Half wooden sword
"The weather is so nice."
Yun Qian sat alone on the cool jade platform, supporting herself with her hands behind her back, looking up at the azure sky.
Bai Yan has been down the mountain for nearly two months, and his return date is uncertain, making the vast Cangmin Mountain seem even more desolate.
The two bolts of heavenly lightning that nearly shattered her primordial spirit when she advanced to the Nascent Soul stage still haunt Yun Qian to this day.
With her master gone, Yun Qian dared not cultivate rashly again, fearing that she might accidentally trigger the Heavenly Tribulation once more. In that case, she would be left helpless, and she might turn into ashes in the mountains without anyone knowing.
So for the past two months, Yun Qian has been practicing her sword every day without fail, and she has been carrying stacks of ancient books from the library to the stone platform to read them. When she gets tired of reading, she will stare blankly at the sky like this, her thoughts drifting aimlessly.
Currently, she is the only disciple of Cangmin Mountain. Yun Qian doesn't know how many years it usually takes for ordinary cultivators to advance, and she wonders if reaching the Nascent Soul stage in just over ten years is considered fast.
After all, in the cultivation novels she had read, the protagonists were often able to punch villains and kick demon lords and ascend to immortality in their teens.
"Ascension..." she murmured unconsciously. What kind of realm was that? If one day she could touch that level, what kind of scenery would she see? Would she encounter the legendary patriarchs of Cangmin Mountain? Was she truly a genius?
The pages trembled slightly in the wind, and an entire afternoon passed without a single page being turned.
Yun Qian's mind was filled with random thoughts. It wasn't until the sun began to set, casting a warm orange glow across the sky, that she felt a little tired and got up to return the scattered books to the library.
She bent down slightly, and before her fingertips even touched the book, the protective talisman that had been there since she entered the palace suddenly trembled very slightly.
Strangers have entered the mountains!
Yun Qian frowned, but without hesitation, she grabbed the wooden sword that had been struck by lightning and was now only half intact. She moved with the sword, transforming into a streak of light and heading straight down the mountain.
After reaching the Nascent Soul stage, her spiritual energy flowed more smoothly, and her sword-riding speed increased considerably. In less than a quarter of an hour, she had already arrived at the foot of the mountain.
The snow at the foot of the mountain had not yet melted, and the cold was biting. Two children, about ten years old, were standing in the snow, stamping their feet to keep warm, their little faces pale.
One of the children hugged his arms, shivering like a leaf in the wind, his voice trembling: "It's so cold here..."
The other child, though also shivering, appeared somewhat calmer. Looking around, he said, "The temperature plummeted as soon as we entered the mountains. Master said someone would come to pick us up, but I don't know..."
Before he could finish speaking, a sharp sword aura pierced the air and stopped precisely an inch in front of them. The pressure from the Nascent Soul stage cultivator was so tangible that the two children instantly gasped for breath and almost collapsed. However, the terrifying aura came and went quickly, as if it were just an illusion.
Yun Qian's figure appeared silently ten steps away, her posture as upright as a pine tree. The half-broken wooden sword in her hand, though seemingly broken, faintly shimmered with spiritual light.
Her sudden appearance startled the two children, making them tremble and become extremely cautious. One of the boys, with a slightly sharp face and narrow eyes, almost instinctively stepped forward, shielding the other boy, who had a round face and big eyes and was as cute as a crystal bun, behind him, and looked at Yun Qian warily.
Those who are not disciples of this sect are not allowed to enter the mountain.
Yun Qian immediately understood the identities of the two people; they were probably the junior brothers that her master had brought back from this trip.
Her gaze swept over the two of them. So this is the main cast making their appearance?
But why were they so pale and trembling so violently? With a puzzled look, Yun Qian glanced at the unmelted snow around her and suddenly realized that since she had reached the Qi Refining stage, she had become immune to heat and cold and had long forgotten the feeling of cold that a mortal body could feel!
Master actually just left two children with no foundation in this freezing cold! If she had discovered them a day later, they would probably have frozen to death.
Yun Qian sighed inwardly. This style of doing things was exactly the same as when he told her back then, "If you agree, just blink."
Without another word, she raised her hand and drew two warm golden runes in the air, which instantly took shape and entered Baichuan and Baiji's bodies respectively. A flash of golden light dispelled the bone-chilling cold, and the two children were surprised to find themselves feeling warm all over, no longer feeling the cold.
