021 Why Did the Celestial Venerable Act That Way
Immortal Realm, Thousand Crane Tower.
Perched atop a solitary mountain wreathed in mist and clouds, the Thousand Crane Tower appeared to pierce the heavens. White cranes alighted on its glazed-tile roof while flocks of birds circled the structure, creating an earthly paradise.
“Sixty-eight people?” Chengyang Daoren frowned. “With the recent unrest in the Demon Realm, it’s entirely possible that ill-intentioned individuals have infiltrated this Spirit Fighting Competition. Master, should we negotiate with the Demon Realm to cancel this edition of the competition?”
The figure seated in the main position wore golden-crowned white robes embroidered with radiant crane patterns in golden soul thread. Supporting his temple with closed eyes, he exuded natural authority like an orchid growing on high peaks – pristine and unapproachable.
“No need.”
The Celestial Venerable didn’t even lift his gaze. “Ye Yin knows his limits.”
“True enough,” Chengyang Daoren relaxed. “If casualties still occur under this Demon Lord’s watch, that would indeed be remarkable. Besides, with Xiao Wuji stationed at Soul-Calling Mountain, nothing should go wrong.”
At these words, the elders in Thousand Crane Tower unanimously agreed.
“Of course, Xiao Wuji is a heaven-sent prodigy.”
“It seems the championship of this Spirit Fighting Competition is undoubtedly his.”
“With Xiao Wuji’s righteous spirit and world-saving compassion, he would never stand idly by if anyone were truly in danger.”
After joining their praises for a moment, Chengyang Daoren discreetly glanced toward the Celestial Venerable. Finding him still maintaining that detached indifference, he could only sigh inwardly.
Among the three realm sovereigns, the Celestial Venerable of Immortal Realm possessed the most stable power, yet remained the most emotionally distant.
Demon Lord Ye Yin, born of demonic lineage with impure bloodline, had suffered bullying and humiliation in youth before climbing to his current position step by step. His eighteen demon generals had fought alongside him for millennia, forging life-and-death bonds. Thus despite his bloodthirsty cruelty, Ye Yin enjoyed strong support among the Devilfolk.
Meanwhile, Ghost Blade of the Demon Realm was a weapon spirit from the demon palace who understood neither human affairs nor emotions. His mischievous nature made him appear like a madman – seemingly cold-blooded yet actually unrestrained, acting solely on whims regardless of reason.
But Celestial Venerable Chen Wuxin of Immortal Realm remained the most disciplined and ritual-abiding among the three sovereigns.
Born under auspicious stars with innate sword bones and extraordinary talent, he had been raised in extreme cold regions for centuries by the Celestial Abode. Since childhood, he was treated as the Immortal Realm’s sword heart. True to expectations, he became the youngest and most powerful supreme venerable in millennia.
Perhaps precisely because of this, Chen Wuxin lived up to his name – “Dust Without Heart” – showing indifference toward all people and matters. While impeccably dutiful and law-abiding, he seemed unconcerned about anyone.
Chengyang Daoren sighed, turning his attention to the God-Peering Mirror in the hall. “That talisman practitioner… appears to be our Immortal Realm disciple? Why so reckless? Still, this girl is peculiar indeed – I’ve never seen a Cultivator spend an entire night on preliminary trials, struggling so long against ordinary evil spirits…”
Hearing this, one of the elders chuckled. “That’s not quite right. But Chengyang, you and the Master have never paid much attention to the preliminary trials, so of course you wouldn’t know what happened last night. In my opinion, that young girl and the boy beside her are the most likely candidates to win the championship.”
“What makes you say that?”
“They slept through the entire preliminary trial.”
Another elder clearly let his imagination run wild. “How absurd! How could they, at such a young age, do… do such a thing in front of everyone…”
“They slept separately.”
“Oh, never mind then.”
An awkward silence fell over the hall.
