Chapter 9: Rivalry with the Cultivation Clans

The mountain forest was tranquil, shrouded in thick mist. Slivers of sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves above, casting visible slanted beams that pierced the haze. Zhou Xue led the way, with Fang Wang and Fang Hanyu walking at the rear. The group of nine trekked onward, having been on foot for nearly two days.

The mountain paths were rough and muddy, and here and there, snakes, insects, rats, and spiders darted across their way, making the youths from the Fang family tense and cautious with each step.

“In such a remote wilderness, who would have thought an immortal sect would be hidden here?” Fang Hanyu murmured softly, marveling at the vastness of the Great Qi Empire, where uninhabited mountains like these were countless, wild beasts roamed, and bandits found refuge. Even a martial artist like himself seldom ventured into such places.

Fang Wang could sense the abundant spiritual energy in the area, which grew thicker the farther they advanced, heightening his anticipation for their arrival at the Grand Abyss Sect.

Suddenly, a sound of weeping drifted from ahead—sometimes like a woman’s cry, sometimes a child’s—sending chills down their spines. But Zhou Xue did not falter, and so the others pressed on behind her.

Fang Wang glanced back; the mist behind them was so dense that nothing could be seen seven steps away. He had the unsettling feeling that something had begun to follow them after that sobbing started. Yet he remained calm and kept moving forward.

Soon, the fog ahead thinned and the ground leveled out. Under an ancient tree sat a woman in rough clothes, her face dirty and tear-streaked—a typical countrywoman. She held a child in her arms and sobbed quietly.

“Should we ask her what happened?” the youngest, Fang Xin, inquired. She was a year younger than Fang Wang, frail, carrying two bundles, sweat streaming down her face.

Another girl, Fang Ziqing, tugged her sleeve and shook her head.

Everyone’s gaze fell on Zhou Xue. On this journey, she had become their anchor, teaching them techniques for breathing in spiritual energy, and even the strongest, Fang Wang, deferred to her.

Zhou Xue did not hesitate but strode straight toward the woman. Hearing footsteps, the woman looked up, her eyes swollen from crying. As if seizing on her last hope, she reached out to Zhou Xue, wailing, “Miss, please save my child! He’s been bitten by a venomous snake...”

Hearing this, some of the Fang youths wanted to help, but then they saw a dagger slip from Zhou Xue’s right sleeve into her hand.

The woman’s face went ghostly pale at the sight. Before she could speak, Zhou Xue flung the dagger straight at her head.

With a bang, the woman dissolved into a cloud of white mist; the dagger passed through and embedded itself in the tree trunk. As the mist dissipated, the rags dropped to the ground, and two yellow weasels—one large, one small—leapt onto a distant branch. The Fang family’s eyes widened in disbelief; the woman had been a weasel?

Zhou Xue’s expression didn’t change. She stared indifferently at the two weasels.

“Impressive skills. You must be at least at the fifth level of the Qi Cultivation stage. Little girl, if you wish to join the Grand Abyss Sect, why not go to Grand Abyss City?” the weasel spoke, using the same voice as before.

“Grand Abyss City is too far. It’s more convenient to come directly to the sect. We sincerely seek to cultivate—please, Elder, do not toy with us further,” Zhou Xue replied.

The weasel chuckled, waved its paw in a very human manner, and motioned for them to continue.

Zhou Xue glanced back at the group, then led them onward. As they passed beneath the weasels’ tree, nerves were taut, fearing a sudden attack.

After some distance, Zhou Xue explained, “Those were two spirit creatures. The woods around the Grand Abyss Sect are full of such beings, some wild, some released by disciples. The ones in the borderlands are meant to scare off ordinary people, perpetuating ghostly legends so mortals dare not approach.”

A young man from the Fang family couldn’t help asking, “They only scare people away?”

“They might eat you, too. The Grand Abyss Sect is considered righteous, but even among immortals, the line between good and evil is blurred. Be cautious in all things,” Zhou Xue said with a faint, almost unsettling smile.

She marched on. Fang Wang remained at the rear, his attention fixed behind. Even after passing the two spirit creatures, the sense of being watched persisted, keeping him on edge.

Half a stick of incense later, that feeling still lingered.

“Don’t be nervous; he won’t dare make a move.”

A voice sounded in Fang Wang’s ear. He looked ahead at Zhou Xue, puzzled. Apparently only he could hear her; the others kept moving, unaware.

“This is the art of voice transmission. Once inside the Grand Abyss Sect, you’ll learn it too. The one following us is likely connected to the cultivator you killed. In recent days, while I hid in the woods feigning an obsession with the Soul-Burning Banner, I was really leaving clues for them to track us,” Zhou Xue’s voice came again, making Fang Wang frown in confusion.

“That person wields two magical artifacts and surely has backers. I worry the Fang family could face further danger, so I lured them here. Once they see us join the Grand Abyss Sect, they’ll think twice—the sect is too powerful to offend over a mere Qi Cultivator.”

So that was her plan. Fang Wang found it reasonable, but another doubt arose: was the pursuer really so bold as to follow them here, unafraid of being found by the sect?

Zhou Xue sent no further messages, and Fang Wang stayed vigilant.

