Chapter 42: A Lively Scene
From high above, the vast desert stretched endlessly, with the flying artifacts of various sects scattered across it like stars in the sky. Under the dimming twilight, their glows shimmered in different hues. Disciples from all factions advanced toward the depths of Hanhai from different directions.
Even at this moment, the distribution of power among the cultivation world could already be observed. If two sects were on friendly terms, their groups traveled closer together, and the elders leading them would occasionally interact. If there was hostility between them, they would maintain a distance of dozens of miles, avoiding each other entirely. Around the six major sects, smaller sects and noble cultivation families gathered, flocking to them like stars surrounding the moon.
In the past, the area around Han Shan Sword Sect had always been the most lively. This time, however, Mingyue Lake had an even greater presence, standing as an equal rival to Han Shan.
The same was true in the skies. Where Ji Xiao had once stood above on the clouds, now the Master of Tianhu Lake and the Sage of Mingyue Lake hovered in their cloudships, neither choosing to descend. The two massive ships faced each other from afar, forming an equilibrium, a silent stability.
At first glance, it seemed that even after Ji Xiao’s death, the rules of this world remained unchanged.
Hu Si’s two beloved concubines escorted Meng Xueli down the Rainbow Bridge. Qiuguang teased, “What did the Realm Master say to make the little child upset?”
“Child? Don’t be fooled by his appearance,” Hu Si chuckled. “He carries a rare weapon gifted by Ji Xiao, which can be used as a flying artifact, yet he claims he cannot wield a sword. That’s why I bloomed a lotus for him and built a Rainbow Bridge. You should be jealous of him and call him cunning.”
The two women knew the Realm Master was joking. Chunshui softly replied, “I wouldn’t dare.”
Hu Si thought to himself—demons were the best at deception. The more patience Meng Xueli showed, the greater his ambitions must be.
Qiuguang asked, “Are we staying here until the Hanhai Competition ends? Won’t we return to Tianhu Lake during this time?”
Hu Si said leisurely, “With you both by my side, Hanhai feels just like Tianhu.”
The two women giggled at his words, but they knew this affection was as fleeting as morning dew or a night-blooming flower. They could only hope it would last a little longer before it faded.
The Master of Tianhu Lake had always been this way—completely irresponsible in matters of the heart.
People used to say, *‘If anyone could truly ascend, it would be Ji Xiao.’* Now, the same words were used to describe Hu Si. Although Hu Si’s cultivation encompassed an extensive range—alchemy, artifact refinement, divination, and energy observation—he lacked the sheer combat prowess of a sword cultivator. However, the Saint of Mingyue Lake was growing old, and when it came to talent and comprehension, he could not compare to the Master of Tianhu Lake.
In the past, people believed that if Ji Xiao ascended, he might take his Dao companion, Meng Xueli, with him. But no one thought Hu Si would bring anyone along.
Even the Realm Master’s concubines and lovers harbored no illusions and never questioned him about his future plans.
Many years ago, when the master of both Hu Si and Ji Xiao was approaching the end of his lifespan, he called his two disciples forward for a final conversation, his heart at peace.
“I have no regrets in this life. I leave behind no divine weapons or sect legacies, only a few words of advice.” He turned to Hu Si and said:
“You have an incredible ability—you live as you please, unafraid of the world’s judgment. I am proud that you possess this gift. But sometimes, thinking a little more for others can bring even greater happiness to yourself.”
Hu Si replied, “Your disciple is student, I don’t understand.”
To him, living should be about pleasure. What was the point otherwise? He did whatever he wished, disregarding others’ opinions, and that was what made him happy.
His master sighed, then turned to Ji Xiao:
“You have extraordinary talent and unwavering determination. There has never been anything you could not achieve. Your path ahead is long, and I only hope that you will not be alone. But this is something that cannot be attained through effort alone, nor do you seem inclined to pursue it. So, I leave it to fate. May the heavens grant you their favor.”
Ji Xiao responded, “I do not understand.” Loneliness had always been the norm in cultivation.
His master sighed once more.
Even after the two of them became Saints, nearing the pinnacle of their Dao, Hu Si remained self-indulgent, and Ji Xiao remained alone.
However, after Ji Xiao’s reincarnation, he had finally fulfilled his master’s wish—not only was he no longer lonely, but his life had even become somewhat lively.
