Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
There was a female cultivator clad in a purple robe inside one of the halls within the Heavenly Temple. There were light projections shimmering in midair in front of her, displaying the profundities of life.
There were many young disciples sitting in neat rows below her, and everyone was listening intently to her speech.
Every disciple from the Celestial Sect of Wonders would have their own master once they became a successive disciple. Typically, they would be following their master to learn and cultivate, but there would be mass lectures or lessons similar to the time at the great hall of Yun Peak, when they were still foundational disciples.
This was because their seniors had their own respective strengths, but there were some principles and concepts that all the younger disciples had to study.
They weren’t required to completely master these things, but they had to be aware at the very least. There wasn’t a fixed schedule, but senior cultivators would conduct lessons on specific issues and topics from time to time. Younger disciples that weren’t shutting in for cultivation or training in the outside world would have to sit in, and they would be assessed by the conducting senior cultivators after a while.
“That’s all for today. Do revise after you go back, and I will give everyone a quiz the next time I conduct a lesson. It won’t be too difficult but do take it seriously.” The female cultivator ended the day’s lesson and spoke with a soft voice.
The group of young disciples all stood up and bowed respectfully, “We won’t forget.”
Everyone stepped back and the female cultivator in the main hall as she gazed upwards at the ceiling. There was a tinge of anxiety in her eyes as she muttered under her breath, “Why do I feel so unsettled, what is…”
Her heart skipped a beat and she spun around towards the hall’s entrance – a youth appeared at the doorway in the next moment.
The two of them stared at each other, and the youth flashed a warm smile. “I’m back, little sister.”
Xu Miaoying was a nascent soul stage cultivator, and she mentoring the group of disciples from the fourth generation. She was rooted to the ground at this moment, and she couldn’t control her outburst of emotions and the forlorn feeling in her heart. “My dear brother…”
Xu Yunsheng looked at his sister, and emotions of nostalgia and the like stirred up inside him.
They hadn’t seen each other for such a long time, but the siblings were tight and intimate. They had relied upon one another for survival ever since they were children, and this relationship only became stronger as time passed by.
Xu Miaoying had been searching for Xu Yunsheng over the years, and she thought about her elder brother from day to night. How could Xu Yunsheng not miss his only family left in this world during his prolonged stay inside the Celestial Wonders World?
Xu Yunsheng came before Xu Miaoying and said with a smile, “You are already in the nascent soul stage, and now you’re stronger than your elder brother. That doesn’t sit right with me – I’ve always been the one protecting you when we were younger, but it seems like you have to take care of me now.”
Xu Miaoying giggled as she listened to Xu Yunsheng’s teasing words. She took two steps back and made an exaggerated bowing gesture at Xu Yunsheng as she said, “Greetings, senior uncle Tian Xu.”
“Senior sister Miaoying, you…” Another female cultivator dressed like everyone did in the Heavenly Temple walked into the great hall at this moment. She saw what was going on and was stunned momentarily.
Xu Miaoying turned towards the other female cultivator and her eyebrows twitched a little, and she stole a glimpse at Xu Yunsheng from the corner of her eye. Xu Yunsheng’s expression was calm as usual, as if he was waiting for an introduction.
“Junior sister Jiao, this is my elder brother, Xu Yunsheng. He is from the Heavenly Temple’s Tian generation of disciples, and he’s our grand master’s earliest disciples along with senir uncle Tian Bi.” Xu Miaoying noticed that Xu Yunsheng didn’t mind at all, and she immediately continued the mutual introduction. “Brother, this is my junior sister Jiao Qing, and her title is Yuan Hui. We have the same master, but she entered the sect relatively late and you’ve never seen her before.”
The arriving party was Yang Tie’s successive disciple, Jiao Qing. Xu Yunsheng had already been inside the Celestial Wonders World for a long time when she joined the Celestial Sect of Wonders.
