Ever since they had firmly concluded that Yin Xuanlin must be deliberately plotting to harm the junior brother, everyone began searching frantically for evidence that could conclusively nail down his malicious intentions.
Unfortunately, after months of painstaking effort and tireless investigation, they found absolutely nothing.
Instead, it almost seemed as though reality had slapped them in the face.
A few days earlier, Yin Xuanlin had entered seclusion on the back mountain, attempting to break through to a new cultivation realm.
During that time, another disciple named Bai Shuangcheng, whose aptitude was rather ordinary, was, through the deliberate arrangements of his father, an elder of the Medicine Sect, allowed to accompany Xie Chen into the Green Crystal Secret Realm despite lacking the required level of cultivation.
And then misfortune struck.
This unlucky Junior Brother Bai accidentally triggered a hidden mechanism as well and in doing so released a colossal whale like demon beast of unprecedented ferocity.
At that moment, they were truly on the brink of absolute disaster.
It was only because Xie Chen fought desperately to hold the monster back, risking his own life to cover everyone’s escape, that the group managed to flee the secret realm without being completely wiped out.
But this time, the injuries Xie Chen suffered were unimaginably severe.
Compared to the superficial wounds he had received on previous occasions while rescuing Yin Xuanlin, the state he was in when they carried him out this time was almost unrecognizable.
His entire body was soaked in blood.
A wound deep enough to expose bone stretched from his shoulder blade all the way down to his waist and abdomen, emitting a sinister black aura. As for Xie Chen himself, he remained unconscious for a full seven or eight days. Only through several elders taking turns continuously channeling spiritual power into him was his life barely preserved.
For a time, those who had previously insisted that Senior Brother Yin was secretly harming him inside the secret realm all tacitly stopped mentioning the matter.
After all, if they continued insisting on that theory, would it not imply that Junior Brother Bai had also deliberately plotted harm?
How could that possibly be true?
Junior Brother Bai Shuangcheng was widely known throughout the sect for being gentle and kind hearted. After the incident, he blamed himself endlessly, remaining day and night beside Xie Chen’s bedside, crying until his eyes were swollen like peaches. Anyone who saw him would feel their heart soften with sympathy.
Several more days passed.
At last, Yin Xuanlin emerged from seclusion.
Yet before he even had time to celebrate his successful breakthrough, he heard that Xie Chen was gravely injured and still had not awakened.
That was a serious matter.
It was said that after he went to see Xie Chen that very day, he immediately stormed furiously into Bai Shuangcheng’s courtyard. Not only did he burn the flowers and plants growing there, he also pointed directly at Bai Shuangcheng’s nose and began cursing him loudly.
“You useless waste with the surname Bai! Don’t you have any sense of your own capabilities? With no ability whatsoever, you should’ve stayed quietly where you belonged! Who gave you the audacity to tag along into the Green Crystal Secret Realm?!”
“It’s all because of that father of yours, abusing his authority and favoritism, constantly forcing you, this useless lump of mud, into Xie Chen’s side! Look at what happened now. You’ve harmed others and yourself. Your whole family is nothing but troublemakers, a complete disaster!”
“You’d better pray that Junior Brother Xie is safe and sound.”
“Otherwise, just watch, I’ll chop both you and that old fossil you call a father into pieces and throw you to the turtles in the back mountain!”
…He scolded the usually delicate Junior Brother Bai until the man’s tears flowed endlessly, leaving him on the verge of fainting.
If the senior brothers and sisters who rushed over after hearing the commotion had not desperately held him back, Yin Xuanlin might even have stormed straight into the Council Hall to demand an explanation directly from Bai Shuangcheng’s elder father.
After this incident occurred, even many people who had previously disliked Yin Xuanlin could not help whispering among themselves in private,
“Hiss… could it be that Yin Xuanlin actually does have some genuine feelings for Junior Brother Xie?”
“Otherwise, what possible benefit would he gain from speaking so recklessly and offending an elder of the Medicine Sect like that?”
