At present, there were only two things that had truly made a name for themselves in the cultivation world, and both were related to the Longevity Dao Sect.
The first was that Master Yushan, the great expert of the Longevity Dao Sect, had successfully advanced to the Mahayana Realm and officially taken over as head of the sect.
The second was that Situ Jian, a direct disciple of the Longevity Dao Sect, had fallen into the demonic path. He had even killed two of his martial uncles in the Immaculate Realm before fleeing the sect. To make matters worse, several demonic cultivators had publicly announced that they wanted to take him as their disciple. In a single night, he had become famous throughout both the righteous and demonic paths, becoming the center of attention.
“Everyone says that Xu Guan of the Asking God Sect is the youngest person to reach the Immaculate Realm in three hundred years. But Situ Jian doesn’t seem to be even two hundred years old yet. What kind of cultivation method is he practicing to improve so quickly in such a short time?”
“If that weren’t the case, why would so many great experts want to capture him?”
“I heard those two people weren’t killed by Situ Jian at all. It was Ning Weixuan who killed them. The Longevity Dao Sect made Situ Jian take the blame, so he rebelled against the sect. Otherwise, he was doing perfectly well there. He was a core disciple who had everything he could want. Why would he suddenly betray the sect for no reason?”
“That makes sense. I heard Situ Jian’s master died too. Without anyone to rely on, what choice did he have?”
…
After Situ Jian fled, everyone in the Longevity Dao Sect was furious. It was said that the sect’s ancestor, Wuweizi, a Land Immortal, had personally issued an order to capture Situ Jian, dead or alive.
Whoever managed to capture Situ Jian would be granted one request by the Longevity Dao Sect, so long as it was something the sect could accomplish.
It was an astonishingly generous reward.
However, cultivators were not fools.
Situ Jian had managed to escape under the watchful eyes of so many experts from the Longevity Dao Sect. His abilities were certainly extraordinary. For ordinary cultivators, trying to capture him would be nothing more than wishful thinking. Unless they possessed cultivation in the Immaculate Realm, they were better off forgetting about it. As for cultivators in the Immaculate Realm, most of them already had their own sects and factions. It would already be fortunate if they did not capture Situ Jian and bring him back to their own territory for research. How could they possibly deliver him to the Longevity Dao Sect?
Of course, there were always people who were both bold and greedy. Generally speaking, everyone was too lazy to pay them any attention.
Compared to the secrets hidden within Situ Jian, people were far more interested in the gossip surrounding him.
After all, none of them had the qualifications to participate in a struggle between such great experts.
While rumors about Situ Jian spread like wildfire, Qu Yougu immediately wanted to write to Shu Xin and ask whether he knew anything more about Situ Jian.
But soon, Qu Yougu suppressed the thought.
Situ Jian was currently at the center of a storm. This was absolutely not the right time to let anyone connect him with Shu Xin.
Fortunately, Situ Jian and Shu Xin had only interacted in private, and hardly anyone outside knew of their relationship.
Qu Yougu’s heart was filled with complicated emotions that even he could not fully explain.
He knew more about Situ Jian’s situation than most, and he had also heard Situ Jian’s defense.
The Nine Sons of Longevity had turned on one another in their struggle for the position of Mahayana cultivator. Situ Jian had simply been unlucky enough to become caught up in it. On top of that, he might have learned some powerful divine abilities. As the saying went, a man was innocent, but his possession of jade made him guilty. That was why he had ended up in his current predicament.
As for the claim that Situ Jian was some monstrous villain who deserved every punishment, Qu Yougu was the first person who refused to believe it.
Unfortunately, he was insignificant and had little influence. How could he possibly interfere?
For the first time, Qu Yougu realized that a cultivator in the Grotto-Heaven Realm, who appeared incomparably powerful to outsiders, might not even count as an ant before true great experts.
His master, White Crane Dao Lord, had been right.
“Today, Situ Jian fell into the demonic path because he was caught up in an internal struggle within his sect. How do you know that the Situ Jian of today won’t become you tomorrow? Yougu, everywhere in this sect, there are interests and conflicts. If you do not fight, others will trample you beneath their feet. If you do not wish to follow in Situ Jian’s footsteps, if you want to possess the strength to protect the people you wish to protect, then you can only cultivate faster and enter the Immaculate Realm as soon as possible. Only after reaching that level will the sect be willing to listen to what you have to say.”
Otherwise, even if one spoke the greatest truth in the world, it would be meaningless if no one was willing to listen.
