The fallen and scattered outer disciples were dispersed, and the broken section of the ascending ladder was left in its place. Qing Xu and the Elder from the Artifact Pavilion hurried to the scene.
High above in the clouds, many Peak Masters and Qing Xu, who had arrived, descended to the area beneath the ascending ladder.
The Elder from the Artifact Pavilion was the first to crouch down and examine the point where the ascending ladder had broken. It didn’t take him long to notice something was amiss. He held the broken section of the ascending ladder and respectfully reported to Qing Xu, “Master, the break in the ascending ladder is smooth, and there is still a trace of dark energy left on it. It appears that it was deliberately destroyed by a malevolent force.”
“Dark energy?” The faces of many Peak Masters changed, and one of them asked, “We have protective mountain formations around the sect’s perimeter. Any malevolent beings that come close are immediately detected and eradicated. How could they infiltrate this place?”
“The malevolent creatures can’t enter from outside, but what about within the sect?” a beautiful-looking female cultivator with the appearance of someone in her twenties spoke up. She was the only female cultivator present, specializing in healing.
“To damage the ascending ladder, the cultivator responsible must be at least in the Unity Stage,” Qing Xu said, his gaze sharp. Apart from the Peak Masters, there were very few individuals in the Unity Stage within the current Tianyan Sect.
His gaze passed over the Peak Masters, and each of them exuded a pure aura, without a trace of having fallen to malevolence.
“Master, are you suspecting us?” Alchemy Peak Master immediately noticed his meaningful scrutiny and, being the master of Alchemy and having a fiery temperament due to his Fire Elemental Roots, he exploded with anger.
“Master Xuan is right. We may have lower cultivation levels, but it’s not to the extent that we wouldn’t notice any signs when malevolent beings attack among us,” another Peak Master chimed in.
Qing Xu’s gaze softened. “It was my hasty judgment. However, the malevolent being must still be hiding within the sect. These days, let the investigators from the Punishment Hall thoroughly check all the peaks.”
“I have no objections.”
“Me neither.”
The various Peak Masters agreed. Truth be told, the idea of a thorough investigation was somewhat uncomfortable, but with malevolent beings hiding within the sect, no one knew where they might be concealed. Finding them sooner would put everyone’s minds at ease.
Each Peak Master expressed their agreement. Qing Xu then turned his gaze towards Qi Heng, who had remained silent all this time. Qi Heng had the lowest cultivation level among the present Peak Masters, and this made Qing Xu somewhat suspicious of him. However, now that everyone had voiced their agreement, Qi Heng’s prolonged silence gave rise to some speculation.
Could it be that something unsavory was happening at Jade Sword Peak?
Qi Heng noticed the scrutiny and nonchalantly raised an eyebrow, saying, “Jade Sword Peak only has me left. If you think the wooden stone puppets may have been infested by the malevolent beings, then by all means, investigate.”
It was common knowledge that wooden and stone puppets were lifeless objects, and malevolent beings couldn’t possess inanimate objects without life force.
A moment of silence followed.
“So, should we proceed with the Disciple Recruitment Ceremony?”
Qing Xu’s face darkened. “With the Ladder to the Clouds broken, the outer disciples can’t pass the Trial of Heart. According to our sect’s traditions, only those who pass the Trial of Heart are eligible to become inner disciples.”
“But…” He had his eye on a disciple with good potential, and if the disciple recruitment ceremony was postponed, he wouldn’t be able to bring that talent under his wing.
“Let’s postpone it,” sighed Qing Xu. “We need to find the suitable materials to repair the Ladder to the Clouds as quickly as possible.”
The next day, news reached the inner disciples that the disciple recruitment ceremony was postponed until the Ladder to the Clouds was repaired.
This news didn’t make Xiao Mo excited at all because once the sect found a replacement or repaired the ladder, it would mean he still had to climb it, right?
What if the things provided by Tianyan Sect turn out to be unreliable again and the ladder breaks once more?
Xiao Mo appeared deeply concerned, and Xuan Wei, who had experienced the ladder breaking, was also reluctant to guarantee that the sect’s equipment wouldn’t malfunction.
With the recruitment ceremony postponed and their foundational training for the outer disciples committed to memory, Xiao Mo had a lot of free time on his hands. He discreetly visited the backyard and chatted with the miniature Xuan Wei in his jade pendant. When they conversed in his room, he was worried that the walls might have ears.
“Master, do you and my senior not get along?” he asked. “If you and my senior have a good relationship, why hasn’t he come to me inquiring about you all these days?”
“Clearly, on that day, he should have heard you say that I am his junior. Could it be that when he heard our late master’s voice, he felt no curiosity at all?”
“Or is it that in the past, Master, you treated my senior poorly within the sect, so he simply doesn’t care about your life or death?”
Xuan Wei had initially wanted to ignore his useless disciple, but Xiao Mo was incredibly persistent, and by the time he heard this last remark, even someone with Xuan Wei’s temperament couldn’t hold back.
“Nonsense,” Xuan Wei retorted, “I did everything a master should do for your senior within the sect. I suspect that it’s because of you that he’s so troubled and that’s why I can’t even see my precious disciple.”
In comparison to this little wastrel Xiao Mo, Xuan Wei now realized how reliable and trustworthy his senior disciple was, and how much peace of mind he brought.
He could only blame himself for not knowing how to cherish the good things he had when he had them. Now, he was constantly infuriated, and that was his own doing.
“Is my senior’s name really Chengyuan?” Xiao Mo automatically ignored everything else Xuan Wei was saying, focusing only on what he wanted to hear.
“It sounds really nice.”
“You fool,” Xuan Weizi cursed him, “Chengyuan is your senior’s Daoist name, not his given name.”
