Chapter 87: Chapter 82 Quiet Night Thoughts 1
Translator: 549690339 |
Northern Immortal Domain.
Chen Yun, clad in linen clothes, had been waiting in Saint Cloud City.
It had been a long time, but he knew that his message had most likely been relayed via the ancient palace of the Immortal Monarch. However, the messages from Yu Chenbing and the others, even if sent, were still on their way.
The Immortal Domain was simply too vast, and the barriers between it and the Lower World were difficult to penetrate. Even for a power as formidable as theirs, the process to transmit messages between the Immortal Domain and the Lower World was extremely complex.
“Hmm?”
But today, he finally saw the crystal ball light up!
A golden message within the crystal ball flew directly into his mind.
Chen Yun closed his eyes and then opened them a moment later.
“It really is the demon cultivator from Saint Cloud City who fled to the Lower World years ago!”
He muttered to himself and sneered, saying, “This could be considered a great gift for the Sect of the Heavenly Soul of Saint Cloud City!”
Immediately after, he entered the city once more.
This time, he disguised himself as a common cultivator and headed straight to a sub-rudder of the Sect of the Heavenly Soul.
“The demon cultivator Ming Tianbei, who stole the Heavenly Soul Sect’s Heavenly Soul Pearl three hundred years ago, is now hiding in the Southern Territory of Xuan Tian Realm!”
He delivered a message and then quietly departed.
The cultivators at the sub-rudder of the Sect of the Heavenly Soul were all shocked upon receiving the news.
The events that happened three hundred years ago were known to almost everyone.
No one had forgotten that the demon cultivator Ming Tianbei was still on their wanted list!
Therefore, the sub-rudder swiftly conveyed the message to the Sect of the Heavenly Soul!
The Sect of the Heavenly Soul was located at the heart of Saint Cloud City.
At this moment.
Inside the grand hall of the Sect of the Heavenly Soul, an elder in a gray robe walked briskly, approaching another elder seated in meditation within the hall!
The latter’s hair was long enough to stretch over ten meters, trailing along the floor and still growing!
The elder appeared to be only skin and bones, yet there was a hidden divine radiance in his brow.
“Sect Master, just now, one of our sub-rudders in the city received news that the demon cultivator Ming Tianbei, who stole the Heavenly Soul Pearl, is now hidden in the Southern Territory of Xuan Tian Realm!”
The elder who was meditating in the grand hall did not open his eyes, but his hair tips trembled slightly!
“Is the message accurate?”
An ancient and hoarse voice emanated from the grand hall.
The elder in the gray robe spoke, “Reporting to the hall master, it is not yet known for certain, but I suspect that it is not without basis…”
“Send someone to the Lower World to verify the truth, then decide how to proceed!”
The voice in the grand hall continued to ring out.
The elder in the gray robe nodded, saying, “I will send someone immediately!”
He then turned and left.
Before long, the gray-robed elder gathered various Great Elders of the Sect of the Heavenly Soul.
He informed the Great Elders of the message.
“What? Hiding in Xuan Tian Realm?”
“I recall the hierarchy of Xuan Tian Realm is only at the level of Profound Immortal. I never expected him to hide there…”
“We should descend immediately. Our sect’s treasure has been missing for three hundred years, which has adversely affected the cultivation of our sect’s powerhouses…”
Many elders spoke up!
The gray-robed elder spoke, “The Sect Master has ordered that we first send someone to investigate and verify before taking further action!”
“After all, if we deploy too many powerhouses to the Lower World without confirming the truth, the cost would be too great!”
The crowd nodded in agreement.
“I will send my direct disciple, Xia Tong, whose cultivation level is just within the Immortal Realm… The backlash from descending to the Lower World will not be significant!”
Meanwhile.
Southern Immortal Domain.
To the entire Immortal Domain, the Southern Immortal Domain was like a barrier.
The Southern Immortal Domain bordered the Forbidden Sea, and everyone knew that the Demon Domain lay beyond the Forbidden Sea.
