Usually, when it came to competing for new trial grounds, it was the celestial cultivators from various sects who engaged in grand magical battles to claim territory. For a sect like Wu Yueting, with its numerous peak elders and non-elder celestial cultivators, it seemed odd that disciples who had barely broken through the second bottleneck would be called upon. The more one thought about it, the stranger it appeared.
Moreover, they were forbidden from discussing it, not even with fellow disciples, giving the whole affair a clandestine air.
Li Fei scanned the group once more, failing to spot Lei Xiuyuan among the disciples set to depart. Was he not going? She felt a twinge of disappointment. All the other disciples joining this quest for trial grounds were adults in their twenties, while she was just a sixteen-year-old girl, feeling out of place.
With a heavy heart, Li Fei left Wengu Peak. Her afternoon cultivation was distracted, and come dinnertime, she made a special trip to Yaoguang Peak, searching in vain for Lei Xiuyuan. Unable to find him, she exchanged a few casual words with Su Wan before returning.
Early the next morning, Li Fei deliberately left two letters for Senior Sister Zhao Min and Lei Xiuyuan. This journey to compete for trial grounds had an uncertain duration, and if it truly involved magical combat, there might even be mortal danger. She carefully chose her words, writing several thick pages, yet feeling as though much remained unsaid.
This wouldn’t do. Li Fei crumpled up everything and started anew, this time briefly mentioning her departure for trials, omitting all unnecessary words.
After sealing the letter and placing it on a small table in the central hall, weighed down by an oil lamp, Li Fei mustered her spirits and flew on a cloud towards Wengu Peak.
The dozen or so disciples from yesterday had all arrived, and Elder Dongyang was already present. The disciples were a mix of nervousness and anticipation. In their ten-plus years since joining the sect, they had only practiced magical arts with fellow disciples. None had experienced real combat. The prospect of facing various conflicts filled them with fear, yet they couldn’t help but imagine themselves in heroic battle poses.
“Little girl,” Elder Dongyang approached, smiling and balancing on his gourd. “What’s wrong? Scared pale?”
Li Fei hurriedly shook her head. “This disciple is just a bit nervous…”
Daoist Dongyang sighed softly, “Disciples of the Central Plains’ celestial sects are experts at slaying demons and vanquishing evil, but when it comes to battling fellow humans, they all fall short. The cultivation world has always been about contending with others. It’s time we changed our old-fashioned cultivation habits.”
Li Fei sensed deeper meaning in his lament and was pondering it when she heard a whoosh of wind behind her. Two figures landed instantly before the hall. The one in front, with a silver beard and an immortal air, was none other than Daoist Guangwei. Behind him, looking refined and handsome, was Lei Xiuyuan, who had been missing all of yesterday.
Li Fei’s heart leaped with joy at the sight of him. With the elders present, she dared not approach, only able to stare at him. Sensing her gaze, Lei Xiuyuan turned slightly, meeting her eyes with a hint of a smile.
With everyone assembled, Daoist Dongyang said, “Fifteen disciples of Wu Yueting depart on this journey. May fifteen return.”
His words left the disciples speechless, each frozen in place.
Daoist Guangwei couldn’t help but laugh, “Dongyang, you rascal, always full of mischief.”
Daoist Dongyang guffawed, taking to the air first. The disciples hurriedly followed, and in the blink of an eye, they had flown beyond Wu Yueting’s gates.
Just as Li Fei took flight, she saw Lei Xiuyuan hovering not far ahead, waiting for her. She quickly grabbed his sleeve, her voice carrying a hint of coy complaint she hadn’t even noticed: “I couldn’t find you at all yesterday.”
Lei Xiuyuan smiled faintly, “Mm, I’m about to break through the third bottleneck and become a personal disciple. Master had much to convey.”
Personal disciple?! Li Fei nearly jumped. He was progressing far too quickly! No wonder the elders showed little interest in her unusual physique—everyone was busy watching him!
Li Fei stared at him, unsure whether to smile or sigh. She recalled his words from that day—that her uniqueness would soon be overshadowed by him. Was he pushing himself so hard for her sake?
Holding his sleeve, she was at a loss for words. Lei Xiuyuan suddenly said, “This trial might involve combat with others. It should be interesting.”
Li Fei sighed, “The elder said we might lose our lives.”
Lei Xiuyuan couldn’t help but laugh, “Do you believe everything the elders say? Even if there’s mortal combat, it won’t be our turn. No celestial sect would be foolish enough to sacrifice young disciples—that’s a loss no sect can bear. This matter is being kept highly confidential, likely to prevent other sects from finding out. From what I’ve heard, the Academy has been quite active lately. Coupled with the elders’ vague words, I suspect this might be an intentional contact between the mountain and sea factions. They’re unwilling to reveal all their cards, so they’re sending elite disciples to test each other. We might even see Bai Li Gelin.”
See Gelin?! Li Fei gasped, “If we run into her, are we supposed to fight?”
After five years apart, to meet again not for a reunion but for combat—how absurd! She suddenly remembered the elder mentioning “collegial friendship” yesterday. Could he have been referring to Gelin? The six friends from the Academy had agreed to reunite in Lupu Town next August, but now, before that reunion, they might have to fight Gelin first.
“It’s a good chance to experience the sea faction’s style.”
