Immortal Clan, Wangyun Mountain.
The vast blue sky stretched endlessly. Above the peaks wreathed in clouds and mist, continuous spiritual energy rippled outward. Flying birds cut across the heavens. The Cloud-Time Mirror standing upon the high peak trembled, this place was a forbidden ground of the Immortal Clan. Yet at this moment, several people with solemn expressions stood at the foot of the mountain.
The white-haired elder stood beneath the Time Mirror, his expression taut.
Someone walked up from behind and said, “Elder Hanyue, how is it?”
The white-haired elder slowly opened his eyes. His gaze fell upon the firmament, and his voice was aged and weathered: “The Time Mirror is shaking. I fear that within the Three Realms, a great event is about to occur.”
The towering Time Mirror stood suspended in the void. Around it were four enormous spirit stones serving as its base, crystalline and translucent, yet its entire body faintly emitted a red glow, dazzling to the eye.
Ling Can said with some astonishment, “For tens of millions of years, the Time Mirror has never issued a prophecy. The last time it was like this was because…”
He could not continue halfway through his sentence.
The white-haired elder’s expression remained very calm. He stroked his beard and said with some emotion, “The last time the Time Mirror opened, it foretold the descent of the Demon God. Since that time, one thousand three hundred million years have passed.”
Ling Can’s eyes widened, faintly carrying fear and trembling: “Then, then this time it’s red light again, doesn’t that mean…”
The surroundings were silent as snow.
A cold wind swept through, bringing with it a deathlike stillness.
The elder gazed at the Time Mirror in the air and finally let out a soft sigh: “In this world, I fear another Demon God is about to descend.”
“What!?” Ling Can raised his voice. “How could there be another Demon God descending? Now, with only half of his demonic power, Ye Jisheng already dominates the Three Realms. If not for the God-Slaying Grand Formation back then, the demon race would have long reigned supreme. And now another Demon God is to appear, if he is as ruthless as Ye Jisheng, wouldn’t the Three Realms fall into chaos?”
The elder stood at the edge of the cloud cliff, looking at the sea of clouds, his voice heavy with age: “The times and fate…”
Ling Can hurriedly said, “Great Elder, can this matter be stopped?”
“The Time Mirror’s prophecy is the Mandate of Heaven.” The elder turned his eyes to him. “If one were to forcibly defy heaven and change fate, have you already forgotten what happened a thousand years ago?”
All of Ling Can’s words choked in his throat.
The events of that year, though long past, were still vivid before his eyes. Each time he recalled them, fear still clung to his back.
Tens of millions of years ago, the God-Slaying Grand Formation of Wanmie Mountain was broken. The Demon God Ye Jisheng ascended the mountain wielding his sword; the entire clan of the Immortal race was awash in blood, nearly exterminated. His plain-colored daoist robe was dyed black. The great fire burned for three days and three nights. Had it not been for the Immortal Venerable sacrificing his soul to the array, together with several great elders joining forces to protect the mountain, the Immortal race would likely have been reduced to ashes. The Spirit Mountain of that year, calling it a human purgatory would not have been an exaggeration.
Even after that battle, in order to extinguish that soul fire, Spirit Mountain was sealed by heavy snow for tens of millions of years, bitterly cold to the bone.
Ling Can’s voice trembled as he said, “But the events of that year, didn’t the Demon God already forget them? That person’s death was not caused by our Immortal race. The Grand Patriarch once said that it was a tribulation Ye Jisheng had to undergo to become a god.”
Hearing this, the white-haired elder’s expression subtly changed. He looked into the distance and finally sighed, “The Mandate of Heaven is hard to fathom.”
Ling Can took a deep breath and could only speculate, “Throughout history, only when a god falls will a new god appear. Could it be that Ye Jisheng is about to die…”
The white-haired elder raised his head and stared at the Time Mirror for a long while before finally saying, “No, there is another way.”
Ling Can’s eyes gradually widened: “You, you mean…”
The white-haired elder nodded lightly. “The son of the Demon God, that would be an innate divine body.”
Ling Can felt a chill run through his entire body, almost unable to imagine it, and blurted out, “If that’s the case, wouldn’t the demon race then have two Demon Gods? If that’s truly so, then this little Demon God shouldn’t have been born yet. Why don’t we strike first?”
One Demon God alone, not yet at the peak of his full strength, was already like this.
If there were to be another little Demon God.
One must know that there is no second God-Slaying Grand Formation in this world.
The white-haired elder cast him a sideways glance, his eyes calm. “Back then, the Immortal race suffered a catastrophic calamity. If now we were to act against Ye Jisheng’s wife and child, given the Demon God’s methods, if he were to find out…”
Ling Can fell silent.
Then, with that one’s cruel and twisted means, I fear the entire Three Realms would be buried with them.
