Chapter 24 Five Champions Meet for the First Time
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Pei Jing looked puzzled and asked, “Chu Junyu is also inside?”
He looked down and questioned the crocodile lying by his feet, “How did you let this person in?”
The crocodile blinked its eyes in confusion, gazed at the person in the mystical water mirror, then glanced up at Pei Jing with a perplexed expression.
Pei Jing shook his head and said, “You’re really useless. I’ll end up roasting and eating you eventually.”
Chu Junyu must have accidentally stumbled in. The Chamber of Inner Demons wasn’t too dangerous, so Pei Jing’s primary concern was what kind of monster entered the Futu Hall. The mystical water mirror reflected the corridor, palace rooms, entrance, and different directions, without revealing any abnormalities. However, the cold and eerie atmosphere at the entrance couldn’t be ignored.
Carefully examining each panel of the water mirror, Pei Jing finally noticed something wrong in a small adjacent room. It happened to be a study, where the desk was in disarray, completely messed up. In the center, there lay a thin piece of paper with red ink seeping into it, creating a disturbing and bloody image.
It was a poem.
I was not born to compete for power,
Nor do I have the desire to build a magnificent golden terrace at the city gate.
The top scholar and all the officials were treated like dogs,
Always trembling under the executioner’s blade.
In just four lines, the words projected a bold and righteous poem, but due to the twisted strokes, it carried a hint of eeriness.
Pei Jing: Quite cultured, I must say.
Leaving the crocodile in the main hall, he walked alone towards the direction of the study. The study was also calm and quiet, with only the sound of his robe brushing against the floor. It was a simple room, with a desk and a bookshelf against the wall, neatly filled with books. Standing before the desk, he lowered his head and looked at the piece of paper. “Where are you trying to escape to now?”
He suddenly turned around, running his fingers from left to right, swiftly scanning the books on the shelf until he stopped at a particular one.
A faint cold smile curved his lips.
Retrieving the book, a pair of blood-red eyes appeared in the gap.
Drawing his sword, all in an instant.
“Uwuuu—”, the creature in the wall let out a mournful cry, quickly transforming into a wisp of green smoke, fleeing towards the door.
Pei Jing followed closely behind.
Following the aura, he crossed the corridor and arrived in front of the Chamber of Inner Demons. Pei Jing’s footsteps abruptly halted as an invisible sword aura seemed to hover above, blocking his entry. Pei Jing frowned, “Is our ancestor hinting at something with this?”
When he was a child, he had been to the Chamber of Inner Demons before without any harm. Why is his ancestor now trying to prevent him?
Could it be that the true form of that creature was inside the Chamber of Inner Demons?
This creature’s aura was very similar to the Thousand-Faced Woman. If they originated from the same place, he wouldn’t stand a chance against it.
However…
Pei Jing’s eyes grew colder with each passing moment.
Chu Junyu was also inside.
Pei Jing didn’t hesitate for long. He spoke to the deep purple sword aura above, “I appreciate the ancestor’s warning, but I still have to go inside. There is a child in there, and if I don’t save him, it will undoubtedly result in his death. I’ve been thinking, even if you try to stop me, it’s highly likely that I won’t be able to defeat that creature.” Pei Jing raised his sword with a smile, “At that time, I will trouble the ancestor for your assistance. After all, I am the sole inheritor of Yunxiao.”
“……” The ancestor really didn’t want to interfere with him.
In the vast realm of Changtian, Pei Jing wasn’t too afraid since he had the protection of Yunxiao Daoren. He truly had a strong backing.
The Chamber of Inner Demons wasn’t just a single room. It was a long and silent corridor. Upon entering, there was a fine red thread underfoot, and the first sound heard was the ringing of a bell. Just one sound, crisp and distant.
Inside, it was pitch-black. Pei Jing reached out and felt walls on both sides. There was a thin layer of water beneath his feet, and the coldness seeped in from below.
It felt exactly the same as when he was a child.
Murmuring in the darkness, he wondered, “What’s waiting for me this time?” He had no idea what others experienced when they walked this path, but what he saw here was his own past.
As a child, he had glimpsed memories of the modern world.
That version of himself who didn’t retreat to his room when encountering supernatural phenomena, but instead eagerly held a cup of coffee by the window to watch it all.