Lei Xiuyuan’s eyes showed great anticipation, befitting his single metal spiritual root—excited at the prospect of combat. Li Fei shook her head inwardly. She didn’t want to fight Gelin; she just wanted to see how Gelin was now if she still hid her true feelings behind a carefree facade like before.
They flew on clouds for a full three or four days, and so far that conversation dwindled. They felt they were gradually leaving the Central Plains, seeming to draw closer to the East Sea. Could they be heading to the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly? If so, Lei Xiuyuan’s guess might be right—there was a good chance they’d see Bai Li Gelin.
On the fifth day, the two elders suddenly descended from the clouds. This time, it wasn’t a mountaintop for a brief rest, but a bustling town.
The local customs here differed greatly from the Central Plains. The walls and roofs of buildings were adorned with intricate carvings in various vibrant colors, eye-catching brilliant. The shops, lined up one after another, sold extremely strange items: bone plates, bronze masks, and all sorts of unheard-of things with unknown purposes.
The attire and appearance of people on the streets also differed greatly from the Central Plains. Almost everyone had dark skin, thick eyebrows, and high noses, and they were generally taller than the average Central Plains person. Women’s clothing either exposed shoulders or arms, and both men and women wore colorful, long sashes at their waists that trailed behind them, dancing in the wind.
Even more surprisingly, some passersby rode not horses or donkeys, but tigers, leopards, and other wild beasts. They paraded through the streets, yet no one seemed surprised. These beast mounts were incredibly docile, not even letting out a single roar.
The Wu Yueting disciples were all astonished beyond measure, never imagining that after five days of flight, they would arrive in such a town. Since entering Wu Yueting, they had focused solely on cultivation, hardly ever encountering the bustling outside world. Now, suddenly seeing it again felt like a different lifetime. Moreover, the many things here that defied common sense left them dazzled. Fortunately, most of the disciples on this trip were in their twenties or thirties and relatively composed. Although their minds were racing, they managed to maintain a facade of calmness, most keeping their eyes straight ahead.
Li Fei, being the youngest, couldn’t help but look around constantly. In the past, she had traveled far and wide with her master and seen quite a bit, but that was when she was young, and the memories had faded over the years. This place near the East Sea was vastly different from the Central Plains. She looked left and right, finding everything fascinating.
Suddenly, she heard exclamations from the disciples ahead. Li Fei quickly turned around to see Elders Dongyang and Guangwei stopping in front of an enormous building. This structure was an astounding ten-plus stories high, with each level’s tiles a different color. Though the colors were bright and lively, it inevitably felt gaudy.
Various strange demon beasts perched on the eaves of each floor, and even two Bifang birds covered in blue flames rested on the upturned corners of the roof, leisurely surveying their surroundings.
Even more surprising were the two tiger demons sitting on either side of the building’s main entrance. Even seated, they were taller than humans, with fire under their feet and flesh wings growing from their ribs, looking incredibly fierce and terrifying. People came and went on the street, and their group was gathered in front of the building, yet the two tiger demons remained motionless and composed, looking just like two dutiful watchdogs.
Seeing so many demon beasts suddenly appear in the marketplace, the disciples couldn’t maintain their composure any longer and burst into excited discussions.
Seeing the disciples’ surprised exclamations, Daoist Guangwei frowned and said, “The world is vast, and there’s much you haven’t seen. You’re all like frogs in a well! When abroad, you represent the face of Wu Yueting. Quiet down and come inside!”
The disciples immediately suppressed their shocked expressions and carefully passed between the two tiger demons to enter. Seeing that the demons did not react, they all grew bolder.
“Xiuyuan, shall we go out for a stroll later if we have time?” Li Fei found this strange place intriguing and couldn’t contain her excitement.
After calling out twice with no response, Li Fei turned back in surprise. Only then did she realize that Lei Xiuyuan had somehow crouched down in front of a small stall outside the building and was examining the various goods on display.
Despite his usually aloof demeanor, he was quite childish at heart and quite daring, having wandered off on his own to explore first. Li Fei approached him with a smile, asking curiously, “What are you looking at?”
The stall was filled with masks—some made of bronze, others of wood. The facial features were vividly carved, very different from those in the Central Plains. Moreover, the expressions on the masks were extremely fierce, with furrowed brows and open mouths full of killing intent, looking quite eerie.
“…What kind of masks are these?” Li Fei couldn’t resist picking up a bronze mask and examining it. Such fierce masks—who would wear them? To scare people?
Lei Xiuyuan paused for a moment before saying quietly, “I don’t know. They look quite strange.”
Seeing the clean and handsome young couple, the stall owner smiled and said, “You two aren’t from around here, are you? These are all facial depictions of various fierce deities.”
He picked up several other masks, each more ferocious than the last, and explained, “Asuras, fierce ghosts, Yakshas, Rakshasas—all legendary fierce deities from various places.”
Just as Li Fei was about to speak, she heard another round of exclamations from nearby. Someone shouted in surprise, “It’s a tiger demon! They use tiger demons as guards here!”
The two looked up to see another group of about a dozen disciples arriving at the building they had just entered. These disciples, both male and female, were all dressed in white robes of a style quite different from Wu Yueting’s. Their clothes were trimmed with gold, giving them an ethereal and noble air.
The disciple who had exclaimed was quickly reprimanded by an elder-looking old man: “Your every move represents the Star Rectitude Pavilion. Who permitted you to shout like that?!”
Star Rectitude Pavilion?! Li Fei suddenly stood up.