After three days of continuous heavy snowfall, Yudong City finally saw an end to the snow. Not only did the snow stop, but on the following day, a strange purple dawn appeared on the horizon, breathtaking in its beauty.
However, the snow had only stopped for half a day when Shen Tanqi and Yu Ce were dragged off by the senior elder of Rongyun Sect to clear the trial platform. After all, Rongyun Sect was hosting the big sect competition, so it made sense to recruit their own disciples for the task.
Shen Tanwu, too lazy to get out of bed, remained cocooned in the inn, so Shen Tanqi only called on the two little ones to join in. Officially, it was to ‘experience life and exercise,’ but really, it was just because clearing snow was boring, and having the kids around made it more fun.
The kids, once in the snow, were as excited as if they’d entered a playground, having snowball fights and building snowmen.
Especially Goldfish, who loved the snow. It never snowed in Hidden Dragon Valley, so the first time he saw it, he instantly fell in love with the soft, cold flakes.
“Look, Daddy, look at the snowman I built!” Goldfish waved at Shen Tanqi from afar, drawing surprised glances from the other disciples clearing snow nearby.
A few disciples stood not far away, brooms in hand, watching the two kids run to Shen Tanqi and Yu Ce, whispering among themselves.
“Isn’t that Senior Brother Shen and Senior Brother Yu? Their relationship seems to be getting closer.”
“No doubt. Ever since the Illusion Realm trial the other day, they’ve been together all the time. But whose kids are those? They’ve been with them for days.”
“Look, they’re calling Senior Brother Shen ‘daddy,’ so they must be his.”
“Then the other one must be Senior Brother Yu’s?”
“Are you stupid? They’re twins.”
“Oh~” Everyone nodded in understanding, just in time to see Taro Ball grab a snowball and throw it hard at Yu Ce, laughing with squinted eyes. “Father, this move is called ‘Flying Swallow Steps on Snow!’”
Yu Ce caught the snowball and crushed it, his lips curling slightly. “This move is called ‘Choking the Swallow.'”
Taro Ball: “… That’s a pretty harsh name for a move.”
Others: ?
“Wait, why is this kid calling Senior Brother Yu ‘Father’?”
“And hold on, did none of you notice? This kid looks incredibly similar to both Senior Brother Shen and Senior Brother Yu!”
The disciples of Rongyun Sect gasped collectively, feeling a sudden chill.
“The sect leader… probably doesn’t know about this, right?”
“We just found out ourselves. The sect leader rarely leaves the Rongyun Pavilion. How would he know?”
“Oh no, if the sect leader finds out that his beloved Yu Ce has been taken away by Shen Tanqi, he’ll be furious.”
Since the age of fifteen, Shen Tanqi had neglected his cultivation. He started at Foundation Establishment level and only managed to reach Core Formation after consuming numerous pills funded by the Shen family. The sect leader had never held Shen Tanqi in high regard, a fact known to all disciples of Rongyun Sect.
On the other hand, Yu Ce was highly favored by the sect leader.
Hearing the hushed whispers, Shen Tanqi glanced over, startling the disciples who immediately dispersed.
Scratching his head in confusion, Shen Tanqi looked at Yu Ce, still playing with the children, and said, “Enough playing. Let’s focus on clearing the snow. The Elder said once the snow is cleared, we’ll start the swordsmanship trials in the afternoon.”
This swordsmanship trial was Shen Tanqi’s final opportunity to catch up with Lin Tanjiu and Yu Ce. Swordsmanship was the fundamental measure of a cultivator’s skill and the only trial where disciples from various sects competed in a ring format.
The competitors with high scores would challenge each other, with the winner staying on while the loser exited. Winning this trial meant securing the top position in the sect’s grand competition.
Shen Tanqi looked up at the towering trial platform; this would be his stage.
In the mermaid pearl, he had promised his parents that he would become the most formidable cultivator in the world, punishing the evil and promoting the good, becoming a great hero.
This would be the first real trial in his life. Winning it meant not letting his mother down.
