Even by the following day, the resentment accumulating in Fu Jinyue’s heart only grew more pronounced.
She had humbled herself to such an extent, exhausting every manner of flattery. Had he truly remained completely unmoved, she might have let it go, but the man had clearly been swayed yet chose to push her away time and time again.
Yun Heyin—what an exceptional Yun Heyin.
Fu Jinyue had never encountered a piece of fruit so firmly attached to its branch. She returned from the encounter utterly disheartened, nursing her grievances in relative secrecy without venting them outwardly. Only the system, which had constantly remained by her side, could discern the turbulent waves beneath her tranquil facade.
The system advised: [If it truly isn’t working out, just switch to a different target. The Sword Sect has plenty of people and options to choose from. Once your cultivation surges in the future, you can always capture him to vent your anger.]
Fu Jinyue replied, “That isn’t entirely out of the question.”
She fell into deep thought.
She knew very few individuals within the cultivation world. The male cultivators she could recall at a moment’s notice—aside from Yun Heyin—amounted to the seventy-odd-year-old crane demon, Sinian, and the thoroughly cowardly Cui Lecheng.
Sinian possessed a delicate appearance and a well-behaved personality, and his cultivation was presumably above the Golden Core stage. Yet he was terribly naive, and his actual age was a lingering factor; unless absolutely pushed to desperation, Fu Jinyue truly had no desire to lay a hand on him.
As for Cui Lecheng—at the thought of that perennially smiling, spineless Golden Core cultivator—her thoughts paused briefly before she sighed, “He would merely be a general picked from among a crowd of dwarfs.”
The system offered another suggestion: [There is another path available.]
Fu Jinyue felt a slight stir of interest. “Let’s hear it.”
The system explained: [Since fully fledged cultivators are proud and difficult to tame, why not select a promising young seedling and nurture him from an early stage?]
Fu Jinyue arched an eyebrow. “Nurture him how?”
The answer was completely self-evident. The system proclaimed enthusiastically: [Select a fine seedling who is entirely solitary and without reliance. Sheltered by you, cherished by you, and safely escorted by you through every stage of his growth, he will feel as though he is held at the very center of your heart. In this manner, even if his cultivation towers in the future, his heart will undoubtedly remain unable to forsake you.]
Fu Jinyue countered, “You want me to pick up a child and act as his mother, feeding heavenly treasures, fortuitous opportunities, and miraculous encounters straight into his mouth? To exhaust my blood and sweat, merely waiting for him to attain the Dao and ascend, so that I can be the chicken or dog that rides his coattails to heaven?”
She let out a cold laugh. “Absolutely impossible.”
If the two positions were reversed, she might give it some modicum of consideration.
Feeling a lingering knot of frustration in her heart, Fu Jinyue snapped off a spiritual flower that had bloomed within her courtyard. It was a double-petaled white blossom, its petals delicate and soft with wave-like rippling edges, appearing thoroughly cool, detached, and noble. Staring at it, she suddenly closed her palm, crushing and grinding the flower into pieces. The juices trickled down her palm—a shallow, milky white liquid dropping like melted snow.
She stared at it silently, only letting go and tossing it aside when the juice was on the verge of staining her skirt. The gloomy expression on Fu Jinyue’s face vanished, replaced once more by tranquility.
She said to herself, “I should still redouble my efforts.”
The main peak of the Sword Sect, Juefuyun.
Among the thirty-two peaks within the sect, the Sword Sect’s main peak was not the most grand or majestic, yet it was undoubtedly the highest and most precipitous.
Its shape could truly be called wondrous, for the mountain peak was razor-sharp, resembling a sword pointing directly into the firmament. It naturally evoked the origin of its name—a line of poetry carved into the mountain ridge in an incredibly unconstrained style: Wielding the sword to break the floating clouds, the feudal lords all converge from the west.
Further up the mountain ridge, scattered debris and stones ringed the very crest of the main peak. Atop those stones rested the celestial manor that served as the residence of the Sword Sect’s Sect Master.
You Feichen set down the scroll in her hand, turning around to ask, “Did she truly speak in such a manner?”
