Immortal Hidden Sect
Another celestial being looked up in a daze, just as a golden-red dot leaped out of the sea of clouds like a carp, gradually turning from crescent to full like the phases of the moon, dyeing the vast gray-blue sea of clouds from afar into a shimmering brocade of dawn.
The bright, warm morning sun fell into her eyes, dispelling the blood-red mist before her. A gentle breeze caressed the tear stains on her cheeks, and the ice on her arms gradually faded, while the demonic runes and energy slowly returned to calm.
“What a beautiful scene, what a vast world, isn’t it?” Chao Du said with a smile.
Another person, Chao Du, gazed at the tranquil yet vibrant sunrise and was so captivated that tears streamed down their face.
"The sun has risen today too," she murmured.
Asakawa nodded: "Yes, it too has risen again after a long night. Day after day, countless times, it emerges from the long night and rises again, and we should do the same."
"Emerging from the long night, rising anew..." another murmured, unconsciously clenching his fist.
Chao Du turned to look at her, took her hand, and said gently, "If you feel that becoming a demon is a mistake, then correct that mistake. If you feel that you have ruined Yi Xi's future, then create a better future for her. If you feel that Fu Buci is no longer the person he used to be, you can choose to let go and leave, or you can choose to make him pay the price for what he did. In short, your journey is not over yet. Step out of your long night. No matter what choice you make, I will be with you."
Another Asahi stared blankly at Asahi, and tears welled up as a flood of pent-up grievances and pain accumulated over the past ten years.
She suddenly hugged Chaodu tightly and burst into tears. Chaodu gently patted her shoulder and back, quietly staying with her until she finished crying.
After a while, the other woman's sobs subsided, and she asked intermittently through sobs, "Do I really still... still have a road to walk on?"
Asahi affirmed, "Of course, there are so many paths in the world. If one is blocked, try another, and maybe the scenery will be even more beautiful."
Another Chao Du smiled through her tears, then wiped them away, leaned on Chao Du's shoulder, gazed at the golden-red sea of clouds, and remained silent for a long time before speaking again, her voice soft yet firm: "I understand. I will continue to move forward. I will be the first person to transcend from demon to immortal. I will create a better future for Yi Xi. I will make Fu Buci pay the price for what he has done all these years!"
Chao Du smiled with satisfaction and then asked, "By the way, what do you think of this mountain and the scenery?"
Another person, Chao Du, exclaimed, "They are all excellent."
Asawa: "This will do."
The other Asawa tilted his head, looking at Asawa with a hint of confusion: "What? What are you planning to do?"
Chao Du summoned the Thousand-Jin Sword, stood up, turned to her and smiled, "From now on, this will be our Immortal Hidden Sect's mountain. If you want to see the sunrise, you can see it every day."
Another Asawata: "...!"
Chao Du flew towards the cliff, drew his sword from its sheath, and used the sword as a pen and the sword's energy as ink.
A powerful sword aura roared out, instantly causing the sea of clouds to surge and recede, and thousands of birds cried out and took flight. As sword auras embedded themselves into the mountain rocks, the three large characters "Immortal Hidden Sect" were carved into the upper half of the mountain in a graceful and powerful manner.
Satisfied, Chao Du sheathed his sword and returned to the mountaintop. However, the other Chao Du seemed somewhat worried: "If we establish a sect, won't we have to deal with the Immortal Alliance? Then... should I hide? What will they do to me? Will they force you to hand me over? Won't they besiege us and the Immortal Hidden Sect?"
Chao Du lightly tapped her shoulder and laughed, "Just be yourself, focus on your training, don't worry about anything else, I'm here for you."
“…Okay!” another Chawatari nodded. “But by the way, where is this? What kind of mountain is this?”
Chao Du: "This is an unnamed mountain in the Gray Wasteland."
"Grey Wasteland?!" Another Chaodu exclaimed in surprise, looking down at the sea of golden-red clouds, where he could vaguely see dark green, almost black, eerie mountains and dense forests.
Chao Du nodded calmly.
Another Chao Du looked at her in astonishment and couldn't help but ask, "Are we really going to build a sect here?! This place is extremely dangerous! There are demons and demonic cultivators here! It is said that many cultivators disappeared here. The Immortal Alliance wanted to clean up this place and sent hundreds of elites, but most of them were lost... Since then, even the Immortal Alliance has not dared to approach this place. We are actually going to build a sect here?!"
