Chapter 69 Revenge and Revitalization of the Cultivation World (69% complete)
"Hope you've been well."
Wang Yikun wasn't bad-looking; he had the appearance of a refined scholar, but his cold and sinister aura made it hard for people to look him in the eye.
Not only are strangers intimidated by him, but even his close fellow disciples often greet him and then quickly walk around him.
He enjoyed the fear others felt from him and loved the feeling of being superior and trampling on other people's self-esteem.
The Jiang family was the source of his illustrious status and the first time he tasted the power of life and death. He marked the turning point in his life three years ago as the glorious beginning of his journey to seek immortality, but Jiang Yun's appearance added an imperfect stroke to his most satisfying past.
He didn't regret what he had done, but if he had even the slightest wavering in his heart, he would have suffered greatly in the illusionary realm.
His only regret was that he failed to eliminate the threat completely three years ago, allowing the remaining members to grow to a threatening level.
Fortunately, it's not too late. During the assessment process, Jiang Yun had not yet been admitted and had not received truly unshakeable protection.
His sinister gaze fell on Jiang Yun, who was walking gracefully onto the arena. His chilling expression made it difficult for the spectators to tell which of the two on the stage was the ghost cultivator.
Normally, people tend to yearn for bright and cheerful things, and often keep their distance from ghost cultivators who are gloomy and solitary all year round. Some people who value their afterlife find the methods of ghost cultivators to manipulate souls disgusting, and thus have a deep prejudice against them.
However, this preconceived aversion vanished when Jiang Yun stepped into the sunlight.
Although there was a photo of him from the first round of assessments, he appeared as a child in the illusion mirror. In addition, he passed the test too quickly, and most people only remembered his handsome appearance. Later, Su Xiaoyao and Helian Yi stole most of the attention, and he could hardly get any shots among tens of thousands of people. Therefore, this was the first time that a separate illusion mirror projected him face-to-face at close range without any blind spots.
The sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy was just beginning to grow up. His dark, deep eyes, devoid of any smile, revealed a maturity and mystery that was completely different from his age. Sunlight bathed him, casting a gentle halo around him. His slightly lowered eyelashes concealed the sharpness in his eyes, making his angular face even more dazzling.
"Tsk tsk tsk, who exactly is the ghost cultivator?"
Jun Huilian appeared next to Su Xiaoyao at some point, and Jun Feibai, familiar with the place, brought out two chairs and placed one behind her.
Jun Huilian sat down without looking back, and frowned slightly after settling in: "This chair is no good, it's not soft enough, get a different one."
While rolling his eyes and saying, "We agreed that you would support me," Jun Feibai quickly switched to another handbag.
After sitting down again, Jun Huilian reached out and grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the table in front of Su Xiaoyao and Xiao Tingyuan, continuing the previous topic: "Jiang Yun has washed away many people's stereotypes about ghost cultivators."
Su Xiaoyao nodded and moved the plate of cashews closer to her.
"Xiao Jiang wasn't actually a good candidate for the Ghost Path. Lao Xiao and I tried to persuade him, but he was adamant. I guess hard work can make up for lack of talent, and he's doing quite well now."
"Is that alright?" Jun Huilian asked ambiguously. "I still remember the first time we met, someone made things difficult for him. At that time, I thought that his stubborn eyes were really suitable for learning swordsmanship. I always thought he would become an unparalleled swordsman."
These were her true feelings. If Jiang Yun were to dedicate himself to the path of the sword, his achievements would be even more extraordinary. He possessed a unique power that neither Su Xiaoyao nor Xiao Tingyuan could match.
pity.
"There's nothing to regret." Su Xiaoyao heard the regret in her voice and smiled, "This was the best choice for him."
She understands her partner; even if Jiang Yun himself were standing here, he would say the same thing. He had made the best choice he could make at that time.
“He doesn’t regret it, otherwise he would be trapped in the illusion like me.” Su Xiaoyao looked at the figure in the distance. “Don’t underestimate Jiang Yun just because he’s the youngest. He’s very strong inside. He understands the importance of looking forward better than anyone else.”
“You two have a really good working relationship.” Jun Huilian narrowed his eyes, recalling some past events. “I haven’t seen my friends for a long time either. I wonder if they are dead or alive.”
"Pfft." Su Xiaoyao was speechless at her sudden turn of events.
“You and your friends have such a good relationship…” she said hesitantly.
Jun Huilian nodded in deep agreement: "It is quite good. I have a friend who is my best friend. She later became obsessed with writing books, but she wrote terribly. I originally wanted to grit my teeth and read them for the sake of our deep friendship, but her writing was so long and tedious that I criticized her to her face and ended up being hunted down for forty-nine days."
