14. Journey to the Azure Realm

After tossing and turning half the night, fearing further disturbances, Zhou Pi, neglecting his promise to rest and gain strength, mounted his sword at dawn and hurried on his way.

The journey was arduous, eating meals outdoors and braving the elements, with the little senior sister perched atop the sword occasionally teasing him. It was the most disheveled trip of his life; his youthful face nearly aged into that of an old man.

Fortunately, after two days, he safely escorted ten prospective disciples along with two esteemed junior senior siblings back to the Lonely Deer Hall on Yajian Mountain.

The Lonely Deer Hall sat halfway up Tangxi Peak, divided into inner and outer halls, managing both internal and external affairs of Yajian Mountain. All prospective disciples had to register here, making the hall the liveliest place on the mountain these past two days.

Huaisheng did not rush to queue inside for registration. As soon as she dismounted her flying sword, she said to Zhou Pi, “Master Zhou, I must leave for an hour. I will return after that.”

Since she had been ambushed at the Zhou residence, Zhou Pi felt guilty and would not refuse her.

“Go ahead; I’ll wait here for you.”

Receiving his approval, Huaisheng wasted no time and rode a talisman beast shaped like a celestial crane, heading straight for Wanren Peak.

At the summit of Wanren Peak stood the swordmaster’s cave abode.

A pure white fox stretched lazily and yawned, extending its spiritual sense and spoke with boredom, “Hey, Li Ciying, what strange things do you think will show up at Lonely Deer Hall today? This shabby place barely managed a grand opening—no divine fruit even—huh?”

Mid-sentence, the white fox’s ears perked up sharply. It straightened its skinny body with all four paws planted firmly.

“Li Ciying!” It jumped off the windowsill and scampered over to the stone bed inside. “The bean sprout you risked your life to protect has appeared! She’s coming up Wanren Peak... she’s halfway up already... oh no, she’s at the entrance!”

The white fox darted around the stone bed, chattering anxiously. Sensing the cave’s protective seal had been lifted, it quickly covered its mouth and squinted, scrutinizing the approaching young girl.

The girl wore white robes with a green skirt and her black hair was half tied up. Once as frail as a bean sprout, she now stood gracefully upright.

Her gaze passed over the white fox and landed on the boy on the stone bed.

A single candle flickered dimly in the cave, casting shadows over half of the boy’s face; the other half bathed in light was pale as paper, devoid of any color.

Huaisheng had stayed in Dan Valley for thirteen years, while Ciying had remained unconscious in Wanren Peak for the same duration.

Back in the peachwood forest, when he was injured and his spiritual core damaged, Master Ying had labored tirelessly to stabilize his condition. They had hoped he would awaken after a few years, but he had slept soundly for thirteen long years.

Huaisheng sidestepped the white fox, who was curled up on a meditation mat beside the bed, and quietly approached Ciying’s side. Though unconscious for thirteen years, his body had continued to grow—taller, with more defined features.

What was most gratifying was that his once admired youthful face had not been marred; aside from a slight pallor from lack of sunlight, it was nearly flawless.

Knowing Huaisheng’s concern for Ciying, Chusu had used a jade talisman last year to capture his likeness before she visited Dan Valley. This face was familiar to Huaisheng.

After standing beside the bed for a while, Huaisheng began pulling out her treasured possessions from a small jade pendant.

The white fox’s gaze remained fixed on her. Curious, it crept closer as she produced one intriguing item after another.

“This is a Fragrant Fruit Pearl, which nourishes the spiritual core. Though its scent is peculiar. Master Ying said you detest odors and love cleanliness, so you probably won’t like this smell. I thought maybe if I could wake you up by your own stink, that wouldn’t be so bad.”

The white fox took a cautious step backward.

“This is a Rooster Cry Talisman. At dawn each day, the talisman beast lets out 999 calls to the sky. I picked the most expensive, finest one with the strongest sound and longest duration—it can crow for over a decade. If you find it annoying, you can wake up and destroy the talisman beast yourself.”

The white fox stepped back two paces silently.

“This is a Dream-Dispelling Stone, a rare material used for advanced illusion arrays. It breaks beautiful dreams, forcing you awake—unless you refuse to awaken. And here, I also have a Nightmare Stone. As the name suggests, it creates your worst nightmare, compelling you to break free and wake up.”

Huaisheng explained all this earnestly. In no time, the stone bed was covered with various fascinating trinkets.