Yao clan, Fuling Mountain.
Inside a high pavilion chamber, the young man seated by the desk wore a look of guilt and innocence. His clear, bright eyes gazed at the person before him as he waited nervously for an answer.
Fu Changhuan’s fingers paused slightly, his expression calm as he said, “That night?”
Jian Zhen nodded and asked, “That night when I took human form, I vaguely remember dual-cultivating with someone. But when I transformed, my consciousness wasn’t clear, and after waking up, because of Wanmie Mountain, I wasn’t at the original location, so…”
Fu Changhuan, being extremely perceptive, said, “So you do not know who the other party was.”
Jian Zhen obediently said, “In my heart, I vaguely know. Actually, I am a twin-born immortal grass. Aside from being with the Immortal clan, the other blade of grass was with the Demon clan. On the night I transformed, I could feel that the other party’s aura was someone familiar to me.”
In fact, whether in his past life or this one, Jian Zhen was already an adult, with a mature mind, a little blade of grass.
Although it was an accident, even though he didn’t remember it, he could still faintly recall that during his transformation he was in alternating agony of heat and cold. It seemed he was the one who took the initiative to draw close to the other party. Therefore, he had not harbored resentment over that matter, treating it as a one-night stand. If one were truly to count it carefully, who took advantage of whom was still uncertain.
He simply hadn’t expected to become pregnant.
Jian Zhen withdrew his wrist and looked at the person seated across from him, so cool and untainted by dust, and softly said, “Then it seems it shouldn’t be the Immortal Venerable.”
Fu Changhuan raised his eyes to look at him, his tone calm as he said, “On the night of Wanmie Mountain’s disturbance, this venerable one was in seclusion. Because of Wanmie Mountain’s influence, the formation of the seclusion was affected. The memories from that period are also unclear.”
Jian Zhen: “……”
The little grass fell silent. The little grass was shocked. The little grass was at a loss.
The person sitting there pondered for a moment, then realized the meaning of those words and lifted his head to look at him in astonishment.
Jian Zhen’s mind went blank in an instant, and he stammered, “Then, so, you… I…”
Fu Changhuan’s finger tapped lightly on the table. He raised his hand to pick up the jade porcelain teapot at the side, poured a cup of hot tea, and set it in front of Jian Zhen. His movements flowed like drifting clouds and running water, elegant and unhurried, as he said in an even tone, “So for now, it is still too early to draw a conclusion.”
Jian Zhen’s hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.
After learning that the child might not be Ye Jisheng’s, an odd feeling flashed through his heart for a moment, yet it was not the sense of relief he had imagined.
Who would understand?
In the beginning, he had only wanted to find a cafeteria to eat a meal, that was all!
Ai, it really couldn’t be figured out.
Jian Zhen nearly couldn’t swallow a mouthful of water. His small face was flushed red from choking as he lifted his head and said, “No, I have to go back. Today is the first day the new disciples are on the mountain. There’s roll call in the evening.”
Fu Changhuan replied calmly, “You have not yet passed the entrance examination, so you do not count as disciples of Fuling Mountain.”
Jian Zhen half-understood: “Oh, right…”
But on second thought, it seemed something was off.
“Then I still have to go back.” Jian Zhen set the cup down and said, “Otherwise, if they can’t find me, they’ll definitely be worried.”
Fu Changhuan raised his hand and effortlessly stopped him. “Since your body is unwell now, you’ll rest in this warm pavilion tonight. As for the new disciples, this venerable will naturally make arrangements.”
Jian Zhen was not a rule-following little grass to begin with, and besides, the warm pavilion was obviously more comfortable, so he obediently nodded and said, “Okay.”
Night fell outside.
The yao clan’s night sky was dotted with countless stars, and soundproof formations had been set up around the warm pavilion.
Having been exhausted all day, Jian Zhen curled up on the soft couch inside and fell asleep before long. His small, curled-up figure was slender. By the candlelight, a blanket appeared out of thin air in Fu Changhuan’s hands and was draped over him.
A clear birdcall sounded outside the window.
Fu Changhuan turned around and saw a spirit bird, pure white all over, standing by the railing. He stepped out.
After sensing the Immortal Venerable’s aura, the spirit bird transformed into a snow-white scroll that fell into his hand. Upon opening it, clear characters could be seen written upon it: 【The Time Mirror opens; the Demon God’s young child appears. We ask the Immortal Venerable to ascertain this matter and eliminate the threat for the Three Realms.】
The night grew still.
The person standing by the corridor eaves had a tall, upright figure. His snow-white robes were stirred by the wind, his bearing dust-free and transcendent. The spirit scroll in his palm turned into smoke in an instant and dispersed, and along with it, it seemed that a soundless sigh also vanished into the air.
