Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Before preparing to make a move, an unexpected phone call disrupted Bai Yi’s plans. He once again came to the Seventh Hospital in the suburbs.

“Bai Yi, you finally came! It’s really troublesome to make you come all the way here...” As soon as she saw Bai Yi, a familiar nurse came up to greet him, explaining the situation at the hospital with a helpless expression.

Bai Yi nodded in greeting and summarized the current situation. “So, the current situation is that Li Xianke snuck out of the hospital, hasn’t been found yet, and then you heard from other patients that before he secretly slipped out, he mentioned wanting to find me to discuss important matters together?”

The hospital staff responsible for patient safety all showed bitter smiles. “That’s about right. Because his condition doesn’t have any tendency to harm others, his usual range of activities is quite large. Moreover, he has been staying quietly in the hospital for so many years, we didn’t expect him to suddenly evade surveillance and run out. We were caught off guard, and it wasn’t until he had been missing for hours that we discovered it...”

Although they could immediately report to the police for help, unless absolutely necessary, the hospital hoped to find the person on their own first to minimize the impact. After all... a mental patient escaping is not good for the hospital’s reputation if word gets out.

“So, we heard from other patients that he said he wanted to find you before he left. We thought we’d give it a shot and see if you knew anything...”

As they spoke, their voices grew lower, feeling that in their desperation they had done something foolish. It was clearly their own work that hadn’t been done well, yet they were pinning their hopes of finding the person on this underage high school student in front of them? They couldn’t help but blush at the thought.

“Hmm, he’s looking for me? I haven’t seen him on my end, and I’m not sure where he is...” Bai Yi remained calm, not seeming bothered by being troubled with this matter. Perhaps it was because he had grown up here, but every time he came back it felt as intimate as returning to his own home. If it weren’t for the severe mental pollution at the Seventh Hospital, with constant mental wave disturbances even when sleeping at night, Bai Yi would have been happy to keep living here. He muttered to himself, “What could be so urgent that he needs to find me?”

Logically speaking, if Li Xianke really wanted to see him, he could have easily asked the doctors or nurses to pass on a message, asking him to visit the hospital... Unless that guy couldn’t even wait that little bit of time.

Being in such a hurry, could it be that his immortal cultivation business had made some progress?

Bai Yi rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.

It should be noted that Bai Yi had just manipulated the physical laws of the real world, replacing the old Principle of All Things with a new one. In the past, things like immortal cultivation were just wishful thinking, but now, it might not be impossible to come true.

And right at this moment, Li Xianke was causing trouble.

Was it a coincidence, or...

Thinking about this, Bai Yi’s lips curved into a smile.

Things were becoming interesting...

The truth would only be known once Li Xianke was found.

Of course, Bai Yi didn’t hesitate. “Can I see the surveillance footage?”

“This...” In principle, the hospital’s surveillance footage couldn’t be easily shown to outsiders without permission, even if Bai Yi was considered half an insider in some sense.

“Take him to see it. I’ll go along too.”

A voice sounded from the office door. The people who were talking looked up and expressions of deep surprise appeared on their faces. They hurriedly stood up, all speaking at once.

“Director!”

“Director, why are you here?”

“Grandma Director!”

“If I didn’t come, who knows how unreliable you’d be in handling things. You can’t find the person yourself, so you’re troubling this child instead?” The old director scolded them with a stern face, then beckoned Bai Yi to her side, her face breaking into a smile again. “Child, next time you don’t need to be so polite with them, listening to their nonsense orders. These young people nowadays, not a single one can do things properly!”

Saying this, she cast an angry glance at the others.

Bai Yi stood beside her, smiling obediently. “It’s alright, I haven’t been back to see Grandma Director in a long time anyway.”

“Child, I know you’re thinking of me, but this isn’t a good place. I’d rather you come less often.” The old director instantly turned loving, speaking cheerfully.

Turning back to the others, her expression immediately became stern again, and she started lecturing them.

The old director was highly respected, with students all over. Some of these people could even be considered her disciples and grand-disciples. In front of her, those being lectured didn’t dare to talk back. They just shrank their heads, showing obvious shame on their faces, repeatedly promising that they would never dare to do it again, bobbing their heads like pecking chickens.

Seeing them so docile, the old director finally snorted and pulled Bai Yi towards the door. “Let’s go check the surveillance footage. I want to see what kind of trouble this Li Daotian is causing...”

Given her age and years of experience at the Seventh Hospital, including Bai Yi’s mother and patients like Li Daotian who were admitted at a young age, almost all of them had grown up under her watch. The relationship between them had surpassed that of a typical doctor and patient, more like that of an elder and a younger generation. Thus, the old director’s tone sounded more like she was complaining about a wayward son.

They quickly saw the hospital surveillance footage that was pulled up. This camera covered the garden behind the residential building. In the footage, a group of patients wearing hospital gowns were walking, chatting, sunbathing, and growing mushrooms in the garden in small groups.

“Look, Li Daotian is here,” someone pointed to a corner of the footage. “He sits here to meditate almost every day.”