Asakawa smiled and said, "It is indeed dangerous, but not for us, but for them."
Chao Du, full of interest and eager to try, looked at the perilous mountains and forests below the sea of clouds, stroked his sword and laughed, "They are the ones who should be afraid."
Another Asahi, in her panic, saw Asahi's calm demeanor and, as she looked at her, suddenly calmed down.
“Alright, Gray Wasteland it is then. Even the Immortal Alliance doesn’t dare to come here, let’s just stay here! It’ll be so prestigious.” Another Chao Du joked, then turned to look at the open space behind him, “Since we’ve chosen this location for our sect, shouldn’t we build houses here? Hmm, I’ve never built a house before.”
Asawa confessed, "I don't know either."
Another person asked, "Ah, this... who can we ask for help? Will any craftsmen be willing to come here to build houses?"
"No need to ask for help, I have the Scroll of Reality and Illusion, it's not a big problem." Chao Du slowly opened his hand, and a scroll appeared in his hand. The scroll was almost transparent, but inside the scroll, two small black and white ink fish swam leisurely, leaving faint ink ripples.
Another Chao Du stared at the scroll, his eyes slowly widening in shock as he asked, "This...this is the 'Scroll of Interplay of Reality and Illusion,' which is ranked among the top three on the Immortal Cultivation Artifact Ranking?! It's rumored to be able to switch between reality and illusion, and its whereabouts have been unknown for hundreds of years. Where did you get it?!"
"Didn't you encounter anything in that secluded amber realm?" Chao Du unfurled the scroll, and the transparent scroll floated in the air automatically, with two ink-wash fish swimming leisurely inside, as if this were their fishpond.
Another Chao Du slowly shook his head, his expression complicated: "I didn't encounter it, and it seems Fu Buci didn't get it either. I don't remember having it in his Guixian Pavilion. Besides, if he had gotten it, he would definitely have shown it off everywhere so that the entire cultivation world would know." Another Chao Du said sarcastically.
"So he didn't get it either. In that case, there should be another one in this world? We can go check it out when we have time." Chao Du said, tapping the scroll with his fingertip, and said to the two little fish, "I want to build a sect. Do you have any records of suitable houses?"
The two little fish suddenly became cheerful. They leaped out of the "water" as if to greet Chaodu, and then swam swiftly in the "fishpond." The dark ripples created by their tails formed several carved beams and painted rafters, resplendent in gold.
Another Chao Du said, "This looks like the house of the Jade Seeking Sect? I remember that sect is very rich. It's the only sect that floats in the air. Fu Buci was inspired by this sect to build the Azure Cloud Immortal Palace."
Chao Du nodded: "After all, it's a sect that specializes in crafting immortal artifacts, and they're rolling in money. But they're very stingy when it comes to collecting materials. They've ripped me off quite a bit before, tsk." As he spoke, Chao Du pointed to the scrolls again, "Could you two please bring a few more?"
The two small fish swam quickly again, and this time a group of beautiful houses with fluttering gauze appeared in the "fishpond".
Another Chaodu: "This looks like the style of houses in Fenghua City?"
Asakawa nodded: "Yes. But it doesn't really feel right either. Shall we look at some others?"
The two little fish tried to "draw" in the "fishpond" a dozen more times, but Chao Du was still not satisfied. While she used her spiritual power to condense some "fish food" to feed them, she repeatedly looked through these design plans: "None of them are to my liking, troublesome."
Another person asked, "What style are you probably looking for?"
Chao Du: "For example, the Immortal Robe Pavilion is a good one..."
The two chariots suddenly looked at each other.
Another Chao Du's eyes lit up: "Then how about the Immortal Robe Pavilion?"
“Then let’s go with the Immortal Robe Pavilion!” Chao Du became interested, placed his palm on the Scroll of Reality and Illusion, closed his eyes, and said, “I will first use my memory to leave the appearance of the Immortal Robe Pavilion in the Scroll of Reality and Illusion.”
The two little fish got busy again, and after a series of ink ripples, the appearance of the Immortal Garment Pavilion gradually appeared in the scroll.
Asakawa raised her hand and asked the other Asakawa, "How is it? Does it look like me?"
Another Chaodu gazed at the Fairy Robe Pavilion in the painting and nodded in delight: "It's so similar! Exactly the same as the one I remember!"