Su Xiaoyao blinked: "Is this a little story about friendship?"
"Hmm, isn't it heartwarming?" Jun Huilian's eyes were filled with nostalgia.
Su Xiaoyao remained silent for a moment, then moved the cashew plate a little closer to her.
Eat up, stop talking, her perception is becoming distorted.
Jun Huilian wasn't joking; she genuinely missed the past.
The friend she mentioned was the sect leader of the Hehuan Sect ten thousand years ago. She loved writing but her writing skills were shockingly bad. It took her a long time to realize the reality and destroy all her dark history.
However, she eventually kept one of the originals and put it into the prize pool.
As she was thinking, she suddenly raised an eyebrow.
"What's wrong?" Su Xiaoyao, who was very close to her, observed her expression.
"Nothing, just thinking of something interesting."
She didn't mention the specifics, but some of the secrets were still posted on the system forum. Who knows, Su Xiaoyao, with her extremely strong curiosity, might suddenly have the idea to use the search key someday.
She didn't want her new friends to discover that she was actually an ancient elder who had lived for tens of thousands of years, and then become restrained in front of her due to factors such as status and age difference. She liked her current way of getting along with Su Xiaoyao the most, and also admired Su Xiaoyao's outgoing and talkative personality.
Su Xiaoyao nodded and chatted with her while watching the arena:
"Speaking of which, you're an invigilator. Isn't it a problem for an invigilator to get so close to the examinees? Won't you be accused of favoritism?"
"Although I may seem to be protective of my own, have a bad temper, and be someone who can't distinguish between public and private matters and is good at favoritism and underhanded tactics."
Jun Huilian objectively evaluates himself.
"But I am serious and fair when it comes to doing things. This is an assessment that I preside over, and I will take the lead in upholding the rules I set. I will never deliberately manipulate the outcome of the competition for personal reasons."
"At most, it's just adding some of your own quirky humor, isn't it?" Su Xiaoyao asked with a smile.
"Adding a touch of wicked humor won't affect the overall situation. My master is very lenient with me, so I can do whatever I want. In short, given my abilities, it's impossible for me to mess up the entrance exam," Jun Huilian said lightly and readily.
She thought to herself, "Of course." She was the most forgiving of herself, agreeing with whatever she did. It was normal for her to do a little something different according to her own wishes, provided that she could accomplish what she wanted to do.
"As long as it doesn't affect anything." Su Xiaoyao was naturally happy to stay with her friends and chat and joke around; she loved being in a lively atmosphere.
Jun Huilian also liked it. She slept for a full ten thousand years in between, and even now she still feels like that naive young man she once was.
Young people always like to spend time with their peers when they're out and about, and she's no exception; she enjoys interacting with vibrant, dynamic people.
This is one of the reasons why she was willing to stay and revitalize the cultivation world.
Although the cultivation world ten thousand years ago lacked everything, it was thriving overall. Everything in her eyes was vibrant, and people were not bound by formalities when interacting with each other. There was no clear distinction between nobles and rogue cultivators as there is now.
She still prefers the lively atmosphere of the cultivation world in the past, where she could chat with strangers even if she went to any secret realm.
Ideas cannot be changed overnight; the future depends on these new generations of young monks.
Jun Huilian was happily eating melon seeds.
While she and Su Xiaoyao were chatting, two people were also facing off on the central arena, which was the focus of everyone's attention.
The arena's special function allowed their conversation to be projected onto the sky, making it clearly audible to the spectators.
"Why are you looking at me like that? We're from the same hometown, after all. People from the same hometown should be all smiles when they meet, not hate each other like this." Even though Wang Yikun was smiling, he couldn't hide the coldness emanating from his whole body.
His words were deliberately meant to trigger Jiang Yun's memories, like stabbing a knife into his heart.
"Why did you choose me?" Jiang Yun was not angry at his words. He remained calm, gazing into his eyes without joy or sorrow.
Wang Yikun sneered.
He hated people putting on airs in front of him. Such behavior always reminded him of when he was the registrar of the county government. He was clearly a proud scholar, but he had to grovel and fawn over the pot-bellied, empty-headed county magistrate.
Before he left, he strangled that fool who had gotten the position of county magistrate by donating money from his maternal family, and vowed that he would never bow to anyone again.
In the past three years, he has fulfilled his vow, and his path of cultivation has gradually developed in a positive direction. He has also persuaded the difficult Palace Master of the Holy Prayer Palace to allow him to study at the Heavenly Evolution Academy.
