Volume 4 Chapter 10

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Volume 4 Chapter 10: Departure

Although the sunlight shone brightly on Jiuhua Mountain during the day, there was a sense of lifelessness everywhere.

Ever since Zhang Xusheng’s attack four years ago, which greatly weakened Jiuhua Mountain’s strength, they had to announce an indefinite closure of the mountain, leading to a drop in the usual liveliness. In that catastrophe, although the Jiuhua elders suffered more than half losses, in terms of absolute numbers, the ordinary disciples of Jiuhua had it the hardest.

One statistic clearly highlights the issue: Previously, Jiuhua Mountain had nearly forty highly skilled elders who reached the Condensed Core Stage, nearly one hundred direct disciples of various elder guardians, over five hundred indoor disciples, and around two thousand registered disciples.

Normally, those talented direct disciples only focused on cultivation, and they were the most likely to reach the Condensed Core Stage in the future and become masters in the cultivation world, forming the backbone of Jiuhua Mountain’s future.

Indoor disciples, apart from practicing immortality, were responsible for assisting their masters in managing various affairs of Jiuhua Mountain every day. Although their talent and skill were not as superior as the direct disciples, and the magical instruments and cultivation methods bestowed by their masters were ordinary, they were still not weak, with quite a few reaching the Inedia Stage or even the Lingji Stage. In fact, throughout history, Jiuhua Mountain frequently saw indoor disciples who achieved mastery by relying on their diligence and aspiration for immortality.

The most numerous registered disciples spent most of their time handling chores, feeding spirit beasts, cleaning, serving elders, and welcoming guests. Their aptitudes were low, practicing the most basic cultivation methods, without any magical instruments, and only a handful reached the Inedia Stage. Calling them Jiuhua disciples would be less accurate than calling them servants. Yet, they were an essential part of Jiuhua Mountain, as their efforts ensured everything ran smoothly. The fairyland-like Jiuhua Mountain of the past was built and maintained by their hard work.

After Zhou Huahai’s rebellion and Zhang Xusheng leading the attack with a group of demons, the disciples suffered significant losses. Of the nearly a hundred direct disciples, fewer than sixty remained, and of the more than five hundred indoor disciples, fewer than three hundred were left. The two thousand nominal disciples, who had almost no ability to protect themselves, suffered the most damage, with only about eight hundred remaining. Moreover, many of the surviving disciples suffered severe internal and external injuries that would affect them for life or prevent them from progressing in their cultivation.

Because of this, even though nearly five years have passed, the disciples still feel the lingering effects of the catastrophe from four years ago. Although their physical injuries have healed, the shadows in their hearts remain, with no knowledge of when they might recover. Seeing their companions dying tragically around them and being unable to resist the terrifying demonic onslaught left an impression that cannot be put into words.

As a result, they temporarily lost interest in managing the affairs of Jiuhua Mountain, lost the heart to play as they once did, and even nurtured a bit of resentment toward Jiuhua Mountain. Even five years later, Jiuhua Mountain remains as desolate as it did back then. The once ethereal setting has not only failed to recover but has taken on the appearance of being weathered by dust and neglect. The original damaged buildings were barely replaced by hastily erected bamboo and wooden huts.

The elders and senior disciples of Jiuhua Mountain were either busy cultivating and protecting the "Jiuji Cave," focused on training to improve after realizing their inadequacies in the fight against Zhang Xusheng, or were left disheartened by the "Sky Spiritual Pill" incident. Consequently, no one addressed the low-level disciples’ lethargy.

Although there were still more than a thousand cultivators at Jiuhua Mountain, the vast mountain range appeared eerily deserted, with not a single figure seen wandering its paths.

Because of this, no elder or disciple noticed Jiuhua Mountain’s anomalies over the past five years.

At some unknown point, Jiuhua Mountain became suddenly damp, with water levels in small lakes and streams rising considerably, and many of the previously dry mountain cracks turning into rivulets. All these changes originated from the summit of Jiuhua Mountain, as if the millennia-old snow had gradually melted.

If anyone had noticed these changes and investigated the summit, they would find the once snow-covered top now bathed in a blazing red light. Although the summit stands over two thousand internal measurements high with fierce winds blowing year-round, it felt like standing in the heat of summer at the top. The previously pristine white mountaintop now exposed large areas of rocky ground.

The sudden increase in moisture at Jiuhua Mountain over the years was caused by the rise in temperature at the summit, leading to a massive snowmelt.

Day by day, the red glow grew brighter and more dazzling, and the temperature at the peak of Jiuhua Mountain rose quickly as the snow melted. Finally, five years after Jiuhua Mountain had shut down, the intense red glow and scorching heat suddenly shrank at great speed, as if absorbed entirely by something or someone.

At a certain spot atop Jiuhua Mountain, a rundown hut stood. As the red glow and high temperature rapidly faded, the area around the hut became increasingly bright and hot. After an unknown amount of time, a clear phoenix call suddenly echoed from within the hut, and with it, the red glow and heat around the hut vanished.

