The previously smooth surface of the stone suddenly steamed with a thin layer of mist, instantly blurring the image within. The two disciples’ expressions changed drastically, and almost simultaneously they shouted, ‘Stop right there!’ Startled, Wutong spun around. Naturally, he also noticed the abnormality on the stone surface. He immediately took three quick strides back to Huaixiu’s side, looking at him with a mixture of shock and suspicion. Huaixiu stopped cooperatively right in front of the projection stone. He offered Wutong a smile, then slowly turned sideways to face the stone head-on. Meanwhile, outside the gate near the queue, some of the outer Tianchen Sect guard disciples had been alerted. They appeared at the entrance and began marching inward. Inside, the two disciples looked as though they were facing a formidable enemy, their hands dropping instantly to the hilts of their swords. The image on the stone continued to shift, drawing everyone’s gaze. Gradually, the thin mist dissipated, and Huaixiu’s figure reappeared inside the stone, looking identical to his actual self. The earlier anomaly vanished entirely. A murmur of astonishment rippled through the crowd, yet the Tianchen Sect disciples dared not lower their guard, continuing to eye Huaixiu with intense vigilance. The guards stationed outside the entrance had also blocked the exit to prevent Huaixiu from fleeing. ‘It is this,’ Huaixiu spoke suddenly, his tone calm and natural. He reached out, removed the white jade pendant that Wutong had attached to his waist earlier, and brought it close to the projection stone. Sure enough, a thin layer of mist rose across the stone surface once more. Wutong snatched the white jade pendant back, furrowed his brow as he inspected it from left to right, and muttered, ‘I gave him this pendant, yet it is just an ordinary piece of jade.’ Naturally, the moment he retrieved the pendant, the projection stone once again displayed Huaixiu’s figure. Wutong turned the pendant over in his hands, then imitated Huaixiu by extending his arm to test it near the projection stone. Halfway through, Huaixiu gently took it from him, re-tied it to his waist, and smiled. ‘As a servant, it is only right that I properly safeguard my master’s belongings.’ Seeing that it was merely a minor mishap, the onlookers let out collective sighs of relief. Someone near the back of the queue grew impatient and called out, ‘Since everything is fine, hurry up and let people through! We have already been delayed half the day.’ The Tianchen Sect guard disciples had originally intended to inspect the white jade pendant closely, but hearing Wutong claim the jade as his own, coupled with the urging from the queue behind them, they exchanged glances, relaxed their expressions, and cleared the path. Upon stepping through the mountain gates, the numerous buildings of the Tianchen Sect nestled amongst the mountain forests unfolded like a scroll. Layer upon layer of grand halls built along the contours of the mountains were magnificent and expansive, their structures adorned with red walls and golden tiles that appeared both ancient and solemn, yet resplendently brilliant and truly breathtaking. For many of the guests, this was their first time visiting the Tianchen Sect. Stunned by the imposing grandeur, they voiced their praises one after another. The guests, who had previously formed a single queue, now dispersed along different paths leading toward the grand ceremony venue at the Upper Immortal Terrace, partly because there was still plenty of time, and partly to soak in the scenery of the Tianchen Sect along the way. Wutong and Huaixiu detached themselves from the main crowd, choosing a less crowded side path that wound upward along a trail shaded by ancient pines and cypresses. Though he appeared calm on the surface, Wutong was still replaying that minor scare in his mind, feeling a twinge of guilt for suspecting Huaixiu for a split second. He glanced sideways at Huaixiu, then let his gaze drop to the white jade pendant. Seemingly trying to mask his unease, he gave a dry chuckle and said, ‘I have quite a few jade pendants, and this one… I never noticed anything special about it before.’ ‘This jade contains the spiritual energy of the frigid northern lands and likely originates from an ancient demonic beast, though the trace is extremely faint, which is why it reacted before the projection stone,’ Huaixiu explained warmly. ‘Really?’ Wutong asked in surprise, holding out his hand with the clear intent of asking Huaixiu to let him see it. Huaixiu untied the pendant and paused just as he was about to hand it back. ‘You have no cultivation, and you might be harmed by this biting cold energy. You should not keep it close to your person; it is best not to wear it at all.’ ‘Oh.’ Upon hearing this, Wutong immediately dug a square silk pouch out of his brocade pouch, wrapped the pendant inside it, and took it back. ‘Well, that solves it… Hmm, since this jade is problematic, I will not give it to you after all. I will find a better one to give you later.’ In his heart, he resolved to tell his mother upon returning home so they could inspect all the family treasures and eliminate any similar hidden hazards. ‘Actually, this jade is quite beneficial for those who practice cultivation,’ Huaixiu added. Wutong thought to himself that he might as well just say outright that he lacked any cultivation to handle it. ‘As you said earlier, simply stating your name allows entry. It truly seems to be the case,’ Huaixiu remarked. ‘You still doubted me?’ Wutong shot him a look, then sighed, ‘Ah, what good is my name? It is only because my surname is Ji.’ His tone carried a hint of languid boredom, devoid of any genuine pride or joy. ‘The reputation of the number one aristocratic family in the cultivation world is truly well-earned.’ ‘So what?’ Wutong retorted. ‘The impressive ones are my father, my mother, and my brothers. As for me, I am just the Ji family’s mascot.’ Huaixiu chuckled aloud. ‘Is being a mascot bad?’ Wutong turned to Huaixiu with a smile and said, ‘There is nothing bad about it; it is quite nice, actually. Above me, I have parents and older brothers to shelter and care for me; below me, I have flocks of servants at my beck and call… It is just that they keep a bit too tight of a leash on me.’ ‘So that is why you deliberately refused to travel with your father and brothers, just to escape Feng Yuanchi’s watchful eye?’ Huaixiu asked. Wutong raised an eyebrow and abruptly shifted the topic. ‘Once the grand ceremony concludes, I plan to travel far and wide. Would you… be willing to go together?’ Huaixiu’s smile stiffened imperceptibly before he replied, ‘…Naturally.’ Wutong clapped his hands and laughed. ‘That is wonderful!’ ‘But are you not more inclined to be on your own?’ ‘Well…’ Wutong reached out and patted Huaixiu lightly on the chest. ‘I think you are a decent person, and being around you feels quite natural. I have never really had many friends in the past, so making a friend is not a bad idea at all!’ Huaixiu’s expression flickered slightly. ‘What if your judgment is wrong?’ ‘Wrong? About you?’ Wutong burst into laughter. ‘That is simple. If you turn out to be a villain, I will just have my second brother put you in your place.’ With that, Wutong turned around happily and continued up the path, casually asking, ‘By the way, what business do you have to attend to here at the Tianchen Sect?’ ‘As I mentioned before, I was entrusted by someone to handle a matter,’ Huaixiu replied indifferently. ‘What matter?’ Wutong pressed, then quickly added, ‘I am not trying to pry into your privacy, but I know many people within the Tianchen Sect. Perhaps I can help.’ ‘No need. I can handle it myself.’ Since the conversation had reached this point, Wutong was not foolish; it was clear the other party preferred not to elaborate, so he stopped asking. The path wound around a mountain bend, and after several twists and turns, the scenery suddenly opened up before them. The grand venue of the ceremony, the Upper Immortal Terrace, came into view. The Upper Immortal Terrace was the highest platform situated along the central axis of the Tianchen Sect. Circular in overall shape, it was said that the sect’s founding patriarch, the Primordial Heavenly Lord Haochen, had moved three mountain peaks into place, leveled their summits, and filled the gaps to construct it. Beneath it stood three peaks supporting it like tripods, with clouds and mist swirling below the mid-mountain level. In fact, the paths leading to the Upper Immortal Terrace from all directions were concealed entirely within those clouds and mists. After ascending an untold number of stone steps, the two finally reached the edge of the Upper Immortal Terrace around midday. Only upon standing upon it did one truly appreciate the sheer scale of the terrace. Having undergone centuries of maintenance and renovation, the entire platform surface was level and smooth, carved with ancient totem patterns that exuded a solemn and antique aura. By now, a two-tiered wooden stage had been erected in the center of the platform, forming concentric circles with the terrace itself. The uppermost tier displayed the emblem backboards and banners of various sects and aristocratic families. The two positions placed side-by-side in the very center belonged to the Tianchen Sect and the Nanyan Ji Family, the two parties about to oversee the transfer of the Immortal Alliance Leadership and the sacred treasure. Many representatives from various clans had already taken their seats in their respective zones. Wutong spotted the spacious seats positioned right in front of the Nanyan Ji Family’s Great Roc divine bird totem at a single glance. Those were evidently reserved for his father, though his father’s figure was not yet in sight, save for a few Ji family guards standing motionless like statues on either side of the totem. ‘Are you not going over there?’ Huaixiu pointed toward the Ji family’s seating area. ‘Why go over there and become a spectacle? We can just watch from afar,’ Wutong said, lifting his chin. He glanced sideways at Huaixiu and added, ‘Besides, if I were to stand up there, where would you stand?’ ‘This is my first time seeing such a grand spectacle. Viewing it from afar is never quite enough. If I could get a closer look and see things clearly, this trip would truly not be wasted.’ Wutong squinted at Huaixiu for a moment before smiling. ‘Very well, let us head to the front.’ ‘That central pillar right in the middle, is something going to be placed on top of it?’ Huaixiu asked. ‘Did you not know?’ Wutong looked somewhat surprised, though reflecting that this Old Brother Black hailed from remote mountain wilds, it was quite normal for him to be unfamiliar with the historical traditions of the Immortal Alliance. He patiently explained, ‘During this Immortal Alliance Grand Ceremony, apart from transferring the position of Alliance Leader to the next leader, which is my honored father, a sacred treasure will also be handed over. This treasure is guarded by successive generations of Immortal Alliance Leaders.’ …This sacred treasure is known as the Zhutian Jue. …Legend has it that the Zhutian Jue was a divine artifact born from the spiritual essence of heaven and earth at the dawn of chaos. It later became the sacred artifact of the Immortal Alliance, preserved and wielded by successive generations of Alliance Leaders. Wearing and using the Zhutian Jue in cultivation for a single day can equal a year of ordinary effort, transforming one’s mortal body and washing away impurities within a matter of days.’ ‘Such a formidable sacred artifact. Once acquired, how could anyone ever be willing to take it off and hand it to another?’ Huaixiu questioned. ‘I have not finished yet,’ Wutong continued. ‘That is precisely where the eerie and formidable nature of this sacred artifact lies. While the wearer experiences a skyrocketing surge in magical power, they simultaneously fall prey to a curse of misfortune, leading to a tragic death or madness. In short, it never ends well. Therefore, among past Alliance Leaders, not every single one dared to wear it; most chose to treat it as a symbol and worship it as a sacred relic. Moreover, there is another catch: once the Zhutian Jue is put on, it can never be removed during one’s lifetime. Only after death, once the physical body disintegrates, will the Zhutian Jue manifest once more.’ ‘Such a bizarre artifact. It sounds less like a sacred treasure and more like a cursed demonic item.’ ‘You cannot quite put it that way; it can still prove crucial at critical moments. You must remember the Immortal-Demon War from twenty years ago. The Demon Lord, Lie Yang, possessed formidable strength and unmasked ambition. He led the demonic legions to invade the immortal realm, driving the forces of the Immortal Alliance into continuous retreat until the immortal realm faced imminent peril. At that critical juncture, the Alliance Leader of the time, who was also the Tianchen Sect Master, Immortal Master Dongyao, put on the Zhutian Jue. Overnight, his cultivation surged dramatically, enabling him to ultimately defeat the Demon Lord and drive the demonic legions out of the Scorched Earth Realm, forbidding them from ever crossing the boundary for all eternity.’ Wutong went on, ‘It is said that the Demon Lord Lie Yang suffered severe injuries and passed away shortly after returning.’ He added with a hint of pity, ‘However, Immortal Master Dongyao also suffered the backlash of the Zhutian Jue, shattering his meridians beyond all hope of recovery.’ He let out a long sigh, looked over at Huaixiu, and noticing that he seemed lost in thought, nudged him. ‘Are you listening?’ ‘Mm.’ Wutong continued leisurely, ‘Immortal Master Dongyao sacrificed himself for all beings in the Immortal Alliance and for peace in the cultivation world. Therefore, to commemorate him and in hopes that a miracle might occur, the various families of the Immortal Alliance unanimously agreed to preserve the Immortal Master’s remains with spiritual energy, anticipating his potential resurrection while extending his tenure as Alliance Leader by twenty years. Unfortunately, the Zhutian Jue appeared once again, and in the end, he still passed away.’ ‘So, the transfer of the Alliance Leader position and the sacred treasure is only being held now,’ Huaixiu said, his words tinged with a cold edge. ‘That immortal master certainly met a prompt and convenient end.’ Wutong frowned and retorted, ‘Though I never met Immortal Master Dongyao, he saved the Immortal Alliance and is a figure worthy of deep respect across the immortal realm. You should not speak of him like that.’ Huaixiu fell silent for a moment before the corners of his lips curved upward. ‘I was merely speaking casually. Great heroes may well have aspects they prefer to keep hidden from the light. Who knows?’ ‘How can you say that?’ Wutong grew slightly indignant, puffing out his cheeks. ‘You do not even know the Immortal Master, yet you randomly disparage him! I am not talking to you anymore!’ Huaixiu gave a soft laugh. ‘I spoke thoughtlessly. My apologies.’ Seeing that Wutong was still brooding, Huaixiu tugged at his sleeve and said, ‘Look, it is starting.’ Wutong’s attention was immediately captured by the stage, quickly casting the minor dispute out of his mind.
Chapter 6 - Would You Be Willing to Go Together?
After The Demon Lord Became A Beautiful, Useless Accessory