The powerhouses of the Demon Domain, if they wished to enter Xuan Tian Realm, must first go through the Southern Immortal Domain!
For nearly three thousand years, the Southern Immortal Domain had been embroiled in constant warfare!
An Immortal-Demon War, even if only local in scope, could often last for centuries, which was all too common.
Three thousand years of warfare had plunged much of the Southern Territory into the quagmire of conflict.
Since a few terrifying existences of the Demon Race took action in the Taboo Sea Area, the Southern Territory, lacking in top-tier warriors, had become critically endangered, with its territories continually falling into enemy hands!
And yet, the other four Immortal Domains turned a blind eye to the fate of the Southern Territory.
Ever since a Demon Monarch emerged from the forbidden lands of the Dead Spirit Sea a hundred years ago, returning powerfully, his demon soldiers spread throughout the Southern Border of the Immortal Domain.
A few months ago, in a major decisive battle, the Southern Immortal Domain nearly met its downfall.
Yet, an ancient and radiant sword intent, from an unknown origin, cut down countless Demon Generals!
According to reports, under that sword, even Daluo Golden Immortals of the Demon Race suffered casualties!
Taiyi Golden Immortals and Heavenly Immortals perished in even greater numbers.
There were even rumors that ultimately, the terrifying Demon Monarchs within the Taboo Sea had no choice but to personally intervene to counter that sword!
Because of that sword, all the demon soldiers scattered across the Southern Immortal Domain retreated!
This had been the most significant event in the entire Immortal Domain in recent times!
Currently, atop an ancient city wall.
A group of Immortal Generals, their armor stained with the blood of demons.
“The demon soldiers have indeed withdrawn.”
Among them, a square-faced middle-aged man, looking out over the vast and desolate battlefield of Immortal and Demon, murmured as he held a large halberd, his presence extraordinarily formidable!
“It’s because of that sword!”
“Yes, the sword from the Southern Border’s Immortal King—Wuji Xianwang.”
“We cannot be certain that it was Wuji Xianwang who took action…”
The other Immortal Generals chimed in one after another.
The middle-aged man with the halberd scanned the eighteen people in front of him and said, “Only someone at the Monarch Level could possibly wield such an astonishing and peerless Sword Dao!”
“Perhaps it really was Wuji Xianwang, or perhaps not, but in any case, it at least shows that the person is willing to help the Southern Immortal Domain!”
“I command you to turn from the front lines and search for the source of that sword!”
“In order to maintain peace in the Southern Immortal Domain… there must be an Immortal Monarch,” the middle-aged man carrying a great halberd said with a heavy voice!
In front of him, eighteen resolute Immortal Generals all nodded solemnly!
“If we cannot find this being, we shall not return!”
They roared in unison!
The Southern Territory of Xuan Tian Realm.
In a small mountain village.
The small courtyard was brimming with harmony. The once solitary and lonely courtyard teemed with life because of these disciples’ arrival.
Lu Rang was tending to the fields, sweat pouring from his brow.
Long Zixuan was observing fish as if petrified.
Qing Chen was sweeping the floor meticulously.
Dugu Yuqing was practicing calligraphy with focused dedication.
Nan Feng was playing the zither, the sound light and distant.
Zi Ling was painting, eyes fixed intently on her work.
Li Fan was enjoying tea, feeling quite content.
“Xinning, you’re only eight years old. At this age, you cannot afford to neglect your studies. However, in this little mountain village, there’s no one else to teach you. How about I teach you to read?” Li Fan asked with a smile after taking a sip of his tea.
This child should not be allowed to miss out on education.
Upon hearing this, Xinning nodded and said, “Thankyou, Big Brother!”
Li Fan then said, “Alright, I will start by teaching you poetry.”
He stood up and walked over to Dugu Yuqing, who immediately stepped aside to make room.
Seeing that Li Fan was about to write something, all disciples gathered around.
