Chapter Thirty-Four: The Lord of Taiyi Dao

The treasure of the Azure Bamboo Sect was, of course, the one the man in the blue robe seized back then—an object tied to the Immortal Path. Although Shen Lian was curious, he was not one to snatch what was not his. If one were to desire everything they saw, letting greed rule their heart, whatever temporary benefit gained would not last long. True freedom is not doing whatever one wishes, but controlling one's own actions, not blinded by desires or by what is right before the eyes. Of course, if An Renjie were truly to offer it to him, Shen Lian would not feign modesty.

"I see you don't dare, either. It's only the tenth today. Let's wait until the fifteenth to speak of it. Whether you'll go or not, it's all still unknown." Shen Lian narrowed his eyes slightly, as though evading the cold draft seeping through the door.

This snowfall showed no signs of letting up.

******

Within Qingzhou City, the scene was a snowy one, yet in the Jialan Mountains, it was altogether different. In the city, snow bore footprints, cart ruts, and the warmth of human activity. In the mountains, it was another world—an endless stretch of white, pure and untouched by human presence.

Xin Fourteenth Maiden walked along a snow-covered path in the mountains. The snowflakes seemed almost sentient, deliberately avoiding her, or perhaps an invisible glass shield surrounded her. In this world, where all things seemed frozen to the point of breaking, she walked barefoot without the slightest chill. Not even a trace was left where she passed.

From a distant corner, a roof's eaves jutted out, blanketed with pristine snow, long, sharp icicles hanging below, enough to chill the heart at a glance.

An old plum tree stood proudly in the biting wind, its sparse pale blossoms emitting a faint, subtle fragrance. Xin Fourteenth Maiden was delighted at the sight of the blooms and stepped forward to snap off a branch, but her hand was caught.

Compared to her delicate and smooth arm, the hand that grasped hers was truly unsightly—skin shriveled, arm withered, hardly different from the plum tree's own branch. Yet it held her firmly, without the slightest tremor.

She looked up and said, "Father, why did you come out?"

"I just emerged from meditation, and a feeling moved my heart, so I came to stop you from picking the flowers," replied the old man, his hair silvery white, outshining even the falling snow, his frame thin and frail, age apparent in every line.

"It's only a branch, it will grow back next year. It's not as if I'm cutting its root."

The plum branch swayed, as if displeased by her words.

"It has some sentience; it's not easy for it to thrive. If you break a branch, you wound it a little—why do that?" He patted her on the head and led her into the main hall.

The grand hall was empty, yet bore no trace of the ruin rumored in the outside world. Only faint marks remained from that battle between Ling Chongxiao and the man in the blue robe, and the eighteen Jialan statues still stood.

Each took a meditation cushion, sitting opposite one another.

"You've met that young man?" the old man asked slowly.

"I have. He truly is handsome—just as beautiful as us." Xin Fourteenth Maiden bit her finger, as if she might devour her jade-like hand at any moment.

"I hear his swordsmanship is excellent. Have you tested him?"

"I saw him use a sword once. His inner energy hasn't pierced through the Ren and Du vessels yet, but he's at the threshold. What's more impressive is that he already possesses the ability to let his spirit leave his body—signs of stepping onto the Immortal Path." Though she spoke carelessly, there was a weight to her words.

Had Shen Lian heard this, he too would have been shaken; in a single glance, Xin Fourteenth Maiden had seen through his secrets, while he knew little of her.

"Humans are truly favored by heaven. Just over a dozen springs, and already such attainment, even without entering the Immortal Sect." The old man sighed softly. For those not born human, attaining the Dao was indeed difficult.

"I'm not envious. What's so good about being human? After a few decades or a century, dust returns to dust, earth to earth." Though surprised by Shen Lian's talent, Xin Fourteenth Maiden felt no jealousy or envy—they, after all, had their own advantages.

"We are born to long life, yet the Dao is hard to seek; humans are short-lived, but their path to enlightenment is smooth. Heaven's way is just—gain and loss are hard to predict. My own life is nearing its end; I only hope you can set foot on the path. The smoother that youth's journey, the better chance he has of helping you. Don't make trouble and offend him," the old man paused.

"He's not so amazing. What could he do for me? I could handle ten like him." She sat cross-legged, hands on her hips, somewhat defiant.

"The soul-stabilizing technique he practices, I cannot discern, but his Qi cultivation method is precisely the one created by Lord Taiyi during his time among mortals. Though not of the highest Immortal Dao, it is the true legacy of the Azure Mystery Sect. The Azure Mystery Immortal Sect opens its gates once every fifty years, accepting only ten inner disciples under the age of twenty. Only those with sufficient talent and fate may be admitted. That mortal Ling Chongxiao missed the last selection; even after reaching the Azure Mystery Sect at sea, he had no chance to enter. Even as the so-called number one martial artist, it was in vain. If not for an immortal of Azure Mystery sparing him for practicing the Bright Jade Technique, he wouldn't have survived.

"There is another year until the next Azure Mystery disciple selection. If this boy attends, given his Qi technique and its connection to Lord Taiyi, and his talent, he will almost certainly be chosen. If his path is smooth and he becomes a true disciple, he could help you acquire the notebook left by Lady Azure Phoenix from the Azure Mystery Sect. If you can study it, you may hope to achieve the Dao."

The old man's words were calm, yet full of secrets—even Ling Chongxiao might not know the true reason he failed to enter the sect, or that practicing the Bright Jade Technique saved him.

"They say Lord Taiyi was, since the dawn of creation, the one closest to attaining the primordial Dao. The Azure Mystery Immortal Sect claims his legacy, and with Lady Azure Phoenix's connection to Lord Taiyi, why don't you ask them directly for the notebook? Perhaps you could even heal your wounds."

Xin Fourteenth Maiden, hearing this, felt a surge of hope. So Lady Azure Phoenix's notebook was in the Azure Mystery Sect—a member of her own race, the one who had achieved the highest attainment, transcending calamities and wandering the boundless stars. If they could obtain it, her father's wounds might yet be healed.

"It's not that simple. The Azure Mystery disciples may honor Lord Taiyi, but they might not care about Lady Azure Phoenix. Besides, we are not her direct lineage—why would they give us such regard? That notebook may be vital to us, but to them, it matters little. If the boy becomes a true disciple, it would cost him little to let us borrow it. If he fails, we will seek another way."

"I'm afraid you won't last that long, Father."

"Humans are the most gifted of all creatures; their cultivation is swift. If the boy is truly talented, within a hundred years he could become a true disciple. I can endure another one or two centuries. Besides, even if I heal, it's only a few more years of life. Once you attain the Dao, you may one day meet Lord Taiyi; then, asking him to revive me will be no hardship."

P.S. Thanks to "Tears of Mountains and Rivers" for the generous reward of 1888, and to Specialist Team Betrayer, First Kiss Under Night, A Page of Rivers and Mountains, Yan Cangtian 123, Little Cat, Longke, Reader 151122220328724, fzyf, and others for their support.