Chapter 407
The Sect Leader descended upon Dan Peak with a group of Dao Sword Sect disciples. Looking at Dan Peak, which now showed signs of revival, he couldn't help but recall its heyday many years ago, as well as its completely dilapidated state in recent years. His feelings were quite complex.
He glanced at the master and disciple pair cuddling unprofessionally under the phoenix tree, and his feelings remained... complex.
For several hundred years, Dan Peak had been declining. Despite his many attempts, he couldn't save it, hindered by the fact that alchemy was only a side business for the Dao Sword Sect, unable to compete with Zhican Valley, which made a living from alchemy. He had no choice but to give up.
Dan Peak had been passed down through single disciples for generations, and Wang Yuanyi had even died early. He had truly given up on Dan Peak. He genuinely thought Qin Ran would be the Dao Sword Sect's last alchemist, especially since Qin Ran had shown no outstanding qualities in his twenty years at the sect.
He had sent Li Shiyin to Dan Peak as a casual move. If Qin Ran had the ability to train Li Shiyin, that would be good no matter what; if Qin Ran couldn't train her, having a young man and woman alone on a peak, he could at least trick her into becoming his wife - that would be his final act of kindness for Dan Peak; if Qin Ran couldn't even manage that... well, she was just an older disciple with a Golden Spirit Root.
Geniuses were rare, but not non-existent. Geniuses who failed to develop were nothing.
But he never expected this casual move to be a turning point, bringing life from death and fortune from misfortune. Dan Peak changed because of it, and the Dao Sword Sect was reborn.
He also knew that the change in Dan Peak wasn't due to Qin Ran, but to Li Shiyin. Yet it wasn't because of Li Shiyin's talent, but because she had activated Qin Ran, and the two had produced some strange effects together.
His thoughts racing, Sect Leader Gu Yueming couldn't help but silently praise himself for his brilliant decision back then. With this move, he had gained a sword prodigy with maxed-out talent; gained an alchemist and formation master with maxed-out intelligence... and even, would gain a Dan Peak at its peak, a Hengduan Mountains!
"Congratulations to our Dan Peak Sword Immortal on successfully forming her golden core..." he approached the master-disciple pair, smiling as he congratulated them, "Today's tribulation truly lived up to your Sword Immortal style! Our Dao Sword Sect has gained another peerless sword cultivator."Li Shiyin had one hand around her master's arm and the other grasping the colorful lightning snake.
Seeing this, she let go of her master, pulled the colorful lightning snake forward, and bowed to the Sect Leader. Facing the dozen or so people who had come to Dan Peak to congratulate her, she smiled gracefully, "It's all thanks to the sect's nurturing that I have achieved my current cultivation. I should be thanking the Sect Leader."
She looked back at her master, her eyes filled with affection and a smile, and added, "For letting me meet my master."
Gu Yueming looked at Li Shiyin, seeing the sharpness of sword intent in her demeanor, along with gentle warmth. He saw her graceful yet neither servile nor overbearing manner. He saw her open-mindedness, yet clear likes and dislikes. Her every move was polite and proper.
She had already become a unique individual in the world, with the bearing of a master.
If she were a man, she would undoubtedly be a free-spirited, generous, sword-wielding immortal hero. Of course, being a woman made no difference.
She could already be mentioned in the same breath as Lu Junxing.
Gu Yueming looked back at Lu Junxing, his heart stirring.
The next generation of the Dao Sword Sect had top-tier geniuses like Lu Junxing and Li Shiyin in martial arts, as well as pillars like Liu Baixuan, Tian Wenjin, and Yao Qingke; in academics, they had great strategists like Qin Ran who could plan within the tent, and... clever people like Dong Zhongyuan.
He knew for certain that the Dao Sword Sect was destined to flourish!
The others who had come along looked at Li Shiyin, also marveling. This was a genius they had watched grow up. They had seen her restless and jumpy, seen her riding a white tiger arrogantly in and out of the Dao Sword Sect, and often carried out sect missions together.
Even Tian Wenjin had seen her covered in mud and tanned dark by the sun; seen her pouting after being scolded by her master. They had also shared their hearts on snowy nights.
Drinking together, discussing swords together, debating the sword dao together, carrying out missions together, cultivating together, growing up together.
Now, they watched her step onto the golden core path alone with her sword, slashing through heavenly tribulation with an invincible bearing.
They all came forward to sincerely congratulate her.
In fact, apart from Qi Peak, which Li Shiyin had intentionally targeted, with her looks and personality, she actually had few enemies within the sect.
Who doesn't like a bright and generous pretty girl?
On such an occasion, with the presence of a drunkard like Lu Junxing, drinking was naturally unavoidable.
Qin Ran was also very happy today, bringing out the wine he had brewed over the past two years, and personally cooking some dishes to go with the alcohol, determined to make sure all of today's guests ate and drank their fill, not leaving until they were drunk.