The “overthinking” elder clearly felt embarrassed. With everyone now silent, he seemed rather improper. So he coughed and feigned composure to change the subject. “In that case, this young girl must indeed be quite capable. What is her name? Which sect does she belong to?”
“As for her sect… we’re not quite sure. But her name seems to be… Nan Yao?”
Just as the “overthinking” elder was about to respond, he suddenly felt as if the air around him had frozen solid.
This pressure…
Everyone instinctively turned to look at the figure seated in the main chair.
…Chen Wuxin had opened his eyes!
Chen Wuxin’s azure eyes were distinctly cold as he gazed at the God-Peering Mirror. Though his expression remained unchanged, one could see his hand resting on the armrest gradually clenching.
A chilling aura surged through the Thousand Crane Pavilion.
The Master… was angry?!
Meanwhile, in the God-Peering Mirror—
The talisman cultivator felt deeply insulted by Nan Yao’s behavior, as if she were treating him like a three-year-old child. He abruptly shook off her hand and drew his sword, pointing it at her neck. “As long as I live today, I won’t allow you to set foot on Soul-Calling Mountain.”
Nan Yao was exasperated by this sudden hostility. Hearing the talisman cultivator’s passionate declaration, she looked horrified. “What? You’re planning to die today? What a pity, you’re still so young.”
Talisman cultivator: “?” What? Why are you just assuming you can enter Soul-Calling Mountain? And that was just an exaggerated figure of speech. Your sincere pity is putting me in an awkward position.
He began to feel intimidated.
But he absolutely couldn’t admit it.
So the talisman cultivator feigned confidence. Not content with standing alone, he tried to rally others to isolate her too. “Did everyone hear that? This wicked girl dares to be so insolent! In my opinion, today we should unite and drive her and that nameless boy beside her out of Soul-Calling Mountain!”
Nameless boy Xie Diao: ?
Meanwhile, in the Thousand Crane Pavilion—
“Chengyang.” Finally, Chen Wuxin spoke.
His voice carried a chilling tone that made one’s spine tingle.
“Master.” Chengyang Daoren stood up trembling. “What are your instructions?”
“What is that talisman cultivator’s name?”
“I think it’s Duan…”
“Never mind.” Chen Wuxin interrupted. “Punish him.”
Chengyang Daoren suddenly understood. “This disciple made baseless accusations and acted unrighteously. After the Spirit Fighting Competition ends…”
“Punish him now.”
“…But the competition is ongoing.”
Chen Wuxin pondered for a moment—that was true.
So he stood up and walked toward the hall’s exit, ignoring Chengyang Daoren’s calls. He left the hall, took out a Communication Talisman, and ignited it.
Ye Yin’s irritated voice came from the other end. “What do you want?”
“Ye Yin.”
Chen Wuxin paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and said, “End the Spirit Fighting Competition immediately. Right now. Didn’t you see Yao Yao being bullied? Are you blind? Someone pointed a sword at her—pointed a sword at her. Back when she shattered my cyan jade glass cup, chopped down my ten-thousand-year-old bamboo, and even stewed the koi I’d been feeding for a thousand years, I couldn’t bring myself to point a sword at her. And now someone dares to point a sword at her? And it’s happening in your territory? Ye Yin, are you useless? Also, the number of participants has increased from sixty-six to sixty-eight. What does that mean? Danger, extreme danger.”
Ye Yin picked his ear and held the Communication Talisman farther away, his tone slightly disdainful. “I’ve always looked down on people like you who spoil their children.”
Hearing this, Xuanxu Zhanglao chuckled softly nearby.
Chen Wuxin couldn’t care less about spoiling or not. He summoned the Moye Sword, ready to fly straight to the Demon Realm, smash the Profound Darkness Hall, and force Ye Yin to rescue his precious Yao Yao.
But faster than the arrival of the Moye Sword was Nan Yuqing’s message paper crane.
“Get back to your Thousand Crane Pavilion this instant,” Nan Yuqing said. “If anyone dares to stop my daughter from shining, I’ll devour every last one of you.”
