Peace had lasted too long over these years, with the three realms maintaining a mutual boundary, causing them to almost forget that while Shen Changchuan was the Master of the Shangqing Sect, he was also the Leader of the Immortal Alliance. With the Shangqing Sect as the premier sect and Shen Changchuan as the foremost expert in the cultivation world, the entire Immortal Alliance relied on their protection to withstand the Demon Realm. Without Shen Changchuan, Xie Qingli would have long since led a demon army to trample through the entire cultivation world.
For a moment, no one dared utter another unruly word. Glancing at Wang Lin, who was still coughing up blood on the ground, Shen Changchuan said coldly, “Take Sect Master Wang away to tend to his wounds.”
Staring at Shen Changchuan, Jiang Youbai felt momentarily dazed. This version of Shen Changchuan overlapped completely with the one from his past life. If he hadn’t been reborn, hadn’t let go of everything in his heart, and hadn’t drawn close to Shen Changchuan, he would have remained like everyone else, believing Shen Changchuan sat high upon the clouds, unapproachable, radiating cold aloofness in every gesture.
Yet this man, whom everyone believed was above violation, had once again taken his hand and walked toward the grand hall.
Having returned at some point, Tang Ci stood at the side of the grand hall holding a cup of tea. Seeing the two approach, he extended the cup toward Jiang Youbai. “Xiaobai, offer the master-honoring tea to Master.”
Taking the cup, Jiang Youbai followed protocol this time, respectfully offering the tea to Shen Changchuan. “Master, please have tea.”
Taking a sip, Shen Changchuan officially accepted Jiang Youbai as his personal disciple. Retrieving an exquisite sandalwood brocade box, he handed it to Jiang Youbai. “Your initiation gift.”
Raising an eyebrow slightly, Jiang Youbai figured that since he had already extorted an initiation gift a few days ago, he hadn’t expected Shen Changchuan to prepare something else. Then again, in an occasion like this, failing to present a decent gift would only invite more gossip.
Taking the box, he opened it without a second thought and froze in place.
A golden light filtered slowly from within the brocade box. A single jade token lay quietly inside, appearing uncharacteristically gentle compared to its usual sword-like sharpness, almost as if waiting for Jiang Youbai to pick it up and slowly stroke it in his palm.
A collective gasp echoed through the surrounding crowd.
“Isn’t that the Leader’s natal Dharma artifact? He’s using the Wangxu Jade Token as an initiation gift?!”
“I thought the Leader’s eldest disciple, Tang Ci, would inherit his mantle in the future. Who would’ve thought he’d give it to a humanoid newly accepted disciple instead?”
“But Dharma artifacts are bound to their owners; giving it away is useless! Even if he gave it, could that kid control the Wangxu Jade Token? Artifacts of that level already possess spiritual sentience.”
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Youbai reached out and pinched the Wangxu Jade Token between his fingers. Looking at Shen Changchuan, he asked in a voice audible only to the two of them, “Why give me this? Aren’t you afraid I’ll lose it, or have it taken away by someone else through threats?”
Unfazed, Shen Changchuan replied, “Dharma artifacts have spirits. Even if it falls into someone else’s hands, it’s nothing more than a piece of scrap iron.”
Raising an eyebrow, Jiang Youbai asked, “Then how can I still sense its spiritual energy right here in my hand?”
Shen Changchuan said calmly, “Perhaps it likes you.”
Stroking the jade token in his hand for a moment, Jiang Youbai didn’t entirely believe Shen Changchuan’s words. While the jade token possessed spiritual awareness, it wasn’t sentient enough to develop genuine emotions; Shen Changchuan was actually telling dry jokes now.
Yet while Jiang Youbai remained unimpressed, the guests in the grand hall were utterly thunderstruck.
They had never heard of anyone sharing their natal Dharma artifact for others to use jointly, this was truly a first in heaven and earth.
Shen Changchuan was pampering this humanoid beast far too excessively. If it were merely for dual cultivation or other conveniences, there was simply no need to go to such lengths.
Instantly, everyone’s gaze toward Jiang Youbai shifted.
At that moment, Tang Ci also handed a brocade box to Jiang Youbai, his eyes filled with a mix of guilt and hesitation to meet Jiang Youbai’s gaze. “Xiaobai, this is Senior Brother’s congratulatory gift.”
Giving him a look, Jiang Youbai made no move to take it.
