The sect test finally officially began again.
In fact, it wasn’t that formal. It was just a flat area cordoned off in the wild mountains, where a dozen kids gathered to compete.
Apart from the fact that a direct disciple would come to give some guidance, and the top three winners would receive a small reward, it was no different from an ordinary group fight.
In the Three Realms, except for the Four Peaks of Xuyun, it’ll be difficult to find such a casual and shabby “sect test” in any other immortal sect.
Fang Zhiyuan released the pitch-black sword in front of him, letting it steadily float in the air.
While Lin Fuqing had the snow-white Tunan sword, Fang Zhiyuan’s immortal weapon was a black as night single-edged sword called Zaiya. Fang Zhiyuan pinched a spell to enlarge Zaiya twice or thrice, then he turned to Lin Fuqing and said, “Sit.”
Xun Mingsi glanced at them with a hint of surprise. “Second Shixiong, are you in a good mood today?” He was so obedient in front of their eldest senior brother, and even took the initiative to let him set on his sword.
“Of course. He just formed his golden core.” Lin Fuqing calmly gathered his robe and sat on the Zaiya sword next to Fang Zhiyuan.
“What you said is right, Da Shixiong,” Xun Mingsi smiled.
The long sword carried the two young men slowly up into the air, and a comfortable breeze blew past.
Lin Fuqing and Fang Zhiyuan sat side by side, looking down at the competition among the outer disciples. Occasionally, when they saw some misunderstandings in mental skills and martial arts, they would speak up and give some advice.
In fact, with the vision of the Immortal Sovereign and the Demon Lord, after watching one or two moves, they had already determined who would win and who would lose, and how strong both sides were. After a while, it became a bit boring to watch.
Placing a porcelain-like finger to his lips, Lin Fuqing muttered to himself, “…It’s really not good, too weak.”
According to a rough calculation of the time after their rebirths, the “Immortal Calamity” of the backflow of yin qi would come in three years, and a large number of cultivators would become like possessed demons under the influence of yin qi.
The immortal cultivators and demonic cultivators would then confront each other for more than a hundred years, until an outsider of the Three Realms who called himself a “True God” descended and heavily tipped the balance. He incited the immortal cultivators to launch a massive killing spree that encircled and suppressed the demonic cultivators.
The result was that blood and corpses overflowed everywhere.
There wasn’t enough time. A decision regarding the future of Xuyun Sect must be made.
There were no outsiders around, so there was no need to worry about shocking others by discussing their rebirths.
Fang Zhiyuan supported his chin and said in a low voice, “What’s the problem? The Four Peaks of Xuyun won’t be supported by these little things. In this life, with you and me here, can’t we protect the Xuyun Sect?”
“Shige, in this life, I’ll stay on Taiqing Island and won’t go anywhere else.”
Lin Fuqing looked at him in surprise.
Fang Zhiyuan chuckled to himself and said, “The seat of the Immortal Sovereign is like fake wine diluted with water. Only after taking a few sips will you know how tasteless it is. Whoever wants to sit there can sit there.”
“……Cough.”
He suddenly coughed lightly, looked at Lin Fuqing, and said tentatively, “Shige…it must be different for you.”
“Demonic cultivators probably didn’t have so many annoying rules, and shige was the supreme lord, so he must have had more freedom than I did as the head of the immortals.”
Lin Fuqing shook his head, his expression clear. “How could that be possible? You know me. I’m a person who enjoys taking it easy. I’m not cut out to be a ruler. Looking back, the time I spent on Xuyun Peak when I was young, carefree and without worries, was the happiest and most unforgettable time of my life.”
“Are you serious?” Fang Zhiyuan’s eyes lit up with surprise, and he whispered, “In that case—”
Suddenly, Lin Fuqing made a gesture for silence and gave Fang Zhiyuan a look to say that they would talk about it later.
