Chapter 790: Tree Wants to Reach the Sky After Experiencing Storms

The process of Ju Yuanzi's spellcasting was extremely simple. There was no need for Ji Yuan and Xuanjizi to avoid anything; he merely closed his eyes and sat in meditation.

To Ji Yuan and Xuanjizi, there were no fluctuations of spiritual energy or magical power; Ju Yuanzi even seemed to have fallen asleep. However, at the same moment on Yuhuai Mountain, the True Master guarding the Celestial Lamp Pavilion and Heavenly Secret Pavilion was greatly alarmed.

The cultivator guarding the Celestial Lamp Pavilion was meditating quietly in front of it when he suddenly felt an anomaly. Opening his eyes and looking up, he discovered that among the Celestial Soul Lamps at the very top, the one representing Ju Yuanzi was flickering violently.

"What! Has Daoist Ju encountered some misfortune?"

The cultivator stood up, but saw that the Celestial Soul Lamp was merely flickering continuously, with no sign of extinguishing. He lightly leaped, traversing the air to reach the vicinity of the lamp. Observing that the flame was flickering but not going out, he realized information was being transmitted back.

This was the first time such a situation had occurred at the Celestial Lamp Pavilion. Usually, information was retrieved by secret art at the moment a Yuhuai Mountain cultivator died. This time, the lamp didn't extinguish but still retrieved information.

"This... this is possible?"

Half an hour later, the cultivator summoned his disciple to temporarily watch over the Celestial Lamp Pavilion, and he himself left the pavilion with a thoughtful expression.

Ji Yuan returned to Mud-Dust Temple exactly four days after his departure. He met the old abbot at the temple gate. The abbot, of course, knew Ji Yuan was a distinguished figure, but was able to maintain true peace of mind when facing him, greeting him with Buddhist rites.

"Amitabha, Mr. Ji, young Master Li has been waiting in your courtyard for quite some time."

"I am aware," Ji Yuan replied.

Ji Yuan returned the bow, and after speaking, walked into the temple grounds. Reaching his courtyard, he saw that on this cold day, one of the monastery cell doors was open. Inside, a small table faced the door, and behind the table, a child wrapped in an old quilt held a hand warmer and was reading a book, occasionally sniffling. It was Li Feng.

"Sniffle..."

Li Feng snifled again, turned a page, recited for a moment, then habitually looked up towards the courtyard gate. He clearly froze when he saw Ji Yuan standing there. Rubbing his eyes, he looked again—it wasn't an illusion; Mr. Ji was indeed walking towards the courtyard.

His eyes reddened slightly, and Li Feng quickly stood up.

"Sir, I've already memorized the first new book! I wanted to recite it for you yesterday!"

Ji Yuan walked to the front of the room, entered, and closed the door.

"Are you complaining that I didn't return yesterday?"

Ji Yuan's words were laced with a smile, and Li Feng also laughed, vigorously shaking his head.

"No, no! Sir said it would be 'as fast as three days,' not 'definitely three days'!"

Ji Yuan ruffled Li Feng's hair, then went to the corner of the room to add a few pieces of charcoal to the nearly extinguished brazier. Soon, the room's temperature warmed up. He knew that Li Feng wasn't so much blaming him for being late, as he was terrified that he might never return.

"Sir, what did you go to do?"

"Nothing much, just had someone deliver a message. It should have arrived by now."

Ji Yuan spoke thoughtfully, his mind drifting to his homeland, Yunzhou, and the current New Dazhen. Then he murmured,

"For a tree to reach the sky, it must endure wind and rain."

The former Ancestral Yue region was now new territory of the Dazhen Imperial Dynasty, reorganized into six new prefectures. To demonstrate Dazhen's original prestige, Ancestral Yue, which was not much smaller than Dazhen itself, was strictly limited to six prefectures. Of course, some keywords from the original place names were retained, but the lowest administrative levels were uniformly changed to Dazhen's customary prefecture and county system.

Zhonghu Prefecture primarily encompassed Zhonghu Dao and the vast area centered around Luocheng in the northwest. Yan Fei was currently temporarily residing near Luocheng, at his and Old Niu's former dwelling, along with Lu Chengfeng and Zuo Wuji.

The weather today was clear and sunny. Yan Fei, clutching his long sword, was emerging from a rather grand pavilion. However, despite its luxurious appearance, the pavilion always had a lingering scent of cosmetics. Following the gazes of passersby, especially men, who involuntarily glanced upwards, one could see a large golden signboard: "Spring Apricot Pavilion."

