Halfway through the banquet, Mr. Shen and the elders of the East Sea’s Ten Thousand Immortals Gathering took their leave. He clasped his hands in respect to Mr. Zuo Qiu and smiled, “The sea’s fall is imminent. I understand your meticulous arrangements, Mr. Zuo Qiu, but while man proposes, heaven disposes. We can only take the first step, and what follows is beyond even my prediction.”
With that, he departed. The giant centipede spirit, which had been lying quietly in the corner of the martial arts field, suddenly rose and respectfully allowed him to leap onto its head. He looked at Baili Gelin and called out, “Young girl, say your goodbyes quickly! As a disciple of the East Sea’s Ten Thousand Immortals Gathering, you must not be indecisive!”
Baili Gelin was about to speak when she felt herself being tightly embraced by Changyue. For the first time, the usually strong and independent Baili Changyue cried in front of everyone. From now on, they would be separated by mountains and rivers, and words would be scarce. Though they spoke of reuniting in six years, the world is unpredictable, and who knows when they will truly meet again?
Ye Ye supported Baili Changyue and quietly looked at Baili Gelin for a moment before smiling, “You’ve always been unconventional. Don’t cry when you’re alone in the future.”
Baili Gelin smiled slightly, looking back at the three behind her, and then at the boys she used to be close with. They were all watching her, and she looked at each of them in turn.
“Li Fei and Xiuyuan slipped away first,” she laughed, her gaze soft yet sorrowful. “I’m leaving, and they didn’t even come to see me off.”
She gently smoothed Changyue’s hair and said softly, “But it’s better this way. Saying goodbye to each one would be too cumbersome. Sister, you and Ye Ye take care, so I won’t worry about you while I’m away.”
With that, she gently freed herself from Changyue’s embrace, threw her stone sword, and in a flash of golden light, landed beside Mr. Shen.
“Finished?” Mr. Shen asked with a smile.
“Yes,” Baili Gelin replied softly, tears she had held back for so long finally mingling with the cold rain.
In a hazy moment, it seemed as if a serene and harmonious melody drifted through the air, ancient and elegant like an ink-wash painting slowly spreading. Li Fei slowly opened her eyes, seeing only endless whiteness outside the window—flying snow, flying snow, and more flying snow…
Snow in August? A sudden realization struck her, banishing all sleepiness, and she scrambled to her feet.
She found herself in a completely unfamiliar room, sleeping on the floor! The ground was covered with soft grass mats, the window wide open, and outside, the wind and snow raged, frost sealing the world in white—where was this? Wuyue Court?
Li Fei was stunned, her head still aching slightly from a hangover. She held her forehead, trying to recall. After the new disciple selection, there was a banquet in the academy’s main hall. She drank too much and later met Hu Jiaping… Senior Brother, Master, Lei Xiuyuan…
She gasped. Had she fallen asleep on a floating island in a drunken stupor and been brought to Wuyue Court without even saying goodbye to Gelin and the others?!
The ancient melody continued to flow, gradually calming her chaotic thoughts. Hesitantly, she opened the door to find a suspended corridor built on a sheer cliff. The wind and snow rushed in but seemed to be blocked by something soft, unable to accumulate on the corridor.
Like the realm of Gan Hua, the spiritual energy here was dense and oppressive, making every step difficult.
Following the music, she turned a corner and peeked into the central hall, where incense smoke curled upward. Chongyi Zhenren sat on a mat, playing a guqin. The instrument was dark red, larger than a typical guqin, and seemed to be made of an unknown material.
Behind him stood a woman in Wuyue Court disciple robes, appearing in her twenties, beautiful and proud, reminding Li Fei of Princess Lanya. Their postures were strikingly similar.
As the piece ended, Chongyi Zhenren pressed his fingers on the strings, halting the lingering notes. He looked at Li Fei, who was peeking from a distance, and smiled slightly, “Why are you peeking? Come over.”
Li Fei was a bit nervous. Though she had acknowledged him as her master, she knew nothing about him or his temperament. She walked over quietly and respectfully saluted, “Disciple Jiang Li Fei greets Master.”
Chongyi Zhenren nodded slightly, observing her for a moment before saying, “The piece just now is called ‘Jiuxiao,’ an ancient melody said to be composed by the gods.”
Oh, I see… Li Fei nodded blankly.
Chongyi Zhenren couldn’t help but chuckle and turned to the woman, “Zhaomin, what do you think of your junior sister?”
The disciple named Zhaomin answered respectfully and walked over to Li Fei, examining her quietly. Li Fei felt her gaze was deep and cold, causing her to take a step back.
Zhaomin suddenly said, “Drinking, hungover, meeting your master in disarray, hair like a bird’s nest, peeking around, crude posture, and ignorant.”
…What? Li Fei was dumbfounded. If she hadn’t pointed it out, she wouldn’t have realized how bad she looked. She glanced down, noticing her wrinkled clothes, and quickly smoothed them out, then touched her hair, realizing she hadn’t considered her appearance in her surprise upon waking.
Zhaomin placed her hands on Li Fei’s slender shoulders and smiled slightly. Her beauty was dazzling, like a hundred flowers blooming, warming the heart.
Li Fei couldn’t help but smile back, only to hear Zhaomin say, “Remember, a girl should behave like a girl. Grace and elegance are the proper way. Your demeanor is terrible; I must teach you well. No more ugly braids.”
