The moment Qian Yue stepped out, he ran into the master and disciple pair.
Gu Baiqing looked perfectly normal, but Mo Xuanli had thoughts brewing in his eyes. When he glanced up at Qian Yue, his expression flickered for last night, he’d sensed demonic energy within the Dragon Palace. Even Ao Hang had come asking if it was him who released the miasma. That was when Mo Xuanli knew the incubus had shown up.
Worried for Qian Yue, he’d rushed to the most remote guest room. Yet just as he reached the corridor outside, he’d heard… something off in that quiet space.
Mo Xuanli had immediately frozen, an odd look crossing his face as he quietly retreated.
Now, seeing Qian Yue again, his face calm and clear as ever, but the demonic aura around him noticeably heavier, Mo Xuanli understood. That faint red mark that wouldn’t close, and the incubus’s evasive behavior… It wasn’t just a one-time encounter. Their lives were now bound together by the most awkward of ties, impossible to sever.
Unless they found a way to undo it, one was a monk who sought detachment from mortal desire, the other a demon who thrived in it. The two were fated to be entangled for life.
And if so, Qian Yue could never return to Wuxiang Temple.
At first, Mo Xuanli had felt both indignant and sorry for him, thinking Qian Yue had been violated. But when Qian Yue turned around, Mo Xuanli caught sight of the bloody nail marks at the back of his neck—
Clearly…
Mo Xuanli froze in disbelief. Combined with the faint sounds he’d accidentally overheard last night, could it be that the “scheming spellcaster” was actually…? Judging from Qian Yue’s demeanor, he certainly didn’t seem like the one beneath.
For some reason, Mo Xuanli suddenly didn’t feel quite so sympathetic.
Soon after, Qian Yue who should have been saying his goodbyes spoke first. “I’ll be staying for a bit longer. I’ll leave in the afternoon. Do you two still have matters to attend to?”
Gu Baiqing looked at him strangely. Last night, hadn’t he seemed desperate to leave immediately? Why stay now? Was it because of the incubus?
Mo Xuanli, on the other hand, seemed to realize something. Likely the demon was still in the room. Not wanting to expose his friend, he feigned ignorance and nodded.
“We’ll go find Junhua and finish our task, then. Farewell for now.” He added, “That matter’s in your hands… and be careful of the demons. They’re searching for those things too.”
He only hoped Qian Yue understood the warning. After all, the incubus was one of the demon race that had long opposed them, perhaps a victim of the demonic realm’s schemes, but what if he sought to redeem himself? Either way, he was far too close to Qian Yue.
Whether Qian Yue caught the hidden meaning or not, Mo Xuanli trusted that even bound as they were, Qian Yue would never risk traveling alongside that incubus.
Qian Yue paused, then nodded lightly, eyes firm with the same unwavering light of a demon-slaying guardian.
—
The master and disciple took Ao Hang and Three Bean along when they departed, leaving plenty of space behind.
The incubus, having rested enough to recover his strength, got dressed and prepared to sneak away. He was sure that d*mned monk wouldn’t bother with him, probably gone already, as usual. He didn’t realize Qian Yue had deliberately sent everyone else away, thinking danger lurked nearby. After sweating bullets sneaking out of the Dragon Palace, the incubus finally slipped off unnoticed.
Only after watching him leave did Qian Yue set out alone, heading eastward once more.
Meanwhile, Mo Xuanli and Gu Baiqing finished helping Junhua with their affairs and departed the next day.
Their destination: Taixu Hall.
Thanks to the pearl gift from Junhua, they had the luxury of a flying vessel soaring above the clouds.
After all, the proud dragon race wouldn’t serve as mounts, and the weak little Three Bean had no spiritual power to offer.
Gu Baiqing would rather die than let Mo Xuanli carry him by sword flight again. Besides, Taixu Hall was far too distant, sword flight couldn’t compare to the comfort of a flying ship.
So the two humans and two beasts flew for a full day and night before finally arriving at the immortal mists surrounding Taixu Hall.