Every time Li Fan demonstrated the Dao, it was a shock to them, rapidly enhancing their understanding of their own paths!
Li Fan dipped his brush in ink, its tip soaked, and brought it down onto the rice paper!
The characters flowed from his hand as though sketched with iron hooks and silver strokes, completely fluid!
In that instant, everyone felt as if the heaven and earth were trembling, as if the river of time were flowing, as if the dust-laden world was shifting!
When Li Fan’s brush lifted, a poem already adorned the rice paper:
Quiet Night Thoughts
Before my bed bright moonlight shines, is it frost upon the ground?
I raise my head to view the moon, then lower it, lost in thoughts of home.
Seeing the poem, everyone present was deeply shaken.
“Just by glancing at it, I felt as if an Immortal being sitting in solitude through the ages, was gently chanting, wrapped in sorrow…” murmured Long Zixuan.
“Such a strong Sword Intent… Different from the previous Heaven Opening Sword, this Sword Intent carries a sense of desolate sorrow that’s like a relentless river, stirring empathy in the heart… Is the Master trying to tell me that the sword embodies not only a relentless decisiveness but also a deep, heartfelt emotion?” Dugu Yuqing reflected thoughtfully!
“Wow, this poem is just too beautiful. It sounds so beautiful when read aloud, and I can vaguely sense that it also includes a painting, merging art with poetry… Master is so talented, so immensely talented! Ahhh!” Zi Ling’s face flushed with excitement as if she had discovered a new way of integrating painting with the Dao!
Her eyes sparkled like stars as she looked at Li Fan.
“What kind of experiences did Master have? Behind his carefree demeanor, was there deep pain hidden? Underneath his power, was there an unspeakable sorrow?” Nan Feng murmured to herself, feeling a profound sadness from the poem… When she looked at Li Fan, for the first time, her gaze held an emotion beyond admiration.
Even Xinning had her eyes wide open at this moment!
What was this?
These weren’t just words, this was a Supreme Immortal Path!
She was shocked. If such calligraphy appeared in the Immortal Domain or even the Demon Domain, wouldn’t it provoke a war among Immortal Monarchs and Demon Monarchs?
If she, at her peak as a Demon Monarch, had obtained such a piece of calligraphy, perhaps she would have had a greater chance of reaching the Immortal King Realm…
But this “Big Brother” just wrote it so casually and didn’t even fear others seeing it!
Li Fan, however, seemed unaware, as he picked up the calligraphy and said to Xinning, “Do you recognize these characters?”
Xinning, at a loss, shook her head.
As a Demon Monarch who grew up in the Demon Domain, she rarely set foot in the Immortal Domain. How could she recognize the writing here?
Furthermore, as a Cultivator, once a certain level is reached, it’s possible to understand countless languages just by sweeping them with divine thought, without any need to learn them.
Seeing this, Li Fan felt relieved in his heart. It was fortunate that he was a responsible person, otherwise, wouldn’t he have missed the best time for the child to learn?
“Come, I will teach you the characters.”
Li Fan hung up the poem and took out a teaching stick, pointing at the characters and reading aloud:
“Before my bed bright moonlight shines,”
Xinning immediately sat down obediently like a good girl and followed the reading: “Before my bed bright moonlight shines,”
Li Fan continued: “Is it frost upon the ground,”
Xinning echoed: “Is it frost upon the ground…”
In the courtyard, the sound of a young voice learning to read was suddenly heard.
Time rushed by.
Ever since the deaths of the two invading True Immortals in the Southern Territory, the Xuan Tian Realm had been unusually peaceful.
A month flashed by.
On a day of clear skies.
But above the skies of the Western Desert in the Xuan Tian Realm, space suddenly rippled as if something was trying to break into this world!
Clouds scattered, space trembled!
The barrier between worlds began to reveal itself!
On the other side, one could see a young man, attempting to cross realms under the enhancement of an Array!