The version who styled his hair in front of the mirror and was then struck by lightning, traversing time.
Recalling the final second, where he raised a toast and acted cool in front of his reflection in the mirror, Pei Jing couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on.
How could he be so foolish as to end up like that? Being handsome wasn’t something that happened overnight. Why did he insist on using the window as a mirror that day? He deserved to be struck by lightning.
The water beneath his feet flowed slowly, resembling a tranquil abyss.
Only this lifetime, glimpsing fleeting moments.
The ringing of the bell finally ceased.
Specks of faint blue light emerged in the darkness, resembling stars.
The walls on both sides condensed and converged, ultimately forming a vast expanse of glistening snowscape.
In the midst of the deep winter snow, with the mountains and rivers covered in white, the Pei family gave birth to a rare genius that the cultivation world hadn’t seen in a hundred years. At the banquet, Yunxiao’s Sect Master, the foremost leader of the immortal sects, personally attended to accept disciples, bestowing the honored title upon him, causing a commotion among the guests.
From the moment of his birth, he enjoyed unparalleled glory and gained instant fame.
In the following years, he delved into enlightenment, practiced swordsmanship, vanquished demons, and eradicated evil. The journey was arduous and lengthy. However, it can be said that his true legend in the cultivation world began after leaving the Institute of Celestial Ascension.
Inside the Institute of Celestial Ascension, the impressions he left on the contemporary powerhouses were likely nothing but shadows and troubles.
It was the beginning of the first month, a time when warmth and cold still intermingled. He was forcibly sent by his Master to Jingtian Mountain, to study within the Institute of Celestial Ascension. The stone steps were covered in snow, making the road slippery and difficult to walk on, and he wasn’t allowed to fly on his sword. He walked alongside Chen Xu, feeling bored and idle, so he playfully used his sword to pick at the leaves of nearby flowers.
Chen Xu, on the other hand, was full of excitement, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm as he translated his excitement into words. He said, “Just now, on the way here, I casually glanced around, and there were renowned figures everywhere. The Venerable Master from the Buddhist Sect, the Phoenix Emperor of the Demon Clan, the Young Master from the Ghost Realm. I have heard their names for a long time, and now I finally get to see them in person.” Chen Xu glanced back and then turned his face back with a sigh of amazement. “And there are several female cultivators from Yingzhou, they are truly stunning.”
Pei Jing rolled his eyes and retorted, “Are you here to embarrass yourself?”
Chen Xu was puzzled and asked, “What do you mean?”
Pei Jing coldly snorted, “You act like someone who has never seen the world, let alone being from the same sect as me.”
Chen Xu glanced back once again and said, “Don’t you think they’re beautiful?”
Pei Jing turned his head and saw not far from them a group of elegant female cultivators in smoke-blue long skirts, laughing and chatting as they gracefully stepped through the snow. However, what caught Pei Jing’s attention was the silent and seemingly difficult-to-get-along-with chubby girl among them. It was true that being overweight wasn’t a desirable trait, but other than that, she didn’t possess any distinctive features.
Pei Jing turned back and said, “They may be beautiful, but it’s of no use. Believe it or not, while you’re praising them behind their backs, they’re also praising me behind mine.”
Chen Xu rolled his eyes and asked, “Praising you for what?”
Pei Jing: “Unmatched handsomeness and an imposing aura.”
Chen Xu: “Can you stop spouting nonsense all the time? When we’re not at Yunxiao, you can act shamelessly, but I still have some dignity.”
Pei Jing: “I don’t mind you embarrassing yourself as a country bumpkin, but you complain when I speak the truth. I truly am the dream man of countless female cultivators in the cultivation world. If you don’t believe me, just watch.”
He looked up and glanced around, watching a small red bird flying across the sky. With a thought in his mind, he plucked a leaf from a nearby branch and shot it horizontally between his fingers. The leaf’s edge was as sharp as a knife, cleanly shaving off a small patch of the bird’s red feathers. Startled, the timid bird instantly fluffed up its feathers, then came to a halt mid-air before dropping down with a soft thud.
Pei Jing bent down and picked up the small red bird, examining it closely. He realized that its feathers were quite beautiful—bright red with a faint golden hue along the edges. He waited for a while until the group of female cultivators from Yingzhou approached.