Most of the young cultivators of roughly the same generation as Situ Jian were wise enough to feel the grief of the fox mourning the death of the hare. They increasingly reduced their contact with the outside world and focused solely on cultivation, doing everything they could to avoid being dragged into the sect’s internal struggles. Of course, there were also plenty of people who took pleasure in his misfortune, secretly congratulating themselves on having one less rival.
Meanwhile, in the Longevity Dao Sect…
Only six of the Nine Sons of Longevity remained.
After Ning Weixuan emerged from seclusion with his injuries healed, he learned that Wen Jingshu and Fu Ge had both died—and that the one who had killed them was none other than Situ Jian, the disciple of Gong Changshou.
The news that Ning Weixuan had killed Gong Changshou had naturally spread far and wide as well.
Ning Weixuan merely smiled faintly. If Wen Jingshu and Fu Ge had not died, he might have been punished for murdering his fellow disciples. But now that both of them were dead, at worst, he would merely receive a minor reprimand.
And the truth was exactly as Ning Weixuan had expected.
Ning Weixuan made no attempt to conceal anything. He explained in full how Wen Jingshu and Fu Ge had sought him out and plotted together to kill Gong Changshou and Zong An. He even provided a recording stone as evidence.
He was not the mastermind—at most, he was only an accomplice.
Although everyone knew that Wen Jingshu and Fu Ge were not capable of killing Gong Changshou on their own, they had no choice but to protect Ning Weixuan first.
“Senior Brother Sect Master, does the sect still have enough spiritual ley lines?” Ning Weixuan privately met with Master Yushan and showed no courtesy as he spoke. “If the sect needs me in the future, I am willing to atone for my crimes through meritorious service.”
Master Yushan opened his eyes and quietly looked at Ning Weixuan. After a long while, he said, “There is still one vacant position among the Mahayana cultivators. Which sect do you think will claim it?”
“It will be one of the few sects capable of doing so.” Ning Weixuan’s response was unconcerned. “Regardless of which sect it is, unless it exhausts its own potential, the spiritual energy within the sect will only be consumed at an astonishing rate. The cultivation world has been peaceful for so many years. It was bound to become turbulent sooner or later.”
“The struggle over the Mahayana position will merely hasten that process.”
“You now have an opportunity to atone through meritorious service.” Master Yushan slowly turned his gaze toward Ning Weixuan. “From now on, no matter who attempts to break through to the Mahayana Realm, you must stop them. However, you cannot do so under the name Ning Weixuan.”
With that, Master Yushan took out a jade pendant shimmering with multicolored light.
“Once this treasure is worn, anyone who sees your appearance or hears your voice will perceive them as something entirely different. It was personally bestowed by our master for the purpose of carrying out tasks that are inconvenient to perform openly.” Master Yushan handed the jade pendant to Ning Weixuan. “Ning Weixuan of the Longevity Dao Sect will be confined within the Punishment Hall. As for the cultivator causing trouble throughout the outside world, he can only be a demonic cultivator. Do you understand?”
A smile curled at the corners of Ning Weixuan’s lips.
“As expected of Master. He certainly won’t let me sit around doing nothing.” Ning Weixuan accepted the jade pendant and put it on. His entire figure immediately became indistinct. Even Master Yushan, a Mahayana cultivator, found it difficult to see through him.
“Then I, your junior brother, shall make good use of this opportunity to atone through meritorious service.”
Within the Asking God Sect.
【The little fox has run so far that he’s vanished. I can’t see him anymore.】Although the Sword Spirit’s divine sense was vast beyond measure, it still had its limits.
If the Inquiry God Sect had not been right next to the Longevity Dao Sect, it might not have been able to observe the situation in such detail.
The Sword Spirit could not help sighing.
【With demonic energy entering his body, and having released so much cultivation power all at once to digest it, he’s definitely going to suffer terribly.】
Although Situ Jian had escaped without leaving a trace, the price he would have to pay would certainly be far from small.
The best approach would have been to slowly absorb the cultivation of those Immaculate Realm cultivators one by one. But to avoid falling into the hands of those earthly immortals, Situ Jian had forcibly made all the cultivation power he had absorbed from several Immaculate Realm cultivators his own. Even if no problems appeared for the time being, afterward, he would likely be faced with endless trouble.
What was even more frustrating was that the moment Situ Jian escaped the Longevity Dao Sect, he immediately concealed his aura. No one had any idea where he had gone. Even if they wanted to find him, they had no clue where to begin.
“I know where he is.” Shu Xin was somewhat worried.