After bidding farewell to the Sect Master, he and Yu Qishu returned to Changchun Peak. As soon as they arrived, Yu Qishu collapsed in distress.
“You want to enter seclusion? I fully support it—one hundred times, ten thousand times over! But you’re making *me* fight on the Sword Training Platform? Twenty matches? I can’t even last three moves against you! Those senior brothers in the arena have been cultivating longer than I have—how am I supposed to win?”
Ji Xiao: “You’ve worked hard and improved greatly.”
He was speaking the truth, but Yu Qishu took it as mere consolation. “…I don’t feel it. No resonance at all.”
Ji Xiao chuckled. “Even if you don’t believe in yourself, you should believe in me.”
Yu Qishu reluctantly agreed. “Fine. But when will you come out of seclusion?”
“Three months.”
“Just in time for Brother Meng’s return to the peak. I’ll take good care of the carp, the little rats, and the peach blossoms.”
Yu Qishu thought to himself—seemed like he would have to cultivate alone for a while.
He then asked, “Be honest with me. This time in seclusion, how confident are you in breaking through to the Condensed Spirit Realm?”
Ji Xiao replied, “One hundred percent.”
Yu Qishu: “…”
Yu Qishu: “Good thing you entered the peak earlier than me. Otherwise, I would’ve ended up as Changchun Peak’s senior disciple, only to find myself weaker than my junior brother. That would’ve driven me to despair!”
Ji Xiao frowned slightly. “Why?”
Yu Qishu was speechless once again.
After spending time together, he had come to understand that Xiao Tingyun was a genius in cultivation but somewhat slow when it came to subtle human emotions. So he tried to explain:
“Think about it—it’s natural for a senior disciple to be stronger than a junior. But if the senior is weaker and needs the junior’s protection and guidance, wouldn’t that be embarrassing? Even if others don’t laugh, the emotions involved—pride in the junior, disappointment in oneself, and perhaps a hint of jealousy—must be quite complicated.”
Ji Xiao pondered for a moment. “I don’t understand.”
Yu Qishu sighed. “Forget it, why are you even thinking about this? Right now, you’re the senior, and I’m the junior! Tomorrow, I’m going to challenge the arena at the Sword Training Platform. How many fights do you think I should take on the first day?”
Ji Xiao replied, “Why not finish them all this afternoon?”
Yu Qishu’s frustrated shout echoed through the mountains, startling fish into leaping from the water and rats into scurrying away. Changchun Peak was suddenly filled with noise and activity.
—
The Hanhai Secret Realm was a world unto itself. Everything that happened inside was completely imperceptible to outside divine senses.
After the disciples departed, the elders leading the expedition had little to do. Those with solitary temperaments shut themselves away to cultivate, while the more sociable ones gathered to drink tea and discuss the Dao.
Some of the female cultivators had a different pastime—they gathered to play cards. On the deck of Han Shan, five or six card tables were set up, and the crisp sound of shuffling filled the air.
Xia Shan and Songfeng Valley had a high number of female cultivators. In their youth, many had admired Ji Xiao and often found excuses to visit Han Shan, the most common being playing cards with the Ziyan Peak Master—just for a ‘chance encounter’ with Ji Xiao.
Unfortunately, Ji Xiao was completely oblivious to such matters, utterly indifferent to romance. Over time, these cultivators gave up on him—and instead, genuinely became addicted to playing cards.
As they put it: love is exhausting, throwing flirtatious glances at a blind man is pointless, so why not just play cards?
Once, the Chongbi Peak Master visited the Ziyan Peak Master and overheard the shuffling of cards inside. Feeling mischievous, he shouted from outside the window, “The Sword Sovereign is here!” Yet, inside the room, none of the women even flinched. They remained utterly focused on their hands, drawing cards with unwavering concentration. Chongbi Peak Master clicked his tongue in amazement.
A ‘card companion’ bond was sometimes even stronger than a ‘Dao companion’ bond—precisely because it wasn’t about emotions, only about winning and losing. If someone had ulterior motives and deliberately fed cards to help another win, it would ruin the fun. That kind of person couldn’t be considered a real card companion.
Even female cultivators who had bonded with elders of other sects through dual cultivation still came to Han Shan to play cards.
While shuffling, they chatted idly, speaking freely at the table. Conversations were often forgotten the moment they moved to another game.