Even though Jiao Qing was late to the party, her talents in cultivation were extraordinary. Her cultivation improved by leaps and bounds, and she displayed top-tier talent and ability even when she first joined. Over her years of cultivation, including the time she had spent inside the cave that sped up time, she was now a nascent soul stage cultivator and she was one of the most outstanding disciples of the Celestial Sect of Wonder’s third generation of successive disciples.
She glanced at Xu Yunsheng. She had already recalled who this person was when she was first shocked by his appearance.
They had never met before, but there were still pictures and light projections of Xu Yunsheng around the Celestial Sect of Wonders. Jiao Qing naturally recognized him, except she had never seen Xu Yunsheng in real life ever since she joined the sect, which was the reason why she didn’t really believe her eyes when he showed up.
The fourth generation of disciples probably didn’t know much about Xu Yunsheng, but the third generation of successive disciples knew more or less that there was once this senior uncle that was like a myth.
They didn’t know why, but Xu Yunsheng was still suck in the aurous core beginning stage. However, Jiao Qing still bowed respectfully at Xu Yunsheng as she said, “Greetings, senior uncle Tian Xu.”
Xu Yunsheng smiled and replied, “There is no seniority in learning, and the one who gets there first is the leader. The sect’s formalities and courtesies cannot be disregarded, but the first time is enough and you don’t have to be restricted by that from now onwards.”
Jiao Qing chuckled and said, “You’re still my senior uncle after all. I’m still alright with this, but it may be a little awkward for Miaoying.”
She had dynamic personality. She was unbending and competitive, but she was also open-minded and lively. She was a lot older now after her days of cultivation, and her behavior and mannerisms were much more stable than before. However, a leopard just couldn’t change its spots.
She joined late, but in terms of talent and ability, she was actually worthy of challenging for the title of First Disciple amongst the third generation of successive disciples.
Meng Honglou, who was Ying Luozha’s disciple, was also worthy of challenging for this title, along with Ye Xinhui, who was also Yang Tie’s disciple.
Ye Xinhui emerged victorious in the end, and she became the First Disciple of the Heavenly Temple’s third generation of successive disciples. However, both Meng Honglou and Jiao Qing were stronger in terms of pure fighting strength, except one of them was too cold and isolated while the other was too vibrant and unrestrained. Neither was very good at guiding younger disciples, so they both backed out from the nominations.
Xu Miaoying turned towards her and laughed. “What is there to be awkward about? He’s my elder brother and also my senior uncle. We have been interdependent ever since we were kids, and the saying that says an elder brother is like a father is still apt.”
Jiao Qing glanced at Xu Miaoying and grinned, but she said nothing more. She felt a sense of nostalgia – today’s Xu Miaoying was truly vastly different from before.
Xu Miaoying was polite and friendly towards everyone, but the competitiveness and stubbornness in her blood was undeniable, to the point where she had more of those than Jiao Qing and the others.
Xu Miaoying would never pull a long face, but her eyebrows were frequently tightly locked together over the years, as if she was weighed down by something. This liveliness and relaxed demeanor that she wore today had almost never been seen before.
The three of them were just idly chatting before a gash in the void appeared inside the hall, and the gash appeared like a normal doorway.
A purple-robed youth strode out slowly from within. His entire being appeared like he was one with heaven and earth, and he seemed omnipresent.
Both Xu Miaoying and Jiao Qing bowed sincerely when they saw this youth. “Greetings, master.”
The arriving party was the First Disciple of the Heavenly Temple’s second generation of successive disciples, Yang Tie.
Yang Tie was already in the immortal soul stage at this point, and he was given the title of Tian Tai Holy Man. He belonged to the second generation of disciples within the Celestial Sect of Wonders, but he was highly influential and revered across the Divine Lands when he was roaming the world outside. He was taken seriously by many sects’ elders and the like, while they always greeted him personally and treated him with respect.
Yang Tie saw Xu Yunsheng and immediately bowed respectfully. “Senior brother.”