The next day.
Jian Zhen got up early in the morning.
He slept in until the sun was high, dreaming that he was eating a chicken leg, but in the dream, the chicken leg kept floating. He wanted to chase it, but the chicken leg flew up. To catch it, he leaped,
“Ow!”
The person fell off the couch, landing flat on his back with limbs splayed.
Wrapped in the brocade quilt, Jian Zhen groggily lifted his head and looked outside.
Fu Changhuan stood not far away, still holding a food box in his hand. He stood by the door, lowering his gaze to look at him. Dressed in white, elegant like an immortal descended from the heavens, while on the ground lay a youth curled into a ball, sleepy-eyed and completely out of the situation.
Jian Zhen crawled out from under the quilt and said, “Did I sleep too long?”
Fu Changhuan, holding the food box, said, “Compared to the time you used to sleep in a pot, it’s not long.”
Jian Zhen: “……”
Was that praise or scolding?
A certain little grass obediently got up, folded the quilt, then put on the outer robe and clothes by himself, and even went to wash up.
Fu Changhuan sat by the table, on it were steaming hot dishes. He said, “Come over and eat.”
Jian Zhen’s eyes lit up slightly as he asked, “It seems different from yesterday’s food.”
Fu Changhuan nodded and said, “You’re not accustomed to the yao clan’s food. This venerable had a young attendant bring over some fresh vegetables and spiritual herbs from Spirit Mountain, made into pastries. These have little meatiness and are suitable for you to eat.”
Jian Zhen took a piece of crystal cake with his hand and bit into it. His fair little face lit up with a satisfied smile as he nodded and said, “Delicious.”
The soft, glutinous crystal cake was tasty without being cloying.
Feeling satisfied after eating, Jian Zhen sighed and said, “Back when I was on the windowsill, I used to look at the pastries on Immortal Venerable’s table. Back then I always thought how happy it would be if I could eat them one day!”
Fu Changhuan chuckled lightly and said, “You, others all like rare treasures, yet you prefer these foods.”
Jian Zhen bit into the pastry, his fair face puffed up, speaking a bit indistinctly: “Heaven big, earth big, belly biggest.”
Warmth filled Fu Changhuan’s eyes. He personally took another piece of pastry and handed it to him, saying, “If you like them, then eat more. After you return to Spirit Mountain, just have the young attendant keep them prepared.”
Jian Zhen took it and bit into it. The fragrance lingered on his lips and teeth, a soft texture with a warm, sunlike aroma. His brows curved slightly as he subconsciously said, “It’s been so long since I last ate this, still so delicious.”
As the words fell, all around fell silent.
After saying it himself, Jian Zhen also froze, blinking in a bit of confusion.
Strange…
He should never have eaten it before, so why say “so long”?
Fu Changhuan sat quietly opposite him, looking at him. Those eyes were deep and tranquil, as if containing ten thousand years of frost and snow. Yet he smiled lightly and said in an even voice, “Have you been thinking about it for too long while in the pot?”
Jian Zhen felt that made sense. He nodded obediently and said, “Yeah, that’s possible.”
This kind of slip of the tongue was soon forgotten by him.
Life in the warm pavilion passed comfortably. On top of having been very tired these past few days, Jian Zhen simply stayed there and rested soundly for two days, until on the third day he received the notice that the Fuling Mountain disciples’ assembly would officially be convened.
After receiving the letter, he was about to return to the disciples’ pavilion.
Fu Changhuan said, “For this session’s disciples’ assembly, you don’t need to go. If you wish to learn skills, you may also study at Spirit Mountain. Several peaks under the Immortal Clan each have different immortal arts that can be learned.”
Spirit Mountain?
Jian Zhen remembered that the Demon Venerable had once told him that among the peak lords of Spirit Mountain, there was a disciple named Ling Can who indulged his sect’s apprentices in practicing forbidden arts, and was not a good person.
Thinking of this.
Jian Zhen hurriedly shook his head and said, “I’m not going to the peak lords’ place!”
Seeing him refuse like this, Fu Changhuan chuckled lightly. “Could it be that you want this venerable to teach you personally?”
In the entire Three Realms, aside from a few direct disciples who received such treatment, ordinary people did not have this honor, especially since the few disciples under Fu Changhuan each possessed ten thousand years of cultivation, with profoundly deep foundations.
Jian Zhen thought seriously for a moment, then lifted his face and said, “No need.”
Fu Changhuan was rather surprised and asked him, “Why?”
No one had ever refused such favorable conditions.
Jian Zhen had already finished dressing. The light-blue disciple robe made him look full of vitality; his fair, tender little face was round and well-behaved. He said, “Because if I became the Immortal Venerable’s disciple, I would definitely be the worst one.”
