Chapter 42

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Chapter 42: Offerings to the Gods!

The people of the Wan family are so warm-hearted, no wonder they have turned Wanbao Pavilion into the top shop in the world.

Wan Baocai, with respect and excitement in his eyes and smile, led Wen Yun and Ye Shubai towards the exit, while making a promise, "Our Wan family ancestor is waiting for both of you on Blizzard Island. If that old Qianzhenzi dares to harm you two, we will not rest until justice is served. By the way, Elder Ye’s memorial tablet is still at our Wan family ancestral home. Would you both like to pay your respects together?"

Wen Yun didn’t know what Ye Shubai was feeling now, but she made a great effort to hide her smile.

She quietly looked at Ye Shubai’s face beside her, and he happened to be looking down at the moment. His calm eyes seemed to express a hint of helplessness, but he didn’t stop her antics and let her continue.

It wasn’t until they reached the water mirror that he softly reminded her, "Be careful of everything."

After speaking, he handed her the wooden sword in his hand and walked past Wen Yun into the front.

Wen Yun pressed her lips together, holding the sword in one hand and clutching the random teleportation scroll hidden in her sleeve with the other hand, following him closely.

The water mirror also contained spatial rules, with the energy seeming to come from the Dark Heaven Secret Realm itself rather than the opener.

However, before Wen Yun could comprehend the profoundness of it, the environment around her suddenly changed. The spirit Qi seemed to be thin and sparse, and the view in front of her shifted from the lush green forests to a barren sandy land with only a few trees in the distance.

This was different from the hundreds of scenarios Wen Yun had imagined.

Jiang Si, who had stepped forward, plunged his big sword diagonally into the sand, looked around, and said to Qian Lishen, "Taoist Friend Qian, I thought Blizzard Island was all elegant and exquisite, but it seems there are also such desolate places."

Qian Lishen looked around in confusion, forgetting even to respond to Jiang Si.

Wuchen, the young monk, with hands together, advised, "Jiang, remember that diligence leads to success and extravagance to failure. In this mundane world, everything is fleeting. Elegance and plainness only differ by one’s mindset."

The monks of Tianyin Temple were ascetic practitioners, valuing simplicity and natural living. They held great respect in the world, with people knowing more about their reputation than the noble families or prestigious factions.

Unfortunately, Wuchen was surrounded by common folks, especially the materialistic ones.

Jiang Si replied bluntly with hands crossed over his chest, "Wuchen, I’ve been observing for a while now, and still find it quite ordinary."

The young monk blushed slightly with a touch of innocence on his face, "Jiang…"

Zhu Erchong chimed in, agreeing, "Blizzard Island seems quite impoverished. Qian Lishen, you teased us about being poor, but it seems your group of cultivators is even poorer than us sword practitioners."

Bao Pilong, who had a strong bond with his senior martial brothers, added smoothly, "Oh, Martial Brother Zhu, it’s not right to point out others’ shortcomings. We have noticed Taoist Friend Qian wearing the same clothes all the time. At least us sword cultivators have multiple outfits for changing, right, Martial Sister Wen?"

Despite the sword cultivators always donning white robes, each robe was unique. For instance, the robe worn yesterday had frayed cuffs, while today’s had a hole in the collar. A keen eye could identify these as two distinct garments!

Qian Lishen gritted his teeth, "Rustic folks, you guys don’t understand a thing!"

Wen Yun also felt sorry for Qian Lishen at this moment.

She always wore the dress Ye Shubai bought for her. It wasn’t because it wasn’t cleaned, but just like Qian Lishen said, it was a high-level magical garment. The clothes had a self-cleaning magic array on them, always staying neat and clean without needing to be washed.

But even though she sympathized, she couldn’t go against her own senior brother for outsiders. So when Bao Pilong sought her approval, Wen Yun nodded without hesitation, "Senior brother is right!"

Qian Lishen dared to be rude to anyone, except he showed some fear in front of Wen Yun first.

He glanced at Wen Yun softly, his lips moved, but he swallowed the unpleasant words before they came out. With a cold face, he said, "Shut up, this place is not our Blizzard Island at all!"

