Three months ago
The Elder sighed, his head bowed as he stood there, behind him an endless expanse of misty clouds, vast as the sea, stretching out to an unseen horizon.
In such an infinite sea of clouds, the thin old man dressed in a scarlet robe and wrapped in a crane-feather cloak appeared even smaller.
It was as if he was the most insignificant and frail being among the myriad of life in this world, as if the Qing Ding Peak beneath everyone's feet was the most remote and inconspicuous mountain in the Wang Sheng Sect.
At first, Chu Weiyang's thoughts were still immersed in the sorrow of mentioning Guo Dian.
To say it was painful, sometimes when Chu Weiyang recalled Guo Dian's death, he even felt a sense of relief.
The prolonged suffering and hardships seemed to have made his feelings coarse and numb.
Yet, at times, such sentiments only intensified the source of his heart's anguish.
Thus, he became increasingly sorrowful.
However, at this moment, Chu Weiyang needed to gather his thoughts and carefully respond to the Elder of Qing Ding Peak.
Suppressing his emotions, just as the young man was about to speak, he glanced over and saw the lonely figure against the backdrop of the vast universe and the boundless sea of clouds.
In that instant, the last remnants of clarity in Chu Weiyang's mind, those lively thoughts, were completely stifled upon seeing that figure in the crimson robe.
It was as if his entire soul had been submerged in a cold, dark abyss, beneath towering glaciers.
Next, he noticed the Elder's pair of dark eyes blinking continuously, devoid of any semblance of a normal person's gaze.
Yet, inexplicably, from that pitch-blackness, Chu Weiyang sensed an endless sorrow.
Thus, Chu Weiyang stood there, mouth agape, unable to utter a single word, not even a sound, just staring blankly, erasing all the sorrow within his heart.
Then—
Pain was awakened, hunger ignited, and anger roared!
Even the Elder's thin figure seemed to twist in that moment in Chu Weiyang's eyes—
The scarlet robe flared high, billowing in mid-air, that dazzling crimson seemed to be the color of blood, merging almost entirely with the life-and-death circumstances that once mattered;
Then, the black crane-feather cloak suddenly dispersed, like a gust of wind, like some kind of dust, or like thick sludge, that devoured all colors, as if the surge of malevolent qi caused one to spasm without reason;
Finally, the sea of clouds above seemed to boil and churn, transforming into a scorching broth that stretched endlessly, with blackened rotten vegetable leaves and putrid white meat, awakening Chu Weiyang's hunger and making him feel nauseous!
Before him, the Elder's figure had vanished, and all Chu Weiyang could see was a bizarre tapestry woven from the endless emotions of suffering he had once traversed.
Thus, his spirit, submerged in the cold abyss and glaciers, felt increasingly heavy and rigid, gradually, he even sensed a suffocating feeling originating from his heart.
It made it hard for him to breathe, and he nearly lost the most basic ability to think.
Swish—!
In the next moment, a sword's cry rang out!
As if the clouds were torn apart, the flames of the sun descended upon the world; as if boundless winds swept through, brushing away the colors of the mortal realm, leaving only ashes and dust.
That sword's cry echoed between heaven and earth, resonating within Chu Weiyang's heart.
It was almost like a drowning person suddenly awakening, Chu Weiyang gasped for breath, feeling as if he had suddenly come back to life.
Only he had come back to life.
At the same time, within that bizarre tapestry woven from emotions, a streak of crimson and a streak of black intertwined, suddenly revealing the Elder's hidden figure in mid-air.
He seemed to still be standing there, yet also appeared indifferent, gazing at Chu Weiyang from across the entire chaotic world.
Was this the fierce temper that the rebellious youth spoke of?
“What fierce temper? Who? Who has a fierce temper?”
In the previous moment, the sword's cry had been deafening, and the dull colors had intertwined into a tapestry.
Just as Chu Weiyang's thoughts continued, suddenly, accompanied by that familiar aged voice, a chill ran through him, and when he looked again, he still stood before the dense forest, surrounded by the serene quietude of the mountains, where there was none of the previous bizarre changes.
Yet, for some reason, Chunyu Zhi beside him seemed to have suffered some injury, her entire body suddenly drained of strength.