Yun Heyin nodded, replying succinctly, “Yes.”
An expression of contemplation appeared upon You Feichen’s face. She murmured thoughtfully, “For a dual cultivation method to possess such miraculous efficacy is something I have never before heard of.”
Within the cultivation world, mentioning the use of dual cultivation to heal injuries would likely cause others to laugh their teeth off. Conversely, instances of individuals capturing others for dual cultivation to completely drain their cultivation bases occurred with alarming frequency.
Thanks to the tolerance and magnanimity of the Hehuan sect, heresy cultivators and those on the wicked path would almost always learn a bit of Hehuan techniques. They channeled these methods while committing evil acts and indulging in fleeting pleasures, solely to increase their own cultivation bases, entirely unconcerned with how horrifying the plundered victim’s death might be.
Those on the heresy path were to be executed by anyone, and the Hehuan path was regarded as an absolute disgrace. Furthermore, since an Elder within the sect had previously betrayed them to join the Hehuan sect, every single disciple within the Sword Sect harbored a deep-seated hatred for Hehuan cultivators.
At this thought, You Feichen turned her gaze toward Lu Liuru, who stood to the side, and asked, “Have there been any anomalies among the disciples recently?”
Lu Liuru shook her head. “The disciples who witnessed the events that day have all received compensation and sworn an Inner Demon Oath; they will not speak of Fellow Daoist Fu’s affairs to the outside world. As for the rest of the disciples, since they remain ignorant of Fellow Daoist Fu’s identity, their interactions with her have been reasonably harmonious.”
“Thank you for your hard work,” You Feichen said with a smile. “I know you handle matters thoroughly. Those fellows simply do not want to do their own chores, so they foist everything—trivial or otherwise—upon your shoulders. It has been hard on you.”
Lu Liuru lowered her head. Before she could utter a word, You Feichen cut across her once more.
The Sect Master stated, “You have been in the inner sect for several years now. Although your ranking is reasonably high, a new inner sect grand competition is about to commence. To retain the seventeenth position with your current cultivation base will likely not be an easy task. Advancing one’s cultivation requires guidance; have you ever considered acknowledging a master?”
Lu Liuru lifted her eyes, hesitating, “But I…”
The Sword Sect possessed numerous arts and factions. If she were to acknowledge a master, it would be best to find one who practiced the exact same sword style so that she could receive meticulous instruction. Ever since entering the sect, she had consistently practiced the Passionate Sword Dao, which primarily focused on comprehending sword principles through the seven emotions and six desires. However, there were no longer any Elders within the sect who practiced the Passionate Sword Dao.
If she were to acknowledge a master, she would undoubtedly have to alter her sword style…
Noticing her hesitation, You Feichen understood completely and sighed, “Since you have yet to make up your mind, let us leave it at this for now.”
With that, she waved her hand, signaling Lu Liuru to step forward.
Lu Liuru walked forward and received a small storage pouch. You Feichen patted her shoulder, remarking, “I hear you have been of great assistance regarding the grand selection of disciples recently.”
Lu Liuru appeared somewhat constrained. “It is merely a disciple’s duty.”
You Feichen countered, “Ah, there is no need to decline. Heyin mentioned that your relationship with Little Friend Fu is quite decent. Do you two occasionally spend leisure time together?”
Lu Liuru replied, “With the numerous affairs recently… we have not yet done so.”
You Feichen patted her shoulder once more. “Since you get along well yet lack the free time, let us handle it this way: reserve a seat for that child during the grand selection so she can watch the spectacle. You shall accompany her by her side. This will also spare you from being bothered by the countless minor and major chores from the subordinates, allowing for some hard-earned peace.”
And it would also allow them to grow closer.
Grasping the underlying implication behind the words, Lu Liuru’s expression shifted slightly. Her friendly terms with Fu Jinyue were by no means driven by any sort of material interest or entanglement.
Nevertheless, before the Sect Master, she maintained her lowered head and steadily complied.
You Feichen had no further matters to instruct her on.