Fu Changhuan rarely fell silent. If compared with that peak lord, this statement indeed could not be refuted.
Jian Zhen tilted his head and calculated earnestly: “But if I stay here, everyone is just starting out, so I won’t be the worst anymore!”
Sunlight fell upon his shoulders, brilliant and bright, as if there wasn’t the slightest shadow.
Fu Changhuan chuckled lightly. “So be it. Going through some trials is also good. Just be careful in all things, put your body first in everything. The yao clan’s rules are different from the immortal clan’s, don’t act recklessly again.”
Jian Zhen: “……”
Did he really look that reckless?
The thought of rebutting rose up, but when he remembered the matter of the water mirror, he fell silent again.
Anyway, if he said he didn’t do it on purpose, no one would believe him!
Below Fuling Mountain
All the disciples who had passed the water mirror selection had reascended the mountain. Jian Zhen stood at the very back of the line and noticed that quite a few gazes were falling on him. These looks couldn’t quite be called hostile, but they were filled with something unusual.
With people forming pairs and trios, Jian Zhen standing alone became something of an oddity.
Until someone patted his arm.
“Brother Jian, we finally meet!”
Jian Zhen turned around and saw Yu, whom he hadn’t seen for several days. Yu was also wearing disciple robes now, though his face was still smudged with grime, but his overall bearing had become much more upright.
Jian Zhen said, “Yu, you seem much taller than me.”
Yu smiled, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, “After all, I have to disguise myself a bit now, I can’t expose my identity.”
Jian Zhen nodded and said, “Got it.”
Yu blinked. “What did you get?”
He thought Jian Zhen would at least be curious about whom he was avoiding, whether his status in the demon clan was high, and whether it would benefit him.
But, “I’ll help you keep it secret.” Jian Zhen said gently yet sincerely. “I won’t let anyone know.”
Yu was silent for a moment, then smiled. He said, “Thank you, Brother Jian.”
Jian Zhen said, “No need to thank me. You’re my good friend.”
The two spoke softly.
Up ahead, the grand ceremony was about to begin. The yao clan’s Fuling Mountain held a master-disciple ceremony once every hundred years; this was the most important day for the entire yao clan. On this day, the yao clan would invite leaders of all races from the Three Realms to attend and observe the ceremony.
Yu leaned close to Jian Zhen’s ear and said, “I wonder if the Demon Venerable will come this time.”
Upon hearing the words “Demon Venerable,” a certain grass stiffened all over.
Jian Zhen looked at Yu in shock. “Ye… the Demon Venerable will come too?”
“Why do you look so surprised?” Yu smiled. “Such a grand ceremony of the yao clan, naturally the kings of the two clans will come to observe. Look, didn’t the Immortal Venerable come as well?”
Jian Zhen pondered and asked, “Then why hasn’t the Demon Venerable come?”
In fact, he had never been separated from Ye Jisheng for this long.
Having grown accustomed to seeing him frequently, it wasn’t so easy to adapt.
Yu said, “The Demon Venerable has never liked such occasions. He usually doesn’t come. I think this year will be the same.”
Jian Zhen nodded.
Just as the two finished speaking, from the VIP seating of the grand ceremony ahead came the sect master’s delighted voice: “We did not know the Demon Venerable would grace us with his presence, this truly brings great honor to Fuling Mountain!”
Everyone raised their heads and looked up toward the mountain.
On the ceremonial platform at the highest peak, beneath the blazing sun at Fuling Cliff, a tall figure appeared. Clad in black robes with inky hair lightly lifting in the air, his mount, the Fire Phoenix, spread its wings in the sky as he appeared at the yao clan’s grand ceremony. A hundred yaos bowed their heads. No words were needed, standing there, it was as if he stood in the Hall of the Ten Kings of H*ll. An invisible aura mixed with danger and nobility made one instinctively fearful.
Ye Jisheng lazily lifted his gaze, sweeping his eyes over the platform below. “The matter of Fuling Mountain’s water mirror is known throughout the Three Realms. Today is also the yao clan’s grand ceremony, how could this venerable one not come?”
As he spoke, for some reason, Jian Zhen below the platform instantly broke out in a layer of cold sweat down his back.
Yu whispered beside him, “Is that really the Demon Venerable? I heard that the Demon Venerable truly hasn’t come to a yao clan ceremony for tens of millions of years.”
Jian Zhen: “……”
More real than real.
This familiar sense of oppression, he would stake his grass life on it!
The yao clan’s sect master smiled as he arranged seating on the ceremonial platform. For the new disciples’ ceremony to have both the immortal and demon clan leaders presiding, no matter what, spreading word of it would greatly benefit the yao clan.
Ye Jisheng stepped forward and met eyes with Fu Changhuan, who was seated on the platform not far away.
