The way home
The majestic nine-tiered eaves pierce the clouds, and a huge plaque hangs high, bearing the four characters "Council Hall" that exude an imposing aura.
At this moment, success was just one step away, but Lin Yunwang had doubts.
Logically speaking, the oath made by Immortal Yongyun should have attracted countless cultivators from all over the world, even amidst countless hardships. Yet, along the way, he has not encountered any competitors, nor even anyone who knows of the oath.
Zhou Hengyan's voice interrupted her reverie, "Miss Lin? The two Venerable Ones are waiting for you on the second floor."
Lin Yun walked side by side with Zhou Hengyan.
Upon entering the council hall, the rope attached to Lin Yun's wrist seemed to have lost its previous life, quickly slipping to the ground. She bent down to pick it up, but missed; the rope had already swum into the young man's sleeve as if it were alive.
Inside the main hall, a huge bronze incense burner emitted intermittent wisps of smoke, while dust swirled in the beams of light filtering through the openwork windows, and the reliefs on the four walls were half-hidden in the shadows.
Even the person sitting in the shadows was half-lit and half-dark.
"Venerable Yichen, Venerable Mingqi, this disciple has brought Miss Lin here."
Based on the order in which he bowed, Lin Yun knew who was Yichen and who was Mingqi, and quickly followed his posture to bow to the two of them.
This respectful demeanor made Venerable Mingqi chuckle and say, "You don't need to be so reserved. The Jingyin Sect is particular about etiquette and always keeps its promises. I have already had what you asked for prepared. I only summoned you here to see what kind of person can climb Zhongyu Peak."
He took a sip of tea, looked up at her, and said, "Now it seems you are indeed very insightful."
"Thank you, Venerable Mingqi."
Just as Lin Yun breathed a sigh of relief, he heard Ming Qi say again, "The oath you spoke of is incomplete. I suppose the person who told you the oath also did not tell you the whole story."
"Climbing Zhongyu Peak is just one of the conditions."
"Ten years. You must serve as a disciple of the Jingyin Sect for ten years, after which you will either leave or stay with us." Venerable Mingqi's tone was both threatening and enticing.
She was about to agree. After all, the most important thing right now was to get the Resurrection Pill to save the village chief. The pros and cons could be discussed later.
The white-clad man, who had been silent until now, frowned slightly and spoke first: "Saving lives is the priority. I have already informed Sang Zhao to return to her hometown immediately. She will give us her answer after careful consideration."
Mingqi, standing nearby, snorted coldly, but that was all; he didn't stop Yichen's next move.
He walked down the steps to Lin Yunwang's side and handed him a simple clay bottle, saying, "This is the resurrection pill you've been asking for."
"Yunwang thanks the two venerable ones." She then bowed to the two of them, following Zhou Hengyan's movements, this time even more precisely.
The smile on Venerable Yichen's lips deepened. "This is a disciple's greeting."
Lin Yunwang's face turned red instantly. He was about to explain when Mingqi interrupted him.
"Hengyan, take her to wait for Sang Zhao."
The moment the two stepped across the threshold, the heavy door slammed shut with a loud bang, cutting off all sound.
"Aren't you afraid that once she leaves..."
"I just feel that I have a special connection with the Cloud Sect."
Yichen took a few steps forward, walked to the window, and saw Lin Yun talking with Zhou Hengyan. She gently lowered the window latch.
“I see that your hands are covered in scrapes and abrasions. I accidentally hurt you earlier…” Zhou Hengyan stretched out his hand, showing the medicine bottle in his palm. “If you don’t accept it, I won’t be able to eat or sleep properly.”
Lin Yun ran her fingertips over the dark red scab on the side of her neck. The scene of that sharp sword lying across her neck was still vivid in her mind. "It's just a minor injury. It's nothing to worry about, Immortal Lord."
Zhou Hengyan remained adamant and still held up the medicine bottle, so Lin Yunwang had no choice but to put the bottle into his sleeve.
Suddenly, a sword aura pierced the air and arrived; the newcomer was none other than Sang Zhao, whom Yi Chen had mentioned.
The young man in the purple robe with a plain silk belt hovered in mid-air on his sword. "Sang Zhao has come on his master's orders. You must be Miss Lin. I heard the situation is urgent, so let's head to Shixi Village immediately."
The young man sheathed his sword and landed on the ground, his hair ribbon fluttering. He turned to Zhou Hengyan and cupped his hands, saying, "Please convey my greetings to Venerable Mingqi on my behalf, Junior Brother Zhou."
Sang Zhao received a response, and lightly tapped the blade with the scabbard, causing the remaining snow on the blade to scatter. He then remounted his sword and reached out to Lin Yun, intending to pull her onto the blade.
Lin Yun wiped the bloodstains off his hands on his clothes before taking that hand in his.
With a gentle pull, it stood firmly on the sword.
In just a few moments, when she looked back, Zhou Hengyan had already turned into a speck of snow. She couldn't help but sigh in her heart: flying on a sword is much faster than using a shrinking talisman.