A long time after, a clear sigh wafted gently from the hut. Though not loud, the sound carried across the entire peak of Jiuhua Mountain. While filled with a sense of helplessness, if listened to closely, the voice seemed to hold a hint of hope.

Inside the hut, after the sigh, Xu Qingfan slowly opened his eyes, a fiery light flashing quickly across them. His gaze was a mixture of disappointment and anticipation.

The complexity of his expression stemmed from the results of his recent retreat.

This time, Xu Qingfan’s retreat was a mix of success and failure. On the success side, with the help of the vast Spirit Qi within the "Wutong branch," he managed to absorb and refine the Spirit Qi from the Mountain Spirit Wood Monster and the Green Snake Dragon’s inner core. With these Spirit Qi, Xu Qingfan successfully stepped into the late stage of the Lingji Stage realm.

However, the failure lay in the fact that although his power increased greatly and his compatibility with the "Wutong branch" improved significantly, he was unable to reach the Condensed Core Stage, nor succeed in fully merging with the "Wutong branch."

Yet with loss comes gain. Through this retreat, Xu Qingfan’s body and Divine Sense became much more in tune with the "Wutong branch." He believed that after the next retreat, he could perfectly merge with the branch.

More importantly, since his cultivation was nearing the limits of the Lingji Stage, the possibility of forming a core after merging with the "Wutong branch" next time had slightly increased.

As he thought of this, the slight annoyance that Xu Qingfan felt from the failed fusion vanished, and his heart became even more filled with anticipation.

Shaking off the dust from his clothes, Xu Qingfan stood up from the grass bed and gently pushed open the door of the grass hut. To his surprise, his hut was surrounded by a colorful barrier, clearly set up by Liu Huaxiang for protection. This filled his heart with warmth, and he eagerly looked forward to meeting Liu Huaxiang and Ting’er. He even missed Little Green’s roaring at him.

"I don’t know how long I’ve been in seclusion this time. Ting’er was still a skinny little girl back then; who knows what she looks like now? Martial Uncle Liu was badly injured since Zhang Xusheng’s chaos, and I wonder if he’s recovered somewhat or grown older? And who knows if Little Green has been causing trouble again? I bet it has trampled many of Martial Uncle Liu’s rare flowers and herbs over these years."

The defensive barrier technique outside the grass hut was highly advanced, capable of recognizing Xu Qingfan’s Divine Sense fluctuations. This meant that aside from Liu Huaxiang, who set up the defense, and Xu Qingfan himself, no one else could freely enter or exit.

Xu Qingfan stepped out of the barrier with anticipation, only to find the entire peak of Jiuhua Mountain had changed drastically. The snow that had accumulated over thousands of years had vanished, revealing the rocky surface beneath. Liu Huaxiang and Ting’er were nowhere to be seen.

With a brief thought, Xu Qingfan figured out the reason. The disappearance of the snow must be due to the release of Phoenix Spirit Qi during his seclusion, which melted the snow at high temperatures. Liu Huaxiang, along with Ting’er and Little Green, likely went down the mountain to gather materials needed for Liu Huaxiang’s secret techniques.

The warmth in Xu Qingfan’s heart grew, and he felt a sense of home. His steps across the peak of Jiuhua Mountain became more leisurely.

The last time he felt this way was when his senior brother Yue Qingru was still alive.

Suddenly, Xu Qingfan paused, a wry smile on his face. He realized that somewhere along the peak of Jiuhua Mountain, the rare flowers and herbs that Zhang Hualing had carefully tended for years had mysteriously withered. Only a few resilient and rare species were still struggling to survive, though even they looked rather wilted.

It seems that when Xu Qingfan was in seclusion, the intense heat generated by the Phoenix Spirit Qi not only melted the thousand-year-old snow on top of Jiuhua Mountain but also dried up all the moisture there. It’s no wonder all the exotic plants and flowers withered under such heat and lack of moisture.

Thinking that this was the result of Liu Huaxiang’s lifetime of effort and was inadvertently destroyed by him, Xu Qingfan felt extremely frustrated.

Recalling how furious Zhang Hualing had been when Little Green rolled on the ground and crushed some rare flowers and herbs, Xu Qingfan felt even more troubled. Due to Little Green’s previous damage, as "the uncle of the master culprit," he already owed Liu Huaxiang countless seeds of rare flowers and plants. This time, with the destruction of the exotic plants in the "Herb Garden," who knows how Liu Huaxiang would react when he returned home? Teasing and frustration would likely be plentiful, and he might even start scolding, inevitably demanding that Xu Qingfan collect numerous seeds of exotic plants as repayment.

As it stands, unless Xu Qingfan suddenly realizes the way of longevity, repaying Zhang Hualing for the seeds of rare flowers and herbs might never be possible in his lifetime.

