Zhuofeng — or the Peak of the Unadorned — lived up to its name. It had no breathtaking scenery, no imposing grandeur, no elegant immortal roots. There was nothing remarkable about it at all.
It was utterly ordinary, bordering on bleak — like a stretch of wilderness. Dead vines clung to gnarled old trees where crows made their home; the blood-red sun sank in the west, casting a wan, funereal twilight over everything. It looked nothing like the main peak of an immortal sect.
Crumbling walls and broken foundations covered Zhuofeng’s surface, rubble everywhere, wild mugwort and thorns spreading in all directions, the mountain paths having long since disappeared beneath the overgrowth.
Seven or eight figures swept through the sky above, slowing as they passed over this particular spot before descending.
They were young disciples — all around twenty years of age. Seeing that this long-desolate main peak had actually drawn visitors today in search of immortal affinity, they found it curious enough to land and have a look.
“Greetings, Elder Li.” Among them were both men and women, and after bowing to the old man, they all turned to study Ye Fan and Ji Ziyue with open curiosity.
“Elder,” Ye Fan asked, “what kind of assessment will we need to undergo?”
The frail, somewhat gaunt old man — the sole remaining member of Zhuofeng’s lineage, by the name of Li Ruoyu — shook his head and replied, “In truth, there is no need for an assessment. No one has come here in many years. If you are determined to stay, then you have both passed.”
The seven or eight young Taixuan disciples nearby let out quiet, amused laughter. They could not fathom why anyone would choose a fallen main peak.
“I’d guess these two have such mediocre aptitude that no other main peak would take them, so they’ve ended up here.”
“These two are clever enough in a petty way — trying to secure a spot through this method. Little do they know it’s completely useless. Once you choose this mountain, you cannot join any other main peak.”
“Over the years, there have always been people who fancied themselves clever. And in the end, didn’t they all skulk away in shame?”
These young disciples murmured and snickered amongst themselves. They were disciples of the peak directly ahead — a lineage now at the pinnacle of its prosperity.
Ji Ziyue had smeared a colorful mess across her soft, rosy face, leaving her looking like a little painted cat. Only her large eyes retained their keen and lively gleam. She glanced once at the whispering disciples, then turned to the old man. “Elder Li, let us follow proper procedure. Give us the assessment we are due.”
“There is really no need…” Li Ruoyu shook his head.
“Elder Li, since they wish to be tested and prove themselves, why not give them the chance?” one of the disciples nearby said.
The young disciples not far off were all quietly grinning.
“Indeed — who knows, perhaps they truly possess immortal bones and will one day carry Zhuofeng to greatness. Elder Li, why not put them to the test and see what they’re made of?”
This, too, was a reflection of Zhuofeng’s decline. Had this been any thriving main peak, these disciples would never have dared to interject — they would not even have been permitted to ascend without announcing themselves first. But it also said something about the old man’s gentle temperament.
“Very well.” Li Ruoyu gave a nod. Trembling with age and wobbling with each step, he made his way out from the crumbling hall.
The summit of Zhuofeng was strewn with rubble, not a single structure left intact. At the center, however, there was a clear open space where nine tiers of jade steps had been laid. Though time had worn away at everything around them, the jade had remained flawless — crystal clear and soft in its luminance, untouched by decay.
“So it’s the Nine-Tiered Heaven Stairway trial,” one of the female disciples said in mild surprise.
Li Ruoyu, as Zhuofeng’s sole remaining member and elder, was filled with feeling. “Five hundred years ago, every disciple within the Taixuan Sect longed to climb these nine steps and become a disciple of Zhuofeng. In those days, what glory it was.”
“So the Nine-Tiered Heaven Stairway is real — I’d heard of it before, but never imagined it would be here at Zhuofeng.”
“Now, the Nine-Tiered Heaven Stairway has nearly been buried under dust. This place is cold and still — none of the splendor of former days remains. Who would want to climb these nine steps anymore?”
“This place is nothing compared to what it once was. The gate has become deserted. It has long since fallen.”
The seven or eight young disciples murmured among themselves with thinly veiled contempt; their words carried a quiet disdain.
