Chapter 381: The Martyr

The hour of Wei passed in an instant; the agreed-upon hour of Shen had arrived.

The disciples of the immortal sects, who had been chatting idly, suddenly heard a humming sound swell across the entire mountain.

Looking up and far away, they saw the array, shaped like an inverted bowl resting atop the peak, slowly opening a gap on one side, unleashing endless winds that howled down the ridgeline.

Dust surged wildly through the grass and trees, like gray clouds swelling abruptly then crashing down, rising and falling in succession all the way to the mountain’s base.

“The mountain is open. All sect disciples, follow us up.”

“Yes!”

At the command of the accompanying Elders, the multitude of immortal sect disciples rose and marched toward the summit of Danshan.

Ji You still walked ahead in his Celestial Book Academy immortal robe, followed by Gongshu Chou, who never ceased gathering material.

This damn web novel author—I must shake him off as soon as I enter the Dan Sect.

Have you ever been a bandit, to write my biography so carelessly?

He muttered inwardly, walked along the mountain path, and soon the Dan Sect’s mountain gate came into view.

Behind the gate now gathered countless figures—all Dan Sect disciples descending from the mountain, and relatives from noble families who had been recovering within the sect.

Hundreds lined up in orderly rows along the nine-tiered steps, standing shoulder to shoulder, their gazes deep and solemn.

As Ji You ascended to the Dan Sect’s mountain gate, their eyes suddenly flickered, then they clasped fists and bowed deeply to him, heads bowed long without rising.

Thus, with every step he took, those behind him likewise knelt, creating a wave-like motion, layer upon layer, stretching far into the distance.

Ji You found this treatment deeply unnatural; he returned their bows with a fist salute, his pace quickening involuntarily.

As he advanced ahead, the disciples of the other immortal sects behind him unconsciously straightened their chests.

In truth, while waiting below, they had been quite displeased, feeling the Dan Sect was putting on too much airs.

The mountain gate hadn’t even opened yet, and they were already told to stay near the Yuheng Hall, forbidden from wandering freely—as if they were thieves.

As members of immortal sects, they were proud before all noble families; who had ever been treated this way? Their slight resentment was only natural.

But upon seeing this sea of prostrations, their hearts instantly balanced, even turning to a sense of being honored.

In their eyes, though the Dan Sect did not cultivate the Heavenly Dao and lacked combat strength, it was still one of the Seven Immortal Sects; sending so many disciples to greet them was already proper etiquette—why bow all the way to the ground along the path?

Yet soon, they realized they had misunderstood.

For as Ji You passed along the mountain path, every Dan Sect disciple who had bowed would immediately rise, and when they turned to look at the other sect disciples, their faces were dark with hostility.

The arriving disciples of the immortal sects paused, then narrowed their eyes.

They suddenly realized—the mass bowing was not for them, but solely for Ji You.

He Lingxiu, Shi Junhao, Chai Ze, Yu Shiliu, and others exchanged glances, a flicker of confusion in their eyes.

In a rush of footsteps, the representatives from the Five Immortal Sects all arrived atop the mountain.

At that moment, before the replica three-legged furnace, Dan Yangzi appeared in his Dan robe, accompanied by several of his disciples who stepped forward to greet them.

Soon after, all were led into the Yuheng Hall.

The vast hall was filled with round tables, each already set with food and drink.

“You have traveled far—truly exhausting. Rest well today.”

“Feel free to enjoy the food and drink. Behind the hall are prepared rooms; eat, drink, and rest—but do not wander privately.”

“Our sect’s Patriarch is currently in seclusion, and given your long journey, it is inappropriate to meet now. We have made preliminary arrangements; details for tomorrow will be announced then.”

The Five Immortal Sects had traveled nonstop, with only brief rests—they were indeed weary from the journey.

Moreover, the leaders of immortal sects were not to be met casually; proper attire and mental preparation were standard. Thus, after Dan Yangzi spoke, all sat down and began eating.

After giving his instructions, Dan Yangzi walked from the depths of the hall to the door, approaching Ji You and bowing slightly.

“Young Master Ji, it has been long since we last met. Your grace remains undimmed.”

“Elder Yang, you flatter me.” Ji You returned the fist salute.

Dan Yangzi straightened after receiving his bow: “Our Dan Sect has sealed its gates for a long time; we know little of the outside world. After receiving your message, we were tasked with asking you for clarification—please accompany me.”

Ji You nodded and followed him.

But as the two stepped out, Gongshu Chou walked up beside them.

Dan Yangzi glanced at Ji You: “And this gentleman…?”

“Sent by the Five Immortal Sects to spy on me. Every move I make is recorded.”

Gongshu Chou’s eyes flickered with a question mark—he thought: This is slander! I’m just a novelist!

Dan Yangzi’s expression changed instantly: “Friend, remain in the Yuheng Hall and rest. If you disobey orders, do not blame the Dan Sect for rudeness!”