Asawa nodded: "Then I'll begin."
She raised her hand, and the scroll changed from being horizontal to vertical, facing the open space on the mountaintop.
Chao Du gathered spiritual energy in his hands and poured it into the painting. Two small fish swam leisurely out of the painting, their bodies growing larger and larger. In the blink of an eye, they had grown to several feet long, and even showed a tendency to continue to grow.
Another astonished Watari: "How could these two fish grow so big?"
Chao Du laughed and said, "Actually, they are Kunpeng, and they can become even bigger, but it's not necessary to build a sect."
Another Chaodu exclaimed in amazement, "Those two little fish are actually Kunpeng... When will they need to grow to their full size? How big will they be at their largest?"
Chao Du: "For example, when we build a city, we may have the opportunity to see it in the future, but we'll have to wait until my spiritual power recovers a bit more."
As the two chatted, two half-grown Kunpengs slowly swam over the mountaintop, swaying their tails and creating ripples that outlined the shapes of the houses and even the vegetation of the Immortal Robe Pavilion.
Asakawa: "Let's see if there's anything else that needs to be changed. There's still a chance."
Another person, Chao Du, looked closely for a while and exclaimed in admiration, "It's gone. Everything is exactly the same as I remember it."
"Then this is the final draft." Chao Du placed his hand completely on the scroll of interplay between reality and illusion, and whispered, "Using reality to depict illusion, and illusion to transform reality, the scroll of interplay between reality and illusion, open!"
In the next instant, a massive amount of spiritual energy surged into the painting, and five-colored "pigments" burst forth from behind the painting like a tidal wave, sweeping across the entire mountaintop in the blink of an eye and filling the "draft" that had just been outlined in ink.
A dozen exquisite little buildings, covered bridges, pavilions, and the flowers, trees and shrubs surrounding the houses were vividly "painted" on the mountaintop, infinitely close to the Fairy Robe Pavilion in their memories.
Another Chao Du couldn't help but take a few steps forward, his fingers trembling as he touched the door of the Fairy Robe Pavilion.
The texture of the thick wooden board was felt at my fingertips, with what looked like freshly painted red paint, and it felt cool and smooth to the touch.
As you walk through the gate and further ahead, the road is paved with polished bluestone slabs, smooth yet still retaining some of the roughness of stone.
"It's unbelievable... How can it be so real?" Before she knew it, her eyes were wet with tears again.
Further ahead, the magnolia tree, its branches laden with blossoms, was swept by the wind, and petals rained down, covering her shoulders.
Another Chaodu unconsciously started running towards the "Miaosheng Building," where she used to weave and embroider with Yaoyao and other fellow disciples.
She was clearly running forward, but she felt as if she had returned to the past.
Fortunately, this past is the one she cherishes most now.
It was as if those painful things had never happened, as if her family and her best friends were still alive.
It seems she really has a chance to start over.
She excitedly pushed open the door of Miaosheng Building. Inside, the tables, chairs, vases, looms, and all the furnishings were exactly as she remembered them.
But those people from back then are nowhere to be seen.
The other person on the river suddenly stopped in their tracks.
She knew that some times could never be returned to. She hadn't gone back to the past; rather, scenes from the past had come before her eyes.
The other Chao Du closed her eyes, her face contorted in pain. The bloodthirsty desire to kill whispered restlessly in her mind. A bone-chilling coldness returned to her wrist. Without even looking, she knew that the Ice Marrow Demon-Suppressing Bracelet had taken effect.
She has now become a demon.
Those times are gone forever.
She had to move forward; she had no choice but to move forward.
A hand gently rested on her shoulder and patted her.
The other person reached out and gently grasped that hand, whispering, "Don't worry, I'm fine."
The other one opened his eyes; his pupils were still slightly red, but the redness was gradually fading.
Chao Du was pleasantly surprised: "You have a good control over your emotions and demonic energy."
Another smile appeared on her face, a bitter smile: "I have to move forward." If she had a choice, she would rather stay in the past, before all the pain happened, when her family and friends were still around, and before she knew Fu Buci.
But she had no choice.
Another Chao Du suggested, "This is the Hidden Immortal Sect, not the Immortal Robe Pavilion anymore. Let's put away these looms and embroidery stools."
