “A hundred years ago, you gave us a little book. We have still kept it.”

“Really? Then let me see it.” Black Snake immediately seized the opportunity.

The spirit demon cultivator casually threw out a small booklet, old and yellowed but well-preserved. Black Snake casually flipped through it, showing a nostalgic expression while his mind churned.

It was a booklet depicting the flying peak of Qingdi Peak, detailing the defenses, routes, the residence of the peak master, and key locations clearly. It also described the characteristics and preferences of the high-level cultivators on the peak in a sketchy manner. Black Snake didn’t know if it was true, but having been at Kun-Lai for so long, he had heard about the turmoil on Qingdi Peak. If this was true, it was possible there was a traitor from Kun-Lai a hundred years ago, and now they were starting to collaborate with this powerful spirit demon. He might have stumbled into a plot by accident.

“Unfortunately, after that incident, my father forbade us from provoking Kun-Lai again. It should be that the death of my second brother made him upset.” The spirit demon cultivator said nonchalantly, “Father is still too cautious. With his relationship with Kunpeng, why would he still fear a mere Human Immortal who has just appeared for a few hundred years?”

“Hai Chaoxu…” Black Snake felt he had guessed something, casually mentioning the name he heard the other reveal yesterday. The surname Hai and the good relationship with Kunpeng…

“No need to be so formal. Just call me Ninth Brother.” The spirit demon cultivator pinched his chin flirtatiously.

“How is the Seao-Covering Great Sage doing recently?” he asked tentatively.

“Same as usual, unwilling to leave the North Sea. If my father liked to go out, our territory would certainly extend beyond the Yuntian Domain.” The spirit demon cultivator replied.

He was right; the guess was not wrong!

Black Snake worked hard to avoid trembling and maintained his calm. After some further discussion, he lazily said, “Let’s leave it at that for today. I need to go deal with some matters. We’ll meet again.”

“I’ll wait for you here.” The spirit demon cultivator smiled.

Black Snake put on his clothes which were made from his own shed skin and left elegantly.

The spirit demon watched him leave with a satisfied expression.

***

As soon as Black Snake climbed onto the flying peak, he crashed onto the ground, almost flattening into a snake pancake. He needed to recuperate.

“What did you find out?” A shadow emerged slowly nearby.

“That snake spirit demon named Hai Chaoxu should be a son of the Sea-Covering Great Sage.” Black Snake couldn’t see the shadow’s appearance but still organized his words and clearly conveyed the news about the Hai family in the Yuntian Domain.

During the Battle of Qingqiu, the two great sages of Yuntian Domain were also involved. Although the information was a bit old, it should be fairly accurate. For such powerful spirit demons, a thousand years was just a blink of an eye.

After quickly finishing his account, the shadow nodded and disappeared into the void.

It should be over now, right? Black Snake tucked in his neck, returned to his room, and decided it was best not to go out for the next few days. He just wanted to date a handsome snake! Did it have to be so terrifying? Could he still have a normal meeting with a fellow snake?

Ji Yunlai silently processed the information. 

The Yuntian Domain has a spirit demon couple: the Sea-Covering Kunpeng Great Sage, which actually refer to two names, the Sea-Covering Dragon Snake and the Sky-Overturning Kunpeng.

Over a hundred years ago, Dragon Snake and Kunpeng’s son, Hai Langqi, received a small booklet from an unknown source, which contained detailed information about Qingdi Peak. The lascivious and thrill-seeking snake spirit demon—perhaps with some other promises—went to the Fire Domain during Kun-Lai’s expedition and caused a ruckus on the flying peak of Qingdi Peak. If it weren’t for the trap set by Yimeng Ruge, who severely injured him, he might have been able to escape intact.

Later, about a hundred years ago, Kunl-Lai’s expedition encountered this Hai Gongzi again in the Yuntian Domain. The deputy peak master of Qingdi Peak, Yimeng Ruge, upon seeing his enemy, attacked on the spot. To everyone’s surprise, the spirit demon didn’t dodge and was killed with just one sword strike. The people of Qingdi Peak didn’t even have time to check if he was faking his death before the local Ziyun Dao turned against Kun-Lai, claiming that this spirit demon was of very high status and couldn’t let Kun-Lai leave. Thus, they waged war against Kun-Lai and informed the Sea-Covering Great Sage, who was meeting with the Human Immortals of the Central Continent not far away.

When the Sea-Covering Great Sage learned that their beloved son was killed, they flew into a rage and attacked Qingdi Peak’s flying peak.

Other flying peaks that wanted to come to their aid were held back by the local Ziyun Dao for a while. In that brief period, the high-level cutlivators of Qingdi Peak were almost entirely annihilated.