Xu Yunsheng returned the greeting and said, “It’s been a long time, Yang Tie.”
A smile flashed across Yang Tie’s face. “I’m glad you’re alright, senior brother.”
Zhu Yi was no longer handling much of the Heavenly Temple’s administrative issues amongst other items, and the mantle was gradually passed on to Yang Tie. Yang Tie’s reputation both inside the sect and outside was quite impressive.
However, he seemed to have returned to the time when he first joined the sect as he stood before Xu Yunsheng. He joined the sect relatively later, and besides listening to Zhu Yi’s lessons and guidance, he would approach Xu Yunsheng for advice if he had any questions or if he faced any conundrums. Xu Yunsheng never held anything back from him if he knew, and their camaraderie was strong.
The vicissitudes of life were unpredictable, and the world constantly changed. The gap in their mastery was too far at this point, and could no longer be compared to what it was like before. Yang Tie wasn’t sure if he would feel differently if it had been someone else in this very situation, but he was only filled with respect and happiness as he looked at Xu Yunsheng.
Xu Yunsheng returned Yang Tie’s gaze. There wasn’t self-doubt, there wasn’t any low self-esteem, there was no pretense of haughtiness – there was only calmness and happiness. “I am already content that I can return to the sect.”
Yang Tie turned towards Xu Miaoying and Jiao Qing. “Return to your abodes to cultivate for now. I have some things to discuss with your senior uncle. Don’t worry, Miaoying, I will only need a little bit of his time.”
Jiao Qing nodded her head. A faint expression of anxiety flashed across Xu Miaoying’s face. Xu Yunsheng saw it and smiled as he said, “Don’t worry. I won’t leave the mountain so easily this time.”
He didn’t talk about what happened at all, so Yang Tie and Xu Miaoying didn’t probe him. Xu Miaoying smiled a little apologetically as she heard his words, and hurriedly bowed at Yang Tie before she pulled Jiao Qing away.
Yang Tie chuckled after the two of them departed and said, “This is my first time seeing Miaoying like this, even though I am her master. She has been so worried about you over the years.”
Xu Yunsheng smiled, but he heaved a faint sigh and replied, “I know that. I won’t leave again, never again…”
Yang Tie stole a glimpse at him. He could tell from Xu Yunsheng’s exclamation that there were myriad sentiments hidden beneath his words. However, he didn’t inquire about it and said, “Ying Luozha has also been searching for you. He will instruct his disciple and even his grand disciples to look out for any news regarding you when they are venturing out into the world.”
“I am no longer a match for him, and I’m afraid his disciples are far stronger than I am as well.” Xu Yunsheng smiled, and he wasn’t afraid of using himself as a laughingstock in front of Yang Tie. “Furthermore, today’s situation is very different from before. I’m not too sure what’s happening inside the sect right now, but I think both you and the Nirvana World’s junior brother Zhou are probably stronger than Ying Luozha. There is also junior sister Lin, senior sister Dao, junior brother Huang – he has more than enough rivals to find.”
“Under such circumstances, if he is still looking for me to have showdown, then Ying Luozha’s ambitions might be a little too small.”
Yang Tie stared at Xu Yunsheng and replied, “Are you trying to say something else, senior brother? Do you know some things?”
Xu Yunsheng’s expression didn’t change, but he began to laugh bitterly in his heart.
His upbringing and his adolescent life made him a sensitive person. He was perceptive of Zhuge Wanqiu’s feelings back then, and he was faintly aware of the attention that Ying Luocha conferred onto Zhuge Wanqiu, but he couldn’t be sure.
However, how could he not understand when he listened to Yang Tie’s words? Ying Luozha spent so much effort looking for him because of Zhuge Wanqiu.
He couldn’t really explain these things to Yang Tie, even though they were close.
“Wait a minute…” Xu Yunsheng felt his heart sink, and a solemn expression drifted into his eyes. “Ying Luozha has been searching for me throughout the years, that means junior sister Zhuge…”
