Under the unwavering light of the Heart Reflecting Mirror, the souls of Chu Mingyao and Perfected Zizhu were laid bare, and every shadow of doubt was incinerated. Their innocence was absolute.
Perfected Ziguang, ever magnanimous, acted decisively on behalf of the Hall of Punishment. To atone for the wrongful suspicion, he decreed a lavish compensation of one hundred top-grade Spirit Gathering Pills for Chu Mingyao and one hundred top-grade Essence Gathering Pills for Perfected Zizhu.
The expressions of Perfected Ziling and Perfected Ziqiong flickered with fleeting annoyance. Such a payout was a significant drain on the sect’s premium reserves. However, Perfected Ziguang was the sovereign of the Hall of Punishment. Since the other nine elders remained silent, the sect master and the grand elder had no choice but to swallow their objections.
With the resources in hand, Perfected Zizhu escorted Chu Mingyao to Neiwu Peak to collect her official mission rewards. With their innocence reaffirmed, Perfected Zizhu returned to his rotation duties, his authority fully restored.
As for Chu Mingyao, she now possessed an enormous amount of cultivation resources. The prospect of her upcoming ‘punishment’ in the Siguo Jue Valley no longer worried her. With these pills, the valley would be a sanctuary for a breakthrough, not a prison.
But before she retreated into seclusion, she had one more debt to collect. She turned to Perfected Zizhu with eyes bright with anticipation.
“Martial Uncle, you promised me. You said once we returned, you would tell me everything. Isn’t it time?”
Perfected Zizhu sighed, a look of weary defeat on his face as he pressed a jade slip into her hand. “I’ve recorded everything I know within. Read it, then destroy it. These are secrets people fear to whisper, and I am no exception.”
Chu Mingyao agreed instantly. Knowing her word was ironclad, Perfected Zizhu left her to her own devices.
Tucking the jade slip safely away, she set her sights on Zhanglao Peak. It was time to pay a visit to her master, Perfected Ziqiong. She knew he likely wanted nothing to do with her right now, but that was exactly why she was going— to add a little irritation to his day.
She couldn’t defeat him in open combat— not yet— but she could certainly mess with his head. To appear as the utterly obedient, devoted disciple, while every word she spoke twisted the knife in his old wounds…… she found the prospect quite wonderful.
────ρя
Zhanglao Peak, the Grand Elder’s Courtyard
With a face of solemn sincerity, Chu Mingyao informed Perfected Ziqiong that she was ready to begin her sentence in Siguo Jue Valley.
Before Perfected Ziqiong could even open his mouth to confiscate her newly acquired resources for the ‘good of the sect’, she struck first, “Master, I truly wish I could share my rewards with my fellow disciples. Unfortunately, everything I received today is strictly for the Nascent Soul stage. Since I am the only one of my generation to reach this level, it seems I am forced to use them all myself.”
Perfected Ziqiong’s mouth hung open, his intended lecture dying in his throat.
Chu Mingyao spoke with firm resolve, “Please rest assured, Master. For the sake of our sect’s overall strength, once I have raised my cultivation, I will certainly help my junior brothers and sisters obtain even greater treasures for the sect!”
She flashed a bright, dazzling smile.
Empty promises? She could play that game, too!
After all, talk was cheap. It didn’t mean she actually had to hand over her own cultivation resources. When the time came, if she ‘couldn’t find anything suitable for her juniors’, or if ‘unforeseen circumstances prevented her from bringing anything back’…… well, who could say for sure?
“Martial Uncle Ziguang is right. This Dao Discussion Assembly is a golden opportunity for me to bring honor to the sect.” She continued. “I will definitely cherish the time remaining and work hard to improve my strength. However, I previously committed to going to Siguo Jue Valley, and it wouldn’t be right to go back on my word. Fortunately, my recent task yielded some gains, allowing me to make a bit of progress.”
Perfected Ziqiong stared at Chu Mingyao, his expression unreadable.
He had already secretly cast another spell— one designed to distort cognition. Yet, the words Chu Mingyao spoke were still not what he had anticipated.
Wait. She said she would help her juniors find resources after improving her own strength?
Could he have accidentally overdone it? Had his attempt to ‘correct’ the previously foolish Chu Mingyao— who used to mindlessly hand over her own sect-allocated resources— been too forceful? Had he turned her into someone who sought external resources for her juniors instead?
But going out…… That might work? There were treasures in Jiujue Secret Realm, specifically Sword Heart Grass, which was vital for Chu Mingdong. Without it, Perfected Ziqiong’s next plan couldn’t proceed.