Why did Jiang Yun have to appear at this time? Wouldn't it be better for him, a man who killed his entire family and is now half-dead, to simply live on and eke out a living?
He stared coldly at Jiang Yun, grinning to reveal his gleaming white teeth: "Of course, it's to continue what we didn't finish back then—to nip it in the bud."
He toyed with the talisman in his hand and said with a mocking tone, "If I were you, after killing your whole family, even if I didn't destroy myself, I should have found a secluded, quiet place to mourn. You really are a freak who was born with a 'lone star' in his destiny, as predicted by a master. Even in this state, you still have the mind to be carefree. I see you eating, drinking, and having fun with those friends all day long. Have you forgotten everything from the past?"
He is exceptionally good at turning the tables.
Fortunately, over the years, 444 has been constantly reminding him and brainwashing him in reverse. He has long understood that everything he has suffered is a conspiracy laid by evil people. What the dirty rats secretly want to see is him break down, do evil, be overwhelmed by grief and hatred, fall into self-doubt, and be troubled for the rest of his life by the "cursed star" seed planted in his childhood.
He knew very well who was responsible for the suffering he and the 120 members of the Jiang family endured.
Their suffering stems from Wang Yikun, who acted as an accomplice to evil; from the elders of the Holy Prayer Palace, whose minds were controlled by greed and who became mere pawns; and from the masterminds behind the scenes with their ulterior motives.
What he was to do was not to indulge their desires and doubt himself, but to shatter their delusions and force each of his enemies to kowtow and apologize to the wronged souls trapped in the summoning banner.
Seeing that his self-suggestion had no effect, Wang Yikun shook his head with some regret.
I thought someone who knew they were destined to be alone would break down after the unjust deaths of their entire family, but I didn't expect them to have such a strong mental defense.
"Have you never reflected on your actions?" Jiang Yun asked, with a hint of knowing the answer already.
“In the cultivation world, strength is paramount, so you can’t blame me,” Wang Yikun replied, seemingly ignoring the question.
Clearly, he was not entirely unaware that his actions violated human decency, but he did not feel he was wrong. He believed in the supremacy of strength because he could look down on everyone else, so he was indifferent to life and felt no shame for how many people he had killed.
"I understand," Jiang Yun simply said.
If he had heard these words three years ago, he would have felt angry and desperate.
His enemies killed his entire family and tried to pin the blame on him when he was young, while he himself casually let it all slide. Even the illusion couldn't expose the evil in his heart, allowing him to enter the final round of assessments at Tianyan Academy with impunity.
But things are different now. He understands that evil people think differently from ordinary people. He can be sure that he has a clear conscience, as long as he doesn't regret it when he is sought for revenge.
"What do you understand?" Wang Yikun scoffed.
"Why do you cultivate immortality?" Jiang Yun suddenly asked for no apparent reason.
Wang Yikun stared at him, frowning and remaining silent.
Has this person gone insane from all the stimulation?
Jiang Yun continued, seemingly oblivious to the world, "The power to decide life and death, the lifespan of immortality, and the status of transcendence are nothing more than these."
"So what? As long as you're human, as long as you have thoughts, who isn't greedy?" Wang Yikun thought he was going to say something, but it turned out to be just more of these high-sounding words. "You also have your own purpose in embarking on the path of cultivation. We're all in the same boat."
"You care about those things?" Jiang Yun suddenly smiled, the handsome young man's smile as gentle as a spring breeze.
"You said that strength is paramount, so it's only natural for me to destroy what you care about since I have the strength, right?"
Having committed countless evil deeds, Wang Yikun was not intimidated by a few words. He confidently picked up the talisman, and the runes climbed up the yellow paper into the air, with strings of obscure and incomprehensible characters floating in front of him.
"Yes, but the prerequisite is that you have to have the ability."
Before he finished speaking, Wang Yikun made a move.
As he charged toward Jiang Yun, his lips moved, and the complex runes in front of him seemed to be ancient, living creatures dancing in mid-air, flashing with an eerie light, before crashing toward Jiang Yun with him.
Jiang Yun defended with his sword.
Jun Huilian is right. If there had been no unexpected events in his life, he should have grown into an extraordinary sword cultivator.
Even though he did not specifically study swordsmanship, his strength still surpassed that of most sword cultivators.
His swordsmanship was fluid and graceful, each swing carrying a chilling aura.
The longsword reflected his sharp, blade-like black eyes, those dark pupils seemingly able to pierce through all illusions.
