Chapter 67: Gathering Clouds

Hansu finally exhausted all the spiritual energy in her body, nearly transferring it all to the other party, leaving only a single thread to protect her heart before she withdrew her hands and prepared to meditate. Restoring spiritual energy through meditation was a painstaking process that required considerable time, so as usual, before she settled in, she opened her eyes to check if the master of the Immortal Palace had changed in any way. The moment her eyes opened, she was nearly startled out of her wits—though she had mentally prepared herself, actually seeing him open his eyes to gaze at her still sent a wave of pressure surging through her heart. What’s more, as soon as he saw her awaken, he spoke: “Young lady, were you healing me just now? Could you explain the reason behind this?”

Unlike Huai Yin’s flamboyant, charming voice, the master of the Immortal Palace spoke with a clean, clear tone, the tail end of his words low and magnetic—truly captivating.

She knew full well that his cultivation was worlds apart from hers; even gravely injured as he was, a mere thought from him could harm her, and so there was no need for him to be on guard. Yet, hearing such a gentle and courteous question from one of the Earth Immortals, she couldn’t help but feel a thrill of excitement.

“Jiang Hansu, disciple of the Yao Hua Sect, greets the Immortal Lord! As for these matters… perhaps you should look at this.” Hansu truly had no idea how to simplify the complicated events for the Immortal Lord, so she simply produced the troublesome stone Xuanting had left behind and presented it to him.

With only a sliver of spiritual power remaining, even taking out the stone left Hansu almost completely drained. Her face pale, she looked at Rong Ling, uncertain if she’d be allowed to meditate now. Rong Ling appeared to be a magnanimous person; he glanced at the stone tablet, noticed Hansu swaying on her feet, and said with a gentle smile, “Forgive me for not considering your condition. Go ahead and restore your energy—there’s no hurry. We can speak when you’ve recovered.”

Too weak to thank him properly, Hansu managed a grateful smile and immediately began her meditation. Whether due to a robust spirit or simple trust, even with this powerful figure nearby watching her, she quickly calmed her mind and entered a state of clarity.

The Immortal Lord Rong Ling shook his head with a smile and turned back to study the stone tablet. The writing was Xuanting’s—wild and unrestrained, much like the man himself. Judging by this, it seemed he’d been rescued by Xuanting after suffering grave injuries, and the latter had made arrangements afterward. The tone was light; could it be that Xuanting had already met her, and she was safe? That young girl had mentioned the Yao Hua Sect, but what kind of sect was that? Was he now in the Luo Star Realm?

Too many mysteries remained, impossible to unravel at once. With his current cultivation, it was utterly impossible to divine the truth. Rong Ling rubbed his forehead; though his body, unused for ten thousand years, was not yet sluggish, it felt somewhat stiff. The injuries in his body had temporarily improved, allowing his primordial spirit to awaken, but still far from sustaining him for long. Even this small exertion left him weary. Fortunately, now that his primordial spirit had awoken, he could begin repairing himself with his own techniques—saving a great deal of effort. Otherwise, relying solely on this little Golden Core stage girl, who knew how many years it would take to recover?

Rong Ling glanced at the girl still quietly meditating, imagining her surprise upon advancing to the Golden Core stage and entering the Immortal Palace. He couldn’t help but chuckle softly before sinking back into slumber. This was an intrinsic protective mechanism—when internal spiritual energy was insufficient to sustain him, the primordial spirit would retreat to minimize consumption.

When Hansu emerged from her state of clarity, this was the scene that greeted her: the vast, empty hall shrouded in mist—mist formed entirely of spiritual energy! More and more spiritual energy surged in from all directions, converging on the Immortal Lord seated within his ice coffin. The spirit wind, composed of pure energy, whipped the mist into shifting patterns, and the Immortal Lord’s ink-black hair danced in the breeze.

Seated beside him, Hansu felt only an indescribable comfort wherever the spirit wind brushed her. At the same time, the already loosening barriers within her shattered completely, her cultivation surged, and when the spirit wind finally ceased, she had advanced to the fifth stage of the Golden Core.