“…”
Hearing Nan Yuqing’s voice through the Communication Talisman, Ye Yin laughed mockingly at Chen Wuxin, even trying to one-up him: “The voice in the message crane I received was much gentler than yours, so I still have a better chance of becoming Yao Yao’s rightful father.”
Hmph.
Chen Wuxin snorted arrogantly, carefully folded the paper crane, tucked it into his robe, and then strode into the Thousand Crane Pavilion, clutching the Moye Sword.
The elders who saw the Moye Sword gasped in shock.
It seemed the Master was truly furious.
He had even summoned the Moye Sword!
Chen Wuxin returned to his seat and stared intently at the God-Peering Mirror.
The talisman cultivators were indignant, but most refrained from acting rashly.
Just as Nan Yao had said, everything was based on speculation. If they were to make comrades turn on each other over this, it would be far too extreme.
However, some were growing restless—
Like a certain sword cultivator who secretly circled behind Nan Yao, preparing to use a hidden weapon.
Chen Wuxin pointed at the sword cultivator. “Punish him.”
Like a certain alchemy cultivator who cheered on the talisman cultivators and secretly supplied them with restorative medicine.
Chen Wuxin pointed at the alchemy cultivator. “Punish him.”
And then there was Tang Shaoling, who accidentally bumped into Nan Yao’s back.
Chen Wuxin pointed at Tang Shaoling. “Punish him.”
Chengyang Daoren, who was diligently taking notes, wore a puzzled expression: I feel like our Master, who has always been impartial, isn’t being very fair today.
Finally, there was Xie Diao, who grabbed Nan Yao’s arm and pulled her behind him.
Chen Wuxin frowned and pointed at Xie Diao. “Punish him.”
“…”
Why punish him too!
And he’s not even from our Immortal Realm!
After a long silence, Chen Wuxin seemed to remember something else and pointed at the elder who had “overthought” earlier. “Punish him.”
The “overthinking” elder: “…?”
*
It was noisy.
The surrounding clamor seemed to irritate Xie Diao, and his expression grew increasingly impatient.
Something was wrong.
Sensing the anomaly, Nan Yao quickly turned around and patted his back to soothe him. “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry.”
She couldn’t let Xie Diao lose his temper here.
After all, the Spirit Fighting Competition was being broadcast live across the entire cultivation world. If Xie Diao went on a rampage right at the entrance of Soul-Calling Mountain, even the guards and elders waiting outside probably wouldn’t be able to stop him. Wouldn’t that just announce to the world that a great demon had emerged?
Amidst the drawn swords and taut bows, someone finally called for a halt.
“Stop.”
Following the voice, the newcomer was Xiao Wuji. With refined features and seemingly gentle eyes that held an untouchable chill, he moved through the bustling crowd, pushed aside the talisman cultivator’s sword, and separated the two opposing sides.
“Disciples of the Immortal Realm should not act so rudely,” Xiao Wuji said. “Without evidence, how can you treat a young lady this way just because you outnumber her?”
His words drew agreement from some.
“As expected of Senior Brother Xiao Wuji, truly a man of clear moonlight and gentle breeze.”
The talisman cultivator felt his pride wounded. “Then what do you suggest we do?”
“Why not let her come with me,” Xiao Wuji turned to look at Nan Yao. “I am Xiao Wuji, the head inner disciple of the Immortal Realm. With my power, she poses no threat. Everyone can rest assured.”
Moreover, he had come with a mission of his own.
Keeping this wicked girl under his watch would give him a chance to seek justice for his useless distant relative.
The crowd thought this was a good solution.
But Liu Zhiyai was the first to object: “No way. The rules state a maximum of six people per group. Our group already has two powerhouses and four deadweights—it’s full. So don’t think you can sneak in and freeload.”
Xiao Wuji glanced at him and snorted inwardly.
