飘零影音

Chapter 104 - Arc 8: Wuling Immortal Sect | Chapter 104: Worshipping A Master

Translator: Lynn

Sponsored chapter (4/4)

Both of them nodded slightly at Xu Ziqing in unison, saying, “Xu Ziqing.” Strangely, although they spoke together, only one voice was heard.

Xu Ziqing looked to the left and then to the right, calling out, “Yun, Brother Yun…”

The two white-clothed figures, one more tangible than the other, responded.

A strange expression appeared on Xu Ziqing’s face. Two “Brother Yuns” felt incredibly peculiar.

As he grappled with the situation, Xu Ziqing saw the white phantom turn around and take a few steps forward. For an instant, the white shadow merged with the figure of the plain-clothed man, creating a double image, which quickly dissipated, leaving only the man in white standing there.

At that moment, his aura became fiercely intense, as if countless razor-sharp swords surrounded him within the room.

However, the surge of energy soon settled, but the imposing sword pressure emanating from him persisted.

Could this be… fusion?

Xu Ziqing was more perplexed than ever, unable to comprehend the reason behind this.

The man in white spoke, “The one you met is my celestial soul.”

Startled, Xu Ziqing asked, “Celestial soul?”

Humans possess three souls: the celestial soul, earthly soul, and human soul. The celestial soul governs consciousness, the earthly soul oversees good, evil, and shame, and the human soul governs life.

Until the Golden Core stage, cultivators still possess all three souls and seven spirits. Their bodies may be Taoist, but they have yet to refine their essence, so when they die, they still undergo the cycle of reincarnation. However, when their cultivation reaches the peak of the late Golden Core Transformation Stage, they can condense the three souls and seven spirits, with the celestial soul as the core, fully integrating all souls into one, and refining a trace of primordial spirit. From that point on, they truly transcended the mortal realm.

Knowing that Yun Lie’s celestial soul had left his body meant his main body hadn’t yet refined his soul, and no matter how formidable his swordsmanship was, he remained a mortal. Nonetheless, he could withstand the sword intent with his mortal body, indicating his indomitable will, which was rare to find. Furthermore, he could use his sword intent to transcend his cultivation level, displaying unparalleled and tyrannical power.

Xu Ziqing felt more at ease as he realized this, but a lingering unease remained. While the celestial soul within the precept was Yun Lie’s consciousness and was no different from his main body, the returning soul was no longer physically frail, and the coercion emanating from him was getting stronger. This newfound force and reality were somewhat unsettling.

Yun Lie continued, “Thirteen years ago, my celestial soul left my body to find an opportunity for enlightenment.”

Although Xu Ziqing had a partial understanding, he wasn’t entirely clear. “So, when I met Brother Yun, you were already in the process of enlightenment. Over the five… eight years of our friendship, Brother Yun has been of great help to me. However, I’ve been quite dull and must have caused you a lot of trouble. I wonder if Brother Yun successfully found the opportunity for enlightenment?”

Yun Lie replied with gratitude, “With your help, I indeed found it.”

Relieved, Xu Ziqing responded, “That’s good.” But then he felt puzzled, “However, I was just a burden to Brother Yun. I don’t know how I could have possibly helped.”

Yun Lie pondered for a moment and then said, “It’s hard to say.”

Xu Ziqing sighed, “Well if I indeed assisted Brother Yun, I’m thankful.”

While they talked, Master Qiu He didn’t interrupt, merely smiling and observing. When the conversation reached this point, he interjected, “Yun’er may not be eloquent, but if Ziqing wants to know more, I can explain.”

Remembering that he was in the presence of an elder, Xu Ziqing felt embarrassed and said, “The younger generation’s mind wandered momentarily, leading to rudeness. Please don’t blame me, master.”

The Master, Qiu He, smiled, “How could I blame a young man for being eager? Since Yun Lie recommended you, there must be something special about you. Would you like to become my disciple?”