He saw that Xun Mingsi, who had been concentrating on watching the competition among the outer disciples, seemed to remember something and turned to look over in their direction.
“Da Shixiong,” Xun Mingsi indeed called out, as if he had something to say to him.
Lin Fuqing patted the sword and said, “Go down.”
With his mind, Fang Zhiyuan controlled the Faiya sword’s descent.
Lin Fuqing jumped off halfway, landed gracefully, walked towards Xun Mingsi. He asked, “What’s the matter?”
“I almost forgot something important, please don’t blame me, Da Shixiong.”
Xun Mingsi gently took a step forward. “Master seemed to be looking for you a few days ago. But at that time, you and second shixiong and shijie were still in retreat together, so it wasn’t good to disturb you. Master asked…that after you come out, for you to go and see him.”
Lin Fuqing’s expression changed slightly.
The word “Master” fell into his ears like throwing a stone into a lake.
…In his previous life, Daoist Master of Xuyun, Yin Changxin, died in the calamity that changed everything. Since then, Lin Fuqing had not seen his master again.
Later on, almost everyone forgot that the Demon Lord Lin Fuqing was once a disciple of Xuyun Sect and that he had a master named Yin Changxin.
They only remembered the lonely and beautiful figure wearing a black fur robe, sitting high on a tower made of bones and driving the demonic cultivators, a monarch overlooking the world.
The only person who didn’t forget was Lin Fuqing himself.
It had been tossing and turning in his dreams for decades.
Xun Mingsi glanced at the young disciples nearby and said, “It’s almost over. You can leave the rest to me. Please go, Shixiong.”
Lin Fuqing closed his eyes, leaving a shallow furrow between his brows.
He suppressed the emotions churning in his chest and said, “Okay, thank you.”
=============
Among the four peaks of Xuyun, the main peak was the tallest. At the summit of the peak was the cave of Yin Changxin. The snow on the summit remained all year round, making it look like something out of a dream.
Lin Fuqing walked up the bluestone path covered with snow, his footsteps quiet and empty.
The path was narrow and winding, with jagged rocks and old pine trees with twisted roots on both sides. It had snowed heavily yesterday, and the treetops were cloaked in white.
He had originally wanted to take Fang Zhiyuan with him, but the latter had hesitated and refused, saying that he had a rebellious temper when he was young and wasn’t very close to the master. It would be too abnormal for him to rush to accompany his senior brother to see the master, so he decided to wait until next time.
Lin Fuqing thought that this was true, so he didn’t force it and went up to the top of the main peak alone.
As he stepped onto the last bluestone step, he shook his sleeves, straightened the corners of his robe, and felt inexplicably nervous.
Maybe it was the timidity of homesickness.
Two long, youthful cries came from the sky and a pair of cranes flew in from the clouds. They circled twice and folded their wings slowly.
They transformed into a pair of girl and boy, both with bright eyes and white teeth, and landed gracefully in front of him.
The crane demon girl was wearing a white cotton clothes and a black outer robe, and her hair was tied up with red ribbons into two buns. She looked about twelve to thirteen years old. With a smile, she bowed to Lin Fuqing and said, “So it’s Qing’er! Are you here to see the sect master? Why are you standing here without moving? Come in quickly.”
The crane demon boy was dressed almost the same, except that he only had a small bun at the back of his head. He also bowed and said, “Qing’er gege, it’s been a long time since you’ve come. The sect master misses you very much.”
This pair of crane demon siblings stayed on the top of the main peak all year round to serve the sect master, and they were also old acquaintances from the previous life.
Lin Fuqing greeted them and walked further inside.
From afar, he saw a small building hidden under some very tall green pines that were covered with snow.
Outside the house was a Daoist priest lying on his side under the pine tree in a very casual manner. His hair was loose, his legs were propped up, and his head was resting on his bent arms.
Lin Fuqing stared at the figure intently and walked towards the green pine step by step.
