Chapter 22: 22. Chapter Twenty-Two

22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Atian was very clear that the only opportunity she could grasp was this flight of stairs. The Immortal Dao had not yet realized their identities, which was why they had sent low-level disciples to handle them. Once they reacted, she feared she would only be left to watch from the sidelines.

For a Sword Cultivator, the sword one wields dictates the Sword Technique one uses. Wanjie was a sword of brilliance, so Bai Tian's Sword Technique was as aggressive as a raging fire. She had never fought a Dharma Cultivator before this; seeing the opponent form hand seals or sacrifice and refine Dharma instruments was a first. When facing them, she relied primarily on combat instinct to respond, and to her surprise, she actually managed to hold her own.

Since she was young, she had possessed a talent for beating people up that far exceeded others; otherwise, she would not have swept through Guangkai Town and earned the reputation of "The World-Confusing Great Demon King." The Immortal Dao disciple opposite her had only gained a slight advantage at the start. Once she grew accustomed to the opponent's combat rhythm, she became smoother and more agile with every strike. The situation reversed in an instant, and she soon kicked the first enemy flying.

This unlucky Immortal Dao disciple drew a graceful parabola in the air and crashed into the fellow disciples who had rushed over, causing the disciples behind to fall into a flurry of confusion.

Stomping her foot, Atian leaped up. Wanjie in her hand aimed at the crowd, and fire lotuses cascaded down, prompting the opposite side to unleash various treasures that glowed brightly. From afar, it looked like a cluster of opened oil-paper umbrellas—quite a sight.

However, that was as far as it went.

A metal Token, wrapped in surging power, descended from the sky. Just as it was about to reach Bai Tian, it split into six, circling around her body. Under the mutual pull of the six tokens, Atian felt the flames flowing through her meridians stagnate, and her limbs became unbearably heavy. She suddenly knelt on one knee to barely support her body. What she could not see was that after suppressing her, the six tokens merged back into one and struck down directly at the girl's head!

"Clang!"

The sound of metal clashing came from above. Atian struggled to lift her head, only to see Senior Brother Mu blocking in front of her, using his sword to hold off the menacing Token.

"Zhang," Mu Yi smiled in a devil-may-care manner, "I only have this one Junior Sister, don't you go bullying her."

"Mu Yi!"

The Immortal Dao disciples scattered, clearing a path for the newcomer. A gaunt young man with disheveled hair walked to the very front of the group. He wore the same pale purple Daoist robe, only his hem was embroidered with a circle of dark red patterns. Judging by the respectful attitude of the surrounding disciples, he clearly held a high position in the Immortal Dao.

His eye sockets were deeply sunken, his skin the pale color of one who never sees the sun, and his brows were knit so tightly they could almost be tied into a knot. "What are you from the Beihai Sword Sect doing at our Luofu Mountain?"

"Coming to settle a score," Senior Brother Mu replied readily. "Zhang Zeyan, you can't interfere in this matter. You'd better go back to your alchemy room!"

"Settle a score?" The impatience on the face of the young Daoist named "Zhang Zeyan" deepened. "What nonsense are you spouting? When have we ever had a feud?"

"It seems you really don't know anything," Senior Brother Mu shrugged. "Then again, your direct lineage spends all day locked in the alchemy room. I reckon even if the sky fell outside, you lot would still happily keep guarding your alchemy furnaces. Sometimes I truly envy that mindset of yours."

"Mu Yi!" Zhang Zeyan's face darkened. "If you are here to attend the Qingtan Assembly, then speak properly. If not, get out!"

"Attend, of course we are attending." It was not Senior Brother Mu who answered him, but Duan Xuan, who was walking up step by step, followed by Li Ke and Bai Xinli.

The appearance of Duan Xuan gave Zhang Zeyan a jolt of terror. Others might not recognize this number one Sword Cultivator of the Yuanguang Continent, but as the direct disciple of the Immortal Dao Grandmaster Wei Sheren, he had lost count of how many times he had seen this Sect Master in private. When Mu Yi said earlier that he "could not interfere," he had been dismissive, but now Zhang Zeyan understood: the man surnamed Mu had not been lying this time.

"With such a grand event as the Qingtan Assembly, how could we not attend? Without my Beihai Sword Sect, could this still be called the number one grand event of the cultivation world?" Duan Xuan changed the subject here. "But one thing is one thing; attending the assembly is one thing, but this feud, well, it still needs to be settled."

"Liu Yan, blast this bunch of little brats back for me!"

Before the words had faded, Liu Yan, who had been quietly climbing the mountain path, drew her sword at the sound. Her sword was as crystal clear as ice, and the moment it left its sheath, it brought with it the scent of a sea tide.

She took a step forward, held her long sword to her chest, and swung it with force—in an instant, everyone felt as if they were on the surging North Sea, with a massive, heaven-turning wave before them. This massive wave, wrapped in the force of a landslide and a tsunami, struck, swallowing all the Immortal Dao disciples in front and then fiercely slapping them back!