“When once so many dazzling figures of genius would climb these steps with pride…” Li Ruoyu let out a long sigh.
“Elder Li, you really shouldn’t keep dwelling on the past.” Several of the young disciples laughed softly, dismissive as ever.
“The trial consists of climbing nine stone steps?” Ji Ziyue asked with curiosity, finding nothing particularly special about such a test.
“Indeed. Go on and try for yourself.” Li Ruoyu gave a nod.
“Future genius of Zhuofeng — let’s see if you can make it through.”
“Hold your footing — don’t stumble before you even clear the first step.”
Several of the young Taixuan disciples smiled and laughed, convinced that Ji Ziyue and Ye Fan were nothing but opportunists, and that passing the trial was far beyond their reach.
In the face of their mockery, Ji Ziyue was entirely unmoved. She moved lightly and with effortless grace — like a butterfly on the wing — and stepped forward toward the Nine-Tiered Heaven Stairway.
What the so-called Nine-Tiered Heaven Stairway consisted of was nine types of ancient jade stacked and layered together, each tier a different color, without brilliant flashes of light — only a gentle, scattered crystalline glow.
Ji Ziyue stepped onto the first jade tier. The green ancient jade rippled and shimmered with a spreading light, and she moved through it with ease. She stepped forward again; the second tier flushed deep red, and tiny crimson glimmers bloomed around her. She could feel the pressure now, a slight furrow forming between her brows. When her third step came down, the blue ancient jade shed a clear, luminous radiance all around her, and she felt the weight in her steps grow heavier.
Fourth step, fifth step… By the seventh, she felt she could barely lift her feet — an immense weight, like a mountain pressing down, soaking her in a fine layer of glistening sweat.
What she did not know was that Li Ruoyu had already begun showing signs of astonishment when she reached the third step, and by the time she reached the seventh, his eyes were wide open and his jaw had all but dropped.
Boom!
Ji Ziyue’s eighth step landed. Ancient jade radiated its light, and the violet tier was now under her feet. She felt as though she were bearing the entire sky on her shoulders — crushed nearly breathless by the weight.
Boom!
The ninth step landed. She stood upon the final tier — and at once, the sound of heavenly music filled the air. Five-colored light surged skyward, and seven-hued divine brilliance bloomed. She had ascended the Nine-Tiered Heaven Stairway. Across Zhuofeng, extraordinary signs and wonders appeared one after another.
“This…” Li Ruoyu’s face was overcome with shock, his body trembling faintly — he could barely bring himself to believe what his eyes were showing him. He murmured to himself, “In the old stories, they said that anyone who could climb to the seventh tier was already a once-in-a-generation genius. Since Zhuofeng’s lineage began, I have no idea whether anyone has ever climbed all nine steps of the Heaven Stairway…”
The young disciples nearby all wore expressions of pure disbelief. Not one of them had expected this outcome. It had never occurred to them that the fallen Zhuofeng would truly welcome a genius of this caliber.
Ji Ziyue, for her part, had finally grasped the situation — and immediately felt a surge of regret. She had assumed she needed to climb every step to pass; it had never occurred to her that passing all nine was not the goal. Inwardly, she stuck out her tongue and muttered with a pained expression, “This is a disaster. I wasn’t trying to steal the spotlight here. What on earth am I going to do now?”
“That can’t be right — does she have better natural gifts than all the predecessors before her?”
“After all these years, the Nine-Tiered Heaven Stairway must have deteriorated. How else could anyone have passed all nine steps?”
The young disciples could not bring themselves to accept what had happened.
At that moment, a streak of blue-green light came flying over from the main peak ahead. A man of forty or fifty descended, clasped his hands toward Li Ruoyu, and said, “Greetings, Elder Brother Li.”
“Greetings to you, Elder.” The young disciples nearby bowed to the middle-aged man.
“I noticed what appeared to be an unusual sign flash briefly at Zhuofeng earlier and came to see what had occurred. Would someone mind telling me what happened?”
“Elder, just now—” Several of the young disciples quickly recounted what they had witnessed.
“What?!” The middle-aged man was equally stunned.