“But once I finish clearing the snow, Dandan won’t have anything to play with,” Yu Ce said, clapping the snow off his hands, chuckling softly. “Look how happy he is.”
Following his gaze, Shen Tanqi saw Goldfish stuffing snow into his mouth, pretending it was roast chicken, his eyes widening suddenly. “Goldfish, you can’t eat that!”
Moments later, Goldfish stood sheepishly next to Yu Ce, who now had a bump on his head, looking obedient and pitiful.
“You’re still laughing while our son eats snow,” Shen Tanqi sighed in exasperation, watching Yu Ce apologize with a bowed head and wipe snowflakes off Goldfish’s mouth. He softened his voice, “Goldfish, you mustn’t eat snow; it’s dirty.”
“Why, Daddy?”
“Well, um, because someone might have peed in it.”
“Eww… Dandan won’t eat it anymore.”
Sticking out his tongue in disgust, the little boy quickly ran to Taro Ball’s side. “Little brother, you mustn’t eat snow from the ground; it’s dirty!”
Taro Ball twitched at the corner of his mouth and said, “I definitely won’t eat it, big brother.” He had nothing better to do than eat that stuff.
“Okay, that’s good.”
Having learned his lesson from Shen Tanqi, Yu Ce obediently started clearing the snow, though he still seemed a bit unconvinced, “Ah Qi, the dragon race’s physique is cold-resistant, so eating snow shouldn’t be a problem.”
Shen Tanqi glanced at him. “Then eat the pile I just cleared.”
“…Ah Qi is right. The kids are too playful. I’ll have to discipline them more in the future.”
Amused by Yu Ce’s change in demeanor, Shen Tanqi playfully pretended to throw a punch at him. Just then, a voice came from behind them. “Shen Tanqi, I asked your senior brother to pass on a message to meet with you the other day, but you kept making excuses. Did my face not suffice?”
Shen Tanqi froze mid-action, quickly turning around to see the Elder from the Qingliu Sect. He recalled that the elder had expressed interest in his self-created pill, the ‘Stretch Legs and Widen Eyes Pill,’ but at the time, he was preoccupied with Huo Yening’s matter, so he had postponed it and eventually forgotten about it.
He bowed respectfully and explained, “Disciple had no intention to neglect. It’s an honor to receive your attention, Elder.”
The Elder from Qingliu Sect chuckled lightly “Alright, enough of the pleasantries. Do you have time today? I’d like to invite you to Qianyu Teahouse for a detailed discussion about your ‘Stretch Legs and Widen Eyes Pill.’”
Qianyu Teahouse was not close to the inn where the disciples stayed. Shen Tanqi pondered for a moment. He had planned to visit his mother’s grave after clearing the snow today, but it seemed he would have to wait until evening now.
Shen Tanqi nodded. “Elder, please forgive me. I need to finish clearing the snow before I can come.”
The Elder from Qingliu Sect seemed to have anticipated his response. He waved his sleeve and chuckled, “Since it’s for the grand sect competition, disciples of the Qingliu Sect can lend a hand.”
Several Qingliu disciples in their sect robes stepped forward, taking the broom from Shen Tanqi’s hand with a smile. “Brother Shen, we’ve heard much about you. Let us help with the snow today.”
Shen Tanqi was momentarily stunned and instinctively replied, “Oh, I can’t let you do that.”
After all, they were resting comfortably at the inn and were suddenly dragged by the Elder to clear snow on the trial platform. It felt a bit too much to trouble them like this.
The Elder smiled and stroked his beard, saying, “The grand sect competition is an opportunity for disciples from various sects to interact. Clearing snow is just a small task. Are you unwilling to accompany me?”
Shen Tanqi hurriedly replied, “Of course not, Elder. I am honored.” He couldn’t shake off the feeling of being assigned a project by his graduation advisor, feeling oddly nervous.
Glancing back at Yu Ce, who stood quietly with a broom, watching over the two children, Shen Tanqi smiled back. Ye Ce nodded, “Go ahead.”
With Yu Ce’s encouragement, Shen Tanqi heart settled. He nodded and followed the Elder.