Duan Xuan watched calmly as the Immortal Dao group was slapped back to the mountaintop and said to the struggling Zhang Zeyan, "Junior Nephew Zhang, go back and tell your master that I, Duan Xuan, have come to pay a visit. Whoever tries to stop me, I will beat them one by one."

Knowing there was no turning back, Zhang Zeyan sighed, gave up resistance, and let the giant wave roll him up to the mountaintop as well.

"Junior Sister Bai, are you alright?" Mu Yi turned around and reached out a hand to Atian with a grin. "Do you feel any numbness in your limbs?"

Atian felt alright. Having experienced the sword pressure from Bai Xinli that was enough to crush an opponent, the power of the token just now hadn't been that frightening. It was just that her blood and Qi were a bit obstructed. She thought for a moment, grabbed his arm, and used it to stand up.

Mu Yi scratched his head, feeling relieved inside. The Grandmaster had placed him behind Junior Sister Bai specifically to look after this little Junior Sister, but he hadn't expected her to be stronger than anticipated. If Zhang Zeyan hadn't intervened, she might have actually managed to charge to the mountaintop. But then again, if she hadn't been this strong, Zhang Zeyan probably wouldn't have intervened either.

Never mind, as long as she was fine.

"Who was that?" Atian patted the dust off her skirt.

"Who? Oh!" Mu Yi slapped his forehead. "You mean Zhang Zeyan. That gloomy ghost is one of the direct disciples of the Immortal Dao main lineage, a student of Grandmaster Wei Sheren. Don't look at his bad temper and sharp tongue; he's actually a good person."

Atian looked in the direction where "Good Person Zhang Zeyan" had been slapped away and accurately grasped the key point in Mu Yi's words. "Main lineage?"

"Did you see the Daoist robe he was wearing? The Immortal Dao has too many branches. To make them easy to distinguish, they mark their clothes," Mu Yi gestured on his own clothes. "Those with dark red patterns are the main lineage, symbolizing burning alchemy furnaces. Those with green patterns are Spirit Cultivators, symbolizing herbs and mountains and rivers, and so on... Those with yellow patterns are Instrument Cultivators. It's just that they are a bit different; the types of instruments Instrument Cultivators use are varied and colorful, and they like to embroider the instruments their lineage uses onto their clothes. Speaking of which, I have to mention the most shameless lineage among them—they actually embroidered swords on their hems! Isn't that clearly imitating us?"

Atian looked down at the small blue sword on her skirt and nodded with deep empathy.

"To prevent you from getting confused, Junior Sister, I must remind you: that bunch of sword-embroidering fellows are not from our Sword Cultivator lineage; they are just a bunch of annoying ghosts who like to pose with swords," a look of annoyance appeared on Mu Yi's face. "They could have just walked their own path, but they insist on imitating others... In short, you'll understand when you see them."

"Alright, alright," waving his hand as if shooing away something annoying, Mu Yi said to Bai Tian, "Although this trip is full of dangers, Junior Sister Bai, don't be afraid. Senior Brother will protect you."

Atian was deeply moved. The last person to say this was the youngest son of the wealthy Wang family next door, who used to lie on the wall every day swearing eternal love to her. Unfortunately, he disappeared after seeing her kick a strong man's ribs to pieces.

She hadn't expected that, through twists and turns, she would encounter such a kind person even after cultivating immortality.

Just as Atian was about to nod, a voice cut in. "Protect? What protect? Do you know how many demons and monsters are on this Luofu Mountain? You can't even take care of yourself and you're still playing the hero in front of your Junior Sister."

"Sect... Sect Master," Mu Yi, having been scolded, wore a bitter face. "I'm not that bad, am I..."

"Go, go, go," Duan Xuan waved his hand dismissively and did a 180-degree turn in attitude when facing Bai Tian. "Atian, come here to me."

Between the Sect Master and the Senior Brother, the Sect Master was obviously more important. So, Atian abandoned the aggrieved Mu Yi without hesitation and, following Duan Xuan's request, walked behind him and stood beside Bai Xinli.

"Haha, I've wanted to do this for a long time," Duan Xuan said, hands on his hips with immense pride. "Bringing a Golden Boy and a Jade Girl makes one look more like an immortal!"

"Then, Grandmaster Senior Brother, are you the God of Wealth or the Child-Sending Guanyin?" Li Ke moved away a few steps silently, a look of disdain appearing on his face.

"Me?" Duan Xuan laughed heartily upon hearing this and flicked his sleeves. "I am neither the God of Wealth nor the Child-Sending Guanyin; I am Duan Xuan of the Beihai Sword Sect!"

"Let's go, let's go meet some old friends!"

Whether it was because Liu Yan was too effective or Zhang Zeyan had delivered the message, Atian followed Duan Xuan all the way to the mountaintop without obstruction. Stepping over the last flight of stairs, an otherworldly fairyland crashed into her view.

Surging clouds and mist swirled among the mountain forests, and willow trees swaying in the wind converged into waves. A winding stream came from the mountains, threading through the woods and carrying brown wooden tea trays along the riverbed. The tea cups and tea spoons floating in the stream made crisp clinking sounds.