And at Dan Peak, with the presence of infatuated lackeys like Dong Zhongyuan and Zhang Junyi around Tushan Youyou, there was naturally no shortage of stories.
As soon as Dong Zhongyuan arrived at Dan Peak, he didn't see Li Shiyin wielding the Colorful Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, but first saw Tushan Youyou in mid-air, her white clothes fluttering, looking even more immortal than an immortal. His eyes immediately went wide, his mouth agape, and as he stared, drool began to flow out. Very much like a dog.
While Lu Junxing was calling for people to drink, he had already shamelessly run to Tushan Youyou's side.
"Immortal Lady, it's been a long time since we've met, you've become even more beautiful."
After so many years, Dong Zhongyuan actually knew that Tushan Youyou was a fox spirit.
But, as cultivators, what's there to fear in a battle?
Mere racial differences, how could they hinder great love?
...Humans could, at least they should try.
"Look at the peach blossoms on the shore that have withered, surely it's because they saw you and felt ashamed of their inferiority." He smiled, thinking himself charming and romantic.
Tushan Youyou glanced at him sideways, saying expressionlessly, "The peach blossom grove is where I practice the Ten Thousand Miles Peach Blossom Formation. Now that the peach blossoms have withered, I can no longer practice setting up the formation. I'll have to wait until next year."
Dong Zhongyuan paused, then smiled ingratiatingly, "Mere peach blossoms, Immortal Lady need not worry. I'll go right away and call someone to help you plant peach blossoms; we'll set up a formation to ensure the peach blossoms never wither all year round."
"Those peach blossoms were all carefully selected varieties to meet the needs of various formation situations. They're not ordinary peach blossoms," Tushan Youyou said. "Besides, if you come to Dan Peak to plant trees and set up formations, guess whether Qin Ran will chop you down?"
"It doesn't matter if he chops me down, as long as the peach blossoms meet Immortal Lady's requirements," Dong Zhongyuan quickly said. "I can plead with Junior Uncle..."
While Dong Zhongyuan was having a "pleasant conversation" with Tushan Youyou, there was a forgotten little cultivator standing humbly by the river, grieving alone. On this hot day, he was shivering from a cold wind.
Originally, the weather was very nice today, and Zhang Junyi had successfully built his foundation, which was a huge event in his life; he had also seen the immortal sister who haunted his dreams, which was another huge event.
But unexpectedly, his achievement of building his foundation couldn't even compare to a fraction of Senior Sister Li Shiyin's. Everyone from the sect had come to Dan Peak, all important figures, all to congratulate Senior Sister Li. No one remembered him. The sect leader didn't remember him, his master didn't remember him either.
Of course, this was actually bearable, because it was Senior Sister Li, someone he greatly respected, and forming a golden core was indeed more important than building a foundation. Not to mention someone like Senior Sister Li who was heaven's chosen one.
But the latter event, he couldn't bear... he couldn't take it!
The immortal sister who had been in love with him for hundreds of years in his dreams was actually chatting and laughing with another man. She even frowned coquettishly, even lowered her eyes impatiently, as if they were flirting.
This...
How was a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy, just beginning to feel the stirrings of love, supposed to handle this?
"Crack!"
Zhang Junyi felt his world shatter at this moment. His dream was broken, his soul was lost.
The one talking with the immortal sister was also a senior with profound cultivation. The senior was handsome and dashing, romantic and graceful, with quite a noble air and bearing. Compared to him, Zhang Junyi was so down-and-out, so humble.
He had just built his foundation.
A prince and a beggar.
He shouldn't be on the riverbank, he should drown at the bottom of the river.
He didn't even have the right to look one more time at the scene of their joyful conversation. He wasn't worthy.
"Yes, they are so well-matched," he turned to look at his own reflection in the river, feeling his heart breaking piece by piece, the pain making it hard for him to breathe. "How dare I desecrate her in my heart?!"
Life, ah, is nothing more than this. He had just gained a bright life, and now it was dark again.
He took a step forward, the river water wetting his shoes.
"Hey! What are you doing over here?" Suddenly, someone slapped him on the shoulder and asked, "There's lots of delicious food over there, aren't you going to eat?"
He turned around to see a white tiger standing upright, slightly taller than him. The little white tiger was gnawing on a cow leg with one paw while the other paw rested on his shoulder. The paw on his shoulder was also covered in grease, soaking his shoulder with oil.
"I... I'm not hungry," he replied softly.
"Not hungry?" The little white tiger mumbled with its mouth full, "You can still eat even if you're not hungry! Who says you can't eat meat just because you're not hungry?"
"...I don't have much appetite."
"Oh come on!" The white tiger grabbed him, turning his body halfway around, and led him towards the old spiritual locust tree. "Your appetite will improve as you eat. If you want to hang out with your big bro Feng, you've got to be able to eat properly."