Realizing Jiang Youbai was still angry, Tang Ci spoke in a low voice, “Senior Brother has thought it over carefully. You were right; from now on, I will handle matters impartially and will no longer blindly favor anyone.”
Sweeping his gaze over the brocade box, Jiang Youbai still didn’t budge.
With no other choice, Tang Ci continued his persuasion, “Senior Brother prepared this gift for a long time. Please just accept it.”
At this, the crowd of Immortal Alliance members once again grew restless.
“Why won’t he even take Senior Brother Tang’s gift? For a new disciple, isn’t that being far too disrespectful?”
“Why is Senior Brother Tang acting so servile toward this bea… this junior brother?”
“I remember Senior Brother Tang is gentle and considerate to everyone, but he’s not a soft persimmon to be pushed around at will, right? Why is he so indulgent toward this Jiang Youbai?”
Biting his lip, Jiang Youbai finally took the brocade box, though without opening it, he placed it aside. Seeing this, a flash of disappointment crossed Tang Ci’s eyes.
Since it was the Immortal Alliance Leader taking a disciple, the sect masters who had come to observe the ceremony had naturally brought congratulatory gifts of their own: mental cultivation manuals, spiritual stones, rare herbs, Dharma artifacts, talismans, anything you could name.
Too lazy to look at them, Jiang Youbai was searching for someone, someone who should have appeared at the ceremony.
Ah, found him!
Stumbling through the entrance, Mu Jiyuan sent the piled-up peach petals scattering wildly, resembling a startled little fawn crashing into this domain.
“Whose disciple is this? Looking at him makes my heart ache with pity!”
“Is he a newly accepted female disciple of the Lantang Sect? Never seen her before; she looks even prettier than their Sect Master Yao, who’s hailed as the number one beauty in the cultivation world.”
“Why is his hair disheveled? Those few steps really ran straight into my heart.”
Narrowing his eyes, Jiang Youbai watched him. Mu Jiyuan’s disheveled state hardly looked like someone arriving with congratulatory gifts, though he wouldn’t mind seeing what other tricks this Child of Destiny could pull.
“Eldest Senior Brother… Mas… Master…” Panting heavily as if he had run all the way, Mu Jiyuan tripped and fell straight to the ground. Looking up at Shen Changchuan and Tang Ci, he struggled to catch his breath. “It’s bad, something’s happened!”
Tang Ci stepped forward to help him up, but remembering something, he stopped himself. Walking up to Mu Jiyuan with his usual gentleness, he extended a hand. “What’s going on?”
Clasping Tang Ci’s palm, Mu Jiyuan failed to pull himself up on the first try. “Beasts… the beasts in the Trial Hall have rioted and all escaped!”
Tang Ci’s pupils contracted. Turning to look at Shen Changchuan, he found Shen Changchuan’s gaze landing calmly on Sheng Xu, the Sect Master of the Youqing Sect. The two exchanged glances, and Sheng Xu’s expression darkened with gravity.
The moment those words were spoken, everyone’s gaze instantly converged on Jiang Youbai, though constrained by Shen Changchuan’s presence, they held back from launching an immediate attack.
A heavy silence froze the grand hall. Even without a word spoken, looks of suspicion and vigilance remained pinned to Jiang Youbai as palpably as physical weight. If not for Shen Changchuan’s presence, and if not for Shen Changchuan’s earlier actions protecting him, these people probably would have already demanded accountability from him.
Frowning slightly as he looked at Mu Jiyuan, Jiang Youbai recalled that the beast riot had occurred on the exact day his beast core matured in his past life, the day he died. Since his beast core had matured yesterday and he had nearly tumbled off the cliff yet again, he had originally thought the ending had changed and the subsequent story belonged entirely to his new life. He hadn’t expected that as long as Mu Jiyuan was around, what was meant to happen would happen anyway.
In the next instant, the sound of a barrier activating echoed outside the grand hall. Everyone’s attention was instantly drawn outward as they watched a pale-golden light barrier rise. Countless beasts had already fled all the way to the main peak, slamming against the barrier in a terrifying display.
Gone were their original appearances; every single one of them wore a ferocious expression, looking as though they might tear people apart and swallow them whole at any moment.
“Wh-why did these beasts turn out like this?”
“Their eyes are completely red! Have they lost their minds and come to eat us?”
