Chapter 39: The Sage Inquires
Meng Xueli had yet to reach the grand plaza in front of the main hall when he heard the clamor of voices.
A colossal figure came into view—a towering three-story cloudship over seven zhang high, its hull painted in shades of gray-blue and adorned with sword motifs. Around a thousand people had gathered near the cloudship. From the mountain path, Meng Xueli looked down at the scene and saw the dense crowd, resembling a swarm of ants circling a massive griddle cake.
The sun had yet to rise, and the cold wind was biting, yet the disciples preparing to board were brimming with excitement, entirely oblivious to the chill. Their fellow sect members and friends had come to see them off, standing close by, their expressions a mix of admiration and wistfulness—envious of those who had the opportunity to go while lamenting their own inability to join.
“Senior Brother, you’re sure to make it into the top thirty in this competition.”
“Top thirty? I’m aiming for the top twenty. Just wait for my good news.”
“If you run into those people from Mingyue Lake, make sure to teach them a lesson for me.”
“No problem! I also heard that the secret realm is full of rare spirit herbs. I’ll pick some and weave you grasshoppers when I get back.”
The lively chatter filled the plaza—there was no trace of sorrow or melancholy in this farewell.
At the bow of the ship, Ziyan Peak Master stood with her purple robes billowing in the wind. She smiled warmly and said, “The time has come. We should set off.”
Behind her, her personal disciple called out loudly, “Board the ship—!”
Just then, Meng Xueli, holding a hand warmer, approached the ship. The crowd instinctively made way for him, greeting him with respectful bows.
In just a few short days, news of his breakthrough into the Condensed Spirit Realm had spread throughout Han Shan. Yet, people regarded him with complicated expressions, unable to shake the suspicion that he had taken some kind of alchemical pill to achieve it.
“Elder Meng.” “Good morning, Elder Meng.”
Meng Xueli was now at the early stage of the Condensed Spirit Realm. Among the 150 disciples chosen for this journey, most were at the late stage of the Condensed Spirit Realm or the early Barrier-Breaking Realm.
Only a sect as deep-rooted as Han Shan Sword Sect could afford to send such a large number of young prodigies.
For ordinary cultivators, it often took until their sixties or seventies to even touch the threshold of the Barrier-Breaking Realm. Even if they managed to force their way through, they would never be able to advance further. Most would remain stuck in that realm for the rest of their lives, slowly exhausting their lifespan.
Meng Xueli stepped onto the cloudship, climbing the stairs. The master of Ziyan Peak welcomed him and led him toward the top floor of the ship. “Sit down and have something to eat. We’ll be there soon.”
Meng Xueli nodded in thanks and took a seat on a cushioned chair by the railing, looking down below. The disciples gathered their energy and leaped onto the deck with ease, waving their swords vigorously toward their fellow disciples who were staying behind. Faintly, he could still hear the exchanges of farewell shouts between those on the ship and those below.
The attendants began dispersing the crowd in the square. The massive cloudship’s launch created strong air currents, requiring an open space.
Suddenly, Ziyan Peak Master asked, “Do you want to play cards? The journey can get boring.”
“Huh?” Meng Xueli was caught off guard. “I don’t know how to play…” He didn’t know how to play any kind of card game.
Before he could say more, a violent jolt shook the ship, and he instinctively gripped the railing beside him.
Ziyan Peak Master chuckled. “That’s understandable. It’s your first time on a ship—you must find it exciting. Just watch the drifting clouds.”
With that, she called over three of her personal female disciples, and the four of them headed toward the cabin. “No money on the line today—just a few rounds with my disciples.”
For the first time, Meng Xueli began to question the gentle and affectionate image he had of her.
As the turbulence settled, the cloudship ascended higher. The golden rooftops of the grand hall and the square below quickly shrank in the distance. The snow-covered mountain range stretched endlessly, its eastern peaks bathed in the soft golden glow of the rising sun, while the western slopes still slumbered in darkness.
Amidst the black and white landscape, Meng Xueli caught a fleeting glimpse of a patch of emerald green—his Changchun Peak.
Before long, everything was swallowed by a vast expanse of mist and clouds. Protected by formations, the cloudship seemed to exist in its own world, unaffected by the howling winds outside.
