Half an hour later, the grand "commendation ceremony" concluded, and the five elite disciples led by Wu Qingce slowly descended from the stone platform.
"Senior Brother Wu has clearly become the number one among the young disciples in JB District. He’s truly incredible."
"Ah, I’m so envious. I wonder when I’ll be able to cultivate skills like Senior Brother Wu’s." "Senior Brother Wu’s aura is so imposing… I don’t even dare to look directly at him."
As they watched Wu Qingce leading the group, the disciples of the Heart Returning Sect whispered among themselves, their voices filled with admiration and reverence.
But aside from these disciples who dreamed of becoming strong, many others either openly or subtly glanced at the gentle senior sister behind him—her jet-black hair cascading over a red windbreaker, her snow-white face adorned with a warm smile. That smile was like a lake scattered with stars, drawing gazes inescapably deep, impossible to pull away from.
Only when the five had completely disappeared from sight did the disciples finally withdraw their stares. Yet a name had been etched into their hearts. 'Lin Yuyan of the Silent Words Hall.'
After descending Lotus Flower Peak, the five elite disciples bid farewell and returned to their respective halls. But Lin Yuyan had barely taken two steps before she stopped and glanced around. After confirming no other disciples were nearby, she immediately turned and sprinted toward the Blue Heart Hall.
Dodging and hiding along the way, she arrived at the door of Jiang Beiran’s small cottage. Once again ensuring no one was around, she raised her hand and knocked three times before quickly retreating to a small slope opposite the house. A moment passed, and seeing no response from the wooden door, Lin Yuyan sighed inwardly in disappointment.
Looks like Senior Brother is out patrolling the mountains again. While standing on the platform earlier to receive her award, Lin Yuyan had done nothing but search the crowd for Jiang Beiran. Unfortunately, she hadn’t spotted him by the end, which was why she had rushed here the moment the ceremony concluded.
Hmm~ Then I’ll just wait for Senior Brother to return. Meanwhile, after paying respects to his master upon returning to his hall, Wu Qingce also made his way to the Blue Heart Hall, heading straight for the back mountains.
The great mountains of the Heart Returning Sect were all enhanced by formations, perpetually shrouded in mist that coiled around their waists like elegant silk ribbons. Navigating the layers of fog with practiced ease, Wu Qingce stopped between two peculiarly shaped boulders.
Pulling out a jade flute from his robe, he was about to play it when a thought struck him. I’ve already finished studying the Forward and Reverse Four Symbols Formation that Senior Brother gave me, and I’ve even successfully set up the Leaping Antelope Thousand-Gate Formation.
This time… maybe I should try it on my own, to show Senior Brother how much I’ve improved. Having made up his mind, Wu Qingce put away the flute and stepped directly between the two boulders. In an instant, he felt the surrounding mist grow thicker, carrying a faint, disorienting fragrance.
Hastily holding his breath, Wu Qingce reminded himself to stay calm. Don’t panic, don’t panic. First, recall the chant Senior Brother taught me—Fingers nimble, wrists relaxed, wrists aligned with the chest, patterns interwoven, rings tightly linked, the formula guided by the heart.
After reciting the chant once, Wu Qingcent felt significantly calmer.
"First, probe the formation."
As he spoke, Wu Qingce pressed his left thumb against the second joint of his index finger.
"Wood!"
Then, shifting his gesture, he pinched the third joint of his right ring finger.
"Metal!"
The next moment, both his hands emitted faint glows of different colors.
"Approach, Array, Rank, Align! Six Armors, Nine Chapters, Heaven Round, Earth Square, Four Seasons, Five Phases, Azure, Crimson, White, Yellow!"
After finishing the chant, Wu Qingce reopened his eyes to find the surrounding mist had vanished, and the scenery around him now displayed various distinct colors. For instance, all the rocks had turned yellow, the trees had turned red, and the bronze objects had turned black. After swiftly scanning the different objects around him, Wu Qingce felt confident.