She glanced toward the rear mountain of the Inquiry God Sect. Xu Guan showed no sign of breaking through yet.
“You stay here at the Inquiry God Sect. I’ll go find Jingzhi first. In his current condition, I can’t just leave him wandering around outside alone.” Shu Xin spoke to the Sword Spirit in a patient tone.
【What? No way.】The Sword Spirit refused without the slightest hesitation. 【He’s your master, not mine. Of course I’m coming with you.】
“I’m only going to look for someone, not seek revenge,” Shu Xin said helplessly. “I’ll take Qieman with me. You and the Book Spirit stay here for now. I’ll be back soon. If I really run into trouble, do you think I won’t summon you?”
【That little fox is deliberately hiding. Finding him will probably take several years.】The Sword Spirit clearly did not believe a word Shu Xin said.
“It won’t take that long.” Shu Xin smiled. “At most two months, and I’ll bring him back. How could he possibly hide from me?”
“Don’t forget—every time he tried to run away from me in the past, I was the one who caught him and brought him back.”
The Sword Spirit fell silent.
Shu Xin was not wrong.
【One month. No longer.】The Sword Spirit began haggling. 【You paid back what he did for you long ago, with interest. That little fox is in extreme danger now, with so many earthly immortals watching him. The reason he hasn’t come looking for you is because he doesn’t want to drag you into this.】
“I know.” Shu Xin waved her hand. Taking Qieman into her palm, she set off to find Situ Jian—or rather, Wen Jingzhi.
Now that he had personally taken revenge for half of his grudge and had already left the Longevity Dao Sect, there was naturally no need for him to continue using the name Situ Jian, which had been fabricated as an alias for the sake of revenge.
One hundred and eighty-seven years ago, when Wen Jingzhi had just achieved some success in cultivating his technique, he and Shu Xin, who had likewise successfully entered the Dao Infant stage, had devised a small plan together.
They both knew that, with one of them being hunted and the other consumed by the desire for revenge, there would inevitably come a day when they made a mistake while wandering outside.
At the time, Shu Xin had been placed on the kill lists of numerous demonic cultivation sects.
As for Wen Jingzhi, the thought of revenge tormented him every day, making it nearly impossible for him to continue cultivating in seclusion. Moreover, his cultivation technique destined him to walk the path of absorbing other people’s spiritual roots and techniques.
The two of them had reached an immediate agreement: they would infiltrate the Longevity Dao Sect first.
Shu Xin began selling magical artifacts and medicinal pills at affordable prices without compromising their quality, while also making sure to display her talent.
Wen Jingzhi, taking the alias Situ Jian and relying on his young age and talent for playing the fool, successfully made the elder responsible for recruiting disciples at the Longevity Dao Sect marvel at his exceptional potential and develop a desire to nurture him.
Naturally, a little exchange of benefits had been involved as well.
Entering the Longevity Dao Sect had not been difficult.
Especially since both of them were exceptionally talented cultivators, and their pasts appeared clean enough.
And so, they remained undercover for a full century.
Over those hundred years, the bounty on Shu Xin’s head among the demonic cultivators had nearly expired. Many younger demonic cultivators had already forgotten that there had once been a mysterious cultivator who specialized in killing demonic cultivators—and who often left not even their bones behind.
Situ Jian, meanwhile, had begun laying out his own plans within the Longevity Dao Sect.
After entering the sect, one of them was aloof and detached, while the other was worldly and greedy for wealth.
Everyone believed that they knew each other only because a one-sided marriage contract had forced them together.
Their relationship could not be too close, but neither could it be distant.
Originally, Shu Xin had wanted to enter the Longevity Dao Sect alongside the alias-bearing Situ Jian while presenting themselves as master and disciple.
That plan had been rejected.
Then Shu Xin had suggested that they pose as siblings.
That plan had also been rejected.
In Wen Jingzhi’s words, they needed a relationship that was intimate enough, yet could be severed swiftly when necessary.
Thus, they became fiancés in name.
They used that title within the Longevity Dao Sect for a full hundred years.
At times, even the Sword Spirit would wonder whether the two of them had forgotten their original purpose. But in truth, they had not.
A hundred years had not extinguished the fire in their hearts. Instead, it had caused the flames to burn even more fiercely.
The hundred years they spent in the Longevity Dao Sect showed them a side of the cultivation world—and of the mortal world’s lower classes—that was entirely different from what they had seen while wandering outside.
The sect was no paradise either. It was merely a larger gathering place for cultivators.