“Could it be because the humanoid beast did something? After all, humanoid beasts are the most special existence among the clan, possessing the most formidable beast power. If he’s commanding these beasts, wouldn’t that be entirely possible?”
Those scrutinizing gazes shifted back to Jiang Youbai, as if the moment that was confirmed, they would immediately seize him.
Letting out a light chuckle, Jiang Youbai said, “If I opened this barrier right now and let the beasts outside flood in for a pincer attack from inside and out, wouldn’t that be even more interesting?”
Several sect masters had already gathered spiritual energy in their palms; if Jiang Youbai truly made a move, they would definitely strike regardless of Shen Changchuan’s presence.
Amidst the hair-trigger tension, Shen Changchuan stood up and stepped in front of Jiang Youbai. Sweeping his gaze over the crowd below, his eyes finally settled on Sheng Xu.
With no other choice, Sheng Xu braced himself and stepped forward. “Ah… this matter probably has nothing to do with Xiaobai. To be frank, besides observing the ceremony today, I also came to ask the Leader for help. A few days ago, the Youqing Sect also suffered a beast riot; every single beast we captured went mad. Although we managed to suppress them in the end, all those beasts died, what a real pity… As for the cause, we’ve never been able to figure it out, which is why I reported it to the Leader and asked for assistance in investigating. I never expected the Shangqing Sect to experience a beast riot as well.”
“What?! Such a huge matter, why didn’t you say so earlier?!”
“That still doesn’t prove it wasn’t the humanoid beast’s doing! After all, we have no idea what kind of abilities he actually possesses. What if he can manipulate any beast?”
“Unless this humanoid beast can stop the beast riot outside, this matter is eight-tenths likely connected to him!”
“Indeed, this is all far too coincidental…”
Protruding his head from behind Shen Changchuan with a smile, Jiang Youbai remarked, “You’re right. I am a beast, after all, non-kin of your race, our hearts must be different. But to expect beasts to help you deal with beasts, I don’t know whether to call you all naive or dark-minded.”
“You!”
Glancing sideways at the person behind him, Shen Changchuan felt the warmth of palms pressing against his back through his robes, accompanied by light, mocking laughter, so vibrant and full of life. Turning his head back, pale-golden spiritual energy blossomed around him as the jade tokens planted in the ground outside rose into the air, splitting into multiple phantom projections that pierced through the barrier and trapped the rampaging beasts one by one within their seals.
The moment the golden light appeared, Jiang Youbai drew his hands away from Shen Changchuan’s back. Standing behind him and watching the man enveloped in a pale-golden glow like a deity who could subdue those beasts instantly without lifting a finger, Jiang Youbai couldn’t help recalling his past life. Back then, a beast riot had broken out, but Shen Changchuan happened to be in seclusion. If Shen Changchuan hadn’t been secluded, he surely could have stopped that chaos as well.
Yet in this lifetime, why hadn’t Shen Changchuan gone into seclusion?
And what had caused him to enter seclusion in the past life?
In this lifetime, everything seemed to have gone awry.
Recovering his senses, Jiang Youbai saw that the crowd was already heading outside the grand hall.
With the beasts no longer attacking the barrier, it retracted automatically, leaving all the rampaging beasts trapped within the jade tokens and lowered gently to the ground.
However, just as everyone stepped close to inspect them, those beasts suddenly exploded, turning into clouds of bloody mist that splattered across the approaching crowd.
“Ew, how disgusting!”
“Ah, so many beasts, what a waste…”
Remaining in place, Jiang Youbai stared at the beasts reduced to bloody mist. The smile vanished entirely from the corners of his lips, replaced by a layer of chilling gloom in his eyes.
Humans fundamentally never regarded the lives of beasts as anything of value. In their eyes, beasts were just like rare natural treasures, failing to capture them was a pity, but they never viewed them as living, breathing lives.
He couldn’t save these beasts in his past life, and he couldn’t save them in this one either.
Abruptly shifting his gaze toward Mu Jiyuan, Jiang Youbai noticed that although Mu Jiyuan had his back turned to him, he too was staring at those remnants. Though he couldn’t see the boy’s expression, Jiang Youbai could sense that it wasn’t human disgust or regret, instead, like his own, Mu Jiyuan’s aura had completely darkened.
Raising an eyebrow, Jiang Youbai found the situation deeply meaningful.