Under the blue sky and bright day, the aura around the two of them was extremely cold.
Those seated were all great demons of the demon clan with top-tier cultivation, yet they still felt a chilling pressure, becoming restless and ill at ease.
Fu Changhuan set down the teacup in his hand and said, “The Demon Venerable coming here is truly surprising.”
Ye Jisheng looked at him with a calm gaze. Those crimson eyes were dark, like dangerously beautiful mandala flowers, making it impossible to look directly at them. His tone was light and indifferent: “If Immortal Lord Wangyou can come, why can’t this venerable?”
Fu Changhuan replied unhurriedly, “This venerable cares for the outstanding juniors of the Three Realms, so it is only right to be here.”
Ye Jisheng took a seat on the chair on the other side. His dark robes swept through the air, leaving a shadowed arc. A faint smile curved on his handsome face, yet it did not reach his eyes and carried a chill, forever making it impossible to discern his emotions. “Oh?”
Across the entire ceremonial platform, when these two spoke, no one dared to utter a word.
Ye Jisheng lounged lazily against the chair back and said lightly, “Then this venerable will also show some concern for the juniors.”
Everyone: “……”
The first time in tens of millions of years.
This concern, isn’t it a little late.
But no one dared to dismantle the stage of this revered deity when the Demon Venerable spoke.
At the very least, the yao clan sect master did not dare. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, smiled, and said, “Then let us begin.”
The plaza was filled with newly initiated demon clan disciples. With a single order from the sect master, the enormous formation activated. A massive glow slowly lit up from beneath everyone’s feet, and all the disciples looked somewhat at a loss as they watched their bodies float up into the air.
Almost instantly.
The entire plaza was left empty.
At the same time, all examinees heard a voice coming from the void: “Each year, in order to ensure fairness, the content of Fuling Mountain’s examinations differs. This time, all disciples will enter an illusion realm. Only by passing the tests set by the elders and senior brothers and obtaining wooden tokens will one be considered to have passed. Those who obtain three wooden tokens may directly advance to the next round of selection.”
As the illusion realm opened, a gigantic water image appeared above the ceremonial platform, allowing everyone to clearly see what was happening within the illusion.
The sect master turned and smiled at the two people of the highest authority, saying, “Let us see whether this cohort of disciples has any outstanding ones. After all, the Mist Forest has always been the illusion realm with the highest elimination rate.”
The other elders also chimed in:
“Yes, yes.”
“I hear there are a few rather excellent ones this time.”
“Disciples from the four great yao clan royal families?”
“The Sikong family is not bad either…”
Several people discussed animatedly, yet only the two with the highest status seated at the very top said nothing. Both stared thoughtfully at the water mirror, as if waiting for something.
Seeing this, the elders could not help but feel uncertain in their hearts.
Could it be…
That among this year’s disciples, there was someone extraordinarily talented, a figure they did not know about?
Yao Clan Illusion Realm.
Jian Zhen fell from midair onto the grass, hurting enough that he could not help but cry out softly, “Ouch.”
Surrounding him was a forest thick with dense fog. He landed on a grassy clearing within the forest, the air heavy with moisture, so damp it seemed as though it could condense into dew with a single reach. From time to time, indistinct animal sounds echoed from the depths of the forest, sounding extremely frightening.
At the same time.
The water mirror’s split screens filled the sky above the ceremonial platform, simultaneously projecting the real-time images of several contestants. Most people had already grown tense and were each displaying their abilities, trying to break through the illusionary formation.
Only… Jian Zhen’s water mirror showed a scene of tranquil harmony. He walked through the forest, the narrow paths within filled with arcane formations and illusions. Ordinary people would likely lose themselves the moment they stepped inside.
One elder sighed somewhat regretfully. “This one is probably not getting out.”
The others nodded as well.
Just as they felt it was boring and were about to shift their gazes to other contestants,
Jian Zhen crouched down in front of a small flower. Within an illusion realm, the greatest taboo was contact with any of the plants or trees inside the formation, as it could lead one deeper into the array. Yet his expression was gentle and friendly as he seriously tilted his head and listened for a while.
The little flower on the ground gently swayed, pointing in a direction with its leaves.
A smile appeared on Jian Zhen’s face. “So I should go forward, then turn, is that it? Got it. Thank you, kind and beautiful little flower.”
The little flower proudly put its hands on its hips, its petals fully spreading.
Jian Zhen listened for a bit longer and said, “Mm… there’s a trap under the stone on the left, is that right? I’ll remember it.”
Only then did the little flower nod in satisfaction.
Jian Zhen left cheerfully. While others faced dangers at every step in the forest, he moved along unimpeded. Whenever he lost his sense of direction, he would stop and chat casually with the plants by the roadside, able to talk a few words with anyone.
