Chapter 145 The Other Side:
Rong Xie last saw Elder Yunfeng half a year ago. At that time, Rong Xie had just confessed his feelings to Shen Bingsi. The two had finished their miserable trip to the South Island and returned to the sect. Shen Bingsi went into seclusion, and Rong Xie couldn't find anyone to say goodbye. He had to ask Elder Yunfeng for information.
Elder Yunfeng and Shen Bingsi have always had a good relationship, and Elder Yunfeng has always taken good care of Shen Bingsi in the Elders' Council. Rong Xie respects him very much.
Elder Yunfeng was very approachable and would speak his mind when he had something to say, but this time, he stood on the edge of the cliff amidst the rolling clouds and mist, remaining silent for a long time.
“Young friend Rong, since you have left, why come back?” Elder Yunfeng said. “This old Daoist does not know where Shen Bingsi is.”
Rong Xie realized that Elder Yunfeng was angry with him.
From Elder Yunfeng's perspective, Rong Xie was disturbing Shen Bingsi's peace of mind. He said he left Huanxue Manor for his own sake, but now he's back, as if he's playing with her.
"Elder, you may have misunderstood. I haven't returned... It's just that I've gotten back in touch with Bing Si because of the Mirror Palace case... I'll still leave after this matter is resolved," Rong Xie explained.
Elder Yunfeng turned his head and glanced at him.
"Stop coming and going. If you really want to leave, why not go somewhere he can't find you? Out of sight, out of mind. Don't you know what kind of life he's been living these past six months?"
Rong Xie's heart sank. He knew that Shen Bingsi must have gone crazy a lot in the past six months. He didn't expect that Elder Yunfeng, who was usually good-tempered, would criticize him so bluntly. It was clear that Shen Bingsi's condition might be more serious than he had imagined.
"What exactly happened to Bing Si... Could it be that his Dao heart has really wavered?" Rong Xie asked tentatively.
Elder Yunfeng suddenly turned around and looked at Rong Xie: "You don't know?"
Rong Xie was slightly taken aback.
Elder Yunfeng took a few quick steps forward, somewhat irritated, then turned back: "You didn't know? His Dao heart has been wavering for a long time. I always thought it was because of that Star Seed Fairy from the Yunshan Sect that his Dao heart wavered. I never expected, alas, it was because of you!"
Rong Xie's cheeks flushed slightly. He hadn't expected Elder Yunfeng to be so direct. Had his affair with Shen Bingsi become common knowledge?
Although Rong Xie boldly announced to everyone in his dream that Shen Bingsi was his Daoist partner, it didn't mean he would do the same in reality. When he was still rational, he even felt ashamed just thinking about it.
In reality, he still prefers to maintain the status quo.
But... it seems the current situation is about to collapse.
“Shen Bingsi’s Dao heart is as firm as iron, how could it possibly waver? Elder, could you be mistaken?” Rong Xie frowned. “Although I have never seen what a wavering Dao heart should look like, a cultivator whose Dao heart is wavering should be unable to use spells, right? But Shen Bingsi flew me back on her sword a few days ago, and she was as steady as ever. This should not be the appearance of a wavering Dao heart, right?”
"Do you know about the Blade of Heaven-Severing?" Elder Yunfeng asked solemnly. "When the Blade of Heaven-Severing is mastered to a certain level, it can block all distracting thoughts that affect one's Dao heart. Inappropriate thoughts, emotions, and even memories can be cut off, at least ensuring the stability of one's Dao heart for a period of time."
“I know, but… since the Blade of Heaven can sever those emotions and distracting thoughts, it shouldn’t pose any threat, right?” Rong Xie asked.
"How could that be?" Elder Yunfeng was about to say something when he suddenly stopped, as if his mouth had been sealed shut by an invisible force.
Rong Xie noticed Elder Yunfeng's strange attitude, and a thought immediately flashed through his mind: Elder Yunfeng's appearance was as if his mouth had been sealed by some kind of secret oath.
“There is no cultivation method that can be solved once and for all,” Elder Yunfeng sighed. “Shen Bingsi seems fine, but he just doesn’t want you to know that something is wrong with him.”
Rong Xie's heart tightened.