He had just built his foundation and thought he had some strength, but under Feng's paw, he had no resistance at all. Feng played with him as easily as playing with locust leaves. He was forced to come to the old spiritual locust tree. Closer to Fairy Sister... and her men.
It was lively here, but it had nothing to do with him; he was closer to Fairy Sister now, but that also had nothing to do with him... or perhaps it did, making his heart ache even more.
"Here! This crystal pork trotter is a reward from big bro Feng!" While he was still wallowing in his sorrow, Feng's greasy paw thrust a pork trotter at him. He passively accepted it.
"Eat more, grow stronger, don't be a tiny thing like your master," Feng said. As he spoke, he was smacked on the back of the head by his master, but Feng was unfazed and continued, "You should be like your big bro Feng, and grow as big as me in the future. Then you can pin down those tiny ones with one paw. She's not even as big as one of your big bro Feng's paws."
His master delivered another flying kick, jumping up to hit Feng on the chin. Feng suddenly realized something and said to him, "She's your master, so you shouldn't call me big bro Feng. You should call me Uncle Feng... no, no, you should call me Elder Feng!"
Zhang Junyi listened to Zhui Feng Uncle's ramblings as he stuffed the pork trotter into his mouth. It tasted quite good. He gnawed on it while watching Zhui Feng Uncle being beaten by his master.
He admired Zhui Feng Uncle, who remained unmoved like a mountain no matter how his master hit him, continuing to gnaw on his cow leg without being affected at all.
When his master got tired of hitting, she walked over to him and warned, "In the future, you'll call him big bro Feng."
Before he could agree, Zhui Feng Uncle pushed over a glass of unknown black liquid, saying, "Dan Peak's special happy water, Uncle Feng is treating you. From now on, you'll call me Zhui Feng Uncle."
He hesitated.
"Look, in what way am I not bigger than her?" Zhui Feng Uncle quickly lowered his voice to ask.
Zhang Junyi's expression became serious, showing deep agreement. When Zhui Feng Uncle resumed his normal form, he was as tall as a building. And his master? About the size of a seven-year-old child.
He couldn't help but nod.
"Hmm, not bad!" Zhui Feng Uncle nodded with a smile, saying, "Dad says this is called... called, something-zi can be taught."
"What's something-zi?" Zhang Junyi asked, wondering who would be called something-zi.
"Forgot," Zhui Feng Uncle said casually, turning to walk on all fours towards the wooden cabin, clearly going to get more food.
However, Zhang Junyi looked at Zhui Feng Uncle's front paws pressed against the ground as he walked, and his mouth, still biting the pork trotter, paused. He lowered his gaze and saw locust flower branches and soil on the pork trotter...
"You nodded just now, didn't you?!"
As if misfortune never comes alone, his master's sinister voice came from beside him. He looked over to see his master sipping peach juice through a straw, her eyes turned to vertical pupils, staring at him intently.
Venomous
This feeling was like being stared at by a snake... Was his master really not human?
Cold sweat ran down his back as he nodded, then quickly shook his head.
"What does nodding then shaking your head mean? Have you gone stupid?!" His master gave him a sideways glance, not wanting to bother with an idiot, and turned to leave. "Don't hang around with that stupid tiger too much! You'll become stupid!"
Zhang Junyi stared blankly as his master walked away, unconsciously gnawing on the pork trotter.
There were many interesting people on Dan Peak, and that person in white was just one of them.
"Come, let's see your current strength," someone suddenly called out loudly from the crowd, then flew up into the sky.
He looked up, knowing that person was called Lu Junxing, who was very impressive, as formidable as Elder Li.
As Lu Junxing flew up, his Elder Li also flew out from the crowd, drawing his sword. The two began to clash in midair.
It seemed to be a competition, a sparring match, or even a performance-like battle. The sky was filled with sword energy, creating images of mountains, waters, starry night skies, very beautiful, without a hint of killing intent or sharpness.
To think sword energy could achieve this level!
He was shocked, feeling as if his world had been refreshed.
"Here, have some meatballs..." Zhui Feng Uncle's voice came over. He tilted his head to see a plate being held in front of him. "Quick, I stole these when Dad wasn't looking. They're delicious."
He took the plate and saw that Zhui Feng Uncle's other paw was holding a whole roasted lamb.
Zhui Feng Uncle sat down next to him like a human, gnawing on the whole lamb while watching the sword energy clash in the sky. He said to Zhang Junyi, "All this is just for show, practicing dead force, no real killing power. Let me tell you, I could take on both of them at once."
He looked back to see Zhui Feng Uncle's tiger face covered in grease, his long whiskers quivering and splattering oil droplets as he crunched on lamb bones.
Looking at this scene, he couldn't believe a word of it.
Especially when at that moment, the Sect Leader called from behind, "Zhui Feng, did you steal the lamb leg again? It's not even cooked yet..."