All the schemes and struggles found outside existed within the sect as well; they had simply become even more bloodless and deadly.
Outside, cultivators gathered in groups of three or five, forming their own alliances. Within the sect, these same groups were given the pleasant-sounding name of “cultivation clans.”
The only difference was that the Longevity Dao Sect could oppress far more people. Even without leaving its gates, it could easily manipulate the life and death of cultivators outside.
The Sword Spirit watched Shu Xin leave first with Qieman.
In a foul mood, it poked at the ground of the Inquiry God Sect.
The Divine Fire Diagram Spirit Book, which had been hiding nearby, was so frightened that it simply pretended to be dead rather than risk annoying the Sword Spirit.
Its sword master was far too opinionated.
Taking Qieman with her, Shu Xin headed in the direction preserved in her memories without the slightest hesitation.
She agreed with some of what the Sword Spirit had said, but disagreed with most of it.
Jingzhi had once saved her, but he had done so out of a child’s simple kindness.
However, what he had truly saved was not her life.
One hundred and eighty-seven years ago.
Wen Family Town.
“Cough, cough, cough.”
Shu Xin, whose face still carried the tender innocence of a young girl, turned her head aside and spat out another mouthful of blood.
Her body was covered in wounds of all sizes. Some of the deeper ones were nearly severe enough to reveal the bone.
An ordinary person who suffered injuries this grave would have died long ago.
But as a cultivator who had only just formed her Core, she still possessed a certain ability to recover on her own. Her wounds continuously split open and healed again.
Dragging herself along on a final breath, even dying outright had become difficult.
【You absolute idiot, idiot, idiot!】A long sword covered in rust spun back and forth above Shu Xin’s head. 【See? I told you not to save those people. They were sacrifices used by demonic cultivators to practice their techniques. They had accepted their fate as sacrifices from childhood. Why did you save them? Instead, they betrayed you. If we hadn’t escaped quickly, you really would be dead by now, understand?】
The Sword Spirit had never expected that the person who would inherit the Mandate of Heaven and come to break its seal this time would be a girl from another world.
She said that she had already built a successful career. Although life in her world had been a relentless rat race, it was still fairly comfortable, and she had absolutely no desire to go through something as troublesome as being transported to another world.
At the same time, she said that the only good thing about crossing over was becoming younger, with better skin and a prettier face.
But that small joy vanished completely after Shu Xin saw the true nature of this world.
“Please, say a little less. Otherwise, I’ll die from your nagging before I die from my injuries. Cough, cough.” Shu Xin struggled to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth. “If only I had some painkillers right now. I don’t even… I don’t even have the strength left to say that it hurts.”
【This is a town inhabited by descendants of the Chun Clan.】 The Sword Spirit ultimately couldn’t bear to leave her alone. In the cultivation world, its new master’s age was barely enough to qualify her as a Qi Refining cultivator. Any random Qi Refining cultivator picked off the street would be old enough to be Shu Xin’s father.
【Although the descendants of the Chun Clan no longer possess demonic power, they are naturally close to the wood element and unconsciously give off traces of the Chun Clan’s aura. That will greatly help your injuries recover.】 The Sword Spirit took the initiative to explain. 【They live in very hidden places. I was able to find this town because one of my former sword masters once helped the Chun Clan, and a Chun demon left a mark on me. I was able to follow that connection here. If we can find some branches or leaves left behind by the Chun Clan and grind them into powder for you to drink, you’ll recover.】
The injuries Shu Xin had sustained were mainly caused by overexerting herself, damaging her dantian and severing her meridians.
Any ordinary cultivator who suffered such injuries would surely die.
But how could the Sword Spirit allow Shu Xin to die?
As long as they found even a tiny fragment of a branch or leaf left behind by the Chun Clan, it would be enough to restore the vitality of a Core Formation cultivator without any side effects.
What the Sword Spirit had not expected was that it had been sealed away for far, far too long.
So long that although it had brought Shu Xin to the settlement of the Chun Clan’s descendants, those people had already become no different from ordinary humans. They had long since forgotten that their ancestors and the immortal sword had once shared a friendly agreement to help one another.
【The Chun Clan’s branches and leaves remain undecayed for tens of millions of years. I’ll definitely be able to find some for you, so don’t worry.】 The Sword Spirit comforted Shu Xin. 【I’ll go look for them right now.】
With that, the Sword Spirit left several marks on Shu Xin to ensure that she would have enough strength to protect herself if anyone with ill intentions attacked her. Only then did it begin searching the small town.