Asawa: "Okay, if you're tired, take a rest. The dormitory location is the same as before."
“…Hmm.” The other one said wearily, “I’m going to rest for a while, I’m a little tired.”
Another one, Chao Du, walked slowly toward the dormitory with his head down. After a moment of thought, Chao Du conjured a small bird from his fingertips.
"Go."
The bird flew to another direction towards the ferry, flapped its wings twice, and then disappeared.
Asahi silently apologized, but her condition was unstable, so he had to keep a close eye on her, just in case.
Then, Asakawa raised her hand and put away all the items related to weaving and embroidery in the room. Looking at the empty room, she couldn't help but sigh softly.
Some times, indeed, can never be returned to.
Let's keep moving forward.
Chao Du arrived at the main pavilion of the Immortal Garment Pavilion, "Ruyi Pavilion". After walking around inside, she felt a bit stuffy, so she went to sit in the pavilion outside the pavilion. She first set up a barrier around the entire mountain, and then summoned the sword spirits of the Yaoling Sword and the Zhuotian Sword to guard the vicinity. She then continued to cultivate.
Suddenly, she paused. Through the little bird's eyes, she could see another version of herself walk to the dormitory, stand outside the door holding her sword for a moment, but instead of going in to rest, she suddenly drew out the Langyue Sword and began to practice her swordsmanship.
Although she didn't control her strength well, and a single sword strike broke several lotus lantern trees, her willingness to cultivate was still a good start.
The other self stared blankly at the broken lotus lantern tree, clearly not expecting it to have such power.
She sheathed her Langyue sword, bent down to pick up a broken branch, removed the withered flowers and leaves from it, intending to use the branch as a sword to continue practicing her swordsmanship. However, before she could even swing her "sword," the broken branch shattered in her hand.
Another charioteer changed to a different branch, and it remained the same.
She looked at the fragments of the twig in her hand in confusion, summoned the Bright Moon Sword, took it out and put it aside, and continued practicing using the scabbard as a sword. This time, she finally succeeded.
Relieved, Chao Du continued her cultivation, especially focusing on accumulating spiritual energy. She had used up a lot of spiritual energy last night and just now, and she needed to replenish it as soon as possible.
However, after her mind was clear on the way last night and the Heavenly Dao lifted some of its suppression, her speed of resonating with all things in the world and accumulating spiritual power increased.
But she doesn't expect to rely entirely on the Heavenly Dao to reduce the suppression for her—that means the initiative is in the hands of the Heavenly Dao, and perhaps one day it will continue to increase the suppression. Is she going to be helpless?
She hoped to accumulate enough spiritual power to break through the suppression of the Heavenly Dao in this place.
Even the Heavenly Dao of this place cannot suppress her forever.
Therefore, she has been cultivating almost day and night these past few days. Becoming an immortal is both the end and a new beginning.
As for where the new destination is? She doesn't know, nor does she care. The journey has been interesting enough, the scenery beautiful enough, so she can just take her time and enjoy it.
...
As evening approached, another chawara put away his sword and scabbard, hesitated for a moment, and went to the kitchen.
She pushed open the kitchen door, and the kitchen was filled with ingredients, and all kinds of tableware and kitchen utensils came into view.
Another Asakawa's gaze swept over the ingredients, and his eyes involuntarily fell on the few pieces of raw meat.
How could this fresh, raw meat, still streaked with blood, look so delicious...?!
Another person suddenly snapped back to reality and realized that they had unknowingly walked up to the pieces of raw meat. They were almost about to reach out and tear them apart to savor the wonderful sweetness of the flesh... Ouch, so cold!
The demonic energy is somewhat chaotic.
Another man, Chao Du, shook his head frantically, trying to shake off that terrifying and eerie thought. He swallowed hard and used all his strength to pick up the pot lid next to him and cover the delicious flesh and blood with it.
After doing all this, she leaned against the stove, watching the ice on her wrist gradually dissipate. She slowly exhaled, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and was still shaken.
That's terrifying. After becoming possessed by a demon, one can develop an interest in living flesh and blood. No wonder some demonic cultivators even capture people to eat... It's truly horrifying.
The other Chao Du looked at the Ice Marrow Demon-Suppressing Bracelet on her wrist and felt a little relieved: with this bracelet and the help of her other self, she would definitely be able to get rid of the demonic energy!