“You’re really lucky today! Did you buy some of Changchun Peak’s peach blossoms?”
“What peach blossoms?”
“You don’t know? Meng Xueli’s lucky peach blossoms! Every ‘Hengtong Juyuan’ shop has them.”
Fairy Lu Yao scoffed, “That kind of vulgar thing? I wouldn’t even look at it. Unlike Bai Fu, who even wears one as a hairpin.”
Fairy Bai Fu sneered. “This peach blossom hairpin was a gift from someone else. But you—weren’t you always using Songfeng Valley’s special pine incense? How come today you smell like peach blossom fragrance? Is it the new product from ‘Hengtong Juyuan’?”
Ziyan Peak Master spoke up, “I, Yuan Ziye, stand by my words. If I say I didn’t buy it, then I didn’t buy it! My disciple was just being filial and gifted me a potted peach blossom tree.”
Fairy Lu Yao sighed, “It’s all Meng Xueli’s fault. Instead of properly cultivating at Changchun Peak, he’s out here selling all kinds of nonsense, bringing chaos to the cultivation world. Luck is dictated by the heavens. We cultivators should simply accumulate good karma…”
Fairy Wo Zhi interrupted, “Alright, alright, since we all have them, let’s not mock each other.”
Ziyan Peak Master nodded, “Exactly. Ever since the Sword Sovereign left, life hasn’t been easy for him. So what if he sells a few things?”
Someone curiously asked, “Then what about ‘Weary of Rain’ and ‘Tired of Wind’? Have you heard of them? Is Meng Xueli planning to sell those too?”
“That’s a matter between Dao companions—how would I know? He’d never sell them, give up on that thought. He and Ji Xiao have a special bond.”
Just as Meng Xueli had anticipated, not long after he entered the secret realm, word about ‘Weary of Rain’ and ‘Tired of Wind’ had spread across the world.
Some speculated that they were a pair of swords containing the true essence and legacy of Ji Xiao’s swordsmanship. Others believed they were storage rings, housing an immense, independent space filled with countless heavenly treasures.
Since they were Ji Xiao’s final gift to his Dao companion, they had to be rare treasures beyond imagination.
Meng Xueli moved swiftly across the golden sand, covering great distances in mere steps. The Hanhai Desert stretched endlessly, and aside from the three disciples accompanying him, there were no other figures in sight.
The sky arched like a vast dome, its light gradually dimming as stars began to emerge. On the horizon, a lush oasis appeared—the entrance to the secret realm.
Legend had it that the secret realm was a drifting fragment of space. Ji Xiao, using the divine power of a saint, retrieved this fragment from beyond the boundaries of the world and placed it within the Hanhai Desert.
Deep beneath the desert, a mythical mirage beast stood guard.
Following Ji Xiao’s instructions, the beast exhaled once every twenty years, creating a mirage to reveal the location of the secret realm. Anyone entering without a passage token would be detected by the beast and blown three hundred miles away, straight out of the desert.
As they approached the shimmering oasis, the scenery abruptly shifted—darkness turned to daylight, golden sand transformed into verdant grasslands.
Meng Xueli and his group halted, surveying their surroundings. The floating space of the secret realm was ever-changing; teams entered at different times and places, arriving in entirely separate locations.
Zhang Suyuan carefully studied the map. “This should be Biyun Valley. We’re lucky—it’s in the northwest corner of the realm, with complex terrain. According to past experiences, there won’t be too many people here in the first two days. Elder Meng, should we search for any spiritual herbs nearby?”
Spiritual herbs were categorized by type and age, with the rarest ones worth ten points each. But in this secret realm, no treasure was more valuable than a passage token, which was worth a thousand points. Losing the token meant forfeiting the trial, forcing one to leave via a teleportation array.
If two teams crossed paths, it often led to a fierce battle. Without the rule prohibiting harm to those who had forfeited, the casualty rate for these trials would likely double.
At the beginning of the competition, teams usually kept a low profile, as was the standard strategy.
Meng Xueli summoned ‘Hundred Generations of Time,’ its spear tip striking the ground.
“Gathering herbs is too slow. Let’s save time and head east.”
Seeing the three others looking confused, he explained, “To Central City. It’ll be livelier there…”
Before he could finish, a sudden burst of sharp whistling sounds shot through the tall grass around them.
It seemed there was no need to go east—things were already lively here.
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