Meng Xueli sighed inwardly. At least this was more stable than riding a peacock. That bird always loved to show off when carrying him, spreading its six-zhang-wide wings, soaring unpredictably, making sharp stops and sudden turns—enough to make any demon dizzy and nauseous.
The wisdom of human cultivators in crafting such inventions, he mused as he cracked open sunflower seeds.
—
After Meng Xueli left, the sect leader summoned two disciples from Changchun Peak.
“What are your plans for cultivation over the next three months? Any difficulties in your sword training recently?”
His main question was directed at Xiao Tingyun, while Yu Qishu was more of an afterthought.
Ordinarily, unless they were elders of the same clan, cultivators wouldn’t offer unsolicited guidance to another’s disciples in front of others. If he showed too much concern for Xiao Tingyun’s progress, it would imply that Meng Xueli had been negligent in his teaching.
But now that Meng Xueli had left on a long journey and his master was absent, it was only natural for the sect leader to guide a particularly talented junior.
Yu Qishu glanced at his senior brother.
Ji Xiao replied, “No difficulties. We plan to return to our peak for three months of secluded cultivation to explore the threshold of the Condensed Spirit Realm.”
The sect leader was surprised. “You mustn’t rush. Haste leads to failure—steady progress is best.”
Yu Qishu was even more surprised. Since when had he planned to explore the threshold of the Condensed Spirit Realm?
Ji Xiao remained calm. “No rush.”
The sect leader hesitated. “Have you been to the Sword Training Platform? Your senior brothers often spar there. Why not test yourself in ten matches before entering seclusion?” His request was reasonable. The most talented of the younger generation had already gone to the Hanhai Secret Realm, leaving behind mostly Qi Refining disciples or those in the Condensed Spirit Realm who considered themselves lacking in combat strength.
Ji Xiao said simply, “Easy.”
To Yu Qishu, both Meng Xueli and Xiao Tingyun were unfathomable monsters. Without hesitation, he echoed, “Easy, easy.”
Ji Xiao: “My junior brother will go in my place—he’ll fight twenty matches.”
Yu Qishu froze.
Ji Xiao transmitted a message to him: “This will help build your confidence.” Facing only me in practice and getting beaten every time can be discouraging.
Gritting his teeth, Yu Qishu said, “Yes, I was trained by my senior brother. He’s far stronger than me. If I can win, then he’ll have no problem at all.”
But… can I?
After the two of them bowed and left, the sect leader sighed softly. Chongbi Peak Master reassured him, “You should relax. When we recruited disciples in the grand hall, everyone spoke about their struggles with obstacles—except him. He said, ‘I have encountered no obstacles.’ In my opinion, talents like that must rely on self-study. Whether a master teaches them or not, it makes no difference.” Just like Ji Xiao and Hu Si in the past.
The sect leader thought for a moment and nodded. “That makes sense.” Even if he had to teach Ji Xiao swordsmanship, even at Ji Xiao’s earliest stage, he wouldn’t dare to.
—
The massive ship sailed through the sea of clouds.
Though Meng Xueli didn’t know how to play cards, he found himself seated at a table with three disciples, forming a four-player game.
The sect leader had specifically arranged for them to travel together—Zhang Suyuan, Li Wei, and He Ming from Chongbi Peak. Coincidentally, Meng Xueli had only recently learned that these were the very three who had escorted his eldest disciple from a remote mountain village to Han Shan.
The sect leader was firm in his decision: the secret realm was not like the Sword Training Platform, where battles were one-on-one. The environment was unpredictable, and forming a team was safer.
Meng Xueli actually preferred fighting alone. With no one else to rely on, he fought with greater ferocity. Besides, in the wild, what was dangerous to others was natural terrain for him.
Secret realm expeditions had a long history. Not only did fellow disciples form teams, but allied sects—such as Mingyue Lake and Wuyin Temple—sometimes created mixed groups, pairing sword cultivators for combat and talisman cultivators for formation setups. Generally, teams didn’t exceed six members.
This wasn’t a strict rule but hard-earned wisdom from past generations.
Larger teams inevitably led to more disputes. The competition was point-based, ranking individuals by their scores. How would the spoils be divided? How would each person’s contribution to the team be measured? The real problem wasn’t lack of rewards—it was unfair distribution. Young and hot-blooded, no one was willing to yield.
A leader’s prestige alone wasn’t enough; teammates had to know and trust each other.
No one could predict how people would act under extreme conditions.
