Chapter 36: New Year

The New Year approaches; days grow longer, nights shorter.

In the Qingyun Realm, this is a highly auspicious and significant festival, marking the beginning of the seasonal cycle, as all things gradually awaken from this moment.

At this time, the streets of Shengjing are adorned with lanterns, and flower lanterns and temple fairs are held together.

Among the common folk, people prepare Spring-Prayer Banquets and paint Spring-Prayer Talismans, hoping for an early return of spring and the melting of ice and snow.

At this moment, in the bustling Apricot Blossom Alley of Shengjing, a group of Shanhai Pavilion disciples hurriedly passed by, their pace urgent.

Leading them was Qiu Ni, who once spent one silver tael to study swordplay at the Heavenly Book Academy, now holding a portrait and asking passersby and merchants if they had seen the individuals depicted.

They had lost five disciples yesterday and searched for an entire day and night without finding any trace.

On the nearby Apricot Blossom Tower, a group of outer-disciple students from the Heavenly Book Academy sat drinking together, discussing recent events within the academy.

“Chu He has already condensed his seventh spiritual light; he is only two steps away from breaking through.”

“Not just Chu He—there’s also Du Zhu. Do you remember Du Zhu?”

“That cultivator from Liangzhou who reached the Condensation Peak?”

“That’s right. He suddenly seemed to awaken to the Dao—last month he completed the Three Lower Realms overnight, then took leave to visit family outside the city. When he returned, he had already gathered two spiritual lights.”

Hearing this, several Heavenly Book Academy disciples who didn’t know the details exchanged glances, bewildered.

Chu He’s sudden breakthrough—from utter despair to seven mystical lights—was still considered plausible in the students’ eyes.

After all, the Chu family’s talent was known throughout the world.

Ji You, though a rural self-cultivator with no prospects, had still sensed the Heavenly Book and climbed step by step under the gaze of all, so there was nothing to question.

Especially recently, he had used three swords to control two battlefields simultaneously and rescued two inner-disciple seniors from a Fusion Dao cultivator, earning him considerable prestige.

But Du Zhu had once been an obscure figure, and now he had suddenly surged ahead—truly astonishing.

I thought Ji You’s entry into the inner academy was a sure thing, but I never expected it to be so full of twists and turns.

“Cultivation is indeed mysterious beyond mystery.”

“Ji You isn’t from a noble house—if he truly surpasses us and enters the inner academy, won’t that shame us all?”

The disciples around the table murmured among themselves, unable to resist turning their heads toward the opposite Xihé Tower.

Lu Qingqiu had again hosted, inviting several classmates for drinks, including Ji You.

She had originally wanted to invite Chu He and Du Zhu as well, but since their breakthroughs, the two had become aloof, avoiding everyone except when pursuing enlightenment.

“Chu He has now gathered seven mystical lights and is on the verge of entering the Upper Five Realms. What does Young Master Ji think?”

“As long as he doesn’t steal my abbacy position, I’m fine.”

“?”

Lu Qingqiu assumed he was making light of hardship, smiled, then furrowed her brow slightly.

She had thought she had befriended a promising inner-disciple, but now Chu He and Du Zhu were advancing with overwhelming force.

Qian Yunxiao picked up a chopstick of food and suddenly looked at Bai Ruilong: “A-Long, why are you so quiet today?”

Bai Ruilong frowned deeply: “A few days ago, my family sent me a spiritual elixir meant for cultivation, telling me to take it, saying the Bai family’s honor rests on me and such nonsense—I don’t know what to do.”

Lu Qingqiu had taken elixirs since childhood and saw nothing unusual: “Taking elixirs is common practice.”

“But I feel something’s wrong.”

“What could possibly be wrong with an elixir?”

Bai Ruilong crossed his arms: “Since my mother died, my father has favored the second branch. All family resources go to my younger brother. If there truly were any spiritual elixirs, why would one end up in my hands?”

Hearing this, everyone suddenly recalled the day the sword was delivered.

At that time, when they speculated about the attackers’ identity, Bai Ruilong had mentioned this younger brother.

He believed the attack had been arranged by his younger brother, Bai Shihu, to cripple him and prevent him from inheriting the family estate.

“All medicine carries some toxicity; better to take fewer elixirs and avoid harming yourself.”

Ji You emptied the dish before him: “Though there’s no proof of elixirs’ harm, those who reach the Upper Five Realms through them almost always stall at the Tongxuan Realm. Look at me—I never take elixirs.”

Bai Ruilong blinked: “Isn’t that because you’re poor?”

“That was just my disguise.”

Ji You grew irritated, reached over, and took the untouched ginseng soup from before Bai Ruilong and moved it to his own place.

Lou Siyi suddenly remembered something and looked up: “Speaking of breakthroughs, the young overseer of Lingjian Mountain also broke through the other day.”

“Broke through again?”

“Yes. Twenty-two years old, Yingtian Initiation, the foremost direct disciple of the age—no one knows if she manifested a Dharma Form.”

Lou Siyi spoke with admiration: “It’s said that when she broke through, something quite interesting happened.”

Lu Qingqiu, who loved gossip, lifted her head: “What interesting thing?”

“The Wenda Sect’s direct disciple had long admired the young overseer. Upon hearing of her breakthrough, he came with great fanfare to offer congratulations, bringing countless gifts—but he didn’t see her.”

“Why didn’t he see her?”

“The Lingjian Mountain abbot said she left the mountain the very night of her breakthrough and is currently not on the mountain. She doesn’t know where the young overseer went, but everyone thinks it’s an excuse.”

“Lingjian Mountain is the foremost sect in the south, its status nearly equal to the Heavenly Book Academy. Wenda Sect has long sought to befriend them, but they were too eager—no wonder she refused to see him.”

As the group chatted, a violent gust suddenly surged from afar, causing lanterns throughout the city to sway wildly.

Everyone paused their cups, still unaware of what had happened, when all their waist tokens suddenly emitted a faint golden mystical light.

They froze for a moment, then saw the Heavenly Book Academy disciples across the way rushing back in haste.

“It’s the Heavenly Book Academy’s summoning order!”

“I’ve never seen the summoning order activate before—I thought it was just an ordinary waist token.”

“When something unusual happens, trouble follows. It seems something will occur tonight.”

The group exchanged glances, then set down their chopsticks and returned along the twilight toward Nishan.

Indeed, the Ascension White Jade Terrace was already crowded with disciples.

Before them stood the three directors of the Administration Hall, their faces grim, fists clenched, then speaking solemnly.

Every New Year’s Day, Yu Danzong escorts large quantities of spiritual elixirs to sects across the land, but tonight, they were ambushed outside the city at Wanzhuo Mountain.

Yu Danzong specializes in elixir cultivation and generally has weak combat strength.

Yet the higher the quality of the elixirs, the less stable they are and the more easily damaged—so each escort requires at least five elixir masters to protect them.

Contemporary cultivators rely heavily on elixirs, making this matter extremely serious.

Because the incident occurred so suddenly, they had no choice but to activate the summoning order.

At this moment, as the three directors pressed their fingers together, a massive flying sword hurtled from the sky and landed upon the White Jade Terrace.

(Next chapter is hard to write—I’ll be an hour late. Please vote and follow.)

(End of chapter)