“Life is but a fleeting dream; how much joy can one truly grasp? The soul follows the blood’s call, the spirit wanders the great void.”
Fu Yun sat on his bed, softly reciting the incantation. A drop of his vital essence blood, infused with spiritual energy, merged into his spiritual platform. He closed his eyes, sensing the heavens and the earth. In the distant chaos, an anchor point gradually grew clear.
That was the Green Sage Hall.
The next step was to obscure the threads of causality.
“I’ll wake you in a quarter of an hour. Do not linger in the dream,” the system repeatedly emphasized.
Lines of causality manifested within his spiritual platform some thick, some thin, some bright, some dim yet all shared one commonality: they were connected to Fu Yun.
These were all the karmic ties from the first half of his life. In the brief moment of his observation, several dark lines vanished, and a few thin threads snapped this was the essence of “fate without destiny.”
Fu Yun focused his mind, searching for the causal threads tied to his master and disciple, then instructed the system to conceal them. The subsequent steps were simple: infiltrate the Green Sage’s consciousness, locate the spiritual platform, seize the vital essence, and leave.
The sights within the consciousness were ever-changing, yet amidst the myriad transformations, one principle remained constant: spiritual energy always revolved around the spiritual platform, cycling endlessly.
Thus, by sensing the flow of spiritual energy, one could find the spiritual platform.
Fu Yun located the anchor point, and his soul entered the dream
A vast expanse of white.
Parting the mist, he saw rolling green mountains. The dream was tranquil and ordinary. Fu Yun dared not let his guard down. Just as he was about to release spiritual energy to scout the path, suddenly, the heavens and the earth stirred.
The world fell into dead silence, yet a violent mountain wind swept through, and spiritual blades slashed horizontally, leveling the very mountain where Fu Yun was hiding!
A deafening roar echoed between heaven and earth, as if Mount Kunlun had collapsed or Mount Tai had crumbled. A spiritual blade, ghostly and swift, shot toward him, nearly beheading Fu Yun. There was no doubt he had been exposed.
With no time to ponder the reason, Fu Yun immediately ended the dream entry to avoid his soul being captured.
“It hasn’t been a quarter of an hour yet.” The system noticed his grim expression and wisely focused on obscuring the causal threads, refraining from unnecessary chatter.
The echoes of the mountains and valleys still reverberated in Fu Yun’s ears.
His soul had suffered some shock, leaving him with a faint headache. There was also an anomaly in the spiritual energy of one area of his consciousness, but Fu Yun had no time to investigate. He had to get out of bed immediately.
Having taken several days off, he couldn’t skip the Internal Affairs Department today.
Because today was the day spiritual stones were distributed.
Before dawn, Fu Yun splashed cold water on his face, clearing his mind somewhat. But when he looked in the mirror, he noticed his complexion was too pale. He had to use a fire talisman to warm his face, creating a semblance of color.
The fact that the Green Sage hadn’t come for him yet proved Fu Yun had successfully escaped.
No one must know about the damage to his soul.
Upon entering the Internal Affairs Department, several disciples were counting spiritual stones. When they saw him enter, they bowed in greeting, though their eyes flickered uneasily. As he passed, whispers followed behind him: “Is that him…? Elder Zhao just gave orders.”
According to sect rules, Fu Yun, as both a disciple of Green Sage Peak and an Internal Affairs Department steward, was entitled to receive two shares of spiritual stones.
“Recently, the sect leader has reiterated the need for frugality. Sect expenditures have been reduced, and you inner disciples must understand and comply with this directive.”
Elder Zhao smiled, his face gleaming with oil, his gaze precisely fixed on Fu Yun: “Ah? Nephew Yun, you’ve arrived. I was just about to inform you. As a senior disciple of several decades, you should set an example. For the next six months, your allotted share will be temporarily halved.”
Back when Fu Yun had refused Elder Zhao’s advice and insisted on entering the secret realm, Elder Zhao had been deeply displeased. Unable to directly remove Fu Yun from his position, he resorted to cutting his resources.