The Chun Clan’s branches and leaves gave off almost no aura.
Only after grinding them into powder and consuming them would one understand their effects.
This was also an innate talent that had developed to protect the Chun Clan. Otherwise, with their astonishing regenerative abilities, they would have been hunted to extinction by the cultivation world long ago.
Even if it couldn’t find anything, the Sword Spirit had to keep looking.
It moved so quickly that the people of Wen Family Town merely thought a sudden gale had blown through. They called to one another and hurried to bring their laundry indoors, lest a heavy rain begin later.
The Sword Spirit had hidden Shu Xin behind a hillside.
Few people ever came there, so the chances of her being discovered were low.
Shu Xin had nothing to do, and her body hurt terribly. All she could do was quietly count the clouds in the sky, trying her best to distract herself from the pain.
What terrible luck.
Other people who crossed into another world either became overpowered protagonists or supreme experts.
She had brought an immortal sword with her, but she didn’t dare use it. Instead, she could only flee from place to place.
When she first learned that this was a cultivation world, Shu Xin had been secretly delighted.
Who hadn’t dreamed as a child of flying on a sword and roaming the world with one in hand?
But this world was completely different from what she had imagined.
The Sword Spirit had told her that she shouldn’t have interfered when she saw those sacrifices raised by demonic cultivators.
But the oldest among those sacrifices was only sixteen or seventeen, while the youngest couldn’t even walk steadily.
They had been made into sacrifices before they even understood what the word meant. How could Shu Xin possibly stand by and do nothing?
Even after those sacrifices betrayed her, Shu Xin wasn’t particularly angry.
They had never received any education and didn’t understand right from wrong, so they had no idea what their actions meant.
In the face of people like that, she didn’t even have the energy to be angry. All she felt was pity for their misfortune.
Shu Xin felt her eyelids growing heavy.
Her body suddenly became so heavy, so unbearably weighed down.
If she was going to die, she wondered whether she would be able to cross back to her own world.
She would never again curse her boss for being useless at bringing in orders, nor complain that her supervisor did nothing all day but flatter those above him, bully those below him, and dock the employees’ performance bonuses.
Even if that was impossible, at least she still had friends and family there.
She still had all the novels she was following. None of them had reached their endings yet.
If she could go back, she could simply pretend that everything here had been a terrifying nightmare.
Shu Xin’s head grew heavier and heavier, nearly drooping forward.
Then a small hand caught it.
“Big sister, are you all right?”
“Third Sister, Fifth Brother, go get Second Grandma’s old wheelchair. Hurry! If we don’t save this big sister, she’s going to die.” A clear voice called out.
“Big Brother, outsiders aren’t allowed to enter Wen Family Town.”
“That’s right, Big Brother. Look, she’s covered in blood. It’s so scary!”
“If our parents find out we ran out, we’ll be in trouble.”
“Wasn’t I picked up too? Don’t worry about that. Let’s help her up and take her to Second Grandma’s house. It’s been empty for ages anyway.”
“But…”
“If you don’t listen to me, I’ll tell on you. I was the one who covered for you after you broke something last time.”
“Fine, fine, Brother. We’ll help.”
…
So noisy.
Shu Xin struggled to open her eyes and saw several children gathered around her. They looked about seven or eight years old, no more than nine or ten at most, and were chattering incessantly.
The one leading them was probably the boy in the middle.
He was dressed the best and was also the most handsome, as though he were a young immortal who had descended from heaven.
“Big sister, wake up. Don’t go to sleep.” The boy crouched down and tried his best to rouse Shu Xin. “If you fall asleep like this, you’ll never wake up again.”
All Shu Xin could see was a face filled with kindness.
When Shu Xin woke again, the children were helping her out of the wheelchair and carefully assisting her onto a roughly cleaned wooden bed.
“Brother, we’re really leaving now.”
“Our parents are going to call us for dinner.”
“Wait. You still have blood on you. Wash it off before you go. If I find out that any of you told anyone, heh…”
“Got it. We’ll wash it off right now.”
The children grumbled under their breath, but none of them dared disobey their leader. They washed the blood from their hands and faces, and only after making sure not a trace remained were they allowed to leave.
Only the boy in the lead stayed behind.
“Big sister, you’re actually an immortal, aren’t you?” The boy blinked and looked at Shu Xin. “It’s all right. I’ve met lots of immortals before. You feel different from them, and that’s why I saved you.”
“I’m Wen Jingzhi. And you?”
The novel was already more than halfway through at this point, so it was about time to move their relationship along a little.