Figures flickered in the air. Another seven or eight descended — all with white hair and white beards, all from the main peak directly ahead — Xingfeng, the Peak of Stars.
Once these elders understood the situation, every one of them broke into expressions of astonishment. They then quietly drew Li Ruoyu aside with looks that said they found what they were about to ask deeply difficult.
Never mind Li Ruoyu — even the young disciples nearby could guess what was on their minds: they had clearly been shaken by Ji Ziyue’s aptitude and intended to take her in as a disciple of Xingfeng.
“I understand your meaning.” Li Ruoyu let out a long sigh. “Zhuofeng has fallen into decline. To leave such a fine and gifted young talent here would only hinder her cultivation. If she is willing, you may take her with you.”
Several of the elders bowed their hands to Li Ruoyu in gratitude. Poaching a disciple this way still left them somewhat red-faced.
In an instant, Ji Ziyue found herself completely surrounded by a cluster of Xingfeng’s elders — every one of them radiating warmth and benevolence, gazing at her as though they were admiring a rare treasure, heads bobbing with unceasing approval.
“Hey, hey — white-bearded grandpas, could you all stop smiling at me like that? You’re giving me the distinct feeling of wolves sizing up prey…” Ji Ziyue muttered quietly, with no small amount of dissatisfaction.
The elders burst out laughing in spite of themselves, and paid her complaint no mind at all. They took turns speaking, heaping Ji Ziyue with praise, extolling the glories of Xingfeng, and making clear, without a word wasted, that they intended to accept her as a Xingfeng disciple.
“I only wish to join Zhuofeng. I have no interest in any other main peak.”
“Zhuofeng has been in decline for many years. There is no inheritance left to speak of here. Xingfeng, on the other hand, is at the height of its power — currently ranked within the top three among all one hundred and eight main peaks.”
“Even so, I truly have no interest in Xingfeng.”
The young disciples nearby were all left dumbfounded. Several grand elders had personally come to persuade her, and she simply refused to play along — utterly indifferent, without a trace of gratitude. If word of this got out, people’s jaws would hit the floor. Some people truly lived in a world apart.
“You must be here for the legendary secret art of this lineage — but that transmission has been severed for years. Staying here will yield nothing.” The elders pressed on with patient, gentle persuasion, each taking a turn. “Once you join Zhuofeng, you will be barred from entering any other main peak — but disciples of other peaks may still make a new choice later.”
“That’s right — you may join Xingfeng first. If the lineage here reawakens, you can always come back.”
The disciples nearby felt an indescribable swell of complicated emotion. Never in their lives had they imagined Xingfeng’s elders would lower themselves this much over taking on a single disciple. This was simply beyond comparison.
“Let me think about it…” Ji Ziyue had accidentally drawn far too much attention — which ran entirely contrary to her intentions. Her large, bright eyes turned this way and that. “All right. I can join Xingfeng — but please ask those people not to speak carelessly about what happened.” She gestured toward the young disciples nearby. She intended to keep a low profile within the Taixuan Sect and had no wish to draw notice any sooner than necessary.
“You may rest completely assured…” All of Xingfeng’s elders broke into smiles.
Ji Ziyue understood that the Taixuan Sect, as a major power, would naturally conduct an investigation into the backgrounds of its incoming disciples. She was not particularly concerned about that — even if they discovered the truth, it would not matter much. As long as she could keep herself out of the sight of those within the Ji Family who meant her harm for a few months, that was all she needed. And in all likelihood, even if the Taixuan Sect uncovered her true identity, they would simply look the other way — and quite possibly use it as an opportunity to cultivate ties with the elder authorities of the Ji Family.
The final outcome: Ji Ziyue would join Xingfeng under a low profile and become one of its disciples.
“There is still the other one. Let us see what his aptitude is like.” Everyone present was curious about Ye Fan as well — he had come alongside Ji Ziyue, so there was a chance he might also be gifted.
Ye Fan had sealed his Bitter Sea completely — solid as divine iron, utterly without fluctuation. The last thing he wanted was to carelessly reveal the nature of his constitution.
