At the peak of Jade Void Peak, the sea of clouds that lingered year-round was dyed with golden edges by the morning sun, and the clear cries of cranes pierced the vast sky.
This peaceful morning, which should have carried the grand style of an immortal family, was disrupted by an urgent, somewhat exasperated yet helpless roar.
“Su! Yong! An! You stop right there!”
Peak Master Su, a figure of such majestic dignity and poise that he commanded awe throughout the entire Jade Void Peak, was currently gripping the front lapel of his elaborate, costly dark-colored ceremonial robe, which was embroidered with complex cloud patterns. On the hem of the robe, a large turtle covered in dripping ink, with crooked yet vivid strokes, proudly held its head high, its eight claws sprawling out aggressively as if it would break through the fabric and swim into the sea of clouds in the very next second.
Veins throbbed at Su Lan’s temples as he glared at the tiny figure darting ahead with the agility of a rabbit in the snow.
The figure ran at lightning speed, dressed in a spotless moon-white brocade robe with cloud patterns that made him look like a moving piece of fine mutton-suet jade.
His jet-black hair was bound by a simple silver hairpin, bouncing at the back of his head with his running movements, the tips of his hair brushing against a delicate profile of ambiguous gender.
“Bleh, bleh, bleh! Bad daddy! You can’t catch me, you can’t catch me!” Su Yongan looked back as he ran, making an extremely standard funny face at his father his pink tongue stuck out, his pretty peach-blossom eyes squinting into crescent moons, and his cute nose wrinkling up.
That face combined Su’s heroic contours with Wen Qingzhi’s delicate brows and eyes, blending them into a breathtakingly gorgeous appearance.
Right now, flushed with the triumph of a successful prank, he looked even more vibrant and animated, making the sunshine pale in comparison.
A snow-white marten, entirely without a single stray hair, darted out from the flower beds beside them like lightning, landing precisely on Su Yongan’s shoulder.
Its fluffy, large tail triumphantly swept across his neck, and its round black bean eyes mimicked its master’s expression, squeaking twice at the pursuing Su, as if echoing: “That’s right, he can’t catch you!”
It was none other than the cloud-patterned snow marten, Xiao Bai, that Su Yongan had raised since childhood. This little creature had been spoiled rotten by Su Yongan, practically becoming the exclusive accomplice to the tyrant of Jade Void Peak.
“You… you little brat!” Su Lan pointed furiously at the retreating figure in the distance.
“You even dared to paint a turtle on Senior Uncle Li Yuan’s ceremonial robe?! Is that something you can just casually draw on?! And Elder Wang of the Dancan Peak’s beard last time! And the ancient texts in the Scripture Pavilion the time before last… all you know every day is making trouble!
Is your Foundation Establishment peak talent given to you to use for this?! What a waste of heavenly treasures!”
Su Yongan ran even faster, his clear youthful voice floating back with a hint of small triumph:
“Uncle Ye Xuan said so! I am the youngest Foundation Establishment peak master since the founding of the Mingjian Sect!
No one in the sect is allowed to bully me! This is called… this is called being naturally gifted and unfettered by trifles!”
Su Lan almost failed to catch his breath.
This kid! Every time he used Sect Master Ye Xuan to block his mouth!
And yet Sect Master Senior Brother truly spoiled this kid beyond reason, blocking him, the father, dead in his tracks with a single sentence: “Little Yongan is innocent and carefree, no harm done.”
What was most infuriating was that every time he put on a stern face to lecture him a little, that little brat would look at him with those moist, innocent, and pretty peach-blossom eyes, his long eyelashes fluttering up and down, his little mouth slightly pouting, looking like, “Daddy, you’re so fierce, An’an is so wronged”… and Su Lan’s old fatherly heart would instantly soften into a complete mess, unable to speak a single harsh word.
“Alright, alright, Lan-ge.” A gentle, smiling voice came from behind.
Wen Qingzhi, dressed in a simple and elegant light-green long dress, walked out of the hall step by step. Watching her husband’s exasperated yet helpless expression, she couldn’t help covering her mouth and smiling softly.