There had been cases where close friends turned against each other after a secret realm expedition. There had also been sworn enemies forced to survive together, forming unbreakable bonds. As the saying went, “A great disaster turns foes into friends, and death brings lovers together.” Anything was possible.
Zhang Suyuan asked, “Elder Meng, have you studied the terrain map?” The secret realm was vast, and the map had been pieced together from memory by past cultivators.
Meng Xueli nodded.
Li Wei said, “Alright then. We’ll follow Elder Meng. Wherever you lead, we’ll go.”
“Don’t worry, Elder Meng, we—” He Ming began but was abruptly cut off by sharp glances from his companions. Realizing his slip, he lowered his head in regret. After all, as juniors, they had to respect the elder’s dignity.
Meng Xueli responded, “I’m not worried.” Once we land, you’ll see what I can do.
At some point, the light around them began to dim. The white mist had vanished without a trace. Outside the cloudship, thick, murky yellow dust filled the air.
Ziyan Peak Master had just drawn a good hand in her game but had to set it down. She stepped out with her three personal disciples. “We’re almost there.”
The cloudship hovered in the hazy duststorm. The once lively discussions on deck quieted as the disciples curiously observed their surroundings.
Meng Xueli asked, “Aren’t we landing?”
The cloudship hovered in the dim, dust-filled air as the disciples on deck, who had been chatting and laughing, quieted down, curiously observing their surroundings.
In the Three Realms, the airspace was not entirely safe.
Some regions were riddled with thunderstorms, like the skies above the Sword Tomb. Others were plagued by dust storms, such as the skies over the Hanhai Desert.
Despite its name, Hanhai was not an ocean but an endless expanse of barren desert.
As the saying went, “Without the courage of a true hero, one does not step onto the Hanhai Gobi.” Few mortals or low-level cultivators dared to venture into this wasteland.
Deep within Hanhai lay the hidden entrance to a secret realm.
Meng Xueli asked, “Aren’t we landing?”
Ziyan Peak Master explained, “We have to wait. According to the rules, we can only descend once everyone has arrived and the jade tokens have been verified. It won’t be long now—everyone’s eager to get down.”
Cultivators had sharp eyesight. Meng Xueli peered through the yellow haze and saw a pale blue cloudship hovering about twenty zhang ahead, its mast bearing a pine-green sail.
Following his gaze, Ziyan Peak Master said, “That’s from Songfeng Valley. Behind our ship, Nanling Temple and Beiming Mountain have also arrived.”
From a higher vantage point, one would see countless flying vessels of various shapes and sizes converging from different directions, hovering over the vast desert of Hanhai.
The six great sects traveled in massive cloudships, while mid-sized noble families arrived in ornate carriages. Occasionally, a lone flying boat streaked past—likely from an unknown minor sect.
There had always been someone watching over such gatherings. In the past, that person was Ji Xiao, standing above the clouds.
On the deck of Han Shan’s cloudship, the disciples suddenly noticed the light dimming further overhead. Looking up, they saw a crimson shadow rapidly approaching—like a cloud of red mist.
The massive cloudship of Han Shan was soon entirely engulfed by the deep red shadow, blocking out the sky.
Ziyan Peak Master’s expression grew solemn. She stepped to the bow, looking toward the red cloud and calling out in a clear voice, “It is an honor to receive the presence of the Realm Master. Forgive us for not offering a proper welcome.”
The arrival was so unexpected—it was none other than the Master of Tianhu Lake.
Gasps of shock spread through the crowd, and everyone quickly rose to offer their greetings. The sword cultivators of Han Shan were proud, and even in the presence of a sage, they only performed a half-bow.
Hu Si paid them no mind. Even after ascending to sainthood, he remained unchanged.
The Master of Tianhu Lake rose to his feet. With the assistance of two of his consorts, he donned an outer robe, then pushed open the window. Casting a casual glance at the sky below, he took in the densely packed flying vessels and asked offhandedly:
“Is my younger sister-in-law here?”
The words of a saint descended from the heavens like rolling thunder, echoing for a long time.
And so, amidst the stunned silence of the entire airspace, with all sects and factions holding their breath, only his voice rang out:
“Is—my—young—er—sis—ter—in—law—here?”
“Here—?”
Meng Xueli was utterly speechless.
Author’s Note:
Are you here? I want to see the Spirit ferret?
Meng Xueli: ……
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