Taixu Hall consisted of dozens of floating islands suspended in midair, each connected by chains of dark iron. The largest held the main hall, while the smaller ones housed various sects’ branch courtyards. The Four Great Sects, along with Wuxiang Temple and Chuixue Pavilion, each had their own island; the remaining sects shared the rest.
Yet as their vessel approached, the atmosphere felt off, too lively. Sword-riding cultivators darted across the sky. Normally, when no sect conference was being held, this was a gathering place for the sect leaders only, usually calm and quiet.
Under Gu Baiqing’s command, the ship descended toward Zixiao Sect’s island. Before it even docked, a disciple flew up to greet them, bowing immediately when he saw Gu Baiqing and Mo Xuanli.
“Elder Luofeng, greetings! Elders Qianren and Chunyang are still at Taixu Hall,” the young disciple reported.
The moment Gu Baiqing stepped off the ship, he noticed the place was filled with young disciples. Strange, why were there so many juniors here for just a meeting?
Mo Xuanli noticed Gu Baiqing’s confusion and directly turned to ask the senior brother who had come to receive them.
The disciple hurriedly explained, “Actually, a new order was issued just yesterday, preparations for the Immortal Convention are to begin early, so all the young disciples from each sect have been summoned.”
Mo Xuanli couldn’t quite understand. First, they were summoned to report on recent events, and soon after, Taixu Hall received Qian Yue’s message. With all that going on, the hall should have far more pressing matters to attend to. Why would they suddenly advance the Immortal Convention, which is supposed to be held once every four years? It hasn’t even been two years since the last one.
At that moment, Gu Baiqing felt as though his head were about to explode.
Had the plot already diverged this much?
In the original storyline, Taixu Hall was involved in two major plot arcs: one that took place around this time, and another during the Immortal Convention two years later.
This visit was originally meant to deal with the merfolk clan incident. Because of repeated small conflicts, Mo Xuanli had accidentally released demonic energy, arousing the suspicions of those at Taixu Hall. Although they had found no proof and had to let him go, they began developing ways to detect demonic lineage.
Over the next two years, Mo Xuanli stayed at Zixiao Sect with Gu Baiqing, living freely and taking on occasional missions. During that time, he inevitably did a number of questionable things though always narrowly avoiding true disaster.
Meanwhile, a series of grisly incidents occurred in the outside world such as those involving the Rufeng Sect and Star-Stepping City.
Then, two years later, when Mo Xuanli attended the Immortal Convention, he was tested and exposed as having demonic roots. All of his connections to the demon race were brought out as evidence of his corruption. Overnight, the brightest, most envied young genius became a hunted criminal. He broke off with his master and, with Ao Hang’s aid, fought his way out and fled into the demon realm.
Now, with the plot so heavily altered, the Immortal Convention had been brought forward. Gu Baiqing couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of dread.
If Taixu Hall had already found a method to test for demonic roots then wouldn’t Mo Xuanli be walking straight into the tiger’s den?
Just as he was thinking this, the system chimed:
【Mission Quest 3, Task 2: Prevent identity from being exposed. Achieve a top-three ranking in the Immortal Convention. Advance smoothly to mid-Stage Nascent Soul.
Important note: If identity is exposed, the host’s mission will be deemed a total failure.】
D*mn it!!!!!!
That last line was practically a death sentence!
So if he failed this mission even just the part about keeping the identity hidden, it wouldn’t just be a points deduction. It would be game over.
This was basically: as long as you’re not dead, you’re not allowed to fail.
Then again… it made sense. The system’s original purpose was to help Mo Xuanli reach Tribulation Stage as a righteous cultivator and avoid full demonic transformation. Of course, being exposed now would ruin everything.
Just as he feared, the plot really had shifted forward. In the original story, the Immortal Convention two years later was interrupted because Mo Xuanli’s identity was revealed and everyone turned on him. But now, not only did they have to keep his identity secret, they also had to win top three in the Convention. Should he be grateful the system didn’t demand first place?
