Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
By the time Song Ren came to, it was three days later. The grievous energy in his body had all dissipated by then, and he returned to his old translucent self.
The only thing was… why was he hanging on the clothes-drying poles?
Exactly what happened?
“Hey! Are you dry?” Shen Ying climbed onto the windowsill and waved at him.
“Exalted Immortal Shen…” Song Ren paused. What did she mean by “dry”? She meant to ask if he was awake, right? He instinctively tried to float over to Shen Ying, but there was a bright flash of light that caused him to be hung back up on the pole. That was when he realized there was a translucent array surrounding him, causing him to be stuck on the clothes-drying pole. He could not even move. “He… here?”
“Oh, then you need not be afraid that the wind would carry you away,” Shen Ying explained. She turned to address the man behind her. “Chef.”
“Yes, Master.” Yi QIng used one hand to conjure a seal which undid the array around Song Ren immediately.
It was then that Song Ren finally got down from the clothes-drying pole and floated indoors.
“Exalted Immortal, I… What has happened to me?” He looked absolutely confused. The last thing he remembered was going with Exalted Immortal Yi Qing to settle the problem with the deviant ghosts. How did he end up hanging on the drying pole?
“You don’t remember anything?” Yi Qing frowned as he asked.
Song Ren stared blankly back at him, a mixed expression on his face. A moment later, he scrunched up his face and said, “I… don’t know either. I think we arrived at some place with a lot… a lot of people.”
Yi Qing started. Could it be that he was regaining his memories from before? “What else do you see?”
“I think… someone told me where to go.” He was looking increasingly terrible as he tried his hardest to remember. After awhile, he shook his head. “I can’t remember. I just feel like that place was extremely cold. Exalted Immortal, am I-”
“Yes.” Yi QIng nodded. It looked like there was no way he could figure out where all of this grievous energy was coming from. Yun Heng, however, could help him.
——————
Ever since Yi QIng settled the bunch of remnant souls in the city, the city’s Mystic cultivators began to treat him differently. Nevertheless, they remained suspicious of him. That was, of course, apart from Yun Heng, who seemed to be the idol of many, who used every last bit of effort he had to increase Yi Qing’s popularity. The next day, when they went to the Mystic gates, they found the place crowded with many more Mystic cultivators.
Among them, however, there was not one person who believed in immortal cultivation like Yun Heng. Most of them listened with suspicion, and some even went so far as to make jokes out of what they were hearing. If Yi Qing had not gotten rid of all the remnant ghosts from the city, they probably would not even be standing there.
In fact, Yi Qing could understand. They have inherited hundreds of years of knowledge and experience. Now, somebody has tuned up to tell them that everything they have known was a mistake. Of course they would find it hard to accept. As for Yun Heng – he was at the Soul Formation stage. Of course he would be better able to grasp the Heavenly Dao compared to everybody else. For all Yi Qing knew, Yun Heng had begun to suspect the Mystic cultivation from early on. Perhaps that was why he so easily believed what Yi Qing was telling him.
“Fellow Daoist Yi.” Yun Heng took one step forward and looked at Yi Qing. Although he did not know why Yi Qing wanted to gather all the Mystic cultivators, he carried it out for him. “Everyone is here. Can we begin?”
“Let’s wait for awhile,” Yi Qing replied.
“What are we waiting for?”
“We’re waiting for Father Niu.”
“Huh?” Yun Heng hesitated. “Who’s Father Niu?”
“It’s… It means a parent,” Yi Qing attempted to explain.
Parent? Was he the patriarch? Could it be that he came from a hidden family?
Before Yun Heng could react, a voice sounded from the skies. It sounded like it was right next to everybody’s ears, yet far far away at the same time. Everybody immediately got excited.
“Look above!” Someone shouted. Everyone looked up in shock.