Qian Lishen strode forward, grabbed the wet sand on the beach, and snorted, "Around my Blizzard Island, there are clean white sands for miles. Look, this is black sand, this place is definitely not Blizzard Island!" He finished speaking, always looking at Wen Yun.

However, Wen Yun didn’t see his efforts to prove himself right at all. She murmured softly, "Qianzhenzi’s abilities are too poor if he even got the location wrong."

Qian Lishen, "…Could you please show some respect to our Blizzard Island, Taoist Friend Wen."

Wen Yun wasn’t interested in arguing about Blizzard Island’s abilities. Right now, she was only concerned about her Martial Brother Shen and where the demon cultivator had gone.

"This place is strange. Let’s first look around nearby to see if there are any people, and find out more before making a plan."

Everyone agreed with Wen Yun’s suggestion. They quickly split up to find locals nearby, but even with flying swords and magical symbols, they couldn’t find anyone. There were hardly any signs of life on the whole island – it was like a dead land.

Wen Yun stood on her sword, thinking for a moment, and whispered, "It seems to be a deserted island, surrounded by the sea. We can’t tell where we are. This is troublesome…"

She sighed, and noticed Ye Shubai frowning, staring intently at the deserted island below.

Being very understanding with him, Wen Yun immediately followed his gaze.

Wen Yun squinted her eyes, sensing something strange.

"This island is so long."

Ye Shubai muttered in agreement. Even those without flying abilities could tell, making Wen Yun’s remark unnecessary.

However, she spoke again, "Although this island looks flat from east to west, it is actually rugged terrain with reefs surrounding the sea. It is a must-pass place for traveling north and south. The spiritual energy on this island is very weak, and most people cannot control their swords for too long. So, in order to pass through, one must walk on the island."

Ye Shubai’s furrowed brows gradually relaxed as he turned to look at Wen Yun. The girl remained calm as usual, even with a hint of laziness. However, the casual words she spoke seemed to be the key to this island.

He discreetly placed his hand behind Wen Yun’s back and controlled the wooden sword to fall to the ground.

"If I remember correctly, this island is one of the boundaries between the human and demon realms."

Ye Shubai pressed down the fluttering hem of his clothes with one hand and pointed his sword ahead towards Wen Yun, saying, "As we move in this direction, the spiritual energy will become denser, and we can also reach Blizzard Island."

He turned and pointed in another direction, saying, "Going in that direction leads to the rarely-visited outer sea by the righteous path, where the spiritual energy is thin and weak, a dwelling place for demon cultivators."

"It was here that the demon cultivators were completely defeated, making this island the final battlefield."

Not only Wen Yun, an outsider, was clueless about these matters, but even the natives of the cultivation world looked at Ye Shubai with confusion, "Why don’t we know about these things?"

Wen Yun chuckled, thinking to herself that these clueless people wouldn’t know because their ancestors only took credit for themselves. They wanted to cover up the details of the demon cultivator’s defeat from that year, so they dared not mention it again.

Wan Baocai, who was standing behind Ye Shubai, spoke with respect, "It is true. When I was young, my ancestors at home told me about it several times. I never thought I would one day stand in this place, witnessing heroes and history!"

With a fond look in his eyes, Wan Baocai bent down, scooped up a handful of black sand, and sighed, "I will bring this back to show to my ancestors. Though the person is gone, these are the traces left by those times!"

After thinking for a moment, Wen Yun decided not to mention that the person is not only gone but still watching over you in remembrance.

Qian Lishen sneered and then asked suspiciously, "Since Blizzard Island is far from here, it means this exit was not opened by our ancestors. So, this…"

"This might have been opened by a demon cultivator," Wen Yun calmly stated her speculation. "The demon cultivator must have been badly injured. If I’m not mistaken, they also opened this formation. They have probably escaped to the open sea by now."

As expected, Jiang Si returned from afar at that moment and said solemnly, "Everyone, I found a place with sufficient spirit Qi at the other end just now. Finally, we can use the communication jade talisman. I asked my family, and they mentioned that the elders are currently at the Qingliu Sword Sect, not on Blizzard Island. They have also never heard of the opening of the exit!"