Time seemed to treat the Jade Void Peak Master’s wife with exceptional kindness, settling an increasingly gentle and serene charm between her brows.
She walked to Su Lan’s side, naturally reaching out to smooth the wrinkles on his ceremonial robe caused by his anger, her gentle gaze following the distant, bouncing figure.
“An’an is still young, only eight years old; it’s only natural for his temperament to be a bit lively. Besides,”
the smile in her eyes deepened.
“What he said is also true; a Foundation Establishment peak at this age, up and down the Mingjian Sect, apart from the Founding Grandmaster, truly no one else can compare. It’s only reasonable that Senior Brother Ye Xuan dotes on him.”
Pacified by his wife’s gentle words, and looking at his son’s lively and animated figure in the distance, Su Lan’s anger had already dissipated by seven parts, leaving only full helplessness and… well, a trace of indescribable pride.
He sighed, turning his hand over to clasp Wen Qingzhi’s: “An indulgent father ruins his child! Qingzhi, I’m just afraid we’ll spoil him rotten!”
Wen Qingzhi smiled without a word, simply gently patting the back of his hand:
“Didn’t you say there’s a disciple-recruitment ceremony today, and we should let An’an go to the sect’s front to gain some experience? The hour is getting late, let’s hurry over and not keep Sect Master Senior Brother waiting long.
As for Senior Brother Li Yuan’s ceremonial robe… I’ll have the storehouse pick out a better one to compensate him later.”
Seeing his wife’s gentle yet unquestionable gaze, Su Lan completely lost his temper.
He shook his head, waving his sleeve with resigned acceptance as a soft wave of spiritual energy swept them both up, turning into a stream of light as they flew toward the Mingjian Sect’s mountain gate, leaving behind only a helpless sigh hanging in the air.
At the Mingjian Sect mountain gate plaza, voices were boiling, and the clamor rose straight up into the clouds.
The huge white jade plaza was densely packed with youths from all over the Xianlu Continent, along with their accompanying family members and servants.
Tens of thousands of people gathered here, and the air was filled with a mixed aura of tension, anticipation, trepidation, and excitement… a blend of countless emotions.
The towering spirit-testing stele stood proudly at the very front of the plaza, emitting an ancient and majestic spiritual light.
High upon the elevated platform, shrouded in clouds and mist, the figures of Mingjian Sect Master Ye Xuan, along with various peak masters and elders, could be vaguely seen like immortals overlooking all living beings from the clouds.
Su Yongan brought Xiao Bai along, weaving upstream through the crowded human tide like a nimble little silver fish.
He was short with a small target, and relying on his nimble footwork, he could always squeeze through the gaps between people.
Xiao Bai sat steadily on his shoulder, curiously looking around, its fluffy tail sweeping back and forth, startling quite a few people brushed by its tail into turning their heads in astonishment, only to catch a glimpse of an absurdly pretty little back flashing past.
” Wow! So many people! It’s even livelier than the immortal market daddy took me to visit!”
Su Yongan widened his pretty peach-blossom eyes, excitedly looking around left and right. For as long as he could remember, most of his time had been spent running wild across Jade Void Peak and a few familiar mountain peaks within the Mingjian Sect; when had he ever seen such a grand, bustling spectacle of ten thousand people?
Various food aromas, sweat odors, and a faint dusty scent drifted through the air, feeling both novel and full of vitality.
He quickly locked onto his target several leafy, giant ancient trees at the edge of the plaza that required several people joining hands to encircle. Their canopy was like a parasol, just right for overlooking the entire plaza.
Su Yongan chuckled softly, his toes tapping lightly, and his tiny figure rose into the air as lightly as weightless, lifting off with effortless grace.
With a few nimble leaps, he silently landed on the thickest horizontal branch, finding a comfortable fork to nestle in.
Xiao Bai also excitedly found a spot by his leg, resting comfortably, its little head pillowed on its paws.
Overlooking from above, his field of vision suddenly opened up.
Below, heads bobbed like rolling black tides. In front of the spirit-testing stele, a long queue was winding forward.
Youths harboring dreams of immortality pressed their hands anxiously onto the cold stele. Every time the spiritual light lit up, it tugged at countless gazes.