Although she had not fainted, she collapsed into Chu Weiyang's arms, and at that moment, the young man had to support her shoulders to keep her standing.
When he looked again, the thin old man in the scarlet robe and crane-feather cloak stood on the stone path, at the edge of the dense forest, gazing at Chu Weiyang with hollow eyes devoid of any emotion.
Those were eyes filled with the weight of time.
And almost the moment Chu Weiyang's gaze fell upon him, a pure streak of blackness flashed from the depths of the Elder's eyes.
In an instant, it felt like an illusion, yet Chu Weiyang understood more clearly that it was precisely because of that glimpse of light in the Elder's eyes that proved the previous bizarre experience was real, and all the changes stemmed from the shadowy old man before him.
“What…”
He saw the Elder was about to speak again.
But before Chu Weiyang's heart could surge again, he noticed the Elder's murky eyes suddenly became vibrant, and his gaze towards Chu Weiyang was no longer as hollow as before.
The Elder waved his hand.
“Forget it, no more questions… To let this old man see you like this, regardless of your nonsensical cultivation, you and your master, as disciples of the Xuan Ming Dan Ding lineage, I shall acknowledge you.”
As he spoke, the Elder suddenly turned his gaze to Chunyu Zhi, who leaned against Chu Weiyang, gradually regaining her strength.
“Using restrictions to connect our hearts, nowadays, young people…”
As the words fell, the Elder completely turned around and took the lead into the dense forest.
“Hold the jade talisman in your palm, keep an eye on my figure. There is a protective formation in the forest, do not stray from the path and die unjustly here.”
As he spoke, the Elder showed no sign of waiting, and after finishing his words, he walked into the depths of the forest, taking just a few steps before most of his figure was almost concealed within the lush greenery.
Not daring to dawdle, Chu Weiyang flipped his hand to grasp the jade talisman, just as he was about to chase after the Elder, he noticed Chunyu Zhi's current state.
Seeing her take a few steps, her figure still trembled and lacked strength.
In this critical moment, he could not care about any embarrassment.
It was as if he was holding a sword while on the move, as if he was holding a sword while on the move…
Muttering this in his heart, Chu Weiyang supported Chunyu Zhi's arm, almost cradling her half in his embrace, and then took a few steps to follow the path the Elder had taken into the dense forest.
About half an hour later.
After navigating through the twists and turns of the dense forest, Chu Weiyang and Chunyu Zhi finally closely followed the Elder.
With the last few steps, they crossed the edge of the forest and beheld the towering peak that pierced the clouds, finally standing on Qing Ding Peak, on the territory of the Xuan Ming Dan Ding lineage.
A journey of silence.
Before Chu Weiyang could gather his thoughts on what to say, how to communicate with the fierce-tempered Elder, suddenly, the Elder's voice rang out again.
“If you think of the words ‘fierce temper’ again, I’ll skin you alive!
Little brat, this is Qing Ding Peak, the mountain gate and dojo your master has longed for his entire life, and it’s just like this, cold and desolate with hardly any signs of life.”
After this remark, at least he did not employ any bizarre demonic techniques to completely ignite Chu Weiyang's emotions.
The Elder merely asked again.
“Do you still remember the path you took through the forest?”
Hearing this, Chu Weiyang hurriedly replied, “I remember it all, there won’t be any mistakes, I remember every step.”
The Elder nodded and then looked at Chu Weiyang with a serious gaze.
“In that case, if anyone else comes to stay at Qing Ding Peak, you will go outside the forest to guide them. No matter how desolate this mountain is, I am still an Elder of the Sacred Sect; it’s unreasonable for me to run errands.
For giving you this task, I naturally have my reasons.
Those who come to witness the grand ceremony of the Sacred Sect, traversing mountains and rivers, it’s not easy to make a trip. For those like you, whose masters passed away early and did not inherit any teachings, what is the point? You don’t need to exhaust yourself to speak; I can guess the general situation just by looking at you.
However, child, within a single sect, brothers grow up together, and parents inevitably have their favorites. The matters within cannot all be reasoned; after all, the transmission of teachings is not something that just because you came here, I must pass it on to you.
There’s no such reasoning.
How your master was, how you are, how bitter your years have been, none of these are reasons for me to pass on the lineage to you.