At Qianyu Teahouse, the Elder retrieved a delicately elegant square sandalwood box from his storage ring and placed it on the table, smiling as he pushed it towards Shen Tanqi. “Open it and have a look.”
Shen Tanqi reached out and slowly lifted the lid of the sandalwood box, revealing an almost golden-colored pill inside, pure and pristine.
Perplexed, he asked, “What is this?”
The Elder looked somewhat pleased with himself. “I knew you wouldn’t recognize it. This is your ‘Stretch Legs and Widen Eyes Pill’.”
Shen Tanqi: ?
But he distinctly remembered his ‘Stretch Legs and Widen Eyes Pill’ being a blob of yellow…
“I refined this using your method, adding a large amount of spirit-absorbing grass and using an ancient pill furnace for three days and nights to produce this top-grade pill with excellent color and potent medicinal effects.”
Shen Tanqi suddenly realized that this was the Elder’s personally refined top-grade Stretch Legs and Widen Eyes Pill.
No wonder it doesn’t quite resemble the one I refined.
Curiously, Shen Tanqi picked up the pill from the sandalwood box and examined it. “Its spiritual energy is stronger than mine. Elder, you truly are remarkable.”
The Elder from Qingliu Sect was pleased with his flattery and smiled, “With your understanding of alchemy and natural talent, you will surely refine better pills than I in the future. Consider this pill a gift from me to you.”
Shen Tanqi held the top-grade Stretch Legs and Widen Eyes Pill in his hand, feeling stunned. “But, I can’t accept this!”
Top-grade pills, even the most ordinary Rejuvenation Pills, fetch astronomical prices and are rarely obtainable.
“Why can’t you accept it?” The Elder closed the sandalwood box and explained, “The pill’s recipe was created by you. I merely benefited from some alchemical techniques. This pill can help you break through bottlenecks during cultivation and achieve success when it seems impossible.”
Shen Tanqi carefully held the golden pill and nodded. “Alright, I understand.”
Did the Elder summon him to Qianyu Teahouse just to give him this pill?
Sure enough, the Elder continued, “There’s another matter.”
“Elder, please go ahead.”
The Elder from the Qingliu Sect furrowed his brow slightly, tapping his finger on the table. “The other day, I passed by your room and sensed a trace of demonic energy. You must be cautious. Several Elders have mentioned this recently. Yudong City is not peaceful, with demons and monsters causing trouble.”
Images of Xie Chi and Jing Wei flashed through Shen Tanqi’s mind. He nodded helplessly and said, “Thank you for the warning, Elder. I will remember this.”
The Elder nodded with a smile. “Very well. With the final trial approaching, you mustn’t make any mistakes. I still have several furnaces of pills to tend to. I’ll take my leave now.”
“Very well, farewell, Elder.”
With these words, Shen Tanqi stood up and respectfully saw the Elder off. Once the Elder had left, he sat back down and finished his cup of cold tea, his hand fiddling with the golden pill.
If he consumed this pill, breaking through to the Spirit Transformation stage would be a certainty. At that point, he would definitely be able to match Yu Ce in battle. But…
He was deeply troubled, feeling an uneasy restlessness in his heart. That day, it was clear that Xie Chi was targeting Yu Ce, trying to provoke him into seeking revenge after witnessing the events inside the mermaid pearl.
Yu Ce would never guard against him, and Shen Tanqi could easily strike. This also meant that Xie Chi was already planning to eliminate Yu Ce.
Shen Tanqi decided that he would save this pill for the right moment and give it to Yu Ce.
Having made up his mind, Shen Tanqi set down his tea cup, picked up his sword, and stood up. Suddenly, a falcon landed on the window of the teahouse.
It tilted its head, staring at him with a blank gaze.
Shen Tanqi’s pupils contracted, and a cold shiver ran through him. He was about to draw his sword when the falcon spoke in a low voice, “Xie Chi has taken over your cousin’s human body. He successfully passed the tribulation this morning.”
The strange purple glow in the sky—that was the sign of Xie Chi’s successful tribulation.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