A huge hall appeared in the sky and floated in mid-air. All around it were huge patches of green light, which caused the hall to look like an illusion. It looked almost like a wonderland. All at once, a certain suppressive force flowed out from the hall, covering the entire sky and causing each one in the audience below to tremble in fear.
Everybody was positively shocked. They were looking at the sky in disbelief. All except the two who had been informed earlier.
Yi Qing: “…”
Shen Ying, “…”
Father Niu’s entrance this time was really high-key! He was making such a scene for himself.
The next moment, a few figures flew out of the hall and stopped in mid-air, on top of the obvious. They were all dressed in white robes, with symbols of golden clouds embroidered onto them. Under their legs was one spirit sword each. They were not wearing anything on their faces, yet for some reason, nobody could see their features clearly. All they could see were their silhouettes. The one in the middle was especially blur. He looked like he was covered in a terrifying aura. They could not even stand to look at his silhouette for more than one second before they began to feel uncomfortable.
The excitement intensified. This was not any form of Mystic arts. This looked more like… the ways of immortals!
The few people stood in the air, about ten metres away from the audience. The person on the right began to speak in a voice that was not loud, but that rang clearly in each person’s ear.
“Disciples of Invincible Sect, we have come at the orders of our sect master to seek out those with whom we share the same fate. Come forward to learn the ways of cultivation. We hope that each and every one of you would grasp this opportunity to learn these orthodox ways and do your part to protect the world!”
Once he finished speaking, the man waved his hand. Everyone looked on in fear as a stage rose up out of the plain field to their right.
“A minute later, we will begin the testing of spirit roots. We will select a few disciples with good potential to impart our cultivation skills to. Everyone is free to come and get tested.”
After he finished speaking, the few figures disappeared. They returned into the hall that was now situated behind several clouds.
The entire scene went quiet. It was awhile before anyone reacted.
A moment later, they fought their way to the stage on their right. Soon, they formed an excited line that could not wait to be tested. Although they did not know what it meant to have their spirit roots tested, the scene that they just saw was definitely real. They had no doubt about it. There really was a way for them to become immortal. Master Yun Tian was speaking the truth!”
At that moment, in the hall in the sky.
The four people who watched the entire show and who had just been transported into the hall: “…”
“Hey, Father Niu.” Shen Ying waved at the figure in the middle of the group.
The other party rolled his eyes at her.
The eyes of the few girls around him, however, twinkled. One by one, they bowed. “Your disciple greets Sect Master!”
Shen Ying waved at them. “Hey, Little Green, Little White, Little Pink, Little White… two?”
Everyone: “…”
Si Yu, who was wearing pink robes, tugged at her sleeves. She thought about whether she should change back to her usual green. Indeed, now that she was wearing different colored robes, her nickname had changed as well.
“Ah, there are so many people here!”
“And you all entered in such a high-key manner!” Yi Qing continued.
“Didn’t you say that nobody has ever trained with the spirit Qi here?” Lonemoon asked. “Of course I had to prepare everything well. Otherwise, how can i make them believe?” He did not want people to begin fighting about how his training should be set up. Therefore, he knew that if he wanted to publicize, he had to make it impressive.
The few of them hesitated and thought about the Mystic cultivators they were facing just moments ago. He was right! When they saw the group appear, people who only half-believed, and people who did not even believe Yi Qing in the first place, all had a change of heart.
“Fellow Daoist, you are indeed wise and experienced!” Yun Heng exclaimed, overjoyed. He suddenly realized what Lonemoon was saying. Others aside – even Yun Heng had been shocked by the hall that appeared in the skies. At first, he was still wondering how he should get all the Mystic cultivators to learn proper cultivation. After Lonemoon’s show, this problem was solved. After witnessing such impressive work, they naturally knew what was good for them
“Are you light- er, Master Yun Tian?” Lonemoon smiled politely at Yun Heng, who was standing beside him. The moral golden light around Yun Heng was blinding. Subconsciously, Lonemoon squinted. Indeed, just as Shen Ying had said, he was a walking light bulb.