This was both a blessing and a great misfortune. However lofty one’s cultivation, without a corresponding state of mind, it was a grave hazard. Hansu, though possessing over twenty years of experience in her past life and more than fifty in this world, had still seen fewer people in this lifetime than in her previous one. She had interacted with only a handful, and her experiences and the sights she’d witnessed were not even half as numerous as before. The life of a cultivator—especially for a second-generation disciple like her who never lacked for spirit stones—was far too sheltered. Besides cultivation, there was little more than dueling, taming spirit beasts, and tending spiritual herbs; those with broader interests might dabble in pill or talisman arts to temper their minds.

Though Hansu had learned formations and inherited a legacy, she’d had precious little time to settle her heart and reflect. Apart from thirty years locked away in a secret realm, the rest was spent in closed-door cultivation. She knew she needed to venture out—she needed time to temper her heart and mind. Without that, not only would further advancement be impossible, she might one day fall to her inner demons.

After the spirit wind died away, Rong Ling also opened his eyes. Seeing Hansu’s rapid advancement, he did not offer congratulations, but instead frowned. “Forgive me,” he said. “Go outside and tend to matters. In a few days, we’ll set out to travel the world together.” With that, he closed his eyes again.

Hansu was still puzzling over his abrupt comment when she sensed the restriction at the cave-dwelling being triggered. She quickly exited the Immortal Palace, opened the doors—and found her father, the Daoist Lord Lanhe, standing outside.

Lanhe immediately noticed Hansu’s sudden increase in cultivation, and like Rong Ling, he was more worried than pleased. Yet one question was finally answered. Without much time to speak, he took her by the arm and led her from the cave, announcing in a clear voice, “Fellow disciples, please forgive the disturbance—my daughter’s recent advancement caused the commotion; it was not the birth of some rare treasure. We ask for your understanding.”

Looking up, Hansu saw dozens of cultivators gathered nearby—Jindan and even Nascent Soul ancestors from the sect. Clearly, the commotion from the Immortal Lord’s absorption of spiritual energy had been too great; the crowd suspected a rare artifact had appeared, or perhaps someone was advancing to the Nascent Soul stage. Only then did Hansu realize what Rong Ling meant by “tending to matters,” and so she cooperated with her father, making a proper appearance before the crowd, who gradually dispersed. A few close to Lanhe remained behind to counsel her earnestly: strengthen your foundation, do not rush to advance. Hansu thanked them sincerely, then informed her father of her intention to go out and travel.

Though reluctant, Lanhe had to agree; Hansu was already at the Golden Core stage and truly needed to temper her heart. He only asked that she see him again before embarking on her journey.

Having settled matters outside, Hansu returned to her cave, set up restrictions, and entered the Immortal Palace to report to Rong Ling. Clearly, his gathering of spiritual energy had been aided by her efforts, and he was awaiting her return. This time, he no longer sat upright, but lounged lazily against the inner wall of the ice coffin, his body slightly tilted, eyes narrowed in thought. Seeing her approach, he did not alter his posture, but turned his head to her. “Everything is settled?”

Hansu saluted and replied obediently, “Yes.” Rong Ling raised his hand, and from a distance, she felt herself gently lifted to a seat. “Sit,” he said. “I have a few questions for you.” “Yes, Immortal Lord, please ask.”

“First, tell me what you know of the current world.”

“Yes. There are five realms in all. We are in the eastern Luo Star Realm; to the west is the Bodhi Realm, south the Well Xiang Realm, north the Stone Dominion Realm, and at the center, the Sea Court Realm. Luo Star Realm has five major sects: Yao Hua Sect, Zheng Yi Gate, Azure Sky Sect, Golden Sword Gate, and the Confucianist Fei Xing Academy, plus several smaller factions.

