“Second Senior Brother…… do you think I’m really that stupid?”
Xiang Qingyun tugged at Chu Mingnan’s sleeve, her eyes red-rimmed and brimming with pitiful grievance. Her voice trembled with a sob, and tears pooled in her eyes, threatening to fall at any moment.
“I only thought that since I’d grown stronger, I could help slay monsters and demons. I forgot that no matter how hard I try, I can never compare to Eldest Senior Sister. I can only hold her back. I wanted to help her, but it seems I only ended up making her unhappy. I…… I truly just wanted to be useful to her……”
She looked heartbreakingly fragile.
Chu Mingnan finally withdrew his gaze from the horizon where Chu Mingyao had vanished. The speed she had displayed had truly shaken him. As an experienced Sword Sect disciple, he wasn’t foolish enough to believe that was the standard for someone who had just stepped into the Nascent Soul realm. Even among seasoned Nascent Soul cultivators, Chu Mingyao’s current strength would undoubtedly rank in the upper-middle tier.
He suppressed his astonishment and offered Xiang Qingyun a gentle smile. “How could that be? Our Yun’er is already very impressive. Eldest Senior Sister is just……”
For a split second, his smile faltered. The eldest senior sister who had emerged after the sect competition felt like an entirely different person. Still, he couldn’t let his junior sister see that he was shaken.
He forced a calm tone, “Eldest Senior Sister cannot be measured by common sense. Why compare yourself to her? When ordinary geniuses form their core, a Seven-Turn Golden Core is already considered a mark of quality. Only a rare few manage an Eight-Turn, and a Nine-Turn is nearly unheard of. Yet Eldest Senior Sister was the first among us to form hers, and it was a perfect Nine-Turn[1]refers to a cycle of refinement or purification, where the golden core is tempered repeatedly to reach a higher state of power and perfection jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1985670_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1985670_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });. Comparing ourselves to such a prodigy is only asking for trouble.”
Xiang Qingyun sighed, her voice thick with envy, “A Nine-Turn Golden Core…… how wonderful that must be.”
“It is.” Chu Mingnan nodded.
He failed to notice the flash of cold viciousness that crossed Xiang Qingyun’s eyes. Seeing only her apparent envy, he continued his gentle comfort.
“The human body has seven orifices, and a Seven-Turn Golden Core corresponds to that harmony. Cultivating one already grants the potential for immortality. Eight or nine turns are merely icing on the cake. You had already formed your core when you joined the sect, and fortunately, it was a high-grade Seven-Turn. You needn’t envy her too much. As long as we have the potential to ascend, that is enough. Once one becomes an immortal, there is a chance to be reborn and forge a true immortal body. There’s no need to dwell on the past.”
Xiang Qingyun looked up at him with moist eyes and a shy, tentative smile. “Second Senior Brother is right. Just having the chance to cultivate is something I’m deeply grateful for. If Master hadn’t brought me here, I might have died at the hands of evil beings long ago. That’s exactly why I wanted to follow Eldest Senior Sister— to contribute my strength. It’s just a pity……”
Her voice trailed off into a whisper until she bit her lower lip and fell into a pained silence.
Chu Mingnan felt a sharp pang of pity. Xiang Qingyun’s master was the current sect leader of the Sword Sect, Perfected Ziling. According to him, he had once received a distress signal from the Shadowless Sect, a subordinate branch of their own. By the time he arrived, the entire sect had been decimated by demons. Only Xiang Qingyun— having just formed her Golden Core— was still alive, desperately holding her ground against the assault.
Perfected Ziling saved her and learned she had been a hidden genius, secretly nurtured by the Shadowless Sect to eventually elevate their standing. Because of her potential, they had poured their entire collective fortune into her cultivation. That was how she had formed a high-grade Seven-Turn Golden Core at such a tender age, becoming a powerhouse within her small sect.
Xiang Qingyun carried the Shadowless Sect’s identity token and was proficient in their exclusive techniques. Even her Seven-Turn Golden Core bore the distinct traces of their cultivation methods. Her identity was beyond reproach. In the cultivation world, it wasn’t uncommon for a small sect to gamble everything on a single prodigy in hopes of rising to fame.
Thus, no one suspected her. To everyone, she was simply a tragic survivor whose fellow disciples and elders had been slaughtered by demons.
The more Chu Mingnan reflected on her background, the more he felt compelled to help her. Her going to Danming Village with Chu Mingyao was out of the question, but he could take her himself. There were still a few days left in the month— enough to finish his work and then escort her down the mountain.
“Yun’er, how about this?” He said, “Once I receive the materials, I’ll return to refine a fresh furnace of pills to help you break through to late-stage Golden Core. After your breakthrough, I will personally take you to Danming Village. How does that sound?”
“Huh? Really?!” Xiang Qingyun looked at him with a mix of surprise and delight. But almost immediately, her fingers began to fidget restlessly.
She was still clutching Chu Mingnan’s sleeve, and the restless movement of her fingers caught his attention immediately.
Before he could ask, she spoke up shyly, “But…… won’t that delay your own cultivation, Second Senior Brother?”
A wave of warmth spread through Chu Mingnan’s heart. Hearing her concern made him care even less about the sacrifice. “Don’t worry.” He reassured her. “I walk the path of alchemy. For me, the act of refining the pills is the cultivation I need. The pills themselves are secondary.”
It was a half-truth, said purely to ease her guilt. While the process was vital, the resources were never truly unimportant.