“I get it. I’m just praising the name Chengyuan,” Xiao Mo waved his hand. “Your Daoist names in the cultivation world are kind of similar to the pen names used by scholars in the mortal world.”
“Senior Xiao Mo!” a clear voice came from a distance. “Senior Xiao Mo, where are you?”
Xiao Mo, upon hearing the voice, quickly tucked the jade pendant into his pocket and came out of his hiding place.
The girl in her pale yellow robes saw him and immediately flashed a bright smile. “Senior Xiao Mo, I didn’t expect to find you here.”
“Fu Ling, why are you looking for me?” Xiao Mo’s attitude was somewhat aloof compared to the friendly female cultivator.
“The inner sect sent a message for us to gather at the square, it seems like they want to test our aptitude or something,” Fu Ling paused for a moment. “I noticed that Senior Xiao Mo was not present, so I asked around and found out that you were here at the back mountain.”
Xiao Mo’s eyes flickered, “Who told you I was at the back mountain?”
He was always very cautious when he went out, thinking he was completely discreet. If it weren’t for Fu Ling’s visit, he wouldn’t even know that his actions had already attracted someone’s attention.
Fu Ling hesitated for a moment and then said, “It was Senior Liu who told me.”
“I see,” Xiao Mo remained composed, “Thank you, Fu Ling. I’ll head to the square now.”
With those words, Xiao Mo didn’t hesitate for a moment and turned to leave.
“Senior Xiao Mo.”
However, the quiet plea received no response, as Xiao Mo had already walked quite a distance.
Fu Ling bit her lip, thinking about Xiao Mo’s unchanging expression, and then she touched her face with a hint of suspicion before departing.
After the two of them left, Qi Heng manifested his presence, looking apathetically at the departing figure of the girl in her goose-yellow attire.
He remembered Fu Ling from his previous life. For some unknown reason, Xiao Mo had exceptionally good luck with attracting admirers among beautiful female cultivators. He was never short of attention from them, and a few even boldly expressed their intentions to be with him.
Fu Ling was one of them.
Unfortunately, in that lifetime, Xiao Mo’s heart was solely devoted to the Heartless Dao. Even the most beautiful and devoted female cultivators couldn’t capture his attention.
Qi Heng withdrew his gaze and raised his hand. If Xiao Mo were here, he would surely recognize the jade pendant in Qi Heng’s hand, the same one that Xiao Mo used to wear around his neck.
Qi Heng raised his hand and set up a barrier.
“Master, you can come out now.”
Xuan Wei sighed and emerged from the jade pendant. Without waiting for Qi Heng to inquire, he began to explain.
“This is only a part of my soul. On the day I transcended my tribulation, I had a premonition that I might not make it through, so I made preparations in advance. I used the Celestial Spirit Pendant as a vessel, which allowed me to escape certain death.”
“Residing inside the pendant isn’t a long-term solution. If the Heavenly Dao were to sense…”
Xuan Wei shook his head. “The Heavenly Dao only wishes to eliminate the Sword Cultivation lineage. With only my soul and spirit remaining, I can no longer follow the path of the sword, and even if it were to sense me, it wouldn’t fear me.”
“Chengyuan.”
Qi Heng watched him silently, and Xuan Wei’s gaze was filled with complexity and sorrow. “Sword Cultivation, now it’s just you. Be cautious; it won’t tolerate your existence.”
Xuan Wei’s eyes revealed a deep sense of sorrow. Thousands of years ago, the Sword Cultivation lineage was a splendid and prosperous group of cultivators, filled with geniuses. However, due to a prophecy and the vigilance of the Heavenly Dao, they had fallen to their current state.
“What are your plans for the future, Master?” Qi Heng asked after a moment of silence.
“I’ll rest my soul and spirit for now. As for the future, I’ll take it one step at a time…”
Before Xuan Wei could finish his sentence, there was a loud thud from outside the barrier, as if something had collided with it.
Outside the barrier, Xiao Mo, who had come back to search for his lost jade pendant, was rubbing his forehead, which had been bumped. He felt like he had seen a ghost. Even though there was nothing in front of him, when he tried to walk forward, it was as if he had hit a wall.
He took a step, raised his hand to touch and knock in front of him, and sure enough, there was an invisible wall.
Xiao Mo was puzzled for a moment, then had a flash of insight. “Could this be the barrier you mentioned, Master?”
Qi Heng and Xuan Wei exchanged a glance, and then Xuan Wei retreated into the jade pendant. Qi Heng raised his hand and dispelled the barrier.
“Who’s so unethical, setting up a barrier on the main road?” Xiao Mo touched the barrier, trying to find an entrance. However, before he could finish his complaint, he suddenly felt a void under his hand, and then the spiritual energy around him fluctuated. Out of nowhere, a person appeared in front of him.
Xiao Mo clearly saw the person’s appearance, and his expression stiffened. He also showed a hint of guilt in his eyes. Stammering, he said, “I-Immortal… How could it be you?”
Qi Heng looked at him.
Xiao Mo grew even more nervous and hastily continued, “Immortal, please don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t cursing you with that sentence just now!”
“I’m giving this back to you.” Qi Heng didn’t dwell on the titles and simply tossed the jade pendant to Xiao Mo.
Xiao Mo caught it hastily, and upon closer inspection, he realized that it was indeed the jade pendant containing his master.
Xiao Mo breathed a sigh of relief, “So, it was you who found the jade pendant, Immortal. That’s a relief.”
If someone else had found it, he would have been worried about the secrets hidden within the pendant.
Xuan Wei: “…” You little blind one, it was Qi Heng who took the jade pendant from your neck.
Nevertheless, Xuan Wei didn’t get angry, considering Xiao Mo was still new to the world of cultivation. Qi Heng was highly skilled, and even if he had taken something from Xiao Mo, he probably wouldn’t have noticed in time.