Jiang Si’s words further confirmed Wen Yun’s speculation.

"So, a demon cultivator has indeed infiltrated here!"

Little Monk Wuchen hurried forward, clasping his hands together, and said, "This is a serious matter. I need to quickly return to Tianyin Temple to report to my master. I’m afraid I can’t search for Master Shen with you all. Please forgive me."

Not only him, but several others have the same plan. After all, this matter is very complicated, and the communication jade slips may or may not work on the sea. It is necessary to go back in person to discuss it.

As people left one by one, only Zhu Erchong, Bao Pilong, and Wan Baocai remained standing in place.

Holding a sword, Zhu Erchong showed no intention of leaving and loudly said, "Junior Brother Shen must have been taken to the outer sea. I will go and bring him back now!"

Then he decisively pointed at the other three fellow disciples and solemnly said, "Younger martial sister, you three should quickly return to the sect and report this to the sect leader. Wait for my return!"

Although he said "return", his last four words carried the meaning of risking his life.

Wen Yun sighed.

She looked at Zhu Erchong and said seriously, "Just as Martial Brother Ye mentioned, the spiritual energy in the outer sea is thin. Even cultivators may not be able to control their swords there. If you go, it might be a death sentence."

Without any sign of backing down, Zhu Erchong boldly laughed out loud and said, "Within the mountain gates, each peak master protects their own, but once we step outside the gates, we are all part of the Qingliu Sword Sect. I am an Elder Martial Brother and brought many of you out in the first place. When I return, I must bring back the same number, not one less!"

He spoke the last six words with great determination.

Bao Pilong was also feeling excited and took a step forward, saying, "I’ll go with you!" He then turned to Wen Yun and Ye Shubai, and earnestly said, "Junior Brother Ye, Martial Sister Wen, you two are young and shouldn’t take risks. I entrust the task of reporting back to the sect to you two."

These two people seemed to have already made a decision. Normally, they were reluctant to spend even a single piece of spiritual jade, but now they solemnly handed over their space bag to Wen Yun.

"We may not be able to return, Martial Sister Wen. I’ve saved some spiritual jade for my beloved sword. Don’t just use any old wood to sharpen the sword. Take this spiritual jade and forge a new one."

Bao Pilong also took a step forward and gave the somewhat old space bag to Ye Shubai.

"Junior Brother Ye, even though we haven’t known each other for long, your sword skills have truly impressed me. Take it, you deserve a good sword!"

Ye Shubai looked down, holding the space bag in his hand, his expression unreadable.

Beside him, Wen Yun chuckled softly, holding the space bag and tilting her head slightly as she looked at him seriously, asking, "There is still hope, right?"

Having been by Ye Shubai’s side for so long, she naturally sensed his complicated feelings towards the Qingliu Sword Sect.

The sect that raised him was true, but it also betrayed him. He held strong pride in his heart and didn’t blame these younger generations for the elders’ wrongdoings, but he also couldn’t forgive like a saint.

But he didn’t expect that the foul smelling old mud would grow into clean and proud plants just like him.

The Qingliu Sword Sect finally welcomed a group of disciples who lived up to its name.

"Hmm."

Ye Shubai softly responded, still holding the space bag in his left hand, while slowly raising the sword in his right hand. A flash of sword light appeared, gentle like a breeze passing by, yet it knocked Bao Pilong and Zhu Erchong unconscious at the same time.

"Take the two of them back." Ye Shubai turned to Wan Baocai, his voice cold. "Much obliged."

Wan Baocai was amazed, having been taught from a young age the belief that "repaying kindness comes before all else, and kindness in swordsmanship is divine." He never imagined that Ye Xiaobai was so strong!

Truly a grandson to be proud of!

He deftly took out a magical spirit boat that could barely hold three people.

"Both of you are going to look for Daoist Shen?"

Ye Shubai didn’t speak, he just silently mounted his sword. Wen Yun jumped up beside him and said with a smile, "My dear friend, I entrust my senior brothers to you."