The figure gradually became clearer. It turned out to be his master, the leader of Xuyun Sect, Daoist Xuyun, one of the most powerful tribulation-crossing masters in the Immortal Realm. He was also the one who taught him the forbidden technique of rebirth that turned back time.
Yin Changxin.
The master was still wearing a grey Daoist robe, with a thin face, long eyebrows and beautiful eyes. His temperament was the same as in memory – in Zhiyuan’s words, “lazy, decadent, aloof and arrogant”, and when he closed his eyes and slept, he looked like a big grey cat.
Lin Fuqing couldn’t help but feel a little dazed.
He seemed to be in a dream, and also seemed to have suddenly woken up.
Unlike most of the disciples of immortal sects, although Lin Fuqing had excellent bones and amazing innate talents, he was not born in the immortal realm.
He was an orphan in the mortal realm. He had been wandering since childhood and had no idea who his biological parents were.
When he was eight years old, it was Yin Changxin who pulled him out, covered in blood, from a pile of corpses in the flames of war. And he brought him to Xuyun Peak on Taiqing Island, leading him on a grand journey to immortality.
The immortal stroked his head…
…binded his hair and granted him longevity.
“Qing’er.”
Yin Changxin, who was lying with his eyes closed under the green pine, suddenly spoke without warning. He turned over, lifted his eyelids lazily, pointed at his nose, and asked, “What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?”
His pair of slanted eyes were naturally slightly upturned, and the color of his eyes were slightly lighter, giving people the feeling that he was aloof, undisciplined and insolent.
“No.”
The young man in white knelt down obediently and said softly, “I have been in seclusion for many days. Hmm… I miss my master a little.”
People who practiced Daoism, especially those who were very talented and promising at a young age, often looked much younger than their actual age.
This was true for both Lin Fuqing and Fang Zhiyuan, the former being even worse.
He only needed to hide the deep expression that was inconsistent with his age and raise his clear eyes, and he would look like a youth who was pure and soft as the first snow.
Yin Changxin shook his head and laughed, then sat up. “Oh, silly child. The path of cultivation is long and arduous, and there will be many days of solitude. You must be able to endure loneliness.”
Lin Fuqing lowered his eyes and nodded. “Qing’er knows.”
Of course he knew.
On the path of cultivation he had walked, his master had passed away, and his junior brothers and sisters were scattered all over the world. He and Fang Zhiyuan were separated in the south and the north, and on the surface, they were mortal enemies of good and evil, and decades would go by before they could even see each other.
He naturally knew what it meant to live in solitude.
What it meant to be lonely.
“That’s good that you understand.” Yin Changxin’s brows relaxed, and then he cleared his throat seriously, shook off the snow on his robe, and then stretched out his arms. “You must be bored in seclusion. Come, give master a hug.”
Lin Fuqing put aside his messy thoughts and leaned into his master’s arms.
It had been a long time since he had been hugged by his master. He rested his chin on Yin Changxin’s shoulder and rubbed it contentedly.
A warm current flowed from his heart to every part of his body.
Yin Changxin rubbed his back with his palm, and the Daoist coaxed his little disciple, “Yes, good boy, Qing’er is a good boy.”
Then he asked leisurely, “Are your fish and star still in seclusion?”
Sect Master of Xuyun had a quirk.
He never called his disciples by their names.
The so-called fish refers to Yu Hongtang, the youngest sister among the six true disciples of Xuyun Sect. Lin Fuqing had picked her up when he was young and raised her; and the so-called star referred to Fang Zhiyuan, who was destined to be unlucky.
The three of them could be said to be childhood sweethearts, growing up together like siblings, and they had the best relationship among the six martial siblings.
Obviously, after using the forbidden rebirth technique to trace back time, he had returned to the period of time when the three siblings had agreed to go into seclusion together.
If memories served him right, he had just gained enlightenment at that time and urgently needed to stabilize his state. Fang Zhiyuan and Yu Hongtang had both reached the point of breakthrough, and so they all entered seclusion together on the main peak.