“Lower-grade Fire Spiritual Root! Aptitude passable, enter the outer sect!” The deacon disciple’s resounding voice rang out.
A boy in plain clothing showed a mix of excitement and disappointment on his face, quietly walking toward the outer sect disciples’ area.
“Gold and Earth dual spiritual roots! Intermediate grade! Not bad! Stand over here!” The deacon disciple’s voice carried a hint of approval.
A brocade-dressed youth stood tall under the ecstatic gazes of his family members, walking toward the inner sect candidates’ queue.
“No spiritual root! Next!” The icy verdict.
A young girl turned pale instantly, the light of hope in her eyes extinguishing, and tears slid down silently as she retreated dejectedly, supported by her companion.
Su Yongan rested his chin in his hands, watching with great interest. Xiao Bai imitated his posture too, perking up its little head, its black bean eyes staring unblinkingly downward.
Whenever he saw someone test with a good spiritual root, Su Yongan would follow the crowd in letting out a small “Wow”;
Seeing someone leave in disappointment, he would also sigh like a little adult, muttering, “Sigh, what a pity.”
Sunlight filtered through the dense branches and leaves, casting fragmented, dancing light spots on his fair, delicate face.
He was so engrossed in watching that he didn’t notice, not far beneath the giant tree where he perched, a corner completely out of tune with the surrounding clamor.
That was a youth whose figure was thin to a fault. He wore coarse cloth short garments that had been washed white and patched in several places.
Carrying an equally dilapidated small bundle, he stood alone in the shadows at the edge of the crowd, almost swallowed up by the surging human tide.
He kept his head slightly lowered, a few withered yellow strands of hair before his forehead shielding most of his brows and eyes, revealing only an overly sharp jawline and firmly pursed, somewhat stubborn thin lips.
He was enveloped in an unmelting layer of silence and detachment, like a cold stone forgotten by the world.
The liveliness, anticipation, and clamor around him seemed to have nothing to do with him.
He stood quietly in line, slowly moving forward with the flow of people. His footsteps were light, yet carried a heaviness unfitting for his age.
Su Yongan’s gaze was finally attracted by this unusual “quietness” beneath the tree.
Curiously, he leaned out half his body, tilting his head as he tried hard to see the face of the youth in the shadows.
Xiao Bai imitated him, poking its little head out of the branches and curiously letting out a “Squeak?”.
Right at this moment, an unexpected turn of events occurred!
A sturdy youth wearing noticeably much more luxurious clothing seemed impatient due to the slow-moving queue, and pushed forward forcefully.
Charging recklessly, his elbow thrust backward fiercely!
“Bang!”
This blow struck solidly against the chest of that thin youth in the shadows!
The youth let out a muffled grunt. Taken completely off guard, his entire body was knocked stumbling backward several steps like a kite with a broken string, losing his balance entirely and crashing heavily to the ground!
The dilapidated bundle on his back was also flung off, spilling out a few equally ragged coarse-cloth garments and a small piece of hard, black-colored coarse flatbread that looked like the lowest-grade dry ration, scattering them around in a disheveled mess.
“Ouch! Blind or what! Blocking the way!” The richly dressed youth didn’t apologize at all.
Instead, he slapped his sleeves in disgust, as if he had touched something dirty, and cursed viciously, “Poor ghost! Bad luck!”
The surrounding crowd was attracted by the commotion and cast sideways glances. After seeing the shabby attire of the fallen youth and the scattered “belongings,” many people’s eyes showed undisguised contempt and disdain.
“Tch, where did this beggar come from, even worthy of coming to the Mingjian Sect?”
“Exactly, look at him, as if he could possibly have spiritual roots!”
“Good thing he got knocked down, saves him from crowding in front and being an eyesore.”
Caustic whispers pierced like fine needles toward the fallen youth.
The youth didn’t seem to have fallen lightly, his body curling up slightly, yet he bit his lips without emitting a single cry of pain. He braced the ground, attempting to stand up.
However, a foot wearing brocade boots stepped down with full malice, slamming fiercely onto that single piece of hard, dry ration he had scattered on the ground!