Seeing them about to rush to the open sea, Wan Baocai exclaimed, "You haven’t paid respects to the three Martial Uncle ancestors yet!"

Wen Yun smiled and said, "Let them wait."

Wan Baocai shouted from below, "Wait, you haven’t paid respects to Elder Ye yet! When you return, remember to visit my Wan family ancestral home!"

However, the two had already flown towards the unknown sea, and he thought that their benefactor probably couldn’t hear his words.

Yet, from afar, a cold voice carried by the wind reached Wan Baocai’s ears.

"Okay."

He agreed.

*

"Brother, what are you eating?"

"The Wan family just brought us some roasted spirit duck, crispy on the outside and tender inside. It tastes really good, do you want to try some?"

As Xu Wanfeng spoke, he picked up a piece of duck meat, dipped it carefully in sauce, wrapped it in a pancake, and fed it to Bai Yushan saying, "Here, eat."

However, Bai Yushan turned his head away, looking serious, "I’m not eating. Master and Martial Sister Wen are nowhere to be found right now, I can’t eat!"

He said this to try and play on his fellow disciple’s conscience, but Xu Wanfeng took the opportunity to directly feed the spirit duck into his mouth.

"Is it delicious?"

Bai Yushan, with a serious face, chewed for a while and said calmly, "It’s okay."

"Then enjoy your meal." Xu Wanfeng’s eyes sparkled with laughter as he continued wrapping the spirit duck in pancake, advising, "The old dogs from the sect are still looking for us, but Master and Martial Sister Wen are definitely safe."

"Besides, since Martial Sister Wen left us a secret message, she must have anticipated the current situation. And if you don’t trust her, at least trust Master, right?"

When Bai Yushan heard this, he felt a bit relieved, "Of course, Master wouldn’t be harmed by those old dogs, right?"

So he happily picked up a duck leg to eat. As he nibbled on it, he suddenly remembered, "Oh, Second Master Brother, I only know that Martial Sister Wen left a message in the woodshed saying that Master has come out of seclusion and is by her side, asking us to pack up quickly and leave, but…"

It was rare for their Third Junior Brother to talk so much today. Smiling encouragingly, Xu Wanfeng asked, "But what?"

"But since you don’t usually go to the woodshed, how did you know there was a letter hidden there?"

"… " Xu Wanfeng looked a bit embarrassed, then warmly stuffed some duck meat into Bai Yushan’s mouth, saying, "You talk so much even while eating, what’s that about! Just eat and be quiet!"

Why did Xu Wanfeng know that Wen Yun had hidden a letter in the woodshed?

This matter goes way back. Before the Swordsmanship Contest, Wen Yun had instructed Martial Sister Mengran that if she went missing during the contest, she should inform the senior brothers from The Tenth Peak to look for the letter. She was afraid of implicating her three senior brothers from The Tenth Peak, so she prepared early.

Martial Sister Mengran indeed did not know anyone from The Tenth Peak, but her master, Real Ziyun, did! Even more intriguingly, she had a close relationship with someone from The Tenth Peak.

When Wen Yun was still at The Tenth Peak, she often saw Real Ziyun and Xu Wanfeng together watching the sunrise and flowers falling, discussing life and ideals, showing a deep bond.

Unexpectedly, trouble started brewing when three senior brothers heard that Ye Shubai was actually following Wen Yun, so they quickly packed up their things and ran away…

In fact, they didn’t just pack up their things, they even emptied out the entire The Tenth Peak overnight. To evacuate the mountain, the deceitful Xu Wanfeng even tricked Yue Xingzhou into drinking half a jug of wine. The intoxicated Elder Martial Brother’s strength was truly astonishing, as he chopped down all the trees, leaving only a bare mountain.

The three of them rushed through the night, originally planning to head to Blizzard Island to help their younger martial sister, but halfway there, they encountered Wan family ancestor who persuaded and partly dragged them to the Wan family ancestral home.

They ended up staying there for almost half a month, initially thinking they were in trouble this time.