The talisman, like a venomous snake, crashed into the arena after being knocked away, and a patch of corrosion immediately appeared where it touched the ground.
Wang Yikun silently chanted an incantation, his hands rapidly forming hand seals. Pillars of spiritual energy rose from the ground, eventually converging into a cage that restricted Jiang Yun's movements.
Jiang Yun released the longsword in his hand, and the longsword that had been suspended in the air instantly split into countless clones.
Countless identical swords pointed directly at the same spirit pillar.
He easily broke through the restriction, the sword reformed, and he gripped the hilt, aiming straight for Wang Yikun's vitals.
Contrary to his aloof appearance, his sword energy was like a storm, dense and fierce. Each attack left a mark on the arena, and the arena's self-repair speed could not keep up with the speed of his sword strikes.
The two figures darted back and forth on the arena, each approach causing a tremendous tremor.
Jiang Yun's sword energy was like a rainbow, and he quickly suppressed Wang Yikun with an absolute difference in strength.
Wang Yikun gritted her teeth and glared at him with resentment.
In the end, it still came to that point.
His eyes suddenly narrowed, and he bit his finger and quickly drew lines in the air.
A huge talisman rose from the ground, instantly absorbing the sword energy that Jiang Yun had thrust at him.
Taking advantage of the moment, he tucked his bloodstained fingers into his sleeve and pressed them hard against a piece of yellow paper.
Everyone's attention was focused on the eye-catching talisman, and few people noticed his little actions. Even if they did, they just assumed it was a magic talisman.
No one could know that the yellow paper, which looked no different from an ordinary talisman, did not contain cinnabar runes, but was actually a contract.
"It's a pity. I understand the principle of 'cutting the weeds by the roots' all too well, but you still managed to escape three years ago. Now I have to go to great lengths to deal with you." He was clearly at a disadvantage, yet he laughed very unrestrainedly.
Jiang Yun had already thrown his longsword into the air. The sword, now standing upright, transformed into a massive phantom and slashed down, breaking through the barrier created by the runes.
Behind the shattered runes, Wang Yikun had no choice but to face his sword.
The sword remained suspended in mid-air without falling.
“Although there was a life-or-death contract before the entrance examination, I am unwilling to kill anyone on her island because of the greater good of the Heavenly Dao Ancestor. You should go back and report to your master. I, Jiang Yun of the Jiang family, will take his head sooner or later.” Jiang Yun said each word clearly and forcefully.
So far, no candidates have encountered any accidents during the entrance examination. Although there are countless cases in the cultivation world of using various competitions to settle personal grudges, he does not want the powerful figure who is dedicated to revitalizing the cultivation world to be rumored to have "accepted a disciple who is a ruthless killer."
In the end, Wang Yikun was a pawn to be discarded. He didn't need to kill him so soon, and besides, he still had some things to do.
With the outcome decided, Jiang Yun removed the Soul-Summoning Banner from his back.
The bells tied to the banner for summoning souls jingled in the wind, causing people to inexplicably hear mournful cries.
He stroked the banner with compassion.
Was he soft-hearted? Of course not. The 120 lives of the Jiang family were enough to make Wang Yikun die hundreds or thousands of times over.
But he didn't want Wang Yikun to die so easily.
He wanted him to lose the power he had built up from the corpses of others, to lose his delusion of immortality, and to fall back into the hell where he was trampled underfoot.
He won't let him die so easily.
"You're not going to kill me?" Wang Yikun laughed.
His laughter grew more and more exaggerated, sending chills down one's spine.
"Thank you so much," he said, his arrogant face devoid of any corresponding expression.
The next moment, he suddenly pulled the contract from his sleeve, his expression instantly turning ruthless.
"Thank you... for buying me enough time."
The yellow paper was covered in blood, with only a talisman array left in the middle.
Wang Yikun's face turned deathly pale. Although he only had a small cut on his fingertip, it felt as if all the blood in his body had been drained away.
But he was still smiling.
"In return, why don't you try the secret techniques passed down through generations of the Holy Prayer Palace!"
In an instant, the spiritual energy of most of the island was swept over, and the spiritual energy in the air became thin. The candidates with lower cultivation levels showed signs of discomfort.
A talisman technique powerful enough to kill a Nascent Soul cultivator instantly formed.
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Author's Note: The friend A-Lian mentioned here was mentioned a long, long, long time ago in Chapter 3, namely A-Yu, the sect leader of the Hehuan Sect. She's currently working on the outline for "The Tale of a Rogue Cultivator," so I've interspersed some content that doesn't affect the main plot here. qwq
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