It was only when he felt something was wrong and came to rescue that the matter came to a halt.

It seems that there must have been a great battle here at that time.

Later, he had An Xian stay behind to handle the aftermath. This should be the course of events from then until now.

From start to finish, the spy in Kun-Lai never took action, only giving a little booklet at the beginning. With the involvement of the Central Continent’s sects later, the fact they could plan all of this meant they were quite capable.

And he couldn’t divine his identity and actions.

There must be a powerful figure whose cultivation level was not below his own, specifically shielding the heavenly secrets from him. Moreover, the spy’s own intentions wouldn’t be able to fall under good or evil such that it could be perceived.

In truth, there was no need for divination.

Ji Yunlai shook his head. Regarding the events of that year, the three major sects, along with the mysterious High Priest, should all have been involved, and no one would have escaped responsibility. The only ones who might not have participated are probably the two Great Sages, as confronting him directly was detrimental to them, especially with their son involved.

And now, that troublemaker hiding in Kun-Lai was causing more problems, and this time, the target was his apprentice Xiao Qing.

Thinking of this, his figure slowly faded and disappeared into the air.

***

At the foot of Zhuiyun Peak, Kun-Lai’s market was as bustling and lively as ever.

Yang Fuyin and Feng Qingxiu were browsing the market, finding inspiration in the creative ideas of some disciples. They often needed to learn from others’ strengths to make progress.

While Yang Fuyin was explaining the pros and cons of a talisman, Feng Qingxiu felt a warmth in his chest. Instinctively, he touched it, but upon realizing it was really his master, he blushed and stopped.

“What’s wrong?” Yang Fuyin asked.

“Nothing,” Feng Qingxiu said, unable to mention that his master had returned. He changed the subject, “As you mentioned, there are over three hundred ways to crack the wards of Ziyun Dao. Is there a specialized tool for this? After all, not everyone in Kun-Lai is a master of wards.”

“Yes, after being blocked by Ziyun Dao’s wards a hundred years ago, I made a type of ward-breaking stone. It’s sold at every talisman stall. When encountering their sect’s human wards, we can just throw it at them,” Yang Fuyin said with a smile.

Human wards are temporary wards composed of a group of people using spiritual tools. They test the sect’s foundation and the abilities of its disciples. Only a major sect can prepare enough ward masters—of course, with the exception of Kun-Lai, where any mid-level talisman master can set up dozens of wards without preparation.

“What happens when you throw it at them?” Feng Qingxiu asked curiously.

“You’ll find out when you throw it at them,” Yang Fuyin said with a perfect smile.

At that moment, a Ziyun Dao disciple loudly protested at a stall of a Pill Peak disciple, “Why aren’t you accepting my Ziyun Dao high-quality talismans? If I weren’t in a hurry to help my brother breakthrough to Nascent Soul, do you think I would use them to exchange for a mere Nascent Soul Pill?”

“Well, I do accept high-quality protective and speed talismans,” the female disciple said gently, “But this is a lightning talisman. Kun-Lai doesn’t accept external lightning talismans.”

“Nonsense! Lightning talismans are top-grade. A ninth-tier lightning talisman is highly effective against demons. You simply don’t want to sell it to me!” the Ziyun Dao disciple said angrily.

“That’s not true,” the female disciple, finding words ineffective, showed a stack of at least twenty talismans, “Look, Kun-Lai really doesn’t lack lightning talismans. Here are twenty high-quality lightning talismans. If you want Nascent Soul Pills, I’ll sell one pill for five talismans. How about that?”

“These are fake! Do you dare to let me examine it?” the Ziyun Dao disciple roared.

“Here!” The female disciple confidently showed him.

The Ziyun Dao disciple, initially skeptical, then bewildered, finally flushed as he said, “How is this possible? Such fine talisman strokes, how could someone produce such results…”

“This lightning talisman was improved by our eldest senior brother. Originally, it took one hundred twenty-eight strokes, but now only ninety-seven are needed. The power remains the same, and even mid-level talisman masters can draw it now. So, materials and labor costs have been greatly reduced. Lightning talismans are so common now that they’re undervalued in Kun-Lai,” the girl said regretfully.

“Rubbish! Lightning talismans have been passed down for thousands of years. Someone who can make a single stroke change is deserving of the title of master. How could it be altered so much? That senior brother is a fraud, and so are you!” He became angry, emitting a high-level aura to intimidate.

As soon as these words were uttered, at least twenty Nascent Soul-level cultivators around them moved in, surrounding the Ziyun Dao disciple.