And this truly struck Fu Yun where it hurt he was very poor.
Over the years, half of his savings had been exchanged for spell talismans to study on his own, while the other half was sent back to the Fu family not out of any lingering attachment to the clan, but because his younger sister, born of the same mother, was still in the household. Like their mother, she was a furnace cauldron.
Fu Yun did not want her hastily married off or reduced to a cauldron slave, so he demanded the Fu family ensure her safety. In exchange, a portion of the spirit stones had to go to the family, and occasionally he had to help them establish connections with elders.
Once the disciples had each received their spirit stones, they dispersed.
“Why do you look so pale?”
The question came from Steward Mu of the Internal Affairs Department, an old acquaintance of Fu Yun and a senior disciple nearing a hundred years of age. His cultivation had stagnated at the Golden Core stage, a situation similar to Fu Yun’s.
Steward Mu spoke half-jokingly, half-seriously, “Let me see… your face is pale with anger. How many spirit stones did Elder Zhao skim off? I’ll make it up to you.”
Fu Yun replied, “I just sustained some injuries in the secret realm and am still recovering.”
Senior Brother Mu handed him a restorative pill while whispering in a low voice, “You know Zhao Lin has a belly fatter than the sea and a heart narrower than a needle. Why did you insist on training in the secret realm, embarrassing him, and even asked me to secure two spots for you? What’s going on?”
Crunch. Fu Yun chewed the pill and swallowed it. “Your alchemy skills have improved again, Senior Brother. Tastes better than last time,” he said with a smile.
Senior Brother Mu cut him off, “Don’t change the subject.”
Fu Yun pursed his lips, savoring the lingering sweetness before the bitterness of the herbs spread up his throat.
He stopped smiling, carefully choosing his words. “Senior Brother Mu, I just still feel a bit unwilling.”
“You taught me that those with ordinary talent should never harbor ambition. Avoid becoming a laughingstock among geniuses or arousing jealousy among mediocrities only then can one walk a smoother path.”
Fu Yun smiled bitterly, “Maybe I just enjoy walking the bitter path myself.”
The Internal Affairs Department was a place of worldly dealings. None of the disciples who entered here truly sought cultivation or were capable of it; they merely coveted spirit energy pills to eke out a few more years of life.
Steward Mu felt a pang of emotion. In the sect, seniority was determined by cultivation level. Fu Yun’s cultivation was higher than his, and he was also under the tutelage of the Azure Sage, yet for decades, he had always addressed him as “Senior Brother,” showing him the utmost respect.
Since Fu Yun spoke honestly, Senior Brother Mu responded with sincerity.
“Being unwilling is a good thing it means your heart isn’t dead yet,” Senior Brother Mu said. “If you want to resume cultivation, that’s fine. Don’t end up like me, never polishing your sword but only cleaning up others’ messes, scrambling for scraps.”
Fu Yun’s expression turned serious, “I don’t think managing mundane affairs or dealing with people is mere scheming or something to be looked down upon. Someone has to do these tasks. It’s just a matter of choices.”
Senior Brother Mu waved it off, “Alright, you’re always good with words. Promise me one thing.”
Fu Yun replied earnestly, “Tell me.”
Senior Brother Mu said, “When you become a True Monarch, save me a steward position, will you? I want to learn from Zhao Lin greedy till the end.”
He fished out pills from his inner pocket as an advance bribe, even producing a Nascent Soul Pill. Fu Yun was taken aback and tried to offer spirit stones in return, but Senior Brother Mu waved him off, saying, “Consider it a loan to the future True Monarch. You’ll have to repay me threefold no, fivefold.”
“One more thing,” Senior Brother Mu added, “Elder Zhao may be no good, but the Department Head still looks out for you. Last week, he specifically asked about you.”
Fu Yun said, “I’ll go pay my respects to the Department Head.”
Senior Brother Mu had arrived with bulging pockets but left with empty sleeves. He mentioned he still had to visit the Punishment Department and wouldn’t see Fu Yun off.