By evening, that sense of being watched finally faded; their pursuer dared not come closer.

The group stopped by a brook in the woods, a fire crackling. Fang Wang rested beside Zhou Xue, while the others gathered around.

“Tomorrow we’ll reach the valley town before the Grand Abyss Sect,” Zhou Xue began. “Let me explain. The sect has nine branches. In six or seven days, the entrance trials begin. With your talents, passing will not be hard. I want each of you to join a different branch—do not cling together.”

There were other cultivators in the Fang family, but Zhou Xue had only brought the most gifted to establish a foothold.

At her words, Fang Xin’s face went pale, clearly nervous, but the other youths looked more excited than afraid.

Zhou Xue glanced at Fang Wang and Fang Hanyu. “In the trials, hold nothing back. Show as much talent as you can—your future treatment depends on it. Ordinary talent means you’ll be a regular disciple, and promotion will take years.”

“Especially you, Fang Wang. Now is not the time for pretending to be weak.”

Zhou Xue was wary of Fang Wang; the boy was too good at hiding his strength. In this life she’d learned that not even his parents or the whole Fang family knew just how skilled he was.

She’d wondered why she’d never seen him fight in her past life. But on the night their family was destroyed, she’d fled powerless, glimpsed only the blue-robed Taoist once, and missed all the battles. Without sword arts, even Fang Wang would have died at that man’s hands.

Fang Wang could only smile wryly. “I understand.”

He really did seem overly cautious.

Zhou Xue continued her instructions but didn’t reveal details of the trial, perhaps to temper them, or perhaps for fear that someone from the sect was listening.

The night passed uneventfully.

At dawn, when the first rays of sunlight broke through, the group resumed their journey.

Along the way, they encountered many strange sights: spiders the size of human heads, snapping man-eating trees, wild goats with human faces, and black cats with five tails. According to Zhou Xue, these were the lowest grade of monsters, not yet true spirits. Only those who could speak human tongue were considered spirit creatures.

They also saw many brightly colored fruits and flowers, all extraordinary in appearance, but after Zhou Xue warned of their poison, no one dared touch them.

It was just after midday when they finally reached the valley Zhou Xue had spoken of. A huge gate stood at the entrance, with a plaque overhead:

Grand Abyss Town!

Within the valley, countless pavilions rose amidst curling smoke, the encircling mountains majestic. Looking on, Fang Wang was reminded of the legendary Five-Finger Mountain, with Grand Abyss Town seemingly trapped within its grasp.

No guards stood at the gate; they entered unimpeded. The streets bustled with people who were clearly not ordinary folk—some even flew on cranes over the town and swiftly disappeared behind the high peaks, filling the Fang disciples with awe and excitement.

For the first time, they truly felt what it meant to set foot on the path of immortality.

Fang Wang observed the surroundings: shops lined the streets, selling elixirs, magical artifacts, talismans, manuals, and spells. There were even curiosity pavilions. While the shops were not crowded, the air was thick with the atmosphere of cultivation.

Zhou Xue led them to an inn, paid a substantial amount of silver, and the attendant showed them upstairs. Except for Fang Xin and Fang Ziqing, everyone got their own room.

“So they still take silver in the Grand Abyss Sect?” Fang Wang mused. It seemed strange, but Zhou Xue had paid quite a sum; evidently, the sect still dealt with the mortal world.

Fang Wang entered his room, closed the door, and after a quick tidy-up, sat down to meditate.

With six or seven days until the trial, he had no intention of wandering about. He would use the time to strengthen his cultivation.

His Profound Yang Divine Art had reached perfection, but spiritual energy took time to accumulate. Since Zhou Xue had told him not to hide his strength, he would go all out.

So Fang Wang kept to himself, and none of the other Fang disciples dared disturb him.

Six days passed.

At mid-morning, a bell tolled through the valley, its deep sound rousing Fang Wang from meditation.

“It’s time,” he thought, a smile on his lips.

Last night, he had finally broken through to the seventh level of Qi Cultivation. Even with his profound art at perfection, it had taken over a month to reach this stage. Had he started from scratch, he could hardly imagine how long it would have taken.

“Come quickly! The entrance assessment is about to begin!” Zhou Xue’s voice called from outside. Fang Wang grabbed his treasured sword and left his room. With his body refined by spiritual energy, he had no need for washing or food, and looked as clean and refreshed as ever.

In less than the time it takes for half a stick of incense to burn, Fang Wang and the others, led by Zhou Xue, left the inn. They saw crowds of people on the streets, all heading in the same direction.

Fang Wang asked, “Earlier, you mentioned Grand Abyss City. How is it different from Grand Abyss Town?”

Zhou Xue replied, “Grand Abyss City is the sect’s outward-facing city, open to the entire cultivation world. Grand Abyss Town is a settlement for mortals raised by the sect itself. The mortals here work for the disciples, mining and collecting resources. Almost everyone here has ties to cultivation—descendants of cultivation families from all over. Without connections or inside knowledge, you wouldn’t even find the way here.”

“In short, in Grand Abyss City, we compete with mortals. Here, we’re up against other families with cultivation backgrounds. Of course, passing the trials here brings far greater benefits.”