Hearing Sang Zhao's voice, Yi Chen opened the window and saw that the two had already walked away. Facing the two backs, he was somewhat lost in thought.
Lately, his daydreaming problem has become more and more serious.
Having just seen off the distinguished guest, Yongyun, who had rushed over, was standing beside him at some point. Seeing him in this state again, she couldn't help but feel a little worried.
Venerable Yongyun cleared his throat and said with a hint of regret, "I was originally hoping to see what that capable person looked like. His name is Lin Yunwang, right?"
His junior brother's words somewhat brought him back to his senses. Yichen seemed to have just woken up from a dream, but his gaze was still fixed on the two figures in front of him. The two figures had completely disappeared. Even though cultivators have stronger senses than ordinary people, they could not find out where the two were.
Mingqi was no longer smiling as before. His brows were furrowed, and he tapped the table with his fingers, startling the incense smoke from the burner into dispersal. "Yongyun, you still have the mood to talk and laugh. Why don't you think about it? Who still remembers the vows you made back then?"
Yichen pressed his fingers together against his brow, and a wisp of golden light appeared, which then transformed into several large characters: "The mind is like a clear mirror, the sea of consciousness is calm and undisturbed."
Humans are born with spiritual power, which is transformed into a spiritual platform and resides in the sea of consciousness. And fluctuations in spiritual power are the best way to detect whether someone is lying.
“I have examined her sea of consciousness and found nothing unusual; what she said is true.”
He carefully recalled her vast and boundless sea of consciousness, whose spiritual power far surpassed that of most cultivators, yet there were no traces of "enlightenment" in her meridians that allowed spiritual power to enter her body; it was probably innate.
She only suffered physical pain on this trip, but it was not fatal, probably because of the protection she received from the spiritual power she possessed.
“But she specifically asked for the Rejuvenation Pill.” Mingqi did not relax because of his words.
“Now that we have examined her sea of consciousness and confirmed that she is normal, then please do not presuppose her position, Senior Brother. Perhaps you should pay more attention to and worry about the people around you.” Yichen looked meaningfully out the window, then smiled and said no more.
"you--"
Before the cold stars had faded, a fierce wind, carrying snowflakes, crashed against the cliff, shattering them into silver dust on Zhou Hengyan's jade crown. He flew close to Zhongyu Peak on his sword, where mottled bloodstains mingled with the remaining snow on the frosty cliff face.
The hem of his crane cloak had been torn by rocks during his attempt to climb the cliff by hand. He paused for a moment as he made a hand gesture to mend it, then looked at his hand. After only a quarter of an hour on the cliff, there were already several wounds on it.
The journey he had encountered was far more arduous than he had imagined, and now it seemed that he had underestimated Lin Yunwang.
Sword energy pierced through the sea of clouds as Mingqi arrived on the wind, his sleeves billowing with lingering anger.
Zhou Hengyan bowed his head in respect, thinking to himself: In the Jingyin Sect, there is only one person who can anger Master like this.
He could guess who had angered his master, but he had no intention of comforting him.
The bond between them, master and apprentice, was as thin as ice in early spring.
Zhou Hengyan lost his parents at a young age and was raised by his uncle for six years. When Mingqi took him back to the Jingyin Sect, his master was often away pacifying the mortal world and did not take care of him for long.
Venerable Mingqi is a member of the "Golden Generation" in the cultivation world, an elder of the Jingyin Sect, a close friend of his parents, and his teacher. He should respect his teacher... For Zhou Hengyan, these are enough to maintain the relationship between teacher and disciple.
"The Immortal Sect Competition is short of an inspector." Mingqi tossed over a jade token. "Set off immediately."
This arrangement was obviously driven by self-interest. The matter wasn't fully investigated yet, and Zhou Hengyan was the first person to meet Lin Yunwang; if someone with ulterior motives were to use this against him…
This grand competition among immortal sects is crucial for those who can enter the spiritual veins for cultivation, attracting covetous eyes from all sides. This hot potato should have been handled personally by the sect leader.
Although he knew it was against the rules, he did not refuse and replied, "Disciple obeys."
After bowing, he turned and left.
As Mingqi watched his retreating figure, Yichen's words, "Your divination skills are inferior to mine," still echoed in his ears, causing the old wound in his chest to ache faintly.
"Chengwen, Changguang, was what I did right or wrong?"
No one can answer this question now.
In fact, Zhou Hengyan was wrong.
In the Jingyin Sect, only Yichen could anger Mingqi. But the only time he could be this angry was when it concerned him.
Lin Yun followed Sang Zhao as they flew on their swords. She gazed at the twilight over the mountains below, letting her stray hairs wander around her neck. The pain in her shoulder intensified with the increasing altitude, while her mind became clearer under the stimulation of the cold wind.
Hurry up, as long as the Resurrection Pill is returned, the village chief will...
As the sword rose higher and higher, breaking through the clouds, Lin Yun's back stretched taut like a fully drawn bowstring.
Sang Zhao slowed down without making a sound, and Ren Feng rolled his outer robe to her side, saying, "If you are afraid of heights, you can hold onto the hem of my robe."