The elders outside the water mirror: “……”
A silence like heavy air seemed to envelop everyone.
One chubby elder who did not know the truth slapped the table and said angrily, “Outrageous! This brat is clearly using crooked methods!”
As his words fell, the chubby elder felt two icy gazes land on him, so cold that his hair stood on end.
Upon hearing this, the sect master was alarmed. Others might not know, but he knew about Jian Zhen resting in the Warm Pavilion. Having been in the yao clan for so many years, if he still could not read the situation, he would have lived in vain, this one was clearly the Immortal Venerable’s little lover!
Seeing that one of his elders was actually so lacking in discernment,
The sect master immediately smiled and tried to smooth things over. “Well, you can’t say it like that. I think this little friend’s ability is quite unique, sharing a certain similarity with the immortal clan’s perception of heaven and earth.”
He thought that would ensure everything was foolproof.
Who knew,
As his words fell, a cold laugh sounded, neither light nor heavy, yet making everyone feel immense pressure.
The sect master felt greatly alarmed, raised his head, and met Ye Jisheng’s gaze. The man in black robes seated at the top had a smile that did not reach his eyes as he said calmly, “It is a yao clan plant, naturally nurtured by nature. What does it have to do with the immortal clan?”
When his words fell, the sect master’s cold sweat practically poured down.
In his heart, he could only cry out in misery.
He merely wanted to curry favor with the Immortal Venerable’s little lover, how had he ended up offending the Demon Venerable?
Fu Changhuan lifted the teacup on the table. His cool, aloof face showed no extra expression as he said, “What the Demon Venerable says is correct. But even if it has nothing to do with the immortal clan, it likewise has nothing to do with the demon clan.”
“And so what?” Ye Jisheng looked at him lazily, forthright yet possessing the capital to be arrogant. He said lightly, “This Venerable is the Demon Venerable of the demon clan. As long as I say he is related, then he is related.”
Fu Changhuan raised his eyes, his gaze clear. “Does the Demon Venerable not find this too domineering?”
Ye Jisheng curled his lips into a smile. “This Venerable indeed cannot learn that set of hypocritical politeness of the immortal clan.”
Fu Changhuan suddenly set down his teacup. His sharp, cold eyes fixed on Ye Jisheng, a dangerous aura spreading through the surroundings. Even the images in the water mirror were affected by the disturbance. Two men of top-tier strength facing off like this was enough to easily destroy this place.
The sect master was inwardly crying in misery, just about to step in to dissuade them,
When a delighted voice suddenly came from within the water mirror: “Really?”
A single sentence drew the attention of the two men who were like fire and water toward it.
In the water mirror, Jian Zhen stood in the illusionary forest before the elder guarding the formation, a smile on his face. His fair little face was dyed with a clear, bright smile. “Did I pass?”
The elder said, both amused and helpless, “Yes, little brother. You stayed in my formation asking for directions everywhere, how could my array still trap you? If you stayed any longer, this old face of mine would have nowhere to go!”
Jian Zhen smiled embarrassedly. He took the token and bowed, saying, “Thank you, Grandpa. Then I’ll go on to the next stage!”
The elder froze for a moment.
It was the first time anyone had ever called him that.
Jian Zhen picked up the token and headed to the next assessment. The demon clan’s three-gate grand examination required obtaining three tokens. The next assessment he entered was the senior brother’s Thousand-Person Formation. The so-called Thousand-Gate Formation was named thus because the senior brother guarding the formation possessed the ability of a thousand transformations, able to simultaneously turn into hundreds of identical phantoms. The requirement to break the formation was for the disciple to find the true body within the time it took an incense stick to burn.
Watching the smug man in the formation split into hundreds of clones,
Jian Zhen walked straight up to one of them, pointed, and said, “You’re the real one.”
The man was startled and subconsciously said, “I’m not.”
Jian Zhen, however, nodded seriously and said, “You are.”
The man asked curiously, “How do you know?”
Jian Zhen said, “The scent on you is lighter than the other clones. I can smell it.”
As his words fell, silence spread all around.
The man was silent for a moment before saying, “You’re serious?”
Jian Zhen nodded obediently. “Mm.”
The senior brother’s face instantly fell. All the phantoms vanished, and he said, “Should I take a bath next time before coming?”
Jian Zhen thought for a moment and said, “Then I could still smell it.”
Senior brother: “…… Who taught you this method?”
Jian Zhen was silent for a moment before saying, “I’m a little grass. I’m very sensitive to scents.”
The senior brother handed him the wooden token, raised his hands, and said, “You’re impressive. I concede.”
Jian Zhen took it and smiled. His fair little face looked very satisfied. The reflection of leaves fell upon him, and he was dazzling like a vigorous new sprout. “Thank you.”