“Xiao Leng,” Yang Fuyin walked over with a smile, patting the girl’s head, “Don’t discuss talismans with outsiders; it makes us seem arrogant.”

“Okay, Senior Brother Yang,” the girl nodded and rubbed against her senior’s hand, while the Ziyun Dao disciple, pale and anxious, hurriedly retreated.

Yang Fuyin returned to Feng Qingxiu and continued his explanation.

Then Feng Qingxiu saw that Senior Brother Yang’s right eye reflected Qiu Yuansheng… carving characters on his own arm with a sword.

“Senior Brother Yang… Qiu Yuansheng seems to be self-harming?” Feng Qingxiu thought it best to remind him.

“But I can’t let him out. Qing, do you have any suggestions?” Yang Fuyin asked nonchalantly.

“Why are you keeping him locked up?” Feng Qingxiu asked in confusion.

“I actually have many matters about him to discuss with the Sect Leader. Unfortunately, I can’t see the Sect Leader,” Yang Fuyin said regretfully, “Because of a person, I angered the Sect Leader back then.”

Feng Qingxiu eagerly leaned in, “A person? Is this person important to you, Senior Brother?”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

“Indeed, the Sect Master’s spouse,” Yang Fuyin said. “So, if you get the chance, can you persuade the Sect Leader to let me see him?”

“I’ll try,” Feng Qingxiu said and instinctively gave the paper man against his chest a hard squeeze.

The paper man felt silently wronged.

Xiao Qing, don’t worry, this is definitely a misunderstanding!

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Feng Qingxiu and An Xian arrived at Zhuiyun Peak together. Just as he was serving tea to the peak master, guests arrived. 

The visitors were of high status—two of the chief elders overseeing this expedition, Yan Zhao and Bai Shuixian.

“Look at how anxious you are,” An Xian said dismissively, playing with the thin porcelain cup in her slender fingers. Her body radiated sword intent, restless and eager. “It’s not like I would do anything to him. Such a little child could never satisfy me.”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

“Calm down, and by the way, what’s with that outfit?” Bai Shuixian soothed, then asked, noticing An Xian’s bizarre attire: a white tunic and boots, with a top that reached down to the tops of her thighs and tight-fitting white pants. Though peculiar, An Xian’s bearing and figure carried the ensemble, making her look as noble and divine as ever.

“I’m in mourning for my late husband. What’s wrong with that?” An Xian asked coolly.

“You and Bai Liu have been separated for a hundred years,” Yan Zhao frowned, clearly troubled.

“Is that why you didn’t tell me he died?” An Xian put down her teacup and looked up, her gaze clear and cold as autumn water, reflecting her sword intent.

“That’s enough. Who are you resenting? You were the one who left,” Bai Shuixian retorted, also full of anger over her apprentice’s death. “These years, his heart has been plagued by demons, causing errors in his judgment, and he even attempted to cross the celestial demon tribulation. I’d like to know who gave him the ancient spirit demon blood to increase his cultivation. How could he have possibly concealed it from Qingnu’s eyes?”

“I left because I had important matters to attend to! I gave him the blood. He said he was creating a new pill, and once completed, Qingdi Peak would become the foremost of all peaks, providing him with more resources,” An Xian couldn’t resist taking a big gulp of wine, “so I didn’t return all these years, just stayed here collecting ancient spirit demon blood for him, always worried he wouldn’t have enough.”

“You always indulged him,” Yan Zhao shook his head, not knowing what to say, and finally sighed. “He’s dead now, so let’s put this matter to rest. He would have suffered if he had lived.”

Yan Zhao’s last words left An Xian unable to argue. She chuckled softly and fell silent.

Indeed, what was the point of talking about it now? Back then, Bai Liu saved so many people, especially those on Wenjian Peak. She was probably the swordswoman he treated the most. But in the end, no one could save him.

She only knew how to kill, not how to comfort, let alone heal someone’s heart—those were Bai Liu’s specialties.

She stayed in the Yuntian Domain not only because of her mission but also to prove that there had been manipulation in the events of that year. Though he was at fault, he wasn’t the main cause. As long as she could prove this, he might be able to overcome his heart demons.

But…

She suddenly threw the wine pouch off the peak and left in a flash of light.

“This matter isn’t over. I will find out who is behind it and then cut them down piece by piece with a thousand swords,” she vowed.

“Aren’t you going to stop your apprentice?” Bai Shuixian asked, looking at Yan Zhao.

“She needs to find someone to fight and vent her anger. I have important duties and can’t afford to get injured,” Yan Zhao shook his head. “Let You Bazhua go.”