“Master, what’s wrong?” Mo Xuanli’s voice suddenly came from beside him.
Gu Baiqing snapped out of his thoughts, realizing his back was drenched in cold sweat.
What could he say? I’m worrying about the both of us dying horribly, that’s what! Please, for heaven’s sake, don’t slip up!
But the real concern now wasn’t Mo Xuanli losing control, it was whether Taixu Hall had already developed a method to detect demonic roots.
Hopefully not. If it were that easy, this mission would be impossible to clear.
Clinging to that thin thread of hope, Gu Baiqing brought Mo Xuanli with him to Taixu Hall.
Their arrival had already been reported in advance, so attendants came to escort them straight into the main hall.
The moment they stepped inside, the oppressive aura of numerous powerful cultivators bore down on them. This was clearly a gathering of the leaders of every major sect. They must have known Gu Baiqing and Mo Xuanli were coming, and had assembled here intentionally. Several familiar faces were among them.
Gu Baiqing maintained his usual calm, while Mo Xuanli’s expression darkened slightly under the pressure but his movements remained composed, earning surprised looks from many.
Gu Baiqing immediately spotted two familiar figures seated on the right, his sect brothers. Leading Mo Xuanli forward, he approached the Zixiao Sect group. Before he could even speak—
Fu Zhiyi gave a weary smile. “You’ve finally arrived.”
Clearly, he’d been troubled by the mess the two of them had caused lately.
“Second Senior Brother, Fifth Junior Brother,” Gu Baiqing greeted, and Mo Xuanli promptly followed with a respectful bow.
Fu Zhiyi’s first question was, “How are you? I heard you fought with that old monster, were you hurt?”
Gu Baiqing understood what he really meant. “No injuries. Same as always.”
Fu Zhiyi’s eyes dimmed slightly.
Chu Fei, sitting beside him, frowned a little, then turned his sharp gaze on Mo Xuanli. “So you’ve really reached the Nascent Soul stage, huh? Good! Come on then, let’s see how much you’ve improved!”
Fu Zhiyi immediately stopped him with an exasperated look. “Focus on the business at hand.” Then he gestured toward the seat of honor.
There sat a stern-looking middle-aged man, wearing a golden crane crown and brown robes embroidered with the insignia of Taixu Hall.
Gu Baiqing recognized him from memory and nodded in greeting. “Hall Master Zong.”
Zong Lei, the current head of Taixu Hall. Like Gu Baiqing, he was a lightning-element cultivator, though his talent and skill fell far short of Gu Baiqing’s. He had only recently reached the peak of the Immortalization Stage, just one step away from the Tribulation Stage.
Once a rogue cultivator, he had fought valiantly alongside the Celestial Immortal Bai Li during the Great War between the Immortals and Demons, earning widespread fame. When the war ended and Taixu Hall was meant to disband, it was through his efforts that it was preserved and thus, he became its master.
“Elder Luofeng, you’ve finally arrived. We’ve all been waiting,” Zong Lei said with a courteous smile though it never reached his eyes.
The original Gu Baiqing had never liked dealing with men like him. Thus, he kept his expression cool and distant, offering only a nod.
When Zong Lei, still smiling, invited them to sit, Gu Baiqing finally spoke with calm indifference: “Xuanli, pay your respects.”
Gu Baiqing had Mo Xuanli, as the junior, pay his respects to everyone present, carrying out all the proper courtesies.
At that moment, Mo Xuanli looked every bit the bright, well-mannered young cultivator, an exemplary representative of the “Top Ten Outstanding Youths of the Cultivation World.” The originally tense atmosphere naturally eased under his polite demeanor. Some of the elders who valued etiquette were satisfied enough to withdraw their spiritual pressure.
Someone was the first to ask curiously, “Didn’t they say you took a true dragon as your contracted beast? Where is it? Let us all see it.”
Mo Xuanli showed a bashful smile. “The true dragon has a bad temper and doesn’t often stay by my side. I can’t say I’ve really tamed him, he doesn’t listen to me much.”