“Even if he relies on the confidence of possessing a top grade spiritual root, with the Medicine Sect elder’s current level of cultivation, if he truly wished to crush him, it would be no different from crushing an ant.”
“Not to mention, if he had truly been plotting against Junior Brother Xie all along, why would he become so furious…”
One question after another began to surface.
Yet none of those questions ever received an answer.
Because that very night, Yin Xuanlin and Xie Chen… had a falling out.
No one knew exactly what had happened.
All anyone knew was that after fiercely berating Bai Shuangcheng earlier that day, Yin Xuanlin had still been constantly thinking about his “Little A’Chen.”
He had immediately shut himself inside his private courtyard and rummaged through the carefully collected treasury he had built over time, selecting a pile of rare and precious tonics and spiritual herbs.
Then, late that very night, when word spread that Xie Chen had finally awakened, Yin Xuanlin jumped up from his bed without hesitation. He wiped at the redness around his eyes, hastily threw on his clothes and hurried out while happily carrying a large bundle of nourishing medicines to visit him.
No one knew what the two of them had said to each other inside the room.
But when Yin Xuanlin emerged from that chamber, his expression had already darkened like still water before a storm, muttering curses under his breath.
He had even walked completely out of the courtyard before suddenly turning around and returning, viciously kicking the doorframe of Xie Chen’s room several times.
On that handsome face was an expression filled with barely restrained agitation and anger. His movements were fierce and wild, almost ferocious.
Senior Brother Yin was very angry and the consequences were quite serious.
From that day onward, his attitude toward Xie Chen became a complete reversal of extremes.
The warm and affectionate “Little A Chen” turned into a faintly scoffed “Junior Brother Xie.” The previous concern, the constant attentiveness and the steady stream of gifts all disappeared.
Sometimes when the two crossed paths, Yin Xuanlin would simply pretend not to see him.
According to the rules of the Tangdi Immortal Sect, even if fellow disciples privately disliked each other to the point of fire and water, they would still exchange polite greetings and bows when meeting face to face.
Even sarcasm, veiled insults or passive aggressive remarks were considered more acceptable than simply ignoring someone altogether.
Yet Yin Xuanlin ignored him openly and without the slightest attempt at concealment.
Seeing this, the others could only gather around the still weak Xie Chen and comfort him.
“Don’t take it to heart. That person has always been moody and unpredictable. Just let him do whatever he wants. You still have us!”
Thus, in order to show their support for Xie Chen, everyone organized a lively celebration for his birthday half a month later.
Even the Medicine Sect elder showed considerable courtesy by attending in person. He brought along his well behaved son Bai Shuangcheng and presented many valuable medicinal materials as gifts.
He repeatedly expressed his gratitude to Xie Chen for saving his younger son and lavished him with praise, speaking of his promising future and boundless potential.
It was said that the atmosphere of the gathering was extremely harmonious and cheerful.
Meanwhile, Yin Xuanlin was not about to be outdone.
That very same night, he hosted an equally grand banquet of his own, drinking wine and eating meat together with his group of loyal followers and sycophantic lackeys.
From that point onward, the disciples of the sect gradually split into two clear factions.
One group surrounded Xie Chen like stars circling the moon, while the other treated Yin Xuanlin as their unquestioned leader.
The two sides refused to yield to one another, their boundaries as distinct and separate as two rivers flowing apart.
Among the followers under Yin Xuanlin, there were quite a few whose talents were not bad at all.
Under his strict and relentless supervision over the years, their strength gradually improved. Eventually, several of them finally reached the threshold required to enter the Green Crystal Secret Realm.
Thus, after the New Year passed, Yin Xuanlin began leading groups of his subordinates down into the secret realm.
Their team cooperated smoothly and fought with remarkable coordination, achieving victory after victory.
Before long, their gains became quite abundant.
Yin Xuanlin still paid no attention to Xie Chen. Only occasionally, when he was called out by the sect master and elders during the sect assemblies and publicly praised for his achievements, would he let out a sarcastic laugh and mutter with thinly veiled mockery:
“Well of course. Now that there’s no burden dragging us down in the secret realm, everything naturally feels much easier.”