Li Fei was dumbfounded again.
“What… what grace and elegance?” she stammered.
Zhaomin replied calmly, “Bathe, dress, and groom yourself. Even if a girl thinks ‘I want to kill you all,’ she should smile beautifully and cleanly.”
“…Oh.” Li Fei looked to Chongyi Zhenren for help, feeling that this senior sister was a bit off.
Zhaomin scolded, “Are your eyelids twitching? It’s unsightly, stop it.”
Chongyi Zhenren laughed, “Li Fei, this is your senior sister Zhaomin. She is the fifth princess of the Wei Kingdom, very particular about etiquette and posture. You’ll benefit greatly from spending time with her.”
Princess?! Li Fei looked at her in silence, then at Chongyi Zhenren, suddenly feeling a sense of foreboding about her future.
“Alright, Zhaomin, you may leave. I have something to discuss with your junior sister.”
Zhaomin answered respectfully and left quietly.
As Li Fei watched her leave the hall, Chongyi Zhenren suddenly raised his hand and removed the protective beads she wore, saying, “These beads no longer have enough spiritual power to conceal your constitution. The capacity of magical artifacts is limited; don’t wear them anymore.”
Li Fei nearly jumped in fright, cold sweat soaking her. He had seen through her?! How did he know?
Chongyi Zhenren took out a small hexagonal glass mirror from his robe, adorned with pink crystals and attached to a silver chain, pristine and exquisite, with a spiritual power far surpassing the protective beads.
He handed the mirror to her with a slight smile, “Your constitution is extremely rare. I’m sure Mr. Zuo Qiu has warned you, so I won’t repeat it. Hang this mirror around your neck and never lose it.”
This was the second immortal who understood her unique constitution and offered guidance. Li Fei’s unfamiliarity with him faded, replaced by a sense of closeness and gratitude. Initially, she had no great expectations when he accepted her as a disciple, focused only on finding her senior brother at Wuyue Court. But now, she suddenly felt a genuine desire to regard him as her master.
Chongyi Zhenren began to gently pluck the strings again, the ancient melody resuming. He said, “Last night, you were carried to Wuyue Court by Jiaping, who repeatedly asked me to take good care of you.”
Li Fei took a deep breath, her emotions mixed. Her senior brother was not keen on her inquiries and didn’t want to discuss Master with her. But at least Master was safe, and that alone was enough to reassure her.
“Lei Xiuyuan has been taken to Yaoguang Peak by Elder Guangwei,” Chongyi Zhenren continued, his voice calm yet kind. “This is Jadefall Peak, the northernmost point of Wuyue Court. Yaoguang Peak is in the south. The spiritual energy here is different from the outside world, dense and thick. For a young disciple like you, flying on a sword would be as slow as an ox cart. To meet, you’d have to fly for a year.”
A year of flying?! Li Fei’s eyes widened in shock. Did this mean she couldn’t see Xiuyuan at all?
Chongyi Zhenren added, “Your primary task now is to learn how to fly.”
Flying again.
Li Fei felt a sense of déjà vu as if everything was starting anew, just like her first day at the academy.
“Li Fei,” Chongyi Zhenren’s voice suddenly became serious, and the melodious music stopped. “Why do you cultivate?”
She thought for a long time, unsure of what to say. She couldn’t articulate why she cultivated. Initially, she went to the academy to find her senior brother and save Master, but now everything was contrary to her expectations, and she was even less clear about her purpose in cultivation.
Chongyi Zhenren sighed, “I know about your cultivation at the academy. Your abilities are well-balanced. Although the Five Elements as one seems comprehensive, balance can also mean mediocrity, which is your flaw. Even if you practice for ten more years, your attack power won’t match a true metal spiritual root, nor will your healing abilities rival a true water spiritual root.”
Did this mean she had no strengths at all? Li Fei felt her future was bleak.
He suddenly seemed thoughtful, “But if you continue cultivating like this, for ten years, a hundred years, a thousand years… the Five Elements as one might bring you infinitely close to the ultimate in the Five Elements. Cultivators spend their lives pursuing the ultimate, and then, you would be invincible.”
Invincible? Li Fei shook her head, “I don’t want to be invincible.”
Chongyi Zhenren looked at her with interest, “Then why do you cultivate?”
She was stumped again.
“A cultivator must have a persistent heart,” Chongyi Zhenren said, “This heart can reverse heaven and earth. Even in the face of heavenly tribulations, it remains unshaken. Cultivation is an act against the heavens. Without a persistent heart, it fails. You must understand where your persistence lies.”
Li Fei was silent, pondering for a long time before slowly nodding.
Outside, the wind and snow raged. At the end of this snowy expanse, Lei Xiuyuan was likely listening to his new master’s teachings at Yaoguang Peak. Had Ye Ye and Changyue reached Dizang Sect? How was Ji Tongzhou faring alone at Xingzheng Pavilion? And Gelin, had she arrived at the East Sea’s Ten Thousand Immortals Gathering? As a friend, she felt she had been too reckless, and unable to help her. Would she understand Gelin’s feelings better when she grew older?
Li Fei listened to Chongyi Zhenren’s serene and ancient melody, her thoughts soaring beyond the nine heavens.