Once the female cultivator had departed, Yun Heyin also rose to take his leave. His countenance remained completely detached, and he still wore that completely immaculate attire, conducting himself with perfect propriety in every regard, appearing thoroughly ethereal like an immortal.
Yun Heyin cupped his hands in a formal salute. “All matters have been communicated. This junior takes his leave.”
You Feichen, however, stared at him and remarked, “Heyin, your heart has been swayed.”
Yun Heyin remained perfectly composed. “What does the Sect Master mean?”
Diverging from her dignified posture before the ordinary disciples, You Feichen cast aside all rigid rules before this junior whom she had watched grow since childhood. She sat in a completely unconstrained, broad-legged stance, leaning forward with her elbows resting upon her knees, cradling her chin as she looked at him.
“You treat that Little Friend Fu very uniquely.”
Yun Heyin countered, “I am merely fulfilling the trust placed in me by the Sect Master.”
You Feichen laughed. “Yet I never commanded you to instruct her.”
His features remained entirely fixed and unmoved as Yun Heyin spoke with absolute righteousness, “Only by drawing close to her can I better observe her carefully.”
“Ah,” You Feichen let out a long, exaggerated sigh. “By avoiding the topic, you are simply forcing my hand, child.”
She spoke plainly: “What I am asking is whether Fellow Daoist Fu has caused your heart to sway. To put it explicitly, you harbor affection for her, you like her, and you wish to engage in clouds and rain inside the alley, performing the marital act with her.”
You Feichen asked, “Do I need to state it even more clearly?”
Yun Heyin suppressed his impulse with great effort, a thin layer of fury appearing upon his face, yet he could only reply helplessly, “The position of Sect Master requires one to be prudent in speech and deliberate in action.”
“Haha,” You Feichen laughed heartily, then shook her head and sighed. “You have been thoroughly muddled by the rules of those old fellows.”
“When your father insisted on sending you to the Danding Sect, I stated back then that he had thoroughly bungled the decision of what to eliminate and what to unleash. Rules ought to serve as a guide for a person, rather than a shackle that binds the body. One must either eliminate it completely or unleash it fully; suppression is by no means a permanent solution.”
Yun Heyin’s expression turned thoroughly cold. “Mother stated that I was on the verge of entering demonhood when I practiced the sword.”
Straying from the correct path during cultivation was the mark of a heresy cultivator. Reaching the absolute depths of heresy was the mark of a demon. Even among the countless heresy cultivators who committed numerous atrocities, by no means could every single one be branded a “demon.”
How terrifying must a mere child be for his own mother to brand him with the name of a demon?
You Feichen remarked, “That was simply because Amin was far too worried about you.”
Yun Heyin countered, “Had it not been for the meticulous instruction of my mother, father, the Sword Sect, and the various Elders of the Danding Sect, I fear I would have long ago strayed onto a wicked path, becoming an individual whom anyone would have the right to execute.”
You Feichen conceded, “That is indeed the truth.”
Nevertheless, she continued, “However, that was during your childhood, and young children are the most prone to impulse. Now, you are already True Monarch Jishi; you ought to possess your own judgment regarding many matters.”
Yun Heyin fell silent for a brief moment before stating, “Precisely because of this, I must not allow myself even a shred of slackness.”
A young child holding a sharp weapon might still be managed, as the blades carried no eyes. Yet if an adult held a sharp weapon while completely losing his mental clarity, there was no guarantee he would not bring catastrophe upon an entire region…
Unwilling to engage in an argument with his elder, he cupped his hands in a formal salute. “Sect Master, further words are of no benefit. This junior takes his leave.”
Seeing that his mind was entirely made up, You Feichen did not bar his path. She merely stared at the child’s departing silhouette and chuckled softly, “Since the day I held the blade and assumed the position of the Sword Sect’s Sect Master, I have never once given a thought to conventional logic.”
“Heyin, there is no need to hold so many concerns in your heart. If you act so timidly, are you not afraid that the person you harbor affection for—who happens to practice the Hehuan path—will throw herself into another’s embrace?”
Yun Heyin did not turn his head.