At this thought, the relaxed expression Xu Qingfan had after coming out of seclusion suddenly vanished, leaving only a deep wry smile on his lips.

Shaking his head, Xu Qingfan pushed aside these worries. For him now, the priority was to quickly merge with the "Wutong branch" and enter the Condensed Core Stage.

So Xu Qingfan stopped thinking about it, knowing he would have plenty of time to compensate Liu Huaxiang for the exotic plants after Core Formation, he turned and headed back to his room.

Due to the state of mind needed, a cultivator cannot be in continuous seclusion. If even a faint sense of annoyance or tastelessness arises, it’s risky and could lead to Qi deviation.

Over the next month, Xu Qingfan returned to his leisurely days, reading books and tasting tea, browsing the Jiuhua scenery, or making an effort to save the dying exotic plants. Apart from his daily routine of meditation, he didn’t do anything related to cultivation.

A month later, Xu Qingfan felt that his heart was calm and natural once again. He returned to his grass hut and continued his retreat. The red glow started to fill the top of Jiuhua Mountain anew, making the mountain’s temperature fiercely hot again. Everything seemed different, yet nothing had changed, leaving only the withered flowers and grass on the mountaintop to sway in the wind.

…

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away from Jiuhua Mountain, three figures suddenly appeared on a desolate mountain, wandering along the path as if searching for something.

The largest of these figures was over three meters tall, covered in blue scales, with sharp fangs and horns, white claws, and green eyes. It was a Blue-eyed Cloud-foot Beast, rare in the cultivation world. However, this usually fierce creature was now gentle, following closely behind the other two figures. It was Ting’er’s "obedient pet," Little Green.

It’s unknown how many Spiritual Herbs Liu Huaxiang and Ting’er fed Little Green over the years, but compared to before, though Little Green’s size had only grown slightly, its mightiness had greatly increased.

The second figure was that of a slender young girl. Upon closer look, she was a beautiful maiden with a serene face. Though she had not yet fully matured, she already possessed a stunning grace. Her allure was like the soft cloud obscuring the moon, her elegance like the drifting snow in the wind. From afar, she was as bright as the rising sun; up close, she was as radiant as a lotus emerging from clear waters, like a heavenly fairy.

Regrettably, this maiden’s face was covered in black flame patterns, which appeared even more mysterious against her fair skin. Despite her beauty, her eyes were cold, showing no interest in the world. Yet these black flame patterns and her indifferent demeanor added a unique captivating allure.

This young maiden was Ting’er. When Xu Qingfan first adopted her, she was merely an undernourished little girl of nearly twelve. After seven years, Ting’er had blossomed into a graceful eighteen-year-old. In the past five years especially, she had grown rapidly. Even Xu Qingfan might not recognize this beautiful maiden as his niece Ting’er if he saw her now.

Despite her dramatic changes in appearance and physique, Ting’er’s character remained silent and aloof, unaffected by all of Liu Huaxiang’s attempts to change her over the years.

Leading the way was an old and frail man, who seemed as if he might wither away at any moment. That man was, of course, Liu Huaxiang.

Half a year ago, having collected enough vengeful spirit blood, Liu Huaxiang had no idea that Zhang and Lie from the "Ming" organization had been waiting to ambush him for a full six months. Otherwise, with his current cultivation level, he would likely have no chance to escape against the combined forces of Zhang and Lie.

Naturally, he was unaware that Xu Qingfan had accidentally destroyed the rare plants he had nurtured for hundreds of years. He hadn’t expected Xu Qingfan to cause such a commotion during his seclusion, either. If Liu Huaxiang had known, the already life-exhausted old man might have further shortened his lifespan.

After the two humans and the beast searched the desolate mountain for a long time, a trace of joy suddenly flickered across Liu Huaxiang’s aged face. With a wave of his right hand, the ground before him cracked open, and a green stone quickly flew into his hand.

Liu Huaxiang muttered to himself, "Finally, I have collected a hundred pieces of ‘Green Glow Stone’, and the materials needed for the secret ritual are now complete."

Saying this, Liu Huaxiang turned to Ting’er and softly said, "Ting’er, we should return to Jiuhua Mountain. I’m sure your uncle has left seclusion by now, but I wonder if he succeeded."

Hearing Liu Huaxiang’s words, Ting’er merely nodded quietly without speaking further. However, for a fleeting moment, her usually calm eyes seemed to reflect a hint of nostalgia. It was unclear whether she longed for her uncle, Xu Qingfan, or for Jiuhua Mountain, the place she could call "home."

…

Three days later, Liu Huaxiang returned to Jiuhua Mountain. Seeing the ruined plants before him, he became dazed and speechless.

After a long time.

"Xu Qingfan! You little scoundrel, are you trying to drive me crazy?"

At this moment, the normally very old Liu Huaxiang spoke with surprisingly strong and vigorous anger.