“What? How’s that possible? If it’s not tamed, how can it be your contracted beast?” someone questioned skeptically.
Mo Xuanli replied, “I suppose he was just curious. He found me pleasing enough to follow on his own. To be honest, he likes going out to play with my master’s contracted beast more than he likes staying with me. And with his strength, if he ever wanted to dissolve the contract unilaterally, there’s nothing I could do to stop him.”
He looked perfectly embarrassed at that, which only made his story sound more believable.
“I said so, didn’t I? Dragons aren’t creatures that can be easily subdued. If you told me Immortal Lord Luofeng had done it, I might believe it. This must just be a stroke of fortune,” someone laughed.
Another person said sympathetically, “Still, if he gets unhappy and breaks the contract, your body will take a severe backlash. You’d better be careful.”
Mo Xuanli thanked them graciously for their concern, looking perfectly composed and at ease.
Gu Baiqing was quietly astonished. They’d discussed beforehand how to explain Ao Hang’s situation so it wouldn’t cause resentment but he hadn’t expected this brat’s acting skills to be this good.
Just then, Zhong Lei spoke up: “I thought it was because Disciple Mo had signed an alliance with the merfolk that the true dragon submitted to him.”
With that single sentence, the real topic was brought to the table. The room fell silent.
Like true dragons, the merfolk were also beings that inspired wariness.
But Mo Xuanli answered without faltering, “Hall Master Zong has it the other way around. It was the merfolk princess who saw the true dragon form a contract with me, combined with our aid in rescuing the merfolk during a crisis, that led her to sign the alliance with us.”
“Then the two of you should explain clearly,” Zhong Lei said calmly. “Of course, our Taixu Hall disciples have already conducted an investigation. So, Disciple Mo, you must speak with complete honesty.”
The implication was clear: if he lied, he would be exposed.
At this, Fu Zhiyi interjected, “Our little Xuanli is the most honest child there is. You can rest easy. Go on, Xuanli, speak boldly. If there’s anything unclear, your master can help explain. But…” Fu Zhiyi swept his gaze over the others, his tone dropping, “since you’re asking him to speak properly, those of you still releasing your spiritual pressure might want to rein it in. What now, you plan to bully our disciple right in front of the Zixiao Sect?”
Then he looked at Gu Baiqing and said, “You’re not going to say anything?”
Though their own sect members knew Gu Baiqing’s powers had been affected, outsiders didn’t. As a tribulation-stage cultivator and one of the top battle forces, if he truly stepped up to defend his disciple, no one would dare to pull any stunts.
Gu Baiqing simply took a calm sip of tea. “It’s fine. It’s rare for seniors to offer such ‘guidance.’ This free pressure training is quite useful. I can’t simulate it alone. Xuanli, you should be grateful for this chance. It’s helping you solidify your cultivation.”
“Yes, Master. Your disciple understands.”
Mo Xuanli’s bright smile was dazzling, as if he didn’t care at all about the lingering spiritual pressure.
A laugh suddenly broke out from the side, it was Baili Jingcheng, representing the Tianyuan Sect.
“You really know how to turn things to your advantage,” he said with a grin. “Every good thing ends up benefitting your disciple. No wonder little Xuanli’s improved so fast, my younger brother can’t even catch up.”
After Jingcheng said that, who could keep pressing the issue? It really did make them seem like fools handing over free benefits.
Jingcheng looked at Mo Xuanli again. “Alright, go on. Don’t be nervous.”
Zixiao Sect naturally stood on their own side, but with Jingcheng’s attitude, it was clear the Tianyuan Sect was inclined to support them as well. Everyone quickly understood how the sides were aligning.
As for Jingcheng’s willingness to help, partly it was for Gu Baiqing’s sake, and partly due to the bond forged when Mo Xuanli and Jingzhan had risked their lives together at Linxun Town.
This situation was already far better than what the original story described.
So Mo Xuanli began to clearly recount what had happened.