The senior brother was momentarily dazed, then said helplessly, “Go on quickly. Hold onto your tokens well, don’t let anyone snatch them.”
Jian Zhen nodded obediently.
Very soon, following the small path, he arrived at the next checkpoint. This one was a formation set up by a senior sister. The requirement was to walk out of a maze within the time of an incense stick. Within the maze were illusions large and small that would confuse the mind. Basically, anyone who entered the maze would see countless illusions that made them stop and unwilling to move forward.
Just as everyone was curious how Jian Zhen would break the formation,
The person standing at the center of the formation, tore off a strip of cloth from his robe, then blindfolded himself and blocked his ears, walking forward.
The rest of the way, whenever he fell, he climbed back up and continued on, firmly walking in one direction. Seeing no illusions and hearing no sounds, he walked out of the maze in less than the time of an incense stick.
For a moment, all the elders watching the competition fell silent.
The senior sister guarding the formation said, both amused and helpless, “You little rascal, I really yield to you. How did you think of such a method?”
Jian Zhen stood obediently in place and said, “Because every time I want to walk, things appear in front of my eyes to block me.”
The senior sister said, “Then you…”
“I thought it would be better if I couldn’t see.” Jian Zhen lifted the cloth strip in his hand and said, “So I used this to cover my eyes, and sure enough it became much quieter.”
This was something he had learned from the Demon God.
If it feels noisy, then make the surroundings not noisy.
Learning by example and applying it flexibly, he really was a clever little grass!
“You’re really amazing.” The senior sister couldn’t help rubbing Jian Zhen’s head. “Take your token properly. You’ve advanced!”
Jian Zhen took the token, a radiant smile blooming on his face. He bowed and said, “Thank you.”
At this point in the competition, fewer than a hundred people had emerged from the illusion realm. Among those who could come out, the earlier they did so, the greater their strength. Many of those ahead were either extraordinarily talented or from affluent families with heavenly materials and earthly treasures to assist them. Everyone had their own abilities, and they were all waiting to see what background the others of the same cohort had.
Then they saw another plainly robed disciple being released from the air.
Jian Zhen held two tokens in his hands, looking around somewhat puzzled. He let out a sigh of relief and said, “So I’m out already.”
Under the sunlight, the youth standing at the center of the ceremonial platform seemed detached from worldly strife.
Someone kindly came over to ask, “Little friend, may I ask which sect you apprenticed under in your youth, and where your family resides?”
Jian Zhen froze for a moment, then said softly, “I never apprenticed under anyone. I’m a plant that gained sentience. I have no parents.”
The others asked again, “Then what are your abilities? What weapons or secret techniques do you have?”
Jian Zhen hesitated for a moment and answered honestly, “Al-also none.”
A deathly silence spread around.
Finally, someone unwilling to give up asked, “Th-then do you perhaps have some magical treasure?”
Jian Zhen repeated, “Magical treasure?”
Everyone’s hearts were lifted. Being able to come out so quickly, with neither background nor secret techniques, he must have an incredibly powerful magical treasure!
Who would have thought,
Jian Zhen smiled lightly and said, “No.”
Everyone fell silent.
There was a feeling like punching cotton, utterly powerless, yet it was hard to say anything, since Jian Zhen really did not look like he was lying at all.
And with the water mirror’s verification, there was nothing more they could say, so they could only disperse in all directions.
A disciple came over and said, “Those who have obtained three clearance tokens, please follow me to rest. All other eliminated disciples, please leave on your own.”
Jian Zhen was about to follow as well.
Before leaving, he glanced toward the highest ceremonial platform. His gaze, across the distance, could make out Ye Jisheng’s blurred figure, but the other party was not looking at him.
Maybe…
He probably didn’t recognize me.
Jian Zhen lowered his gaze as he thought. That made sense too, he looked different from before now, and he hadn’t eaten the Demon God’s heart’s blood either. It was normal that he wouldn’t recognize him.
The little grass let out a soft sigh.
Life is not easy, little grass sighs.
A disciple reminded them, “Those who have obtained three tokens, please follow us.”
Only then did Jian Zhen step forward to follow. Along the way, leaving the main hall, the disciple walking at the front said, “Everyone may rest at this pavilion. There are quite a few disciples participating today. You may rest or look around the back mountain on your own, but please do not go too far.”
Everyone thanked him.
There were many people in the pavilion. Just standing there, one would be pestered with questions about one’s background and whether one had spiritual treasures.
Jian Zhen was not used to such an atmosphere, so he left the pavilion and followed a small path to look around at the surrounding scenery. At first, there were still many people around, but as he walked, there was no one beside him anymore.
Flowers bloomed wildly across the mountain, the wind blowing through them without a sound.