By now, the white fox had withdrawn to the windowsill, eyes wary.

Placing two radiant array stones by Ciying’s pillow, Huaisheng continued, “These two dream stones are very rare. Since Master Ying cannot diagnose why you have not awakened for so long, I can only try the cure that seems hopeless.”

The boy on the bed remained asleep, his long lashes resting quietly, black hair spread across the bed. The candlelight traced warmth on his eyebrows and eyes.

Huaisheng watched him and spoke softly, “Li Ciying, thank you for saving me. Without you back then, I might not be alive today. Now that I can cultivate, I will protect you from now on. Today, Yajian Mountain opens its gates. I must go, but once inside, I will return to see you.”

The cave’s protective seal closed behind her.

The white fox stared after Huaisheng’s departing figure in silence for a long moment, then muttered in frustration, “She was on the brink of death from poison but survived fine. You, with a shattered spiritual core, have slept all these years without waking. Even as an upper immortal, you’re useless. And if you’re going to sleep, why seal your core? I haven’t had a good sleep in thirteen years, nor cultivated soul power on your spiritual core—I’m almost as thin as a cat!”

The white fox grumbled, unaware that the boy’s eyelashes on the bed twitched slightly.

—

Chusu stood outside the swordmaster’s cave. Seeing Huaisheng’s serious expression as she emerged, she pinched her cheek and teased, “Weren’t you eager to see him? Why do you look so grim now that you have? Smile for me!”

Huaisheng dodged her playful grasp, forcing a smile. “It’s just strange why he hasn’t woken yet.”

Chusu shrugged. “His injuries in the peachwood forest have all healed. If he still sleeps, it must be for some other reason. Don’t blame yourself. Besides, he cultivates even while asleep. His progress hasn’t suffered. He’s now at the Foundation Establishment completion stage, even a half level above me and Song Mu.”

Hearing that Li Ciying could improve his cultivation while asleep surprised Huaisheng, though she had heard Ying Shan mention it before.

It was said some disciples on Yajian had tried to imitate this by knocking themselves out outside the swordmaster’s cave on Wanren Peak, sleeping for three days and nights—but their cultivation didn’t increase, and they nearly got taken away as madmen by the Regulation Hall.

From that perspective, sleeping to avoid years of arduous training seemed... well, somewhat comforting.

Rubbing her face, Huaisheng glanced behind Chusu. “Where’s Song Mu?”

“He went to report your ambush to the sect leader. If he went directly to the Regulation Hall, they might not investigate.”

Huaisheng understood this well.

As she was not yet an official disciple of Yajian Mountain, she had no right to demand the Regulation Hall’s intervention—and she hadn’t planned to rely on them. She intended to investigate the matter herself.

Thinking it over, she said, “I have seen that person’s blade before. Although I’m not certain it’s the same one, it matches perfectly with the one I saw.”

Chusu was puzzled. “Few cultivators use identical blades. Even similar ones have differences. Could that person be the owner of the sword you saw before?”

Huaisheng shook her head. “The one I saw before died in the peachwood forest.”

Chusu’s eyes flickered. “The Xiao family member who died in the peachwood forest thirteen years ago?”

Huaisheng nodded. “It was Zhu Yun, an elder of the Zhu family, who died with Junior Uncle Xiao Chi Nan in the peachwood forest. His blade had a red gleam along the edge, and when wielding it, cold flames would burn.”

Huaisheng remembered clearly the two blades wielded by Xiao Chi Nan and Zhu Yun during that hurried glimpse.

Chusu, trusting Huaisheng’s memory, grew solemn. “That person might be Zhu Yun’s acquaintance. To dare attack you at the Zhou residence, he must rely on the Xiao family’s power. If he dared strike once, he’ll strike twice. I’ll go to the Xiao family now and find who wielded that sword!” She pulled out a transmission talisman, ready to summon reinforcements.

Huaisheng stopped her. “Only I saw that blade in the bamboo forest. Without proof, if you go to the Xiao family, they will dismiss it as nonsense. That won’t help.”

Chusu’s fingertips flared with a faint dark red flame. “He was touched by my karmic fire; surely he carries its scent. I don’t believe I can’t find him. Once found in the Xiao family, they won’t deny it.”

“What if he has a way to remove the scent? Then you’d offend the Xiao family for no reason.”

