Three months ago
Chapter 15: Discussing Mysteries in the Cloud-Cutting Hall
Heading north from the Yusu River, passing through the surrounding mountains of the Demon-Sealing Cave, straight towards the Northern Frontier, the mountains and wilderness stretched endlessly, as if an invisible giant hand had once draped over the world, molding these layers of "wrinkles."
On one of these "wrinkles," atop the towering mountain, stood the gate of the Qianyuan Sword Sect.
The mountain was surrounded by several peaks, resembling giant swords pointing towards the sky, each carrying different meanings and sharpness converging in the void.
Among them, one peak was renowned as the "Cloud-Cutting Peak" due to the inheritance of the martial arts techniques of this lineage.
The ancestral master once passed down the "Gengxiao Ancestor's True Explanation of the Cloud-Cutting Sword Dao."
At this moment, in a majestic hall on the summit of the Cloud-Cutting Peak, in the center of the clean hall, a slender figure was trembling and kneeling on the icy ground.
His shoulders shook violently, as if sifting chaff.
For a long time, he trembled like this, unable to utter a word.
Incense candles wafted around, smoke lingering, making the figure even more elusive.
When a gentle breeze swirled and dispersed some dust, the true face of the person became visible, the young Daoist who had appeared in the ruins of the Demon-Sealing Cave before.
However, unlike his previous arrogant demeanor, the young Daoist at this moment knelt in genuine fear and trepidation.
On the high platform to the north, four lotus pedestals were arranged in sequence, with four lofty cultivators sitting on them, illuminating the hall and manifesting their divine bodies.
On the far right was a palace-clad woman, draped in a purple-gold Daoist robe, holding the master's seal in her hand.
At first glance, she appeared as cold and clear as an ice lotus, with an immeasurable divine aura condensing into a mirror wheel above her head, where a sword-shaped hairpin emitted a dazzling light.
On the far left was a sloppy old Daoist, wearing a coarse linen robe, one hand supporting his chin on his knee, the other stroking his beard, eyes closed as if in a deep slumber.
An immeasurable divine aura condensed into a mirror wheel above his head, where a whisk was enveloped in countless threads of sword qi, shining in the center.
In the middle on the right was a youth in a blue robe, with twin buns on his head.
Despite his youthful appearance, there was an indescribable sense of vicissitudes in his eyes and eyebrows, with a strand of white hair on his forehead.
The divine aura above his head condensed into a mirror wheel, where a sword-shaped jade talisman hung high, engraved with dragon patterns and phoenix seals, emitting a faint radiance.
In the middle on the left was a dignified middle-aged man, wearing a bright yellow Daoist robe, holding a sword gesture with his hand, the intertwining of yin and yang resembling two fish.
An immeasurable divine aura condensed into a mirror wheel above his head, where an ancient wooden sword floated, illuminating the center.
Having refined their Dao artifacts, the cultivation of these four individuals was at least above the Golden Core stage!
However, despite their lofty cultivation levels, at this moment they all looked as if their cultivation had been disrupted, glaring angrily towards the center of the hall at the young Daoist prostrated on the ground.
After a while, his trembling intensified, yet he still couldn't speak a word.
"Sigh!"
The dignified middle-aged Daoist finally sighed, followed by a resounding Daoist sound enveloping the vast hall, resembling heavenly music and celestial harmony.
"Jin Guan, I sent you out of the sect to handle matters, and you are trembling like this? Blaming everything on Elder Ding You, as if passing a hot potato to him, thinking that by doing so, our sect's reputation won't be tarnished? Whether we can retrieve the spiritual object of our lineage or not, does it not matter to you?"
Upon hearing the reprimand from the middle-aged Daoist, the Daoist Jin Guan suddenly shuddered, but thankfully, he stopped trembling.
Wanting to raise his head, he dared not look towards the high platform, only speaking for himself.
"Reporting to Peak Master, the disappearance of the spiritual object is suspicious, most likely in the hands of the descendants of the Chunyu family! They have even trespassed into the mountains, what can a disciple do? Go to the Tingchang Mountain and confront the Chunyu family? It would still tarnish the sect's reputation! Therefore, caught in a dilemma, I had Elder Ding take the blame... It's my fault."
Initially, Jin Guan seemed aggrieved, but as he saw the increasingly cold gazes of the people on the high platform, he realized the gravity of the situation, and his tone shifted, reluctantly admitting his mistake.
As soon as he finished speaking, the youth slammed his knee in anger.
"Is that all your fault? Whether Elder Ding takes the blame or not, whether our reputation is tarnished or not, in the grand scheme of things, these are not the most critical issues. Before leaving, you were repeatedly instructed to retrieve the spiritual object. How could you be so negligent!"
"Our Ancestor foresaw the completion of our Cloud-Cutting Scripture shortly before his passing, saying that our lineage's opportunity would come soon! The spiritual object, nurtured day and night in the Demon-Sealing Cave, was meant to be refined into a sword embryo in the future, for you disciples to undergo trials and cultivate!"
"Now that Elder Ding has offended and our reputation is tarnished, and the spiritual object is missing..."
"We expected you to make mistakes, but never thought it would escalate to this extent!"
Although he appeared as a youth, his temper was the most irritable.
With a few words, Jin Guan hung his head low, and the youth turned to the sloppy old Daoist on the left.
"Senior Brother, this is not just a matter of losing a spiritual object. It concerns the completion of our scripture. You need to make a decision on how to remedy this."
At this, the sloppy Daoist seemed to awaken from a daze.
Rubbing his bleary eyes, he smiled kindly.
"Why scold the child so harshly? Who hasn't made mistakes! In my opinion, the matter of undergoing trials and cultivation, we don't have to wait any longer! From the moment the spiritual object was lost, our lineage has already entered the realm of opportunity!"
"As for the child from the Chunyu family, he doesn't seem like someone greedy for such a spiritual object. Moreover, with the Chunyu family's ancestors and the Danxia Old Mother of Tingchang Mountain behind him, both are rare insightful figures among the aristocratic families and scattered cultivators. Regarding our scripture, they wouldn't easily get involved!"
"Of course, in terms of the current situation, they are already involved. Depending on the circumstances in the future, they will have to make some sacrifices to be forgiven."
"As for the opportunity and the spiritual object..."
"The incident originated in the Demon-Sealing Cave, so we should search there. If it's not in the original location, it must be on the original person!"
"Among our lineage, the one most entangled in karma seems to be this child, Jin Guan."
"Good child, listen to your Senior Brother. Learn from your mistakes and gain wisdom. You need to make a trip, experience the world slowly, and avoid repeating past mistakes."
With that, ignoring Jin Guan's gradually brightening smile, the sloppy old Daoist turned his head to the cold and quiet palace-clad woman on the far right.
"Young Junior Sister, you are Jin Guan's Master. Say a word, should he make another trip or not?"
Upon hearing this, the palace-clad woman finally spoke, her voice clear and melodious, like a secluded spring in the mountains, matching her appearance and temperament, truly cold and serene.
"As Senior Brother said, let him go. If he fails, I, as his Master, will take care of it!"
Many books are now hard to find, so cherish what you have.