Bai Shuixian nodded, then quietly said to Feng Qingxiu, who had been pretending not to hear anything, “Don’t stray too far from the flying peak in the coming days. Something might happen.”

Feng Qingxiu nodded to show he understood.

After asking about some routine matters and ensuring there were no problems, Bai Shuixian and Yan Zhao left.

Only then did Feng Qingxiu breathe a sigh of relief. Listening to the elders’ secrets, he felt awkward whether he tried not to listen or not.

Still, hearing them talk, he felt a sense of pity.

“I’ve heard that in its prime, Qingdi Peak’s Pill, Poison, Medicine, and Acupuncture veins were all flourishing, no less than Taiyi Peak. But now, there’s nothing left…” he sighed softly.

“The path of cultivation is full of perils. One misstep can lead to such an outcome,” a voice said faintly beside him.

Feng Qingxiu jumped up in surprise and joy, “Master!”

Ji Yunlai nodded and caught his apprentice as he rushed forward.

“You said you would wake up in the Yuntian Domain. I thought… I thought…” Feng Qingxiu blushed slightly and stepped back from his master’s embrace.

“You thought I’d send a paper avatar?” Ji Yunlai chuckled, ruffling his apprentice’s hair. “That’s possible too, but Zhuiyun Peak has plenty of spiritual stones, so I borrowed a little to manifest my form. It’s no trouble.”

Feng Qingxiu nodded, then suddenly asked, “Master, when did you wake up? Peak Master An had some things she wanted me to relay to you.”

“I heard it all.”

Ji Yunlai nodded.

Feng Qingxiu’s expression became serious, “What do you think?”

Though Ji Yunlai had no memory of the past events, he would never say so. After a brief pause, he said, “Recently, my Calamity Sword has been somewhat unstable, so I suppose they’ve all noticed. I’ll handle this.”

“Okay.” Seeing that his master was already prepared, Feng Qingxiu felt much relieved and began recounting the recent events to him in detail.

They talked until dusk, after which Feng Qingxiu returned to his room to meditate under his master’s watchful eye and began his daily cultivation.

Ji Yunlai, seeing that his apprentice’s spirit had entered his sea of consciousness, nodded, then stepped out of the room into the small courtyard.

The sky was vast with clouds, not much different from standing atop Kun-Lai Immortal Mountain.

Although he had seen the sky countless times, he still found it difficult to deduce the future from the myriad heavenly secrets. This was not due to a lack of clarity in the heavenly secrets but rather because the Dao of Heaven was concealed. It had not yet been entrusted to any person or object, which was normal in times before a great calamity.

However, not everything had to rely on the Dao of Heaven.

He had already somewhat guessed why it was Qingdi Peak that was chosen as the breakthrough point. Kun-Lai established its sect based on talisman seals, which was considered its foundation. However, later, each peak and vein flourished extensively, with a large part due to Qingdi Peak’s assistance. Every cultivation method in the world can be changed significantly, and any minor error can damage meridians. Therefore, modifying a cultivation method is quite difficult, often taking hundreds or thousands of years for advanced cultivation methods to emerge.

Yet, Qingdi Peak had discovered a technique for repairing meridians and dantian, which greatly accelerated the improvement of cultivation methods across all peaks and veins. He had checked, and before the appearance of the meridian and dantian repair technique, Kun-Lai had a total of eleven cultivation methods, most of which were calculated by the Sect Leader himself.

After the repair technique emerged, Kun-Lai now had nearly seven hundred sixty-three different cultivation methods, approaching the rare collections of the Central Continent’s major sects. The speed was beyond what could be described as terrifying.

Moreover, the main network still had various new cultivation method simulation posts, proposing various ideas, like a convergence of spiritual enlightenment. Both Qingnu Peak and Qingdi Peak have dedicated cultivation method and technique simulation rooms, with medical and acupuncture techniques on standby, and issues could be resolved in the shortest time.

Thus, choosing Qingdi Peak as the first to be destroyed was not without reason.

What Kun-Lai lacked the most was time. As seen recently, Kun-Lai did not lack prodigies like An Xian and Yang Fuyin. Given enough time, there was nothing they could not achieve.

Even his apprentice Xiao Qing in his room, if not for him controlling his cultivation speed, would probably have already easily reached the Nascent Soul stage.

Therefore, Kun-Lai still needed his protection. As long as there was a little time, and another Human Immortal was produced, it could immediately stabilize Kun-Lai’s situation.

The fear that other sects had for Kun-Lai was probably due to this. In the past, Great Xuan had three Human Immortals, which forced the sects to migrate for ten thousand years and only dared to return after Great Xuan’s fall.