Yet the words of Sect Master You continued to drift into his ears alongside the wind.
She advised, “Go ahead and try as your heart desires. If you truly enter demonhood, I shall personally sever your life with a single stroke of my blade.”
At this point, You Feichen paused briefly, murmuring under her breath in a low, solitary whisper, “Consider it a bit of care from me as your godmother, fulfilling Amin’s wishes on her behalf. In this manner… her desires will not have been forsaken.”
A female cultivator stood waiting outside the courtyard. Hearing the approaching footsteps, she inquired from the sound, “The sect’s grand selection of disciples is about to commence recently. Does Junior Sister Jinyue wish to go and watch?”
Fu Jinyue was holding a massive cluster of double-petaled white flowers. The moment she stepped over the threshold, she caught this inquiry.
The Sword Sect’s grand selection of disciples?
Oh, she remembered now—it was the matter Cui Lecheng had mentioned yesterday.
Since it was a grand selection, she would likely be able to catch sight of numerous powerful grandmasters of the Sword Sect whose cultivation bases had achieved great success. They would undoubtedly wish to select some promising disciples, so it was impossible for them to absent themselves.
Fu Jinyue cast a distant glance toward the bamboo courtyard directly opposite.
Things had already stalled to this point anyway; well, having more options was always a good thing.
Fu Jinyue asked, “This is an internal affair of the sect, is it not? Is it appropriate for an outsider like myself to attend?”
Lu Liuru offered a slight smile and said, “It is no matter. The Sect Master deliberately reserved a seat, instructing me to accompany Junior Sister Jinyue to watch the spectacle.”
The Sword Sect’s Sect Master? You Feichen?
Fu Jinyue pondered briefly and understood completely.
She wanted someone to nurture a relationship with her, didn’t she?
Since she had nothing better to do anyway, Fu Jinyue accepted the invitation.
In the days that followed, she began to travel back and forth along a fixed routine connecting the bamboo mountain, the fields, and her neighbor. Yet Yun Heyin was someone she could hardly catch sight of anymore; even on the rare occasions they crossed paths, his expression remained completely detached, and he never engaged in conversation.
The heavy responsibility of instructing her in spells and sword arts fell upon the shoulders of the crane demons. Fortunately, although the crane demons appeared young, their explanations regarding the path of spells were by no means inferior to Yun Heyin’s.
He is deliberately avoiding me.
Fu Jinyue understood this clearly in her heart. Finding this man thoroughly tedious, she simply chose to temporarily cast him aside and ignore him out of a burst of irritation.
Consequently, the expression that was already cold upon Yun Heyin’s face turned even more detached and bleak, resembling a snow-covered mountain peak of the high ranges.
Sinian and Siyan, the two crane demons, were already shivering from the sheer frost.
Yet Fu Jinyue maintained that completely heartless and carefree demeanor.
After all, a cold war could only wound both parties if they actually cared about each other mutually. She had never placed the man in her heart, so why would she find herself feeling awkward or distressed?
By the day of the Sword Sect’s grand selection of disciples, the sunlight shone brilliantly. On the night before, cultivators had already flown to the high altitudes to disperse the clouds and clear away the rain.
Upon the martial arts arena, the stages had been dismantled, and the disciples had ushered the mortals from the Reception Peak onto the grounds in massive crowds, lining them up into separate ranks based on age and gender before further dividing them into small squads.
Due to proper direction, the expansive grounds were quickly filled with neatly arranged ranks of people.
Twelve life-sized spiritual testing stones were lined up in a single row. Twelve disciples held registers in their hands; the moment a name was called out, the individual would step forward on their own accord, and the spiritual testing would commence simultaneously.
Once this process began, it would persist until evening, pausing only during midday when cultivators summoned a layer of dark clouds and a light sprinkle of rain to offer a brief moment of coolness before resuming.
Fu Jinyue sat at the edge of the elevated seating area. As she looked down upon the myriad of living beings beneath her while casually chatting with Lu Liuru, she felt the only thing missing from her hand was a handful of melon seeds.