This was something no one could tolerate!
The people surrounding Xie Chen immediately resolved to win back some dignity for their talented junior brother.
Just then, a newly manifested Green Crystal Secret Realm appeared. Several disciples whose strength qualified them quickly gathered around Xie Chen and rushed down ahead of everyone else.
In doing so, they successfully seized the rare Zhenfu Immortal Herb that Yin Xuanlin had long coveted.
This completely stirred up a hornet’s nest.
The very next day, Yin Xuanlin finally “acknowledged” Xie Chen again.
Only, the way he chose to do so was by standing upon the sect’s regular sparring arena and openly calling for a one on one duel with him.
The two of them took their positions.
Yin Xuanlin lowered his gaze and the usual carefree indifference on his face was nowhere to be seen.
When a once in a century fire spiritual root truly unleashed its power, the spiritual energy surrounding him surged violently like roaring waves. The scorching pressure rolled outward like a raging storm, leaving the nearby disciples pale with shock.
The battle ended quickly.
Although Xie Chen was undoubtedly a peerless genius, the gap in cultivation and experience was mercilessly revealed at that moment.
In less than ten moves, several condensed blasts of fire energy from Yin Xuanlin struck his chest heavily.
Xie Chen was sent flying backward, crashing violently against the edge of the platform before coughing up a mouthful of blood.
Meanwhile, Yin Xuanlin stood above him, looking down from his elevated position, his robes fluttering lightly in the wind.
“My thanks for yielding.”
This battle succeeded in silencing the opposing side for quite some time.
Several months later, Yin Xuanlin once again represented the sect in the grand tournament for rising talents across the entire cultivation world.
He returned with first place.
Once again, he had brought considerable honor to the Tangdi Immortal Sect.
After returning, he was, as always, treated with great favor and admiration by the sect elders, basking proudly in their praise.
The group of followers surrounding him were even more thrilled, sharing in the reflected glory.
During that period, their favorite pastime was to mock their “enemies” directly to their faces.
“Oh my, oh my… is he really a once in a thousand years genius? Perhaps the spirit measuring monument has grown old and malfunctioned, giving the wrong result.”
“He couldn’t even withstand ten moves from our Senior Brother Yin yet he walks around as if everyone in the world is plotting against him. Does he really think Senior Brother Yin would even bother harming such useless trash?”
“Exactly, exactly. If Senior Brother Yin hadn’t protected him in the secret realm before, he probably would’ve already ended up as food for demon beasts.”
“And now he even dares to turn around and accuse others? How ridiculous.”
Their arrogant remarks made the people on the other side so furious they nearly stamped their feet in anger.
In their eyes, the truth was obvious to everyone.
The junior brother was only at a disadvantage because his time cultivating had been far shorter.
With his heaven defying talent, he had already reached a level within a single year that ordinary disciples could not achieve even after eight or ten years of training. If only he were given another half year or a year to stabilize his foundation, how could Yin Xuanlin possibly remain his opponent then?
Yet unfortunately, at the present moment, the timing simply was not right.
They could only swallow their frustration, silently enduring the mockery and suppression from Yin Xuanlin’s group, whether during lessons in the sect halls or while training in the secret realms.
After the incident where the Zhenfu Immortal Herb was snatched away from him, Yin Xuanlin completely reverted to his old, petty nature, one that never forgot a grievance and always sought revenge.
From then on, countless acts of deliberate retaliation followed.
Time and time again, Xie Chen’s group would painstakingly work through complicated mechanisms, their hearts full of anticipation as they finally opened a long awaited treasure chest, only to discover that it had already been completely looted, leaving behind nothing but crude, mocking graffiti scratched inside.
The same thing happened with a spiritual stone vein they had worked incredibly hard to locate. After exhausting effort to break it open, the only thing remaining on the rock wall was a flamboyant message scrawled across it:
“Your senior brother was here.”