Jian Zhen stopped in his tracks, an inexplicable sense of foreboding arising in his heart. A little grass’s perception of danger had always been extremely accurate. Just as he was about to step away to flee,
“Where are you planning to run off to again?”
A somewhat chilly voice sounded from behind.
Jian Zhen’s whole body stiffened. His breathing almost stopped in an instant, and he stood there timidly, not daring to move.
Ye Jisheng’s brocade-clad boots stepped on the stone slabs, producing an unhurried rhythm. Yet each sound was like stepping on one’s heart, making it tense along with it.
Jian Zhen gently turned his head and met Ye Jisheng’s handsome yet dangerous face. The corners of his lips were hooked in a faint smile, but that smile did not reach his eyes. He was clearly smiling, yet with a century of the little grass’s experience in reading expressions, he instantly understood, he was angry!!
Ye Jisheng raised his brows and said leisurely, “Not running anymore?”
Jian Zhen didn’t even have time to think about why he was here, and answered honestly and obediently, “I, I didn’t run.”
That being said, he still subconsciously took a step back.
But the moment his foot moved back, a wall of soul fire and air suddenly rose from the blank stone slabs behind him. There was no temperature and no scorching sensation, yet it still frightened the little grass into standing obediently in place, no longer daring to make any small movements.
Ye Jisheng stood lazily in front of him and chuckled lightly. “You really made this lord look hard for you.”
Jian Zhen’s fair little face puffed up, and he retorted weakly, “I, I didn’t run for very long.”
Ye Jisheng raised an eyebrow and reached out to pinch his round cheeks, smiling without warmth. “What, you wanted to run for a long time?”
Jian Zhen let out a soft cry. It didn’t actually hurt, but he had been raised delicately. He originally wanted to throw a tantrum at him like before, but thinking that he was still a bit guilty, he said, “But you still found me.”
Ye Jisheng said, “If this lord hadn’t come, were you planning not to go back?”
Jian Zhen raised his head. His pitch-black eyes were filled with grievance, and his fair little face was written all over with righteous confidence. “But I don’t even know the way back!”
The air fell into a stretch of silence.
Ye Jisheng narrowed his eyes. “After staying with this lord for so long, you didn’t learn any other skills, but your tongue has gotten quite sharp.”
Jian Zhen was instantly cowed by that glance. He muttered softly, “That’s because you raised me.”
Ye Jisheng withdrew his hand. The surrounding soul fire also disappeared completely. He said flatly, “Come back with me.”
Jian Zhen blurted out, “No.”
Ye Jisheng turned to look at him. Clearly he didn’t speak; it was merely a faint glance, yet the temperature of the surrounding air seemed to drop sharply. He did not release any pressure, but Jian Zhen still felt a chilling cold seep in. He spoke lightly, “Reason.”
Jian Zhen said softly, “My assessment isn’t over yet, and…”
There was another reason he didn’t dare to say.
But what he didn’t expect was,
Ye Jisheng let out a cold laugh and said lightly, “And you haven’t said goodbye to Fu Changhuan yet?”
Jian Zhen looked up at him in shock!
Oh my god!
How did he know? He hadn’t said anything yet!!
Ye Jisheng seemed to see through his thoughts at a glance. “During the trial competition, he kept watching your water mirror. During the disciple platform segment, his gaze also kept falling on you. Unless this lord were blind, there’s no way I couldn’t see his private feelings toward you.”
Jian Zhen said in a fluster, “…That’s not private feelings!”
Ye Jisheng said nothing.
Yet the more silent he was, the more panicked Jian Zhen became. Just like the legends said, Ye Jisheng’s temperament was unpredictable and dangerous. When he was inscrutable, no one could guess his thoughts. His silence was frightening.
Jian Zhen said, “Because I’m actually a twin-born immortal grass. Over these hundred years, the Immortal Venerable has also taken care of me. He’s a very good person and takes good care of me, so that’s why he watches me. It’s not what you’re thinking.”
After saying this, the little grass was very satisfied. Mm, he was great, he explained it all clearly in one go!
Little flowers bloomed in Jian Zhen’s heart. Feeling a bit proud, he lifted his head, only to meet Ye Jisheng’s scarlet red eyes. The aura around the man did not relax because of this. On the contrary, the surrounding air seemed to turn scorching hot in an instant. Invisible soul fire flickered in and out with its master’s mood.
A cold laugh fell.
“So…” Ye Jisheng raised his brows. On his handsome face, the corners of his lips curved into a smile, but that smile did not reach his eyes and carried danger. “During this period, the reason you didn’t go back was because you wanted to be with him?”
Jian Zhen: “…?”
Oh my god, his grass life was about to end!
How did this get darker the more he tried to explain!!
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