So the sinister Charm Cultivator from the Joyful Union Sect is with this wicked girl? As expected, their whole group is full of people with crooked hearts.
Xiao Wuji said coldly, “I am helping you, Miss Nan Yao. Without my assistance, I’m afraid you won’t even be able to enter this Soul-Calling Mountain.”
“…” Nan Yao fell silent for a moment.
She glanced at the secret realm rift right beside her, then at the hostile onlookers. After a moment of thought, she walked to the edge of the secret realm and voiced her genuine confusion: “Why wouldn’t I be able to enter? I can just walk right in.”
Xie Diao leaned against a tree, saying nothing.
Refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit.
Xiao Wuji sneered, thinking this lawless wicked girl actually dared to look down on the cultivators of the Immortal Realm. In that case, he need not stand up for her.
So he took a step back, as if giving silent consent.
The previously hostile cultivators seized the opportunity. The talisman cultivator chanted incantations, the Array Cultivator set up formations—in an instant, golden light intertwined with lightning, building up an imposing momentum ready to strike—
But the soaring spiritual power circled overhead a few times, before it could launch its assault, it dissipated like a downpour dousing sparks.
Huh?
What happened?
Why can’t we gather energy?
Before the cultivators could figure it out, Xie Diao moved first.
He straightened up, brushed the tree bark off his shoulder, and walked toward Nan Yao.
The sword cultivator was closest to Nan Yao. Seeing the situation, he had to abandon gathering energy and drew his sword to strike at her.
The blade was aimed straight at Nan Yao, but the next moment, Xie Diao’s figure appeared in his line of sight.
Xie Diao raised his hand and grasped the blade.
The sword halted.
The edge cut his palm, blood oozing out and dripping down the blade. But Xie Diao didn’t even blink. His dark eyes fixed on the sword cultivator before him. Though he appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen, his gaze was as chilling as a demon emerging from the underworld, freezing one to the bone.
How could this be…?
Although he wasn’t as renowned as Xiao Wuji in the Immortal Realm, he had excelled in many competitions and won numerous awards. How could this person… so effortlessly block his lifebound sword?
But the next second, something even more astonishing happened.
Xie Diao suddenly smiled, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Immediately after, cracks appeared on the sword, and in the next moment, it was forcibly snapped in two.
The crowd gasped, covering their mouths in shock.
A swordsman breaking his own sword.
Was this really a level of power someone of their generation could unleash?
Xie Diao gripped the broken blade, reversed his grip, and thrust it toward the swordsman’s abdomen—
“Xie Diao!” Nan Yao called out to him.
No. The swordsman’s abdomen couldn’t withstand such a blow. If Xie Diao didn’t hold back, it would surely pierce through his organs, shattering his liver and gallbladder.
He couldn’t kill someone in front of everyone.
If he had to kill, he should wait until they were outside and do it secretly.
Xie Diao seemed to pay no heed to Nan Yao’s voice, only stopping his hand as the blade neared the man’s abdomen. He forcibly changed direction, reducing the force by ninety percent, and pierced through the swordsman’s shoulder instead.
The swordsman clutched his shoulder, staggering back several steps. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, writhing in agony on the ground.
Xie Diao stood up, blowing away the residual fragments of the broken blade from his hand, and walked over to the rolling swordsman.
The swordsman scrambled backward in terror.
Xie Diao crouched in front of him, watching with amusement as he flailed on the ground, and slightly lifted his chin. “See?”
“S-see what?”
“If she were possessed by an evil spirit, your head would already be gone.” Xie Diao pointed at Nan Yao, then raised his eyes to the cultivators who had been itching to make a move earlier. “There’s no need to even enter Soul-Calling Mountain—I can make you die right now.”
Silence fell all around.
Qi Guyuan and Yu Chichi, having paid their protection fees, were now brimming with pride. The two stood on either side of Xie Diao like lackeys of a villain, hands on their hips as if guarding him.