Startled, Xu Ziqing replied, “As Brother Yun’s fellow disciple, I am naturally willing. It’s just that, Shifu1Means Master…”

Is he testing me? Although Xu Ziqing was delighted that Yun Lie valued him, he didn’t want to damage Yun Lie’s reputation. However, the master deeply trusted Yun Lie, so if he spoke out against it, it might seem as if he was rejecting the master’s judgment, which would be embarrassing.

Master Qiu He smiled even more kindly. “Your question shows that you have a kind heart. I observed you while you were talking with Yun’er, and I could see that your spiritual energy is abundant and pure, indicating diligent cultivation and good aptitude. With Yun’er’s praise, you must be a hardworking person, not one to shy away from the effort. Given this, why shouldn’t I accept you?”

Upon hearing the true master’s words, Xu Ziqing felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders. Ever since he laid eyes on this real person, he could sense the genuine kindness in his eyes, and his intuition, honed by wood-element spiritual roots, told him that this true master had a good temperament and was an excellent elder. Naturally, Xu Ziqing had grown fond of him.

Listening to the gentle voice, Xu Ziqing gently placed Zhonghua beside him, kneeling down three times and kowtowing nine times, performing the formal ceremony of worshipping his master. “Disciple Xu Ziqing, I have seen Shifu.”

Qiu He responded thrice, “Good, good, good!” He then sat up straight and spoke solemnly, “From today onwards, Xu Ziqing is the second disciple of my Xiaozhu Peak Qiu He, and the 380th Immortal Sect of Wuling’s twelve generations of inner disciples.”

Xu Ziqing bowed his head and replied, “Yes.”

Qiu He motioned for him to sit comfortably after the formalities were complete and said sincerely, “Apart from you, I don’t have any other direct disciples besides a personal disciple, Yun’er, whom you should address as ‘ Da shixiong2Eldest senior brother‘. There are also eight named disciples, all women, and they will be your junior sisters. Members of the same sect should cherish each other, remember this.”

Xu Ziqing replied solemnly, “Disciple will remember.” He then looked at Yun Lie and saluted, “I have seen Yun… Yun Shixiong.”

Yes, they now belonged to the same sect, so he couldn’t call him “Brother Yun” anymore, but instead, he would address him as “Yun Shixiong”. With this thought, a smile graced his lips. Even though the name had changed, having a senior brother felt more intimate than having ordinary friends, and he would also have a master and junior sisters… In the future, there would be “brothers,” “fathers,” and “sisters.”

Although he didn’t address Yun Lie as “Da shixiong,” Yun Lie understood Xu Ziqing’s intentions and didn’t mind. He simply nodded and said, “Shidi.”

Xu Ziqing smiled slightly, “I will ask Yun Shixiong to guide me in the future.”

Yun Lie responded with a simple, “Alright.”

After these exchanges, the atmosphere between the two became as familiar as before.

At this moment, Master Qiu He smiled and said, “Yun’er’s celestial spirit has just re-entered his body and needs to focus on cultivation. Ziqing, stay here and get to know your junior sisters.” Yun Lie didn’t say much and left.

Xu Ziqing watched Yun Lie walk away, then turned to face Master Qiu He with smiling eyes and also smiled, “Master, do you have something to discuss with your disciple?”

Master Qiu He shook his head and said, “I’m not questioning you, but I have something to tell you.”

Xu Ziqing’s curiosity was piqued, “Is it about Senior Brother Yun?”

With a smile, Qiu He nodded, “You are quite sharp, Ziqing.”

Realizing the situation, Xu Ziqing immediately understood, “I ask Shifu to clarify my doubts.”

A smile played across Qiu He’s eyes, but then he sighed slightly, “To understand Yun’er’s situation, we must go back to when he first arrived…” A few decades ago, Qiu He had just advanced to the Golden Core stage and became the peak master of Xiaozhu Peak. He was also rewarded with a third-grade spiritual vein by the sect.