“Hear that? Eat your meal. Writing novels leads nowhere!”

“I—”

Ji You ignored his stammering, swept his sleeve, and followed Dan Yangzi out of the Yuheng Hall, heading west toward the Tianshu Hall.

The two halls were not far apart—less than a cup of tea’s time to reach—but they paused briefly as they passed a massive white jade stele.

Ji You stood beneath the warm sunlight, gazing up at the stele, and bowed slightly with clasped fists.

After completing his bow, his gaze fell upon the statue not far from the stele: “This… looks quite like him. But it’s too ostentatious—he shouldn’t receive such grand reverence.”

“It was drawn by Caiwei herself. She personally oversaw the disciples carving it every day. Though our Dan Sect is weak, we are a sect that never forgets suffering.”

“Living constantly in suffering is oppressive.”

“Your words are true, Young Master, but it keeps us vigilant…”

As they spoke, they walked toward the Tianshu Hall. No sooner had they crossed the threshold than a voice cried out: “Brother-in-law!”

Yuanchen stood inside the hall beside his elder sister, beaming with delight upon seeing Ji You.

Caiwei also gazed at Ji You, her red lips slightly pursed, eyes gleaming with quiet joy.

But due to the presence of Elder Dan Xingzi arranging the banquet, as well as Hong Zhen, Wen Bin, and Yuan Bingqing—the Patriarch’s disciples—she restrained her affection, merely whispering: “Young Master.”

Ji You met her gaze and smiled faintly—he thought: This girl seems a bit plumper. The Dan Sect’s meals must be good.

Hong Zhen and Wen Bin lowered their eyes at the exchange; Yuan Bingqing, however, kept her gaze fixed on Ji You’s face, staring without pause.

“My message should have reached Patriarch Yuan. What is his opinion?” Ji You asked after settling in.

“To be frank, the Patriarch is deliberating with the Dan Sect’s Elders in the sleeping quarters. No decision yet. But he is most concerned with why the Sacred Ground of the Ancients cracked—he asked me to seek your explanation.”

“This matter is long and complex…”

Dan Xingzi filled Ji You’s cup: “Young Master, you know our Dan Sect has had little contact with the outside world. But we have seen waves of undead corpses, seen black light surge into the heavens, seen celestial anomalies—we are deeply curious. Speak slowly; we wish to understand what truly happened.”

Ji You did not refuse. He selected vivid details and recounted the entire Qingyun disaster in full.

It was a captivating tale—relics, the unprecedented struggle for sacred artifacts, events that would draw any inhabitant of Qingyun into the story as if they were there.

As expected, when they heard someone had used a relic to ascend to Immortality, severed the Heavenly Dao’s power with a sacred artifact’s essence, killed Xuan Yuan the Ancestor, and sought to seize the artifact, Hong Zhen and the others’ eyes widened like bronze bells.

As for Yuanchen, his face was filled with regret—he was furious he’d been locked on the mountain during such an immortal struggle.

“So the Chu family really used infants to brew elixirs, extracted the relic’s divine fortune, and transformed into demonic seeds to forcibly ascend?”

“Correct.”

Dan Yangzi fell silent for a long while: “Then the undead waves… were also their doing?”

Ji You nodded: “The frequent undead waves these past years were all their work—mostly to distract attention, conceal their actions, and buy time to reach their ultimate goal.”

“So they severed the human race’s destiny, causing the Sacred Ground of the Ancients to crack?”

“Yes.”

Yuanchen, listening to their exchange, could not help speaking: “Brother-in-law, you said they performed a Heavenly Dao ritual to sever the artifact’s link to the Dao—what happened after?”

Ji You looked at him: “The sacred artifact later rebooted. They lost everything—some were captured, the rest executed. But the wounds they left on Qingyun remain, especially the Sacred Ground of the Ancients, which is now the greatest problem—hence why we need the Dan Sect’s aid.”

In barely over a year, Qingyun had witnessed such earth-shattering events. The information flooded his mind, chaotic and overwhelming, leaving everyone momentarily stunned.

The banquet table fell silent; each person struggled to process the revelations.

“We will report this truthfully to the Patriarch and let him decide.”

“Thank you, Elder Yang.”

During their conversation, the meal at the Yuheng Hall neared its end.

Some cultivators stepped out of the hall, discussing among themselves.

The Dan Sect’s food was quite tasty, but they had not expected the wine served was not spirit wine.

Spirit wine brewing technology originated from the Dan Sect; later, after dissemination and refinement, it evolved into a version that required no alchemists—though its efficacy dropped significantly, it could be mass-produced at lower cost.

But in truth, the Dan Sect’s own spirit wine remained the finest—its brewing process incorporated alchemy and Dan light, granting effects far beyond any other spirit wine on the market.

Logically, when hosting guests, one serves the finest wine. Yet here they were served ordinary, common liquor.

This once again made them feel the Dan Sect held a clear, if hidden, hostility toward them.