At the mention of the Punishment Department, Fu Yun’s smile vanished.
Every major immortal sect has its share of deaths that cannot be made public beheadings, soul-shattering, silencing witnesses acts that violate the natural order and require disciples unafraid of getting their hands dirty. If someone is wrongly killed and the truth comes to light, there must always be a scapegoat. Those without talent or background who wish to remain in an immortal sect must make choices choices they often have no real say in.
Fu Yun asked, “What scandal has happened now?”
“Watch your words,” Senior Brother Mu sent a leaf flying to cover Fu Yun’s mouth. “I’ll tell you in secret it’s not someone from our sect.”
“Last night, three immortal sects collaborated to purge the entire Hehuan Sect on the grounds of ‘Hehuan falling into demonic ways.’ Several high-ranking members were brought to the department for interrogation.”
Fu Yun frowned. “Since they’ve already been convicted, the usual procedure would be to directly search their souls and close the case that night. Why is there still interrogation today?”
A flicker of mockery passed over Senior Brother Mu’s face. “Soul-searching can easily lead to death, but among the high-ranking members, there is a furnace cauldron. A certain elder specifically requested that she be kept alive.”
Furnace cauldrons were rare in the world, and furnace cauldron cultivators were even rarer eight out of ten ended up in the Hehuan Sect.
Fu Yun knew that while the major sects publicly disapproved of Hehuan, they secretly allowed its expansion to absorb more furnace cauldrons. To protect itself, Hehuan would regularly send willing furnace cauldrons to the major immortal sects.
But now, slaughtering the entire sect wasn’t that like killing the goose that laid the golden eggs? Why such urgency?
The department head was not in the sect. After delivering his visiting card, Fu Yun retreated to his residence.
After all, this month’s spirit stones had already been deducted. There was no need for him to work in the Internal Affairs Department.
Right now, there were more important matters.
Fu Yun focused inward, carefully examining the damage to his soul inflicted by the spiritual blade. The abnormal spiritual energy he had sensed earlier was not an illusion there was a hidden restriction within his soul.
The restriction’s aura was as gentle as spring water, enveloping a portion of his soul that was unusually resilient. Nurturing the soul was no easy task, often taking years. This restriction had likely been lurking in his consciousness for a long time.
Yet Fu Yun had never noticed even a trace of it.
The person who set this restriction must either be far more powerful than him or intimately close to him.
Due to the earlier impact, the restriction had loosened slightly. Fu Yun hesitated over whether to unravel it
Knock, knock, knock.
Three even knocks interrupted his thoughts.
Fu Yun had set up arrays outside and knew who the visitor was. Xie Yun.
Just as he was about to rise, his body suddenly stiffened. He staggered and fell back onto the bed.
The master-servant contract was trembling.
The imprisoned demon servant, taking advantage of Fu Yun’s injured soul, was burning its essence blood without regard for the cost, frantically assaulting the contract. An overwhelming tide of hatred and repeated thoughts surged back to Fu Yun through the contract, rebounding and retaliating.
The demon servant’s heart was filled with longing.
It sensed the presence of its fated person. It knew Xie Yun had come.
Xie Yun would save it.
It hated Fu Yun.
“Fifth Senior Brother, I know you’re here,” Xie Yun’s voice came from outside the door. “I heard you’ve been recuperating since returning from the secret realm…”
Fu Yun could no longer make out Xie Yun’s words clearly. The demon servant was willing to inflict eight hundred losses on itself to deal a thousand to its enemy, all to break free from the contract and draw closer to its fated master.
A sweet taste rose in Fu Yun’s throat. He swallowed the blood, but a few strands still seeped out. His face was as pale as paper, yet his eyes were pitch-black, almost demonic in appearance.
The demon servant’s mental voice changed.
“Release the contract, then beg for forgiveness and apologize. I’ll spare your life,” it said coldly, arrogantly bargaining with Fu Yun. “My fated master is nearby. Don’t let him see you in such a filthy state “