From the perspective of the men passing by outside, Yan Fei's appearance made it seem as if he had just emerged from an evening of pleasure. However, some of the girls inside the pavilion looked at Yan Fei, the captivating and seasoned swordsman, with tender eyes, but none called out "come again, sir" or similar phrases.

Yan Fei, of course, paid no mind to others' opinions, especially since there were no acquaintances of his here. But he hadn't walked far when a smiling voice suddenly came from a nearby alley.

"I didn't expect the renowned Flying Swordsman to be such a romantic figure."

Yan Fei frowned and looked to the side. Standing there was a fair-skinned young man. His clothes, though not extravagant, were clearly made of good material and almost spotless. Crucially, Yan Fei hadn't detected anything unusual about this young man before he spoke, but now, upon seeing him, he felt that he was not simple. He could maintain a calm expression even when stared at directly, suggesting his martial arts prowess was likely high.

"Who are you?"

"My surname is Wei, and I've come specifically to find you. Fortunately, I didn't come at night, or I might have disturbed your good time. Haha, no more jokes, Great Hero Yan. I know you didn't stay here overnight; you only went in this morning and came out shortly after."

Yan Fei's eyebrow twitched. Having been influenced by Old Niu for so long, the words of the man before him didn't sound like compliments at all.

"Who sent you, and what business do you have with me?"

"Hmm! Guess who sent me. As for the matter, I'd like to spar with Great Hero Yan first, if I may?"

No sooner had Wei Yuansheng spoken than a delicate small sword slid out from his sleeve. It didn't look like a typical short sword, but rather a long sword shrunk in size. Its edge was exceptionally sharp, and the moment he lifted it, it lunged towards Yan Fei with a faint glow.

'So fast!'

Yan Fei was startled, realizing the newcomer was not simple. Almost the instant the opponent attacked, he executed his movement technique and drew his sword to respond. Few in the martial arts world could make him draw his sword so quickly.

"Clang!"

The moment the two swords clashed, Yan Fei twisted his wrist, his sword moving like a spiritual snake extending from his arm, as if alive. It adapted to his footwork, striking the young man surnamed Wei again. This change happened in a flash, without any murderous intent or thought, yet a terrifying sharp edge with a captivating aura emerged only at the tip of the sword.

The young man seemed startled by this sword strike, appearing flustered—a "dead man's reaction" in Yan Fei's eyes. But just as the sword tip was less than a palm's distance from him, a blur appeared around the young man's body. He retreated a full zhang (approx. 3.3 meters) like a ghost, evading the sword's lethal range.

"Whew... whew... whew... That was terrifying..."

Yan Fei stood his ground, sword in hand, a frown on his face. Even though the opponent had just evaded him, he could have pursued. However, he chose not to follow, instead narrowing his eyes at the young man a zhang away.

"You are not an ordinary mortal?"

Wei Yuansheng patted his chest. He had genuinely been startled. He could feel that even after he evaded, Yan Fei's sword intent still clung to him, like a sword pressed against his brow, its strike entirely at Yan Fei's discretion, not his own.

'Martial arts reaching such a level is also terrifying!'

Suppressing his shock, Wei Yuansheng took another step closer to Yan Fei, cupped his hands, and bowed respectfully.

"I am Wei Yuansheng, greeting Great Hero Yan Fei. I have witnessed Great Hero Yan's skill. It is indeed as formidable as Mr. Ji described; there are likely few rivals in the mortal realm."

"You flatter me."

Yan Fei nodded. Hearing the words "Mr. Ji" eased the atmosphere, at least on the surface.

"Great Hero, shall we find a more private place to talk?"

Yan Fei followed Wei Yuansheng's gaze and looked back. Because the two had exchanged a few moves at the alley entrance, some curious onlookers were now watching from the roadside. Although they hadn't continued fighting, those onlookers had no intention of dispersing yet.

"Hmm, let's go outside the city."

Zuo Wuji's body was robust and muscular, yet his face still appeared somewhat youthful. He had just finished dressing and emerged from his room. Looking around the small estate, he saw the couple hanging clothes to dry, while Lu Chengfeng, dressed only in a short jacket in the winter, was practicing boxing in the open area outside. Each punch seemed to vibrate a large mass of air, producing a burst of explosive sound.