“The way he walks — vigorous and commanding as a dragon’s stride, a tiger’s gait. His natural gifts should be something exceptional…”
Before the people nearby had even finished speaking, Ye Fan had already stepped onto the first tier of the Heaven Stairway. Green light flashed — and he flew backward several meters, tumbling to the ground.
“He… didn’t even make it past the first tier?!”
“With aptitude like that, this is really too…”
Those nearby all swallowed the rest of their words, left utterly speechless.
“Fellow younger brothers — please be accommodating and accept him into Xingfeng as well.” Li Ruoyu stepped in to speak on Ye Fan’s behalf.
“That is…” Xingfeng’s elders hesitated and exchanged glances, but in the end, they all nodded. They had already taken one gifted disciple away — the least they could do was show some consideration for Li Ruoyu’s feelings.
“I thank the elders for your kind offer. But I have no wish to join Xingfeng. I would rather remain here.” Ye Fan bowed to the assembled elders and stated this plainly.
Every one of the elders on the scene looked at one another in bewilderment. What in the world had gotten into things today? When had Zhuofeng become so appealing? The supremely thriving Xingfeng had now been turned down again and again. The gifted one refusing out of pride was at least understandable — but now a young man whose aptitude had drawn frowns of concern was doing the same. It was, to say the least, something of a blow.
Nearby, the young disciples were on the verge of losing their minds. In their own time, they had endured countless hardships, passed trial after trial, and barely distinguished themselves from the crowd to earn their place as Xingfeng disciples. And now, today, one person after another was treating Xingfeng like it was nothing. A genius doing so was one thing — but even a young man like this? How were they supposed to feel?
Ji Ziyue blinked those clever, bright eyes of hers and smiled. “Your staying here is actually a good thing…” For this peak was precisely where the two of them had come. That secret art, and nothing else, was what they were truly after.
In the end, the Xingfeng contingent rode the rainbow light into the distance and vanished from sight. Zhuofeng returned to its quiet, with only Ye Fan and Li Ruoyu left behind.
Night descended. From far away, starlight fell like water streaming down, and the peak ahead — Xingfeng — shimmered with an ethereal grandeur, swathed in boundless radiance.
Ye Fan gazed into the distance and felt genuine surprise. Xingfeng was somehow stirring the constellations of the sky itself — the endless starlight drawing together and converging, wrapping the entire peak in a hazy, luminous mist, gleaming like liquid light, like an immortal realm made real.
Li Ruoyu stood upon the summit of Zhuofeng. “That,” he said, “is the lineage of Xingfeng — drawing on the vast star rivers of heaven as their source of power. Cultivated to its highest extremity, one may commune with the very stars, drawing their radiance into the body to forge an unparalleled immortal constitution — with combat power that knows no equal.”
“I believe Zhuofeng is not inferior to Xingfeng. It will rise again.” Ye Fan was genuinely intrigued by the power of the stars — but the secret art of Zhuofeng held more importance in his eyes.
“Five hundred years ago, Zhuofeng was veiled in immortal mist, wreathed in the glow of auspicious light. Jade towers and crystal pavilions floated above the clouds. Masters rose one after another — a land of talent and spirit, truly. But alas, it gradually fell into ruin…”
“What does it take for the lineage to reawaken? Those Heaven Stairway steps…” Ye Fan suspected the nine tiers of the Heaven Stairway might contain the secret art of the lineage within them.
Li Ruoyu shook his head. “The entire main peak is the scripture. The lineage is not within the Nine-Tiered Heaven Stairway. Only when Zhuofeng blazes brilliantly — its light shooting heavenward, immortal energy swirling all around — will that signal the lineage’s reawakening.”
“Is that truly the only way?” Ye Fan was not entirely convinced.
“Over ten thousand years, there has been only one exception — a predecessor who once obtained the cultivation method of the secret art before the lineage had manifested. His eventual achievement rivaled that of the great powers of high antiquity, with dharma power unmatched in all the world.” Li Ruoyu sighed softly.
“How did he obtain it?” Ye Fan’s eyes lit up at once.
“No one knows. At the end of his life, he left only twelve characters behind.”
“What twelve characters?”
“Great perfection appears lacking. Great fullness appears empty. Great skill appears clumsy…”