“You’re already at the peak of the mid-stage.” He continued. “If one furnace of pills can push you to the late-stage before the month ends, we’ll let you break through first, collect your updated stipend, and then head down the mountain together. If you don’t break through by then, I’ll still take you regardless. How does that sound?”
Just as he expected, after a brief struggle, Xiang Qingyun nodded in agreement. As they walked toward the mountain peak, she kept stealing affectionate glances at him, her eyes wide with devotion.
────ρя
This translation is by Pocketrobbin at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m
Meanwhile, Chu Mingyao had already claimed her stipend and officially accepted the Danming Village Monster Extermination mission.
This was a large-scale, open-ended mission with no cap on participants. Any disciple who accepted it could view the roster of others already on the task before deciding to commit. Rewards were distributed based on individual contribution, verified through a variety of methods— local cultivator evaluations, villager feedback, monster-slaying records, and the submission of physical remains.
To track these contributions, the sect utilized an exclusive recording artifact known as the Heavenly Water Screen.
Upon accepting the mission, Chu Mingyao was handed a small, water-blue sphere roughly the size of a pearl. This was a subsidiary body of the Heavenly Water Screen. The main artifact remained under heavy guard on Neiwu Peak, acting as the central hub for every recording pearl currently in the field.
These subsidiary spheres had limited recording capacities and could only be read once. Upon playback, the pearl would dissipate. Nevertheless, it was more than sufficient for the rigors of a sect mission.
Chu Mingyao infused the Heavenly Water Screen’s subsidiary body with a thread of her spiritual sense, gaining the ability to alter its shape and activate its recording mode at will. With a fleeting thought, the pearl in her hand transformed into a subtle hair ornament, nestling securely among her tresses.
She was just about to depart for Danming Village when a voice transmission from Perfected Ziqiong arrived, cold and imperious. He ordered her to report to the Grand Elder’s Residence immediately.
Chu Mingyao had just stepped out of the mission hall. Standing atop the heights of Neiwu Peak, she gazed up at the vast, cloudless blue sky. The sunlight was brilliant, yet a cold shadow crept over her heart.
Her master had finally decided to summon her.
The man who had treated her with such frost when she returned the cave-dwelling token was finally calling her to his side. Chu Mingyao’s lips curled into a mocking smile.
Perfected Zizhu had already dropped subtle hints, warning her to be wary and suggesting that Perfected Ziqiong had likely prepared nothing for her breakthrough. She understood his meaning perfectly. How could she not? In the past, she had only been confused as to why Perfected Zizhu would speak so bluntly about a fellow elder. Now, the truth was as clear as day.
Whenever her cultivation had improved even slightly in the years prior, Perfected Ziqiong would immediately demand she hand over her ‘surplus’ resources to be distributed among her junior brothers— most notably Chu Mingdong. Back then, she had trusted Perfected Ziqiong implicitly. She had been far too easy to deceive, surrendering everything until she was left with nothing for herself.
And as for why he was summoning her now? She could already guess the game he was playing.
……
Zhanglao Peak. The Summit. The Grand Elder’s Residence.
Chu Mingyao was nothing if not tactful. The moment she entered and saw Perfected Ziqiong seated imperiously in the hall’s main seat, she knelt before he even had a chance to flare up.
“This unworthy disciple, Chu Mingyao, pays her respects to Master. I am well aware that breaking through without Master’s permission was a grave transgression. Upon my return from Danming Village, I will voluntarily request punishment. I shall enter the Siguo Jue Valley[2]Valley of Reflection jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1985670_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1985670_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); and remain there until the eve of the Dao Discussion Assembly.”
Siguo Jue Valley was a notorious site within the Sword Sect. It was a desolate wasteland of stone— the ground was jagged rock, the cliffs were sheer walls, and the only way in or out was a narrow, treacherous path.
Worse yet, it was entirely devoid of spiritual energy.
For cultivators who no longer required food, isolation was rarely a threat. As long as there was energy to refine, decades could pass in what felt like a blink. But in a place without spiritual energy, cultivation was impossible. One could only stare blankly at the endless gray rocks until one’s mind frayed. Consequently, the sect maintained two tiers of punishment— the Siguo Jue Cliff[3]Cliff of Reflection jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1985670_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1985670_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, which possessed spiritual energy, and the Siguo Jue Valley, which did not. The latter was almost never used.
Yet Chu Mingyao proposed it with total confidence. She knew that in the valley, her strength would actually increase faster than anywhere else. It was her chosen seclusion site— far safer than any cave dwelling Perfected Ziqiong could tamper with, and the results would be far more profound.
The moment she mentioned the Siguo Jue Valley, Perfected Ziqiong’s pent-up resentment hit a wall. He was left speechless, unable to devise a punishment more severe than the one she had already volunteered.
Rationally, Perfected Ziqiong felt that sending her there was the perfect solution. If he assigned her a heavy workload of sect tasks, she would simply find every spare second to cultivate, ‘advancing bravely’ just as she had boasted to Perfected Zizhu. But in the Siguo Jue Valley? There wasn’t a scrap of energy to be had. Surely she couldn’t grow stronger there.
And yet, if she had suggested it herself, why did it feel so wrong? Could she truly find a way to cultivate in such a place?
He didn’t believe it.
Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his irritation and narrowed his eyes. “We will settle that matter upon your return. For now, tell me— during this breakthrough, exactly what pills did you use?”
References[+]