But who would have thought that this time for the grand ceremony, I would walk out of the dojo and meet you, allowing you this task. If you do well in the coming days, you won’t need to stay in the Gen Hall or Gui Courtyard; the peak's Dao Hall is my place of quietude, and I will allow you to temporarily reside in the side hall.”
Just as he began to speak, the Elder had already stepped onto the narrow path of Qing Ding Peak.
Chu Weiyang did not dare to be negligent, still supporting Chunyu Zhi, carefully listening to the Elder's words, almost imprinting every word in his heart.
The Elder spoke neither fast nor slow, possessing a unique rhythm; anyone who listened carefully would feel a peculiar sense of forgetting oneself, and by the time they regained their senses, often not much time had passed.
As expected.
When the Elder's words fell, Chu Weiyang and Chunyu Zhi finally awakened from that peculiar state.
When the young man looked again, a tranquil courtyard stood at the mountain's peak, amidst the layers of clouds, right before Chu Weiyang and Chunyu Zhi.
Struggling to breathe, Chu Weiyang felt somewhat uncomfortable.
On the contrary, the Elder remained calm as he walked ahead, casually pushing open the half-closed door of the courtyard.
Not knowing if it was due to a moment of distraction, Chu Weiyang did not see any restrictions on that door.
But then he thought, perhaps the Elder's quietude here was the highest form of restriction.
Thinking this, without any worries, Chu Weiyang supported Chunyu Zhi and followed the Elder's steps into the courtyard.
What came into view was a broad and ancient scene, and the Elder's thin figure walking in front only made it feel even more desolate.
Upon closer inspection, he could even see some wild grass growing at the corners of the courtyard walls.
Aside from that, there was a small pavilion in the courtyard, with wooden tables and chairs, a few peculiar stones piled nearby, and beside them, a water vat; apart from these, there was nothing else.
Wait—
A water vat?
After all, Chu Weiyang had seen and experienced some things; at this moment, his gaze paused, suddenly crossing over the Elder's figure, fixating on that water vat!
Looking again, it was no longer a rusted vat but clearly a large green-tongue vat, its mottled marks were all signs of erosion from the passage of time.
That was no ordinary item.
The last time Chu Weiyang saw something similar was in the underground palace of Ling Qiu Mountain, where he saw the Zi Chan Dan Furnace.
This was the life treasure of a Golden Core Grandmaster!
In an instant, Chu Weiyang's breathing became somewhat heavy.
But before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, the Elder's voice rang out again, almost anchoring itself in Chu Weiyang's heart, instantly causing all his desires to dissipate.
“Don’t think that I was just brushing you off with what I said earlier.
All causes and effects ultimately come down to matters of incense and teachings.
I acknowledge you as a disciple of the Xuan Ming Dan Ding lineage, but that does not mean I will entrust the dojo's teachings to you. If I were to pass on the teachings like this, in the future, the descendants of Qing Ding Peak would curse me and hunt you down, as well as your descendants.
The more one becomes a Sacred Sect, the more there are taboos that cannot be crossed!
However… two hundred years ago, there was a disciple of the Sacred Sect, who was once the lord of a city, and also from our Xuan Ming Dan Ding lineage. It was said that when he reached the end of his life, he had to return to his roots. After discussing with the Elders of the sect, I opened the Dao Hall at the peak and invited him to discuss the Dao and talk about the mysteries.
That discussion lasted…
No need to mention the past; saying too much would ruin your opportunities. Go and comprehend it yourself; how much you can gain depends on your own fate and understanding.
This matter has nothing to do with the lineage of Qing Ding Peak; what I want you to do is to go down the mountain in the next few days to guide people, and remember to fill the water vat every day…”
The Elder's voice continued to echo in Chu Weiyang's ears.
When the young man looked again, he did not know when the Elder had already entered the central Dao Hall, waving his hand to tightly close the door.
Turning his head to look at the water vat, for a moment, Chu Weiyang's heart was filled with reckless thoughts.
But as his heart stirred, he inevitably had to exert strength on his arms.
Almost simultaneously, a warm breath brushed against Chu Weiyang's neck.
Then, in his ear, he heard Chunyu Zhi's low voice, gritting her teeth.
“Chu Weiyang, take your hand—off!”