Seeing their surprised and uncertain looks, Yun Qian coughed lightly, trying to find a reason for her master's unreliable arrangement: "Well... this is the first lesson for beginners at Cangmin Mountain, to temper one's will and endure the severe cold."
The two children looked at her with a mixture of understanding and confusion, their big eyes still showing bewilderment.
"Did Master name you?" Yun Qian changed the subject. She naturally knew the answer, but the formalities still had to be followed; she couldn't frighten the children. In this Cangmin Mountain, having a master who seemed to know everything was enough.
"Baiji," the round-faced boy behind him answered softly.
“Baichuan,” the narrow-eyed boy standing in front of them said next, his voice carrying a barely perceptible tension.
"Hmm." Just as described in the book. Yun Qian's gaze lingered for a moment on Bai Ji's innocent, round face. It was hard to connect this adorable, crystal-like face with the future, domineering demon lord. She then looked at Bai Chuan. Although the child was young, there was already an inescapable sharpness between his brows. His thin lips were tightly pursed, and his posture exuded a stubborn protectiveness. It was truly hard to imagine that he would one day be so sickly and vomit blood.
Her two junior brothers are truly extraordinary.
"Come with me up the mountain," Yun Qian said seriously, gathering her thoughts. She glanced down at the broken wooden sword in her hand, feeling somewhat annoyed. If she had known her junior brothers were coming today, she should have repaired the sword first, instead of staring blankly at the sky all day! This broken sword was clearly no match for the three of them flying.
After careful consideration, Yun Qian decided to lead them up the mountain on foot.
Treat it as physical exercise; anyway, with the warm-up charm, they won't get cold.
Yun Qian led the way, carrying half a wooden sword, while Bai Chuan and Bai Ji followed obediently behind.
The mountain path was rugged, and the only sound in the silence was the soft crunch of footsteps on the snow and fallen leaves. After walking for a while, Yun Qian suddenly realized that she seemed to have forgotten to introduce herself. The joy of finally having companions, or rather the relief of "finally not being the only living person," almost made her forget the most basic etiquette.
She suddenly stopped and turned around. Bai Chuan immediately leaned forward slightly, shielding Bai Ji even more completely.
"I forgot to mention," Yun Qian tried to make her tone sound friendly, "My name is Yun Qian, and I'm your senior sister."
Bai Chuan blinked his long, narrow, bright eyes and replied, "Master already said so."
It turns out Master had mentioned it.
Yun Qian's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. She suddenly became curious about how her concise master had described her. "What did Master say about me?"
Meeting Yun Qian's gaze, which held a hint of inquiry and an expectation she herself was unaware of, Bai Chuan and Bai Ji fell silent.
The two boys exchanged a glance, both finding it difficult to speak.
An awkward silence ensued. Yun Qian sighed, a resigned acceptance creeping in: "He wouldn't be saying that Yun Qian is the only one breathing on the mountain, would he?"
Both children lowered their heads simultaneously, acquiescing. Bai Ji even nodded slightly.
Yun Qian fell silent...
She should have known! Her master may seem otherworldly and detached from worldly affairs, but in reality, his words are often incisive and not very pleasant to hear.
However, under the protection of the mountain-protecting spirit array, even insects, ants, birds, and beasts have almost disappeared from Cangmin Mountain, which is indeed a fact.
"Did Master say when he would return?" she asked, changing the subject.
Both of them shook their heads at the same time.
Baichuan and Baiji grew up together. Amidst the chaos of war, their families fled together. However, the enemy was ruthless. To give the two children a chance to survive, the adults ultimately chose to lure away the pursuers and were never heard from again.
Deprived of protection, the two children struggled to survive in the chaos of war, clinging to each other, but ultimately could not defy fate. As the gleaming blade was about to fall, they closed their eyes and awaited death... At the critical moment, a white light deflected the blade, and the pursuers all fell to the ground.
Bai Yan, dressed in white with silver hair and a mask covering his face, appeared in their despairing vision like an immortal descending to earth.
"Are you... a deity from a storybook?" The children asked in trembling voices after a long pause.
Bai Yan shook his head, his voice cold and clear: "I am a cultivator."
At that moment, Bai Yan's figure left an incomparably glorious mark in their hearts.
They chose to follow without hesitation, yearning for Bai Yan's immense power and also longing to no longer be at the mercy of others.
Bai Yan helped them wash up, eat, and change into clean clothes, gave them new names, and then... placed them at the foot of Cangmin Mountain, turned and left without saying another word. They naturally had no idea when their master would return.