So be it. He would endure it for now.
Once Chu Mingyao brought back enough Sword Heart Grass…… Heh.
Before Xiang Qingyun appeared, this disciple of his was indeed crucial. But with Xiang Qingyun, he would have someone far easier to control. Why would he need to keep a girl like Chu Mingyao around forever?
As for whether Chu Mingdong’s spotlight at the Dao Discussion Assembly would be stolen by Chu Mingyao…… Perfected Ziqiong felt another headache coming on.
Fortunately, as the sect master, Perfected Ziling was not suited to lead the team to the Hundred Flowers Palace. The leadership role would certainly fall to Perfected Ziqiong. He would still have the chance to ensure Chu Mingdong shone in public without worrying about Perfected Ziling’s suspicions causing him trouble.
He just had to endure for a little longer. It would be fine.
In any case, during this interval, his unfilial disciple would be tucked away in Siguo Jue Valley. Out of sight, out of mind. It was the perfect opportunity for him to finalize the arrangements for the Dao Discussion Assembly.
────ρя
After leaving the Grand Elder’s Courtyard, Chu Mingyao hesitated for a brief moment. She sent a short voice transmission to Perfected Zizhu, then turned her focus toward Siguo Jue Valley.
She had no intention of notifying anyone else.
After all, for those who didn’t care for her, what point was there in knowing her whereabouts? It would only serve as fodder for gossip. As for those who truly cared, they would find a way to discover where she had gone if she remained missing for long.
Perfected Zizhu replied quickly, sending a few words of encouragement. Chu Mingyao allowed a faint smile to touch her lips before looking toward the narrow path ahead, wedged between two sheer, towering cliffs.
Beyond that point lay Siguo Jue Valley.
One didn’t even need to reach the heart of the valley to feel its effects. The moment you stepped onto that narrow path, you entered a place entirely devoid of spiritual energy. From her vantage point, the winding trail seemed endless, flanked by steep stone walls and jagged, protruding rocks that looked as though they might plummet and crush a traveler at any moment.
Chu Mingyao pressed her lips together, her resolve hardening.
The true terror of Siguo Jue Valley lay in the immense psychological weight of the environment. Being unable to draw spiritual energy from the world around you inherently weakened your strength, which in turn fed a mounting sense of unease.
But if she could withstand this trial, the rewards would be immense!
With a flicker of thought, her natal longsword flew into her hand. Once inside the valley, the spiritual power within her body would become a finite, non-renewable resource. By unsheathing her sword now, she could shave off even a fraction of the cost of drawing it later.
Though the energy required was negligible compared to her total reserves— and she had pills to replenish herself— it was better to be frugal. In a place like this, there was no telling how quickly her power might drain.
With her preparations complete, Chu Mingyao stepped onto the path.
The cliffs reached so high into the clouds that they left only a sliver of space, barely wide enough for one person to pass. It was an oppressively cramped world. Only a thin ribbon of light spilled down from far above, and by the time it reached the valley floor, it was dim and grey— just enough to see the ground beneath her feet.
The further she walked, the heavier the sense of isolation became, as if the entire world had turned its back on her.
Chu Mingyao’s grip tightened on her sword. She could feel the pressure.
Yet, even as the pressure mounted, she could feel her divine sense being continuously refined.
On the surface, it appeared as though her mental reserves were being depleted, her energy draining away. In reality, the quality of her divine sense was sharpening at an astonishing rate. This— this was exactly why she had chosen Siguo Jue Valley.
She knew that if she didn’t seize the initiative, she would remain a pawn in Perfected Ziqiong’s games, subject to whatever schemes he had in store for her. Rather than waiting for an uncertain future, she would fight for a cultivation environment that actually suited her needs.
Having once experienced her divine sense reaching the Nascent Soul stage faster than her physical cultivation, she already understood the immense benefits of a powerful mind. In Siguo Jue Valley, her spiritual power would stagnate, and even if she consumed every pill in her possession, it would make little difference to her core cultivation.
But under this intense pressure, her divine sense could evolve.
In this void, she could accelerate the condensation of her sword intent, tempering the small sword within her sea of consciousness until it rang with power. She could practice the Soul Extinguishing Needle— the technique Perfected Zizhu had taught her— without restraint.
Siguo Jue Valley restricted spiritual energy, but it could not touch her divine sense.
The moment her shoes hit the dirt of that narrow path, Chu Mingyao entered a deep state of cultivation. Every external distraction, every petty sect grievance, was cast aside. She lost herself in the singular pursuit of power.
Improve.
Become stronger— and stronger still.