Chen Xu observed, curious about what trick Pei Jing was about to play.
Holding the small red bird by its feet, Pei Jing flung it backwards.
The bird’s feathers ruffled, and it let out a tearful chirp in mid-air.
A kind-hearted female cultivator from Yingzhou was taken aback and reached out her fair and delicate hand, catching the small red bird. After hesitating for a moment, she called out to Pei Jing, “Fellow cultivator.”
Chen Xu facepalmed.
Pei Jing halted in the wind and snow, sword in hand, then turned around to see the blue-robed woman holding the red bird in her palm. He paused for a moment and asked, “Is there something you need?”
A hint of astonishment flashed across the face of the blue-robed woman, followed by a shy lowering of her head. “Is this bird your pet?”
Pei Jing lowered his gaze and watched as she took the small red bird into her fingertips, a slight smile playing on his lips. “Not exactly a pet, just a small creature I caught. If you like it, I can give it to you. If you don’t, then consider it today’s meal.”
The blue-robed woman frowned. “If you don’t like it, you can release it. Why treat it as a meal? It’s so small that it may not fill one’s stomach, and besides, we have already achieved fasting cultivation.”
Pei Jing chuckled. “Alright, if you don’t like it, then release it. After all, using it as a meal was meant to celebrate today’s luck. If it makes the person who brought me luck unhappy, it wouldn’t be meaningful anymore.”
The blue-robed woman was taken aback. After realizing his meaning, she felt that the bird in her hand was a bit too hot to handle, blushing as she lowered her head.
The women from Yingzhou were often carefree and open-minded. A female cultivator next to her teased, “Are you saying that to plot against my sister A’Yuan?”
Pei Jing shook his head with a smile. “No.”
The women from Yingzhou burst into laughter. At this moment, someone coldly remarked, “By doing this, have you sought the bird’s owner’s opinion?”
The one speaking was the chubby little girl who initially caught Pei Jing’s attention. Upon closer inspection, her features were quite delicate. Surrounded by a group of people as if she were the moon among stars, Pei Jing could easily deduce her identity. She was Yu Qinglian, the daughter of the Lord of Yingzhou Island.
He took the trembling little chubby bird back from the female cultivator’s hand and asked, “So, what do you suggest we do?”
In reality, Pei Jing only wanted to show off his skills in charming girls to Chen Xu. He intended to play the part, achieve his goal, and then stop. If things went too far and someone actually developed feelings for him, his Master would surely punish him severely.
Yu Qinglian pointed behind him and said, “Its owner has arrived. You should explain to him.”
The small red bird in Pei Jing’s hand suddenly emitted a series of sounds that expressed both grievance and complaint. With a burst of energy, it wriggled free from his grasp and flew backward. When Pei Jing turned around, he saw three people standing behind him.
In the center stood a young man wearing a long red robe, with black hair cascading down to his ankles. His eyes were a deep golden color, currently ablaze with anger. He had a fierce expression, as if he wanted to devour Pei Jing.
Beside him were two other young men. One appeared scholarly, with a gloomy complexion, and wore a smirk of schadenfreude on his face. The other had a white veil covering his eyes and a look of sorrow.
The small red bird cried and returned to its owner’s shoulder, extending its wings and pointing at Pei Jing, chirping incessantly as if accusing him in anger and annoyance.
Pei Jing: Chen Xu is truly amazing. He mentioned these three people, and here they are.
Ji Wuduan spoke in a consistently sinister tone, his voice carrying a sense of malice. “Such a big appetite, to roast the divine beast of the Phoenix Clan. Fellow cultivator, you have quite the appetite.”
So, the chubby and seemingly useless red bird turned out to be a divine beast of the Phoenix Clan? The Phoenix Clan was doomed.
Pei Jing humbly admitted his mistake and clasped his fists, “I apologize for the offense. I am Chen Xu, a disciple of Yunxiao. Chen, as in old, and Xu, as in weak.”
Chen Xu was so infuriated that he felt like spitting blood. “….Pei Yuzhi!”
The first encounter of the Five Champions of the World, and here he was, using the divine beast of the Phoenix Clan to awkwardly charm girls. It truly was… an unlucky twist of fate.
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