Then, Elder Yunfeng recounted a personal experience: Shen Bingsi returned from Lanyuan in a frenzy, unable to control even the Shengxie Sword, wandering aimlessly in the snow, his clothes torn and tattered. In desperation, he sent a message to Elder Yunfeng, asking him to come and pick him up.
"Later, it was only with the help of the two adjudicators from the Mirror Palace that Shen Bingsi's realm was stabilized; otherwise, his Dao heart would have shattered and his realm would have plummeted on the spot."
Rong Xie's heart sank.
If he had previously harbored a sliver of hope, now that the facts are before him, there is no room left for even that sliver of hope.
The night wind at the summit of Yunfeng was exceptionally cold. Rong Xie felt as if the wind had penetrated his clothes. He subconsciously clenched his collar, feeling a dense pain rising from his heart and spreading all the way to his throat.
According to Elder Yunfeng's description, he figured out what had happened before that day. At that time, Shen Bingsi inexplicably turned into a woman and came to find him, not feeling ashamed at all, and even forcefully trying to ruin his "blind date" with Linglong. He thought that Shen Bingsi was just following him so shamelessly because she couldn't swallow her anger, and that in order to leave Shen Bingsi, he had to be ruthless and draw a clear line with her—he didn't know that Shen Bingsi had gone through all this after she ran away alone.
Shen Bingsi, who was always strong, determined, and never showed any signs of defeat, actually had her Dao heart waver to the point that she could not control her flying sword because of him.
Rong Xie clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, his mind in turmoil.
"Where is the Grand Elder?" Rong Xie suddenly thought, looking up at Elder Yunfeng. "What did the Grand Elder of the Supreme Immortal Mountain, Shen Bingsi's master, say?"
Elder Yunfeng's expression changed slightly, and he hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
“I remember when I left half a year ago, Shen Bingsi went to see the Grand Elder. I don’t know what the result was. The Grand Elder is experienced and must have a way to help Shen Bingsi stabilize his Dao heart. At least he won’t let him continue like this…” Rong Xie said, his voice getting softer and softer. He noticed that Elder Yunfeng’s expression seemed to be very difficult. He wanted to say something but couldn’t. He looked like his mouth was sealed by a secret oath.
Something important has happened; it concerns the Grand Elder. Rong Xie thought.
"By the way, since Shen Bingsi's Dao heart has wavered, he must have gone to find the Grand Elder, right?" Rong Xie asked tentatively. "If I want to find him, I just need to go to the Supreme Immortal Mountain..."
“No, he’s not there,” Elder Yunfeng said decisively.
"Oh? Then Elder, you must know where he is?" Rong Xie's eyes lit up, feeling that he had found a breakthrough.
Elder Yunfeng swallowed hard, feeling somewhat annoyed that he was being tricked by a young man at his age. He said, "I don't know where he is either, but I can confirm that he is not on the Supreme Immortal Mountain."
"Why? Could it be..." Rong Xie couldn't figure out why Shen Bing Si didn't seek help from her master, "Did the Grand Elder expel him from the sect?"
"Of course not!" Elder Yunfeng was shocked by Rong Xie's outrageous guess.
"What is that?" Rong Xie stared intently at Elder Yunfeng and pressed for an answer.
However, Elder Yunfeng couldn't give a clear answer either, only repeating that he didn't know where Shen Bingsi had gone, but she was definitely not on the Supreme Immortal Mountain. He added that it was useless to find the Grand Elder, as the Grand Elder couldn't help.
And so, Rong Xie was invited down from Yunfeng.
Elder Yunfeng sent two high-ranking disciples to "escort" Rong Xie back to Huanxue Manor, leaving him there while Elder Yunfeng would find a way to locate Shen Bingsi.
After much thought, Rong Xie still felt that the crux of the problem lay with the Supreme Immortal Mountain. He needed to find a way to meet with the Grand Elder so that Shen Bingsi's problem might be resolved.
He couldn't imagine what would happen to Shen Bingsi if her Dao heart were truly shattered because of him.
Now that he has reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he is no longer stuck in the same place as before. At least, going up to a supreme immortal mountain is no longer as difficult as climbing to heaven for him.
Although... it's only slightly easier than ascending to heaven. There's a path to the supreme immortal mountain, but there's nowhere to step when ascending to heaven. Apart from that, it's a life-or-death difficulty.
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