As I walked, I passed many dilapidated palaces and courtyards. Broken walls and ruins were hidden among wild grass and snow, and withered leaves piled up, exuding a musty smell.
A thousand years have passed, and the once-prosperous Cangmin Mountain is now just a desolate wasteland, hardly resembling a proper cultivation sect.
Yun Qian was already used to it; after all, it was only the two of them, master and apprentice, and maintaining the area they usually frequented on the mountaintop was already quite an achievement. But she couldn't help worrying whether the two children who had just arrived behind her would feel deceived. According to the book, they didn't seem to have left because of this.
Shouldn't we try to salvage the sect's image a little?
"Let me tell you about Cangmin Mountain," she said.
“Okay, Senior Sister.” Bai Ji was the first to respond obediently. Bai Chuan nodded a beat later, his eyes still warily observing his surroundings.
As Yun Qian walked, she recounted what Bai Yan had told her back then: "We are the 148th generation disciples of Cangmin Mountain. Cangmin values opportunity above all else when accepting disciples. Only those with the right destiny can gain Cangming's recognition and enter this mountain gate. Therefore, there are only three of us disciples in the mountain now."
“Every disciple of Cangmin receives a protective talisman on the day they become an apprentice. Only with this talisman can they freely enter and leave Cangmin Mountain.” She paused, turned to look at the two who were listening attentively, and emphasized, “To put it bluntly, any living creature, whether bird or beast, fish or insect, cannot step into the mountain gate without the talisman. For cultivators, the restrictions are even stricter. Neither divine sense nor magical artifacts or talisman attacks can penetrate the mountain. Even the corpse of a dead person cannot be brought in without the guidance of the talisman.”
She continued, “You must remember that the protective talisman is not only a divine artifact that protects the disciples of Cangmin Mountain, but also a symbol of the identity of a Cangmin disciple. As long as the talisman remains in your body, no matter where you are or what you do, you will always be a disciple of Cangmin.”
"Did you remember?" Her gaze swept over the two of them.
Bai Ji was taken aback by her gaze and quickly nodded, "I'll remember."
"And you?" Yun Qian asked Bai Chuan.
Compared to Bai Ji, Bai Chuan appeared more composed. He met Yun Qian's gaze and replied earnestly, "Understood, Senior Sister."
Yun Qian nodded in satisfaction: "There is only one rule of Cangmin Mountain: you must not commit heinous crimes. If you commit any heinous crimes, Cangmin Mountain will take back the protective talisman. But as long as you do not cross this line, no one outside can forcibly remove the talisman from your body."
"Furthermore, regarding cultivators..." Yun Qian rambled on about what she knew about the classification of cultivators, cultivation realms, and other common knowledge.
"...And..." What else? It seems everything that needed to be said has been said. That was all Bai Yan had explained back then. If she were to say anything more, it would involve the secrets of the future... "And... you all need to cultivate diligently and begin to draw Qi into your bodies as soon as possible. There are no things to keep warm on the mountain, nor much ordinary food. However, once you reach the Qi Refining stage, these problems will no longer be problems!"
As she spoke, Yun Qian turned around with a smile, trying to get some positive feedback from her two new junior brothers. However, what she saw were two exhausted little faces.
Bai Chuan and Bai Ji were able to keep up at first, but as Yun Qian became more and more engrossed in her storytelling, her pace quickened unconsciously. They were already panting, their faces were flushed, and their steps became increasingly heavy.
How could mortals compare to the physical strength of Nascent Soul cultivators? Let alone climbing to the towering mountaintop, they had already exhausted themselves just from reaching the halfway point.
Yun Qian belatedly realized the problem, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her face. She shook the broken wooden sword in her hand: "Ahem... this sword is broken, it can only carry one person at a time. Who wants to come up with me first?"
The broken sword hummed, seemingly expressing its own helplessness.
Bai Chuan spoke almost without hesitation, his breath still a little unsteady: "Senior Sister, please take Bai Ji away first. I will wait here." He was older and should take care of his junior brother.
Bai Ji was about to decline when Yun Qian interrupted her, "Come on up." She didn't like too much formality, and besides, going up and down the mountain was different from going around it. At her current speed, a round trip wouldn't take much time.
Within Cangmin Mountain, protected by the mountain-protecting spiritual array, there wasn't even a single ferocious wild beast besides the three of them. It was perfectly safe, so it wouldn't hurt to let Baichuan wait a moment.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com