A moment later, Lu Chengfeng slowly reined in his aura. As the True Qi within him settled, plumes of white steam rose from his body, making him resemble an immortal cultivator shrouded in mist.

"Alas, the so-called Martial Fiend Primal Gang is indeed a peerless art, but unfortunately, it's a bit late for me..."

"Fourth Master, where's First Master?"

Zuo Wuji's voice broke Lu Chengfeng's train of thought, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Brother Yan has gone into Luocheng. I heard an old brother of his once entrusted him that if he came to Luocheng again, he should help check on a few of his sweethearts."

"A few sweethearts? Were there many?"

Zuo Wuji scratched his head, pushing the thought aside, as Fourth Master was already walking towards him with two large stone locks.

"Alright, prepare for your stance training. You can only stop when I tell you to, and no breakfast for at least half an hour!"

"Yes, Master!"

Zuo Wuji dared not be negligent. He stretched his limbs and circulated his True Qi, then took the two hundred-catty (approx. 110-pound) stone locks from Lu Chengfeng. His arms, holding the locks, extended parallel to the ground on either side, while his body held a horse stance. Not long after, plumes of white steam rose from his body.

Meanwhile, Lu Chengfeng, beside him, picked up a wine gourd from the ground and began to sip. It seemed as though drinking wine was enough to quench his thirst.

However, when Zuo Wuji had been in his stance for almost an hour, Lu Chengfeng, still lying under the tree with his eyes closed and clutching his wine gourd, showed no intention of calling a stop.

Zuo Wuji inhaled the distant aroma from the kitchen, glancing at Lu Chengfeng out of the corner of his eye.

"Master, Fourth Master, it's definitely been much more than half an hour..."

Lu Chengfeng's belly rose and fell evenly; he didn't open his eyes or make a sound.

"Fourth Master, you haven't gotten drunk, have you...?"

Lu Chengfeng remained motionless, but even though his arms ached to the point of nearly splitting, Zuo Wuji dared not put down the stone locks.

Suddenly, Lu Chengfeng opened his eyes, leaped onto the treetop, and saw Yan Fei approaching with a stranger. On closer inspection, the stranger seemed somewhat familiar.

Evidently, Wei Yuansheng had also spotted Lu Chengfeng and was already waving from a distance.

While they didn't know Wei Yuansheng directly, the 'Smiling Tiger' Wei Wuwei was renowned in the martial world. Coupled with the connection to Ji Yuan, the group quickly understood Wei Yuansheng's purpose.

"Are you saying that in a distant land across the vast ocean, a chaotic struggle between humans and demons is raging relentlessly?"

Lu Chengfeng took a sip of wine and asked, his eyes narrowed. Yan Fei remained silent, while Zuo Wuji continuously stuffed meat buns into his mouth.

Wei Yuansheng nodded.

"Precisely. The momentum of humanity is a great force of heaven and earth, and martial arts should be a power of humanity. Your martial arts are exceptional, Great Heroes, but perhaps you lack a certain condition for breakthrough. As the saying goes, 'compressing earth into bricks and hammering iron into steel.' If demons bring chaos to the world, what then? If the righteous path cannot contend with the evil path, what then?"

Yan Fei smiled, placing his hand on the long sword on the table.

"Even if it doesn't hone my martial arts, even if I gain no progress, I, Yan, will go."

"Lu Chengfeng's martial arts are humble, but I too wish to see it for myself."

"Me, me, me! I, Zuo Wuji, am destined to become the greatest martial artist in the world, so I'm going too!"

"You?"

Wei Yuansheng frowned, about to speak, but Lu Chengfeng and Yan Fei spoke simultaneously.

"Precisely!"

Then Zuo Wuji, slightly excited, asked again.

"When do we leave? How do we get there? Are others coming?"

Wei Yuansheng looked at the youth, who appeared as robust as an adult but was certainly not old. He believed in the courage of Yan Fei and Lu Chengfeng, but this boy didn't understand the terror of demons versus mortals. He simply nodded and said,

"Time is short. In two days, a treasure boat will return to Tianyu Continent from a fairy port. This boat is a treasure of Taiyun Sect from Tianyu Continent, and this time it's being recalled to serve as a magical artifact to deal with a crisis. There won't be any realm-crossing ferries to Tianyu Continent for a considerable period, so it's best if we depart today."

He had originally wanted to go see the other remaining Nine Young Heroes, but Wei Yuansheng calculated and realized there wasn't enough time. In his view, the most important thing was for Yan Fei to go.