Thinking of this, Ji Yunlai looked at the brightly lit city below the peak and stepped easily onto the spacious street.

This was the foundation of Ziyun Dao for ten thousand years.

He was like an ordinary youth, strolling along the long street. Carriages and pedestrians passed by him, but no one noticed him.

His spiritual senses spread over the surroundings silently and seamlessly.

Like the breathing air, it was naturally unnoticed and undetected.

Both inside and outside the city, whether ordinary people or cultivators, every action, smile, and cry was vividly reflected in his mind, observed and deduced one by one.

Besides several Synthesis cultivators from Kun-Lai, there were three Synthesis cultivators in the city.

Two of them were in the palace of Ziyun City. One was meditating, and the other was about to listen to a subordinate report on the movements of Kun-Lai cultivators today.

The third one—Ji Yunlai clearly saw that the Black Snake Yin Wushe, a remnant of Great Xuan’s descendants turned spirit demon, was approaching a young spirit demon cultivator, who was dressed like a Ziyun Dao cultivator and observing Kun-Lai’s flying peaks from a high building, under the protection of several Wenjian Peak cultivators.

The spirit demon cultivator was dressed in cultivator robes, resembling Ziyun Dao’s attire. Black Snake had transformed into a youthful form and approached to strike up a conversation, then pretended to be drunk, revealing a beautiful and exquisite snake tail.

“Why hasn’t that cultivator called out to kill the snake demon? Snake demons are usually favored by orthodox cultivators. Snake skin makes armor, snake gall is a valuable medicine, snake bones make weapons, and snake meat is edible. Why isn’t he interested?” A Wenjian Peak cultivator following them sounded puzzled. “Did he slip up?”

“We’ve only used this trick to bait four Ziyun Dao cultivators today. It shouldn’t be too soon,” another replied. “Oh, look, that cultivator is moving. He’s taking off his clothes… Is he going to eat? Prepare! If he eats the snake, we’ll rush in and capture him, make him compensate!”

“Okay. Wait… look, that cultivator…” The  Wenjian Peak cultivator next to him was stunned.

The handsome cultivator revealed a strong snake tail of his own and began to touch Black Snake’s tail gently.

Black Snake Yin Wushe immediately woke up.

“Wait a moment.” Black Snake swam out and bumped heads with the Wenjian Peak cultivators. “Tonight, I’m going on a date. This cultivator can’t be baited. I’ll go baiting with you tomorrow.”

“What’s going on with you? We agreed to bait prey with a three-seven split,” the Wenjian Peak cultivator asked.

“He touched my tail. This is our signature move for mating among snake spirit demons, a clan thing. This guy looks very robust… I haven’t got laid since I joined the expedition. I’ll join you tomorrow.” Black Snake shamelessly explained.

“You spirit demons are so casual! Will he hurt you? This is unfamiliar territory. Be careful,” a cultivator advised, how could the agreed baiting be abruptly canceled.

“Because I didn’t know he was a snake, I revealed my tail first. This is a clear mating invitation among snake spirit demons. We, as a species, like mating by nature. I’m a beautiful snake too,” Black Snake proudly flicked his tail.

Well, the exasperated Wenjian Peak cultivators packed up and returned home.

Black Snake swam back.

“Kun-Lai’s spirit demon,” said the serpent-tailed cultivator, “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. Why are you only coming now?”

Ji Yunlai paused, his fingers beckoned, and his spiritual sense immediately controlled Black Snake, which was about to ask him what he meant by that.

Black Snake was stunned. For some reason, he found his vocal chords uncontrollable and instinctively began to say, “Kun-Lai is heavily guarded.”

“Is that so?” The handsome snake spirit demon pushed him onto a nearby bed. “Let’s discuss serious matters after our mating.”

“Wait, what’s your name?” Black Snake asked involuntarily, without struggling. “How do I know it’s you?”

“Ziyun Hai Chaoxu. I’ll prove it to you right now.” The snake spirit demon smiled and flicked his tongue. “Little Beauty Snake, I’ve never met a common rural snake becoming a spirit demon like you before.”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

“…Alright.” Now able to speak at will, the Black Snake suspected it had fallen into some kind of struggle. He was clear someone had been spying and secretly controlled his responses just now… How dangerous! If not careful, his snake life might be in danger… Better stabilize things and leave quickly. Black Snake regretted not being more cautious tonight.

***

On the long street, Ji Yunlai withdrew his control over Black Snake’s speech and thought that if these two serpents didn’t provide useful information, he would treat Xiao Qing to a taste of snake meat in the morning.

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