As for the blazing Scarlet Flame Fruits they had searched for with great difficulty, when they finally found them, one of Yin Xuanlin’s followers was already sitting beside the tree, happily chewing through the fruit while grinning and waving at them.
“Oh, Senior Brothers,” he said cheerfully, “looks like you arrived a little late!”
Faced with one infuriating situation after another, everyone was nearly driven mad with rage.
Some people even went so far as to hang up portraits of Yin Xuanlin in their rooms, glaring at them daily while vowing vengeance with the determination of someone sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall to remember their humiliation.
Yet the next time they entered a newly discovered Green Crystal Secret Realm, the group accidentally triggered an ancient petrified demon puppet trap.
And once again, it was Yin Xuanlin, who had been cutting them off at every opportunity, who suddenly appeared with his people at the critical moment.
He cursed loudly the whole time.
“A bunch of useless idiots who only know how to cause trouble!”
Yet his actions told a different story.
Without hesitation, the blazing flames under his control burned straight through the secret realm itself, forcibly tearing open an escape route for them.
When they finally emerged from the secret realm that day, everyone felt dazed.
The life saving grace was undeniable and real.
But the words of gratitude stuck stubbornly in their throats, refusing to come out.
After all, Senior Brother Yin had broken the bones in his hand while rescuing them.
In the end, the group dragged their feet and reluctantly went to express their thanks.
Only to be greeted by Yin Xuanlin, whose arm was still hanging in a sling.
“Thank me? What’s the point of saying it with just words? Show some real sincerity!”
“Coincidentally, I’m short on people to clean the courtyard and tidy the pill furnace. Oh and while I’m recovering from this injury, I’ll need to eat Fire Rhinoceros meat for three whole months to rebuild my strength. Every day someone will have to mince two jin of beef into fine filling! And the spiritual fields behind the hall need weeding as well…”
After being worked like beasts of burden, everyone once again firmly reinforced their belief.
Yin Xuanlin was rotten to the core.
He was truly infuriating beyond words.
And yet, somehow, they still felt that perhaps they ought to take this opportunity to set aside past grievances…
Unfortunately, the attempt at “reconciliation” failed completely.
Yin Xuanlin was simply the root of all evil.
During his recovery period, he had secretly learned a high level illusion technique.
An illusion.
And during the next expedition into the Green Crystal Secret Realm, he played a prank by carefully arranging a terrifying spectacle, an illusion of the “Soul Devouring Nether Prison Demon,” a monstrous entity that should only appear in the far more dangerous Purple Crystal Secret Realm.
When the disciples saw that enormous demonic shadow towering into the heavens, its killing intent so thick it seemed almost tangible, nearly everyone felt their souls leaving their bodies on the spot.
That was a being even the sect’s masters and elders might struggle to defeat!
As the illusion descended, chaos erupted. Everyone scattered in every direction, fleeing in blind panic.
Only after they escaped the secret realm in a miserable state and were greeted by Yin Xuanlin’s followers waiting at the entrance, laughing wildly and mocking their terrified reactions, did they realize they had been tricked.
Senior Brother Niu exploded with rage.
“You! Setting up illusions in the secret realm and pretending to summon demons is a serious offense! I…. I will definitely report this to the elders!”
One of Yin Xuanlin’s followers merely sneered with contempt.
“Hah… but you should be grateful that it was only an illusion.”
“After all… every single one of you abandoned Junior Brother Xie where he stood and ran away on your own.”
“If that Soul Devouring Nether Prison Demon had been real, would he still have any chance of surviving right now?”
“A bunch of hypocrites hiding behind righteous appearances! Every day you pretend to care about Junior Brother Xie, asking after his well being and acting so considerate but when real danger arrives? You all scatter and run for your lives!”
Only then did everyone suddenly realize that Xie Chen had not come out of the secret realm at all.
Shock and anger erupted at once.
“W… Where is Junior Brother Xie?”
No one knew.
The illusion just now had been far too real and far too terrifying. The instinct to survive had overwhelmed everything else. Who could have imagined that the strongest among them, Xie Chen, had failed to escape?