The Eight Palaces Grand Cauldron, the Four Symbols Counter-Shock—this is the Heavenly Wind Silver Rain Formation. The Gate of Obstruction is life, the Gate of Danger is death. Treading the Cloud Steps of the Big Dipper will lead me out.
At this realization, Wu Qingce felt a surge of joy and turned to walk southwest. After traversing several winding paths and seeing the scenery shift completely each time, Wu Qingce grew more and more confident.
Yet after the time it took to drink a cup of tea, all the confidence and joy on Wu Qingce’s face had faded, replaced by bewilderment and confusion. I shouldn’t have walked this long without exiting the formation… Something must be wrong.
Could it be a dual-gate formation?
Possibly.
Let me try again! Thus, Wu Qingce retraced his steps, following the same sequence. But halfway through, he began feeling dizzy, and the scenery around him gradually became monotonous.
Sigh…
Senior Brother is truly Senior Brother. He’s just too incredible. Breathing heavily, Wu Qingce decided not to stubbornly push forward.
Just as he was wondering how to call for his senior brother’s help, a black shadow suddenly lunged at him.
"Who goes there!?"
Wu Qingce shouted, simultaneously hurling an Eight-Section Dart. But the shadow neither dodged nor retreated, simply enduring the dart as it swung a blade straight at him! Wu Qingce hadn’t expected his opponent to be suicidal, so he hastily dodged to the side.
Yet the figure pursued relentlessly, slashing at him repeatedly. As the chase continued, Wu Qingce’s breathing grew more labored. Knowing he couldn’t sustain a prolonged battle, he immediately pulled out six Flame Dragon Darts for self-defense.
"Star-Plucking Hand!"
Using a special technique, Wu Qingce launched all six darts simultaneously. They traced six perfect crimson arcs through the air before striking the shadow at the same time. But even after being hit by all six darts, the shadow showed no reaction—not even a pause—as it raised its blade and slashed at Wu Qingce again!
"Ahhh!!"
At the brink of life and death, Wu Qingce roared and drew the soft sword at his waist to meet the attack.
"Clang!!"
The two weapons collided, and Wu Qingce instantly felt an overwhelming force bearing down on him. He knew he couldn’t withstand it. Yet when the blade came down on his head, what he felt wasn’t searing pain—but rather… a light flick?
"Hey, wake up."
"Se… Senior Brother?"
Blinking in confusion, Wu Qingce looked around. The shadow was nowhere to be seen—only Senior Brother Jiang, clad in his sect robes.
"Awake now?"
Jiang Beiran leaned in to confirm.
"Ye… yeah."
Just as Wu Qingce was about to nod, his forehead was smacked hard.
"Didn’t I tell you to stand at the entrance and play the flute when you come? What were you thinking, barging in like that?"
"My mistake…"
Rubbing his now-swollen forehead, Wu Qingce quickly lowered his head in apology.
"And even if you did barge in, you should’ve called for help the moment you realized you couldn’t handle it. Did you really have to stubbornly retry and trigger the Eight Directions Asura Formation? If I hadn’t arrived in time, you’d be dead by now—you know that, right?"
As he spoke, Jiang Beiran delivered another smack to Wu Qingce’s head. Feeling dizzy, Wu Qingce hastily cried out, "Senior Brother, stop hitting me, stop! Any more and I really will pass out."
"I could beat you to death without a second thought!"
Jiang Beiran retorted while pulling a jade bottle from his Universe Ring and tossing it to Wu Qingce.
"Take a whiff, quick. The poison’s already spreading to your organs."
"What!?"
Wu Qingce gasped and immediately grabbed the bottle, inhaling deeply.
"Smack!"
Another crisp sound rang out. Rubbing his thoroughly swollen forehead, Wu Qingce looked at Jiang Beiran with aggrieved eyes, as if asking with his expression—Why hit me again?
"I said take one whiff. Why’d you inhale so much? Have you returned everything I taught you?"
PS: Was too exhausted yesterday… fell asleep. Will definitely make up for it today!
(End of Chapter)