Another Chaodu composed herself, her gaze falling on the several large baskets filled with vegetables: she dared not see raw meat now, so was the banquet tonight to thank her other self to be made entirely vegetarian?
She frowned, picked up a bamboo shoot from the basket, and pondered whether there was a suitable recipe.
With a "crunch," the bamboo shoot was crushed into pieces without her even realizing it.
Another Asakawa: "...?" Did she use force just now? She was just holding it very casually.
However, the bamboo shoot crumbled into pieces just like the tree branch she used for sword practice during the day. Was it because her grip strength had suddenly increased so much? Or was it because she couldn't control her power?
She suddenly had a bad feeling: Under these circumstances, would she be able to prepare a feast tonight? She might even have trouble chopping vegetables…
She nervously took another bamboo shoot from the basket, carefully held it, and placed it intact on the cutting board.
She breathed a slight sigh of relief, picked up the kitchen knife, and wanted to try cutting the bamboo shoot into pieces first.
With one stroke, the bamboo shoot was successfully cut open, but the cutting board was also cut open along with it, and the knife handle was shattered into pieces.
Another Chaodu: "…………Is it because the thing created by that 'illusion and reality intertwined scroll' isn't very sturdy?!"
Confused, she tapped the remaining cutting board with her finger, leaving a dent... The "Illusion and Reality" scroll was indeed unreliable! Could these houses still be lived in? Wouldn't they collapse with a touch or a gust of wind?!
"What are you doing?"
A familiar voice came from the doorway.
The other man, Chao Du, hurriedly hid the broken cutting board and cleaver behind him, stammering, "It's nothing, just checking what we could eat. What brings you here?"
Chao Du walked into the kitchen and looked around. "Tonight might not be peaceful, so I came to find you. Is there anything you want to eat? If not, I can use the Scroll of Reality and Illusion to make something else."
Another man, Chao Du, hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't help but say, "...This scroll seems a bit unreliable."
"Unreliable?" Asakawa asked in surprise. "How is it unreliable?"
Another woman stepped aside to let her see the wreckage of the cutting board behind her: "Look at this cutting board, it crumbles as soon as you cut it, and it leaves a dent with just one tap, like a block of tofu."
Asawari: "?"
Chao Du walked over, bent his finger and tapped the still intact corner of the cutting board. A slightly heavy sound rang out, indicating that the cutting board was made of good quality wood.
She raised her finger, and there wasn't a trace left where she had tapped.
Another Asakawa: "?!"
She reached out and tapped it again, looking puzzled, and another dent appeared on the cutting board.
“Look…” another person said aggrievedly, “I tapped it and there was a dent, even though I didn’t use any force. Is this cutting board trying to frame me?”
Chao Du gazed at her hand for a moment, then pointed to the empty table beside him: "Come on, sit down, let's play arm wrestling."
The two sat down on either side of the corner of the table, stretched out their hands, rested their elbows on the table, and clasped hands.
Asakawa: "Don't use force yet." Her grip strength was definitely much greater than before.
Another Asakawa asked, puzzled, "I didn't use any force, I just held it loosely."
Asawari: "...Then try using your strength?" He's so strong even without using any force; if he did...
With a crack, the tabletop shattered; the table leg, unable to withstand the weight, broke.
Asawari and the other Asawari were both stunned for a moment.
The other Asakawa looked at his hand in disbelief: "I only used a little bit of force, how could this happen?!"
Chao Du looked her over: her face hadn't changed, and her breathing hadn't become erratic, so it was clear that she hadn't used much strength just now.
Although Asawa's own hand remained motionless, she could sense that her other self was much stronger than before, but her perception and control of that strength seemed to be malfunctioning.
"Perhaps we need to tailor a new training plan for you." Chao Du withdrew his hand, flexed his wrist, and already had a preliminary plan in mind.
Bang----
A loud bang and several screams suddenly came from outside. Another person, Chao Du, looked up sharply at the window: "What happened outside? What's going on?"
Chao Du glanced at the window, raised his hand and swished a gust of wind to close it, and smiled, "We've just arrived at Gray Wasteland, and some hospitable or curious friends may come over to say hello. It's no problem."
Another one, Chao Du, twitched his lips and said speechlessly, "Are you coming over to say hello, or are you coming over to say hello?"
Chao Du chuckled lightly: "In Gray Wasteland, the difference between the two might not be that great."
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