The highest level of cultivation here is the Void Refining stage. Both Yao Hua and Zheng Yi have one such cultivator each. But for thousands of years, no one has achieved a new breakthrough to that stage. It’s said that the other realms may have cultivators above the Integration stage, but their whereabouts are unknown.”

“I noticed you did not mention the Lords of the Realms. What is their cultivation?” Rong Ling interrupted.

“Realm Lords? I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Hansu replied, perplexed.

“There are no Realm Lords? None among the five realms? Not even mentioned in any historical texts?” Rong Ling pressed, suddenly animated and losing his previous languor.

“I… I’m not sure. If Immortal Lord wishes, may I ask my elders or consult the historical records?”

“That will do. Please investigate this matter. If you find any clues, you may communicate with me directly through your mind.” “Yes.” Hansu accepted the task and set out for the library. Daoist Lord Lanhe had once given her a token that granted access to any open floor of the library. She had skimmed some historical records when she first arrived in this world out of curiosity, but they mostly described the Luo Star Realm, with scant information about the others.

Before she reached her destination, someone intercepted her: Lu Tanxian. Since Hansu had returned from the Fei Xing Academy’s headmaster’s succession ceremony, Ning Xin had visited her again. Hansu had responded with feigned politeness while covertly recording their conversation. Afterward, she had sent a message to Yu Yicong, and the drama was set in motion.

Yu Yicong, as the new head of the Fei Xing Academy, came personally to assist his sister in confessing her crimes. The headmaster was forced to summon the head of the Law Enforcement Peak and the other peak masters to hear Lu Tanxian’s statement. Yu Yicong had even managed to capture the ghost cultivator who had supplied Lu Tanxian with forbidden items and extract a confession. Then, when Lu Tanxian played back Ning Xin’s words… she was revealed as a victim coerced by the ghost cultivator, while Ning Xin was found guilty of threatening a fellow disciple. Though the Lingyin Peak tried to protect her, Ning Xin was still sentenced to ten years of seclusion. Lu Tanxian, meanwhile, had her name cleared, and her spatial treasures were openly acknowledged—now untouchable by anyone.

From then on, she cast off her former caution, growing bold and flamboyant, and became the new leader among the sect’s Five Beauties.

Why had she stopped Hansu now? Having just returned and then immediately gone into seclusion, Hansu had missed the entire spectacle and was unaware of Lu Tanxian’s newfound prominence. But seeing how Lu Tanxian addressed her without any of the respect a Foundation Establishment disciple owed a Golden Core cultivator, Hansu realized she must have secured Yu Yicong’s support.

Lu Tanxian offered a perfunctory salute, then asked with a smile, “May I ask where Elder Jiang is headed? I have a matter I wish to consult with you—might you grant me a moment of your time?” For some reason, Hansu found her demeanor very unsettling. Though she wore a smiling face, that smile was icy, her eyes cold enough to make one shiver.

Unwilling to waste words, Hansu replied, “I’m busy. Another time.” She tried to leave, but Lu Tanxian blocked her path in a flash.

Even the most mild-tempered person would lose patience at that. Hansu could not help glaring, “What do you want?”

Lu Tanxian shrugged, laughing like silver bells. “Ha ha ha, Elder Jiang, are you frightened by me? That would be my mistake. Why so eager to leave? I only want to ask—at my brother’s succession ceremony years ago, the demon cultivator you brought along, where is he now?”

“Your brother?”

“Oh, I forgot! You went straight into seclusion after returning. My brother is Yu Yicong, the headmaster of Fei Xing Academy. When I was young, I was separated from my family and believed myself an orphan. At his succession ceremony, we both felt a mysterious kinship. A secret art confirmed that I am his biological sister.”

A sense of foreboding settled over Hansu. So Lu Tanxian was Yu Yicong’s real sister. No wonder she’d become so arrogant lately, though the book never made this very clear. But why was she interested in Huai Yin? Could it be that, like Suoyun, she’d fallen for him too?

Author’s note: What is she seeking Huai Yin for? Take a guess!