Yet once someone exited the Green Crystal Secret Realm, it could not be entered again for quite some time.
There was nothing they could do except anxiously wait at the entrance.
Fortunately, Xie Chen did not keep them waiting for long.
Before long, the Green Crystal Secret Realm was forcibly broken through and its boundaries gradually began to dissipate.
However, even as the secret realm faded away, something about the air still felt terribly wrong.
A thick smell of scorching hung heavily in the atmosphere.
Amid violent fluctuations of spiritual energy, a sudden burst of firelight flared up, scorching the surrounding vegetation so fiercely that countless plants withered and blackened in an instant.
Someone suddenly shouted.
“Look!”
Everyone turned toward the voice.
Within the layers of raging flames, they saw Xie Chen standing there, gripping a radiant jade bow that none of them had ever seen before. The weapon shimmered with flowing light as he faced Yin Xuanlin in a tense standoff.
No one knew what words had been exchanged between them.
But Yin Xuanlin’s face was filled with biting mockery and anger, the kind that came from feeling deeply offended.
The two argued fiercely yet their voices were completely swallowed by the crackling roar of the surrounding flames and the chaotic turbulence of spiritual energy surging through the air.
Suddenly, Xie Chen’s pupils contracted sharply.
He clenched his teeth and with a violent motion, a blazing palm strike of crimson flame slashed toward his opponent.
Yin Xuanlin barely managed to twist his body aside to evade the attack.
But in the very next moment, the jade bow in Xie Chen’s hands ignited with blazing fire, sweeping toward him again with overwhelming force.
The pressure forced Yin Xuanlin to curse loudly as he dodged in embarrassment, the tips of his hair even getting singed slightly by the heat.
Xie Chen did not give him the chance to shout many more insults.
A feint.
Then a sudden snatch.
In the blink of an eye, Yin Xuanlin’s treasured magical artifact, the Black Feather Fire Fan he had always been so proud of, was wrenched away by Xie Chen and burned instantly into a wisp of blue smoke.
The situation spiraled completely out of control.
Yin Xuanlin flew into a furious rage. With one swift motion, he tore a charred willow branch from a nearby willow tree. After feinting once to distract his opponent, he suddenly poured the entirety of his surging fire spiritual energy into that seemingly ordinary fragment of burnt wood.
In the next instant, it transformed into a blazing spear of condensed flame, so intensely compressed that the fire had turned nearly white.
The spear shot forward, straight toward Xie Chen.
Pfft.
A dull, heavy sound rang out.
Bang!
The white flame struck Xie Chen’s jade bow with perfect precision. The impact erupted into an astonishing burst of scorching heat. After shattering the jade bow completely, the blazing spear continued forward without slowing, piercing brutally through the right side of Xie Chen’s chest.
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Fleurveil
[Translator]
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Once a chosen one of heavenChapter 2 · Why didn’t you crawl in the shadows?!Chapter 3 · They would rather fight each otherChapter 4 · I’ll do a handstand and run naked three times!Chapter 5 · So what if I’m showing off!Chapter 6 · If you look again, I’ll gouge your eyes out!Chapter 7 · The young couple is fighting again.Chapter 8 · I’m back at the Jinchan SectChapter 9 · Sour, sourChapter 10 · To seize credit for someone’s workChapter 11 · The Golden Toad Sect has come to our aid to annihilate the Demon LordChapter 12 · Sect Leader’s HusbandChapter 13 · The stone, fox, tree, and scarecrow are named XuanlinChapter 14 · My junior and I have had sweet moments in private!Chapter 15 · The truth behind their first falling out back thenChapter 16 · Hate lasts longer than loveChapter 17 · Xie Chen was actually the Demon LordChapter 18 · Slaying the Demon LordChapter 19 · From resistance to enjoymentChapter 20 · Xiao Xie’s perspective begins!Chapter 21 · Only because it was Yin XuanlinChapter 22 · Xie Chen was not a foolChapter 23 · The End