Lin Fuqing thought for a moment and replied, “Zhiyuan has established his golden core, and Xiao Hongtang hasn’t come out of seclusion yet. When she comes out, I think she will have entered Great Accomplishment.”
There were seven cultivation realms: Qi-Refining, Foundation Establishment, Great Accomplishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Mahayana, and Tribulation Crossing. Above those were the realms of Shattering the Void and ascending to True Immortality, which were only mentioned in historical records and in legends.
Fang Zhiyuan was just nineteen years old, but he had already formed a golden core; while Yu Hongtang, who had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment and was about to break through and become enlightened, was only eleven years old this year.
Together with Lin Fuqing, who had the highest level of cultivation, these three martial siblings had astonishing talents no matter where they were placed.
Yin Changxin just said “Oh”, narrowed his pale eyes, and added, “That’s not bad.”
Lin Fuqing didn’t say anything. After all, the way his master, a half-step immortal in the Tribulation Crossing stage, looked at their cultivation was comparable to how he had looked at the cultivation of those outer disciples just now.
They were all scum.
The difference was just that there were bigger scums and smaller scums. That he was able to say “not bad” was already pretty good.
“Is there a reason why the Master called Qing’er here?”
“Yes.” Yin Changxin nodded, shook his sleeves and held out his hand.
Between his two fingers, he pinched a light golden osmanthus flower like a magic trick. “Here, this is for you.”
Although it was just a flower, the rich osmanthus fragrance was so refreshing that it made people feel relaxed and at ease, and instantly made their eyes clear and their minds sharp. It was clearly not a common thing.
“……!”
Lin Fuqing’s pupils shrank, and his heart skipped a beat. He quietly clenched his fingers, but his face remained expressionless, and he asked in confusion, “What is this?”
The Daoist master picked up the osmanthus flower and said, “The flower of the Golden Osmanthus Palace has arrived, which means that this year’s Golden Osmanthus Challenge is about to begin. If you kids have nothing to do, go to Liuhua Continent and have some fun.”
Lin Fuqing said calmly, “Zhiyuan will be very happy.”
“You, it’s time to leave Taiqing Island and walk around more.” Yin Changxin lazily raised his hand and casually inserted the osmanthus flower into the youth’s black hair. “You still need to walk around more, so that you can know which roads in the world you should take and which roads you shouldn’t take; which roads are easy to take and which roads are difficult to take.”
Lin Fuqing smiled and took the osmanthus flower down, adding, “…And which roads are easy to take but should not be taken, and which roads are difficult to take but must be taken.”
Yin Changxin was stunned, as if he had not expected such an answer.
After a while, he smiled slowly and hugged the young man in front of him again. “Good boy.”
Lin Fuqing slowly closed his eyes.
He sighed in his heart: I’m sorry, Master.
At this moment, old memories came flooding back like a huge wave, pushing him back to the year when he was eight years old.
He knelt like dead ash between a pool of blood and corpses. He saw the Daoist master coming from the gap between fire and blood, with a whisk in his hand that was bright white and noble.
Dry, warm fingertips stroked the top of his head.
Narrow, light-colored eyes swept down, and there seemed to be some compassion in his gaze.
“Why are you so dirty…? You shouldn’t be here.”
The immortal binded his hair.
“You are destined to be an immortal. You should be a kind immortal who saves all living beings, relieves the three realms, and turns the tide…”
And granted him longevity.
“Stand up and follow me.”
Lin Fuqing secretly said in his heart: I’m sorry, Master. Qing’er failed your teachings and ultimately failed to become an immortal who could save the world.
Instead, I became a demon.
————————————
Translator Notes:
Zaiya = literally means disaster tooth
Gege = brother
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The master is so nice! Things are getting more and more interesting! I wonder who this ‘true god’ is…