Huaisheng didn’t want Chusu to confront the Xiao family directly. After pondering, she continued, “Before Elder Zhu died, he passed a final message to his son through a blood-bound curse. That man looked at me with hatred; he is very likely his son. If so, I want to meet him, but not urgently. The priority is entering the mountain gate first. Let’s go back to Lonely Deer Hall.”

—

By now, the Lonely Deer Hall was packed with crowds—young disciples sent from Yajian Mountain’s lands and affiliated cultivation families, most under fifteen years old.

According to Yajian Mountain’s rules, anyone under twenty-five with both spiritual apertures open and who passed the sword intent trials could be accepted as disciples.

Some cultivation families began training their offspring’s cultivation methods immediately after opening their apertures, so by the time they arrived at Yajian Mountain, they already had some foundational cultivation.

Every time the mountain gate opened, there were such prodigies. This year’s strongest was Xiao Ruoshui of the Xiao family.

Xiao Ruoshui was the prodigy of her generation in the Xiao family: spiritual aperture opened at five, double apertures at nine, fully opened at seventeen, and foundation established at nineteen.

Had she not been mourning her father Xiao Chi Nan, who died in the peachwood forest, for seven years, she could have joined Yajian Mountain ten years ago.

“I heard the Yuan Sword Sect also approached the Xiao family, hoping to recruit Xiao Ruoshui under Master Qin Zigu.”

“Then why doesn’t she go to the Yuan Sword Sect? That’s the foremost sect in Canglang and Master Qin’s direct disciple!”

“Yajian Mountain and Yuan Sword Sect have long been hostile. The Xiao family is an affiliated house of Yajian Mountain. Since her father was a disciple here, how could she join elsewhere?”

“Exactly. Besides, our sect is more sincere. Yuan Sword Sect sent Qin Zigu’s top disciple, while Yajian Mountain’s Master Heguang personally visited the Xiao family ten years ago to recruit her!”

A few steward disciples of Lonely Deer Hall stood beneath an ancient pine tree, gossiping about the new disciples.

Seated under the tree cooling off and overhearing the gossip, Zhou Pi noticed Huaisheng and Chusu approaching and raised a hand to interrupt the conversation with a smile. “Are you all set?”

Huaisheng nodded. “Thank you, Master, for waiting.”

Zhou Pi studied Huaisheng’s expression. Seeing her calm face, he felt somewhat reassured.

Though uncertain whether Nan Huaisheng knew about the feud between the Nan and Xiao families, it was best not to mention the Xiao family in her presence, especially Xiao Ruoshui.

He had heard about Uncle Ye years ago—this uncle had always been close with the Xiao family and, after ascending to Nascent Soul twelve years ago, never took disciples, supposedly wanting Xiao Ruoshui as his first.

Zhou Pi had also heard of the longstanding feud between the Xiao and Nan families.

Setting aside ancestral grievances, even within their generation, rumors surrounded the ambush on Senior Sister Xu and the death of Senior Brother Xiao, with both sides suspected but the truth remaining elusive.

Senior Brother Xiao and Senior Brother Nan had entered Yajian Mountain together. Both were outstanding disciples, making the loss of one missing and one deceased all the more regrettable.

Now, Xiao Ruoshui and Nan Huaisheng had joined the mountain gate together, just like their fathers.

Who knew what stories they would have?

As he pondered, Zhou Pi’s peripheral vision caught several figures approaching from the streamside.

In the center was a girl carrying a large rusted bloodstained broadsword. The cuffs of her indigo disciple robes bore the character “Zhang.”

Flanking her were a beautiful woman in her thirties and a tall, handsome but sullen young man.

The woman’s face was striking, and her elder’s Dao robe also bore the “Zhang” character. The young man wore Yajian Mountain’s inner disciple robes.

The sullen youth immediately fixed his cold gaze on Huaisheng with hostility. Noticing his stare, Huaisheng raised her eyes to meet his, her gaze lingering on the spot between his brows, then shifted to the girl beside him, lingering even longer.

Only when Xiao Ruoshui looked over did Huaisheng withdraw her gaze.

Zhou Pi instantly recognized the girl as Xiao Ruoshui. The gloomy youth beside her took him some time to recall—he was Zhu Cong, a disciple sent by the Xiao family to Yajian Mountain ten years ago.

Zhu Cong’s father was Zhu Yun, the Xiao family elder who died in the peachwood forest.

No, what on earth was going on?

Why did all these matters converge here at Lonely Deer Hall?