Atian could imagine how the cultivators attending the Qingtan Assembly would lie or sit by the river, taking clear tea from the wooden trays floating in the water, and engaging in high-minded discussions with their companions. This was a scene that would only appear in stories.

However, these "high-minded people" who should have been carefree were now on high alert, all because of this group of uninvited guests from the Beihai Sword Sect.

The Qingtan Assembly was an occasion for Dharma Cultivators to gather, and these vigilant cultivators naturally came from different sects. At the moment, people from the same sect gathered together consciously, which also made it convenient for others to identify them.

Through the earlier exchange, Atian recognized that the cultivators wearing black and purple Daoist robes were the hosts of this place, the Immortal Dao. Their hems were indeed embroidered with patterns of different colors as Senior Brother Mu had said. Apart from them, among the varied attire, the group occupying the largest area was another group of people dressed as Daoists.

They also wore Daoist robes, but their colors were mainly black, white, and gray, though their styles were somewhat similar to the Fangxian Sect. This group was led by a slovenly old Daoist who was napping with his eyes closed, the only group in the entire venue that didn't look very nervous.

"Yo, I didn't expect you all to stand up collectively to welcome me. I don't deserve this, I don't deserve this," Duan Xuan walked up to this group in a grand manner and greeted the old Daoist skillfully. "Old man Tian Heng, haven't seen you in years, you're still quite robust."

The dozing old Daoist opened one eye, glanced at Duan Xuan, and then closed it again, replying in a calm and unhurried manner: "This is a gathering of Dharma Cultivators. What are you, an annoying Sword Cultivator, doing here?"

"What's wrong with Sword Cultivators?" Duan Xuan glared as soon as he heard this. "Sword Cultivators are also members of the cultivation world! We strongly demand to enjoy fair and just treatment! The Qingtan Assembly claims to be the number one grand event of the cultivation world, yet you didn't invite our Beihai Sword Sect. Is this reasonable?"

"Is that so?" The old Daoist drawled and shook his head. "I just caught an earful earlier. That's not what you said down the mountain, was it? Something about... coming to settle a score?"

"Tian Heng, how have you become so pedantic! When will you ever cultivate your Taixuan Sect's 'Supreme Forgetting of Emotions' like this!" Duan Xuan looked heartbroken. "Can't one settle a score while attending an assembly? Can't one attend an assembly while settling a score? Doing two things at once saves time and effort!"

Perhaps stunned by his incredibly shameless statement, it was a long time before anyone thought to interrupt the conversation between the two. Finally, the people from the Fangxian Sect could no longer sit still. A middle-aged man stood out; his Daoist robe was much more ornate than those of the disciples around him, and a gourd was faintly embroidered on his hem.

"With Sect Master Duan gracing Luofu Mountain, our sect is truly honored, but I do not understand what kind of grudge the Sect Master is looking to settle."

This statement could be considered polite and measured, yet the person he was speaking to simply did not buy it.

"Hmm..." Duan Xuan stroked his chin, appearing to be in deep thought, before finally revealing a polite yet awkward smile, "Sorry, who are you?"

The entire scene suddenly fell silent.

"Oh my, I am a Sect Master after all," he said, hands on his hips with righteous indignation, "Previously, Wei Sheren always came to welcome me personally; I didn't expect that after only a few years, the Fangxian Sect would have changed its Sect Leader?"

The middle-aged cultivator's face immediately became difficult to maintain; let alone being the Sect Leader, he wasn't even an Elder, merely a deacon of a branch. It was just that the direct line of the Fangxian Sect had long since ceased to concern themselves with worldly affairs, so the people with the most power in the sect became these troublesome little brats. Over time, the face and courtesy others gave to the Fangxian Sect became their own face and courtesy.

"But since we are talking about settling a grudge, I will speak plainly," Duan Xuan casually grabbed a cattail hassock from the side of the stream and sat down, then pulled a small booklet from his sleeve and tossed it onto the grass in front of him, "I just want to ask, which Immortal Elder came up with this brilliant move? Duan is truly impressed to the point of prostration."

This action of his successfully attracted everyone's attention to the booklet.

"Heartless... Way?" the middle-aged cultivator of the Fangxian Sect read out, word by word, "What is this thing? I have never even heard of it. Could it be referring to the Supreme Heartless Way of the Taixuan Sect?"

Others who heard this remark also began to discuss it quite naturally.

"Heartless Dao? I feel like I've heard that somewhere before, why does it sound so familiar?"

"Sect Master Duan says he came to settle a grudge; could it be he wants to settle a grudge with the Taixuan Sect? That can't be right, aren't they on very good terms?"

The old Daoist who had been named could no longer pretend to be asleep; he quietly opened one eye, and upon seeing the three characters "Heartless Dao" written on the booklet, his eyebrows arched, and the small booklet flew into his hand on its own.

"Since that is the case, let this old Daoist take a look." He held the booklet in one hand, moistened his finger with a bit of saliva with the other, and flipped it open to read.

Once he started reading, a major incident unfolded.