“Exactly!”
“That’s right!”
Liu Zhiyai joined their ranks. “We paid protection fees! Have you ever seen evil spirits collecting protection fees? No! Only cunning, deceitful people do that. So, in conclusion, they’re human!”
“…” For a moment, it was hard to tell whether he was actually helping them or not.
Seeing that Xie Diao hadn’t killed anyone, Nan Yao also breathed a sigh of relief.
Once relaxed, she began to push her luck.
Who was it that said she couldn’t even enter Soul-Calling Mountain without his help?
She didn’t like hearing that.
Nan Yao stepped into the secret realm, announcing to the world as she walked, “Look, I’m going in.”
But the next second, she jumped back out, gloating. “Look, I’m back again.”
Seeing this, Liu Zhiyai shot a fierce glare at Xiao Wuji, who had looked down on him, and walked over to Nan Yao. Together, they jumped in and out of the secret realm, filling the air with a lively atmosphere—
The two of them hopped back and forth repeatedly.
“I’m in!”
“I’m back!”
Before the God-Peering Mirror, countless elders and concerned citizens of the cultivation world watched this bizarre scene, lost in thought. They saw:
A terrifying great demon bullying people.
Two of the great demon’s underlings swaggering at his side.
And a man and a woman hopping wildly in and out of the secret realm’s entrance.
What kind of evil villain organization was this?!
Xuanxu Zhanglao breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.
The youth named Xie Diao hadn’t dealt a fatal blow, and since the Spirit Fighting Competition inevitably involved conflict, the current commotion was actually quite normal.
He glanced at Ye Yin’s score sheet, thinking that since Xie Diao had been so chivalrous in stepping forward, he ought to have earned some points from Ye Yin.
However—
[Nan Yao]: Lively and adorable, bonus points; Poor thing being targeted, consolation points; Not easy to clear her name, hard work points.
[Xie Diao]: Points deducted. Why do you care? Just deduct them.
“…”
For a moment, Xuanxu Zhanglao couldn’t decide whether Xie Diao was beyond saving or Ye Yin was.
*
[This is the first time I’ve seen Senior Brother Xiao Wuji lose face…]
[Let’s analyze rationally: who is stronger, Xiao Wuji or that youth named Xie Diao?]
[Anyone asking that clearly hasn’t cultivated immortality. At the same age, being able to snap a sword cultivator’s lifebound sword barehanded without any effort—that can’t even be described as genius anymore.]
Under the gaze of countless spectators, the antagonist team entered the Secret realm of Soul-Calling Mountain.
After all cultivators had entered the secret realm, the spatial rift vanished without a trace.
Within the Secret realm of Soul-Calling Mountain, all magical artifacts would cease to function, so Nan Yao’s Spiritual pouch was obviously useless now. Moreover, to prevent anyone from cutting corners, sword flight was also disabled inside the secret realm.
But their current location was the Bone-eating River.
This river had no bridge. The water wasn’t deep, but it teemed with Bone-eating fish that fed on human bones and blood. These fish moved in massive schools, with most having lived in the river for over a century.
While it wasn’t impossible to force their way across, they’d likely be severely injured in the process.
And the fish weren’t the most terrifying part—the real danger was that using Spiritual power near the Soul-Calling River would attract a fearsome demonic creature unique to Soul-Calling Mountain.
So far, no one possessed reliable intelligence about this creature.
Therefore, to be safe, everyone had to cross the river with extreme caution, avoiding attacks from the Bone-eating fish at all costs.
The sword cultivator who’d had his sword broken earlier was already mentally shattered. He wept like a man who’d lost his wife, pitifully clinging to the talisman cultivator’s shoulder while sobbing intermittently.
As his crying grew louder, disturbances appeared in the Bone-eating River—dark shadows began swimming toward his feet.
“Shut up!” The talisman cultivator clamped a hand over the sword cultivator’s mouth.
The shadows stopped moving.