Perhaps sensing someone watching him, Mu Jiyuan quickly retracted his gaze, turning his head to lock eyes with Jiang Youbai, his expression full of unspoken words.
At this point, Sheng Xu stepped forward to address Shen Changchuan. “The beast riot is definitely no coincidence. Leader, please send someone to investigate.”
“But now all the beasts are dead, and not even their corpses are left. How are we supposed to investigate?”
“Right, they died so fast they didn’t even have time to collect their blood.”
“Not a single clue left, not a single one remaining!”
Sheng Xu continued, “The Youqing Sect did manage to keep one beast alive, though it hasn’t gone mad, perhaps it might know something.”
Pausing for a moment, Sheng Xu added, “It’s just that the beast’s condition is rather poor, making it impossible to interrogate.”
Sideways, Shen Changchuan glanced at Tang Ci. “Tang Ci, accompany Sect Master Sheng on a trip.”
Stepping forward, Tang Ci replied, “Understood.”
At this, Jiang Youbai chimed in abruptly, “Master, I want to go too.”
Turning his gaze back to him, Shen Changchuan seemed to be weighing the possibility of letting Jiang Youbai leave the mountain.
Knowing that Shen Changchuan wanted to keep him under his own nose, Jiang Youbai smiled. “Since this matter concerns beasts, perhaps I can be of some help if I go?”
Believing it would be a good chance for Jiang Youbai to undergo practical training down the mountain, Tang Ci also chimed in to persuade him: “This disciple will look after Xiaobai well. It’ll be a good opportunity for him to gain experience outside.”
Giving Jiang Youbai a meaningful look, Shen Changchuan said, “Go.”
This time, it was Jiang Youbai’s turn to let a flicker of astonishment cross his eyes. Shen Changchuan actually agreed to let him leave the mountain?
With matters settled, the initiation ceremony dispersed. On the way back following Shen Changchuan, Jiang Youbai finally voiced the doubt in his heart: “Why did you suddenly agree to let me go down the mountain? Aren’t you afraid I’ll run away?”
Glancing at him, Shen Changchuan replied, “Your beast power isn’t unsealed; you can’t run.”
Nearly laughing out of sheer anger, Jiang Youbai raised the jade token Shen Changchuan had just given him. “The jade token is in my hands now. I can just take it and slowly break the seal myself.”
Shen Changchuan’s gaze landed without much weight upon the jade token. “It’s merely a phantom projection.”
Jiang Youbai: “?”
Inspecting the jade token in his hand repeatedly, Jiang Youbai muttered, “I touched your jade token last time, and it felt exactly the same.”
Looking at Jiang Youbai’s serious yet perplexed expression, resembling a little beast seeking answers, devoid of its usual cunning and trickery, clear as a washed spring sky, Shen Changchuan said, “The one you touched last time was also a projection.”
Jiang Youbai: “…”
Shen Changchuan, you dare play with me!
Enduring the urge to crush the jade token in his grip, Jiang Youbai rolled his eyes and asked instead, “Then where is the main body of your jade token kept?”
Giving him a light, sideways glance, Shen Changchuan took in the mischievous expression dancing across the boy’s face. “Find it yourself.”
Raising an eyebrow, Jiang Youbai thought: Find it yourself?
With a slight quirk of his lips, he sidled up close to Shen Changchuan, hooked his arm around the man’s waist, and traced his jade belt all the way around. Finding no token, he didn’t stop there. “Master, your waist is so slim.”
Not only did Shen Changchuan have a well-trained physique with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, but his proportions were also quite enviable.
Praising him while patting and sliding his hands further, he slipped his hand straight inside Shen Changchuan’s inner robes. Through the thin layer of fabric, Jiang Youbai felt the man’s tight, firm chest muscles, searching inch by inch inside Shen Changchuan’s clothes for the existence of the jade token, only to find absolutely nothing.
With a dry expression, he could only blurt out: “Master’s pectoral muscles are also so large.”
Without even waiting for Shen Changchuan to react, his hand had already reached toward the collar.
Watching Jiang Youbai display the clear intent to continue pulling open his collar for inspection, Shen Changchuan swiftly grabbed Jiang Youbai’s wrist. “It’s not on my body.”
Blinking his eyes, Jiang Youbai wondered: Not on his body? Then where is it?
His gaze slowly drifted downward, landing upon Shen Changchuan’s lower abdomen.
Could it be inside his sea of consciousness?