Qiu He’s aptitude was only slightly above average. The lifespan of a Golden Core Transformation Stage cultivator was five hundred years, but he managed to form his core in the first four hundred years, extending his lifespan to eight hundred. However, it was unlikely for him to advance to the Nascent Soul stage. Seeking a breakthrough, he traveled through the mountains and discovered Yun Lie, still an infant at that time, on the edge of a cliff.

Yun Lie had two spiritual roots: gold and earth. His aptitude was exceptional. Feeling lonely, Qiu He took Yun Lie as his first disciple. In truth, though Yun Lie was called his disciple, Qiu He treated him like his own child and took excellent care of him.

Sadly, when Yun Lie was two years old, Qiu He was afflicted with a heart demon, necessitating his retreat and self-restraint. He entrusted Yun Lie to the care of a maidservant. After ten years in seclusion, Qiu He emerged to find Yun Lie grown into a young man with an icy temperament, wholly devoted to honing his sword skills for the past nine years.

Qiu He’s cultivation technique was focused on earth-based cultivation. Originally, he intended to find a suitable earth and metal cultivation method for Yun Lie, but upon his return, Yun Lie was determined to pursue the path of swordsmanship.

Because Qiu He only cared for Yun Lie for a short period, their relationship remained unfamiliar. Qiu He wanted to bridge the gap and make amends, but Yun Lie held him in high respect without much intimacy.

After Yun Lie began his cultivation journey, Qiu He, being a non-sword cultivator, refrained from intervening. Yun Lie diligently honed his sword skills, learning techniques from various sword families, and tirelessly practiced. He displayed remarkable comprehension in the way of swordsmanship, and after a decade of relentless training, he had already surpassed many masters. At the young age of thirteen, he formally condensed his Qi, and with the help of a third-order spiritual vein, he successfully established his foundation in a mere five years using the Heavenly Gold method. Later, Yun Lie made up his mind to practice “The Way of the Ruthless Killing Sword.”

Despite acknowledging Yun Lie’s natural talent as a swordsman, Qiu He was unwilling to let him take such a risk. He feared that practicing The Way of the Ruthless Killing Sword would make Yun Lie colder and harsher.

However, Yun Lie remained resolute in his decision. His cultivation grew rapidly as he immersed himself in “The Way of the Ruthless Killing Sword”, but he was still unsatisfied. After spending twelve years in the sword cave, he had reached a stage where Qiu He could no longer offer any help, leaving him to care for Yun Lie secretly and worry silently.

Subsequently, Yun Lie made the decision to leave the mountain. Over the course of ten years away, he became renowned for slaying demons and monsters. When he returned, he was covered in blood, exuding an astonishing murderous aura, akin to a peerless evil spirit that sent shivers down people’s spines.

Yun Lie had mastered the essence of The Way of the Ruthless Killing Sword and achieved the ruthless killing sword intent.

No one else had attained such swift progress in this style of swordsmanship before. Qiu He knew that this was an innate talent for Yun Lie, making it impossible for him to prevent it.

Over the next ten years, Yun Lie ventured repeatedly into the wild beast plain, leaving behind a trail of endless slaughter. His sword intent matured, and his cultivation reached the middle stage of the Golden Core Transformation Stage. After another decade of seclusion in the sword cave, he emerged as a peak Golden Core Transformation Stage cultivator.

Yun Lie’s comprehension of ruthless killing swordsmanship reached its pinnacle. With his current strength, he had no trouble defeating Golden Core cultivators in the early and even middle stages. As a result, he earned the title of the number one cultivator below the Golden Core stage. Despite many challengers trying to provoke him, they all met their demise under his sword.

Now, Yun Lie appeared ruthless, heartless, fearless, and unyielding. He worshipped his sword as a god, embracing thoughts of killing. His sword intent and murderous aura overwhelmed everyone around him, leaving no one daring enough to approach.

However, it was precisely because of this transformation that Qiu He became extremely concerned.

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