“Crack!” The dry ration was crushed to powder.
“Oops, sorry, stepped on your ‘treasure’?” The richly dressed youth looked down at him from above, his face wearing undisguised mockery and malice.
“Even deserves to carry this kind of pig slop all the way here?”
The thin youth’s movements froze abruptly. He slowly raised his head.
Su Yongan finally saw his face clearly.
That was an extremely refined yet overly pale face. Beneath the messy hair on his forehead was a pair of exceptionally well-shaped eyes, the outer corners slightly upturned, which should have been a romantic curve.
Right now, however, they were like two bottomless cold pools frigid, silent, without a shred of youthful light, holding only an unmelting, dense black desolation.
That gaze swept past the crushed dry ration, and when it landed on the richly dressed youth, there was no anger or grievance, only a nearly indifferent coldness, as if looking at a dead object.
Deep within that gaze lurked something spine-chilling, causing several people nearby who had still been laughing just moments before to instinctively fall silent, feeling an inexplicable chill.
Yet this unusual coldness became proof of weakness and dullness in the eyes of the onlookers around them.
“What are you looking at? Trash!” The richly dressed youth felt an inexplicable jolt in his heart from that gaze, and then grew angry from embarrassment, raising his foot to kick the youth again! “Told you to block the way!”
The surroundings were dead silent, no one speaking out, and even more so, no one stopping him. The law of the jungle seemed to have already become an accepted rule before stepping into the immortal gate.
Up in the tree, Su Yongan’s pretty little face instantly crumpled into steamed bun folds! A nameless fire “swooped” up into his heart!
Too outrageous! So many people bullying a single person!
He, Su Yongan, despised this kind of bullying behavior by the strong above the weak the most! Especially when the other party looked so weak, so… lonely!
“Stop!” A crisp, tender, yet undeniably angry child’s voice exploded like a jade stone dropping to the ground, abruptly shattering the suffocating tension at the edge of the bustling plaza.
Everyone was stunned, instinctively following the sound.
They saw a small, moon-white figure on the giant ancient tree beside them fluttering down as lightly as a swallow returning to the woods! Sleeves fluttering, black hair flying, sunlight filtering through the branches and leaves fell upon him, as if coating him in a layer of hazy halo.
A little marten was still squatting on his shoulder, teeth bared in a threatening “hissing” sound.
His landing posture was exceptionally pretty, kicking up no dust as he steadily blocked in front of the fallen, thin youth.
The richly dressed youth’s kicking foot hung frozen in mid-air, looking in astonishment at this little fellow who had dropped from the sky.
The child before him looked to be only seven or eight years old, his stature not even reaching his chest, wearing a cloud-patterned brocade robe that clearly looked expensive.
His small face was too exquisitely pretty to look real, and right now his cheeks were puffed out, a pair of pretty peach-blossom eyes widened into circles, burning with two little flames of anger as he glared fiercely at him like a provoked little beast.
“You! Who are you? Mind your own business!” The richly dressed youth felt somewhat guilty under his stare, shouting with a bluffing tone.
Su Yongan didn’t pay attention to him at all, his little chest heaving up and down with anger as he extended a fair, tender finger, pointing unceremoniously at the richly dressed youth’s nose with a crisp, loud voice that clearly carried across the surroundings:
“You! Knocked someone down! Smashed someone else’s things! And even wanted to hit someone! You’re the big bad guy without eyes! The big fool! Didn’t your daddy and mommy teach you how to be reasonable?!”
He scolded so directly and loudly, carrying childlike anger, yet every word made sense.
Among the crowd watching the commotion around them, suppressed chuckles and whispers instantly broke out.
Being pointed at and scolded by the nose in public, especially when the other party was merely a toddler still smelling of mother’s milk, the richly dressed youth instantly flushed red with anger and embarrassment:
“You little punk! You’re courting death!”
Throwing caution to the wind, he raised his palm fan-shaped and large, carrying the faint force of weak spiritual energy and swung it fiercely toward Su Yongan’s excessively pretty little face!
Clearly having lost his mind from anger, he didn’t regard this “little fellow” before him in his eyes at all.