The young immortal was as gentle as a spring stream, and his words and actions reflected this.
Lin Yun shook his head. "It's not that I'm scared, it's just that this is the first time I've seen such a sight."
She lied. The surging clouds resembled a vast, snowy plain, vaguely overlapping with the airplane window in her memory, only without that layer of cold glass.
These have all become remnants of a past life's dream.
The two had been flying for more than two hours, chatting intermittently like this, and had become much more familiar with each other than at the beginning.
The spirit sword swooped down into the forest.
"My spiritual power is insufficient; I cannot sustain the entire journey." He made a hand seal to ignite the guiding talisman. "I'll rest for a while, then fly on my sword for another half an hour..."
He suddenly stopped, and the embers of the burnt talisman drifted toward Lin Yun's sleeve, where a patch of blackness thicker than the night was seeping in.
"I'm sorry..."
Lin Yun found a tree and sat down, leaning against the trunk. "Why should the Immortal Lord apologize? If it weren't for your help, this journey would have taken half a month, even if we traveled day and night through wind and rain."
Even though there are fewer insects in winter, the young man carefully sprinkled insect repellent powder around him.
"Please let me ease your pain."
Sang Zhao gently touched Yun Wang's forehead, and a warm current circulated from his fingertips around her body. He forcefully stuffed several medicine bottles into the girl's hands and instructed, "Be sure to apply the medicine after we return to the village."
She looked at the seven or eight porcelain bottles in her hand, each with its usage instructions carefully marked. Seeing the girl hesitate, the immortal lord spoke first, "No need for thanks, this is an apology."
These words made Yun Wang's lips curl into a smile. "Are all you immortals so kind? The one who bestowed kindness is now apologizing, leaving me speechless."
The remark was more of a joke, but it prompted the person in front of him to give a serious explanation.
“Not all of them. You seem to have some misunderstanding about immortals. The immortals you’re talking about are just cultivators.” Sang Zhao sat down next to her. “Look, we also need this insect repellent powder.”
"You shouldn't completely trust those who cultivate immortality. There are also some scoundrels among us who often do things that harm others for their own benefit. However, their will is not firm, and they will not go far on the path of cultivation."
Lin Yunwang knew very little about cultivation. When she first transmigrated, she was in a barrier, and after arriving in the human world, she had even less contact with things and matters related to the cultivation world.
"The Immortal Venerable Qiming is the number one person in the cultivation world, and he is in charge of..." Before Sang Zhao could finish speaking, he saw Yun Wang dazed and about to fall to the ground. He quickly used his hands to support her face and leaned her head against the tree trunk.
Apart from Lin Yun, no one knew how many days she hadn't slept, nor did anyone know what had sustained her until now.
"You truly possess a will far exceeding that of ordinary people, just as your master said." Sang Zhao murmured as he looked at the girl.
A cultivator's sea of consciousness is like a mirror, reflecting the spiritual energy of the universe.
Theoretically speaking, those with strong willpower have a more resilient sea of consciousness and can store more spiritual energy.
Lin Yun woke up after only half an hour of sleep. When offered to rest a little longer, she declined, saying, "I'm not that tired, you don't need to worry."
Suddenly, Sang Zhao made a shushing gesture. She understood, and crouched down to listen. From not far away came the muffled sound of clashing weapons.
She and the boy leaped toward the ancient tree. Although it was winter, the many branches conveniently concealed their figures.
"Commander, the person who flew on the sword landed in this forest," a man in black reported to a man in silver armor.
Their faces were obscured by layers of branches, so their ages could only be judged by their voices.
"Since they haven't shown themselves, they obviously don't want to meet, so you don't need to waste your time looking for them."
The person's voice sounded surprisingly young.
"Has any news arrived today?" he then asked.
"Yes, there is." One person respectfully handed over a letter.
"Back to camp." The group marched away in a grand procession, the clanging of swords against armor adding to the atmosphere.
Once all sound was gone, Lin Yun jumped down from the tree, with Sang Zhao following closely behind.
The wind brought sand and dust, and both of them coughed repeatedly.
"Strange, why parade through the streets like this?" Sang Zhao stared at the dusty official road.
Located at the intersection of the celestial realm, the demon realm, and the human realm, this place is naturally a melting pot of all sorts of people. It's best to do things discreetly, but instead, everyone knows about it. Was it intentional or accidental?
It seems to be the former.
Lin Yun had no intention of investigating their motives, taking it all as a coincidence. She only wanted to return to Shixi Village as soon as possible to treat the village chief; if this medicine didn't work, she would seek other methods.
"Shall we set off now?" Her gaze turned to Sang Zhao, who was deep in thought, and she gently called to him, "Immortal Lord?"
He came to his senses and felt a little embarrassed. "Since we already know each other and are about the same age, it feels a bit awkward for you to call me by such a respectful title."
"Then I shall call you Young Master Sang."
"Just call me by my name." Sang Zhao's voice mingled with the sound of swords, as light as snowflakes drifting in the air.
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