It seemed these fish were sensitive to human voices.
The talisman cultivator’s eyes shifted cunningly as a scheme formed in his mind.
Though they couldn’t defeat the antagonist team in direct combat, they could certainly sabotage them covertly. They would wait hidden on the riverbank, and when Nan Yao’s group attempted to cross, they’d hurl stones into the water to disturb the fish schools and trigger attacks.
No matter how powerful their Spiritual power might be, near the Bone-eating River they wouldn’t dare use it recklessly. Even if they survived, they’d be badly wounded.
The more the talisman cultivator thought about it, the more perfect this revenge plot seemed. A sinister light gleamed in his eyes as he chuckled darkly, then yanked the sword cultivator’s collar to hide behind a tree, staring intently at Nan Yao and the others like a predator.
Just wait until you try to cross the river!
The talisman cultivator waited and waited.
The first group tiptoed across carefully on stepping stones.
The second group began crossing but someone slipped into the water—one elimination.
The third group went searching for an alternative route.
The fourth group…
The fifth group…
Huh?
Where did those wretched antagonists disappear to?
Fu Xiu waited until he was both sleepy and hungry. Just as he couldn’t help yawning, he suddenly caught a whiff of an enticing aroma.
The scent of cumin!
Extra spicy and numbing!
Damn it, someone even secretly added vinegar!
Wait a moment, why could he smell grilled fish?
Fu Xiu jolted awake, lifted his head to look around, and finally spotted six people feasting heartily by the riverside not far away, along with a little squirrel.
Nan Yao mumbled with a fish in her mouth, “I was planning to keep jumping a while longer to mock them, but I almost forgot something important.”
That’s right.
Why did Nan Yao, who had been jumping back and forth with Liu Zhiyai for half an hour, suddenly stop?
Because she realized it was mealtime.
Liu Zhiyai gave a thumbs up while eating, “Crispy but not burnt, Yu Chichi, your cooking skills are really impressive.”
Yu Chichi felt somewhat embarrassed, “Sky money.”
This time Nan Yao understood what Yu Chichi meant: If you think it’s delicious I can cook for you every day but you have to pay me.
The talisman practitioner’s pupils trembled in shock.
Why were there fish? How could they grill fish? Wasn’t it said that items stored in the spiritual pouch couldn’t be used?
Soon, the group finished eating all five fish.
But they clearly felt it wasn’t enough, so they looked eagerly at Nan Yao.
Nan Yao turned around to face the Bone-eating River and shouted with full energy, “Are there any more fish? We’ve finished eating!”
Bone-eating fish: Don’t come any closer!!
Author’s note: Can’t tell whether the villain is the villain, or the villain thinks the villain is the villain.
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or irrigated with nutrient solution between 2022-01-08 18:27:42~2022-01-09 22:24:14~
Thank you to the little angel who threw a shallow water bomb: 18795935 1;
Thank you to the little angel who threw a rocket launcher: Mu Zi 1;
Thank you to the little angels who threw grenades: Bai Baiya 3; Shao Zhu, 28240862 1;
Thank you to the little angels who threw landmines: Summer also wants to eat watermelon 2; Today also need to sleep well a, Alice, kirrrrr, Chang’an returns to hometown, Li Bai gege 1;
Thank you to the little angels who irrigated with nutrient solution: Lu Renjia 141 bottles; Du Ruo 67 bottles; Alice 40 bottles; One little moon 20 bottles; Zhizhi is Zhizhi, Reversed Utopia, asimio, Salt water, Angelia, Xie Meimei, Jinghong. 10 bottles; Fengyin Qingjiu 6 bottles; Milk cap, One big pomelo, 24530533 5 bottles; Very cool no chatting 4 bottles; Zhuo Shuo Shuo Shuo Shuo Shuo Shuo Shuo, Suihe 2 bottles; Green bird mournful, 47993325, Quicksand, Zero degree, Ningzai OvO, Un un eating melon 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!