However, it turned out to be a surprise. Instead of informing those old dogs, the Wan family even offered to help them find out the whereabouts of their master.

The Wan family’s intelligence network was unmatched, and the three of them were at a loss as to where to look for people, so they decided to stay there and wait for news.

During this time, the Wan family extravagantly entertained them with delicious food and drink, providing a luxurious lifestyle that these humble sword cultivators had never imagined…

For example, this spirit duck tasted even better than the immortal crane from The First Peak!

Xu Wanfeng sighed, feeling quite emotional, and took a bite of the succulent duck meat into his mouth, preparing to savor it when suddenly someone approached from outside.

"Don’t eat!"

Yue Xingzhou entered, his face no longer gentle and approachable as usual, but serious as if covered in frost, "The Wan family just sent word that two sword cultivators from the Qingliu Sword Sect are looking for us."

Bai Yushan immediately jumped up, excitedly saying, "It must be our master and younger martial sister!"

"No, it’s two male sword cultivators."

Could it be… Liu Zhengxu and Supreme Elder Ouyang? Has the Wan family betrayed them, or have those two old dogs finally come to find them?

The three of them exchanged glances, then tightly gripped their swords, gathering their spiritual power at their lower abdomen, cautiously moving towards the outside.

However, as soon as they reached outside, their anxious hearts were relieved.

The visitors were Wan family’s young master Wan Baocai, his face pale as if he had rushed over right after landing here. Indeed, lying beneath him were two people dressed as disciples of the Qingliu Sword Sect, snoring loudly and only at the level of Golden Core strength…

They were just two harmless dishes.

"I’ve seen three Martial Uncles." Wan Baocai quickly bowed, he had just come down from the Spirit Boat and was not feeling well. He didn’t have time for formalities and simply explained everything that happened in the Dark Heaven Secret Realm.

Finally, he said solemnly, "Martial Brother Ye and Martial Sister Wen are determined to go to the outer sea to save someone. I had to come back to report it, please hurry and rescue them, three esteemed seniors!"

In the past, just the words ‘esteemed seniors’ would have made Xu Wanfeng angry, but this time his attention was on another three words.

"Martial Brother Ye?"

"Yes, it’s Ye Xiaobai, Martial Brother Ye!" Wan Baocai showed admiration, "Truly worthy of the seniors’ descendants, Martial Brother Ye is incredibly powerful. When he drew his sword, it was as if I saw a noble figure in a painting…"

"Ye… Little Bai?"

The three people showed a strange expression, repeating this unusual name.

Wan Baocai was still thinking about Ye Shubai’s unbeatable final sword strike. Seeing the strange expressions of the three people in front of him, he quickly pleaded for Martial Brother Ye, "Three Martial Uncles, Brother Ye Xiaobai is a shining example to us, he went out in a hurry to save someone, not to intentionally avoid meeting you. Please don’t punish him!"

"…"

Young man, do you know what you’re saying? By speaking like this, do you want the three of us to be struck by lightning together, do you understand?

Normally cheerful Xu Wanfeng’s face turned pale, not to mention Yue Xingzhou and Bai Yushan.

Seeing the serious expressions of the three, Wan Baocai, on one hand, was sweating profusely due to the pressure of their advanced martial arts cultivation, and on the other hand, was moved by Ye Xiaobai’s spirit of self-sacrifice. He nervously tried to explain for him, "Three seniors… Martial Brother Ye is not disrespectful to our ancestors or seniors. Before he left, he said he would return to the Wan family to pay respects to Elder Ye."

"…"

Third Martial Brother couldn’t say a word, finally Yue Xingzhou reluctantly spoke up, "Let’s go, since master has gone to the sea, we must also go quickly to help."

Bai Yushan unsheathed a huge sword without saying a word, flying up on his sword.

Both of them ignored the sweaty and nervous Wan Baocai, flying straight out.

Xu Wanfeng also drew his sword, then sighed and looked down at Wan Baocai with a complicated expression.

"Young ones of the Wan family, before we return, burn the master’s portrait and stop offering incense to him."

I’m scared that you will light incense again, and then we will be in trouble together!