She remarked with emotion that it was no wonder most individuals who attained immortality eventually came to view all living beings as mere blades of grass. Had it not been for the constraints of the Heavenly Dao, they would likely fail to display even a shred of pity toward the life and death of mortals.
Even a minor Qi Condensation cultivator like herself, after looking down from a high perch for an extended period, felt a certain arrogance rise within her heart.
Each of the twelve spiritual testing stones was guarded by someone. Whenever an individual possessing a spiritual root configuration of three roots or better appeared, a spell would be used to proclaim it aloud, allowing it to be heard clearly from afar.
Having listened to it for too long, Fu Jinyue could not help but stifle a yawn.
She looked left and right; the positions on the seating platform were spaced somewhat far apart. If she eagerly ran over to converse with others, it would undoubtedly lower her status, so she could only suppress her movements and remain still.
While she was pondering how to form acquaintances, she noticed a sudden stir among the various cultivators on the platform, and the martial arts arena below became a sea of moving heads. The sound of whispering was incredibly clamorous, filling the air with a loud hum.
Only now did the proclamation of the spiritual testing results arrive tardily. The voice seemed to carry a hint of astonishment, echoing across the expansive sky above the martial arts arena for a long moment.
“Xi Chuan, sixth layer of Qi Condensation! Spiritual testing result: a mutated single spiritual root of the thunder attribute!”
A single spiritual root, one in ten thousand! And it was of the thunder attribute!
Such an exceptional seedling…
The cultivators who had been sitting firmly could finally restrain themselves no longer, leaning forward to look down with urgent postures. The clamor within the arena instantly intensified, and the crowd converged like a flowing stream. The youth encircled at the very center maintained a steady expression, remaining completely unmoved even as praises and excessive compliments rained down upon him from all sides.
“Though this youth is young, his mental fortitude is remarkably rare,” someone remarked with emotion.
That individual sat not far from Fu Jinyue. After uttering his lament, as if terrified of missing a golden opportunity, he suddenly stood up and shouted toward the youth below the platform, “I am True Monarch Xiaoyao, Gu Jianzhang! Your aptitude and mental fortitude are both excellent, young friend. Why not come under my lineage to practice the Wuhui Sword Art?”
He was actually jumping ahead to claim the boy.
As these words fell, the crowd fell silent for a brief moment before an even louder hum of whispering erupted.
Quite a few cultivators upon the platform voiced complaints along the lines of “Jianzhang, you are thoroughly shameless.”
The youth also tilted his head slightly, casting his gaze toward the elevated platform.
He was at the sixth layer of Qi Condensation, and his eyesight was already near the absolute pinnacle of mortals; looking from a distance, he could faintly discern the individuals upon the high seats.
The elderly man stood stroking his beard, waiting for his response with complete composure.
However, Xi Chuan, who had merely followed the sound to look over, had no choice but to be drawn by another silhouette the exact moment his gaze drifted across.
That woman wore a brocade dress adorned with orchid patterns. The inner layer was a pristine white, while the outer layer was an orange resembling the morning mist, draped with a semi-transparent indigo-blue silk shawl. She was turned slightly to the side, talking and laughing with the person beside her.
She was swaying the round fan in her hand, her features gentle and her posture elegant. Bathed in the sunlight, she resembled a noble flower plucked and arranged inside a rare, precious vase.
Was she… living unhappily?
Xi Chuan stared with such absolute concentration, hoping against hope that she might cast a single glance over.
Yet she did not care in the slightest about the reason behind the surrounding commotion. It was only when the person talking and laughing alongside her looked over toward this direction and noticed his stunned expression that she finally cast her gaze toward this side amidst the other’s peculiar behavior.
Fu Jinyue’s expression froze instantly, her gaze locking in place.
She had never anticipated that the one-in-ten-thousand genius drawing a mountain of attention would turn out to be the youth who had shared a night with her inside the mountain cave.
Fu Jinyue pursed her lips, hesitation rising in her heart. With the shouting across the venue rising and falling in waves, she had inadvertently missed the proclamation due to her distraction.
Therefore, this youth… he…
What was his name again?