In the image, the long-haired and bearded Li Daotian was sitting quietly under a big tree in a meditation posture, eyes closed, looking serene, truly giving off an immortal-like aura.

As the footage fast-forwarded, he remained motionless. Until at a certain point, he suddenly stood up, ran into a group of patients, gesticulating wildly and saying something excitedly. Obviously, the other patients were very confused by him, looking at him as if he were a mental patient.

In the footage, Li Daotian heaved a deep sigh.

“...The young are unteachable!”

This profound sigh revealed deep disappointment, the tone full and emotional, causing the others watching the surveillance to be stunned, then turn to look at Bai Yi who had spoken.

“Cough, I was just providing a voiceover for him,” Bai Yi blinked innocently. “I feel like that’s probably what he was thinking.”

The others had a row of question marks appear above their heads. “???”

...Being so in sync with a patient’s thoughts, don’t you think there might be something wrong with you?

After this small interlude, everyone continued watching the surveillance. They saw the disappointed Li Daotian leave the crowd with an expression of “all are drunk but me”, and quickly lost sight of him. The direction he last disappeared in was the northwest corner of the surveillance.

The hospital security guards who had already searched once before hurriedly explained. “That direction leads to Xingfu Orphanage. There’s a very tall wall there, completely a dead end. We’ve already checked, it’s impossible to climb over that wall.”

“The wall near Xingfu Orphanage?” The old director was stunned for a moment, trying hard to remember something. Suddenly, she slapped the table, “This old fellow, so he went through that secret door! I know how he got out now!”

Saying this, the old director stormed out.

“Don’t mention it, fortune is not on my side. Trapped in this place devoid of spiritual energy, even with a great opportunity, what can one do!” Li Daotian sighed deeply with great regret, not forgetting to glance at the nearby doctors and nurses, as if they were villains keeping him here and preventing him from cultivating immortality.

Before Bai Yi could offer a few words of comfort, the next moment, Li Daotian’s expression became excited again. He sneakily approached Bai Yi and said in a low, excited voice. “You must have felt it too, right?”

Bai Yi. “???”

“The heavens and earth have changed, the opportunity to break free from this mundane world is right before our eyes. Fellow Cultivator, you must have sensed it too, right!”

Bai Yi. “!!!”

His gaze towards Li Daotian became different.

...This guy, is he truly mad or just pretending? Is it purely severe delusions, or is he a hidden cultivation genius born in the wrong world and wrong era?

With his discernment, he couldn’t judge for a moment.

Li Daotian, however, was so excited he was gesticulating wildly. Even though he lowered his voice, he couldn’t hide his excitement. “If not this time, there will be a next time, and a time after that. There will definitely be a chance. The opportunity for cultivation and gaining enlightenment is right before us! Fellow Cultivator, why don’t we make an appointment— Don’t pull me, I’m not leaving, I still need to discuss important matters with Fellow Cultivator Bai...”

His words were cut off halfway as he was caught by the doctors and nurses who came looking for him. “The examination isn’t finished yet. Taking the chance to use the bathroom to sneak away, you’re quite something...”

“I’m not leaving! I still need to discuss important matters with Fellow Cultivator Bai! Fellow Cultivator Bai...” As he was being “escorted” forward, Li Daotian continued to struggle, his head twisting back frantically, his mouth chattering non-stop.

In the end, he pressed his entire body against the wall, refusing to move.

His immortal cultivation theory seemed to have undergone an upgrade after some time, with many new terms added that only he understood.

But this didn’t prevent Bai Yi from somehow following his train of thought, the two of them communicating fluently.

This made others look at Bai Yi with increasingly strange expressions.

Until he was locked in the examination room, Li Daotian was still clinging to the door, sighing deeply, “Last time, Fellow Cultivator Bai, you said the path to ascension was broken. But I see now that the heavens and earth have greatly changed. The passage between the two realms must be opening. Alas, I’m trapped here, unable to ascend. I wonder if any immortals will enter the mortal realm to teach me the way of longevity!”

Bai Yi couldn’t help but smile.

He blinked. “Maybe... it’s really possible!”

As he spoke, an illusory card flashed at his fingertips.

****

At the same time, thousands of miles away from Yuanyang City, on the peak of Kun Mountain, hailed as the highest peak on Blue Star, snow covered everything.

At this moment, on this peak considered the most difficult to climb in the world, a group of people were ascending along the mountain path. The higher they went, the thinner the air became, and the temperature dropped sharply.

This climbing team was well-equipped, with various skin colors and nationalities, wearing uniforms representing different countries. They were spread out on Kun Mountain’s path like an arithmetic sequence, clearly including climbing teams from countries around the world. They were participating in a globally broadcast Kun Mountain climbing challenge, aiming to set a new world record.

Under the satellite broadcast cameras, the images were exceptionally clear. Close-ups, long shots, different camera angles showed different perspectives.

From a bird’s eye view from the sky, they looked like a line of tiny black ants on the snow-covered mountain path.

As it involved a world record challenge, at this time, a significant number of people worldwide were watching this global broadcast.

Bullet comments frequently scrolled across the screen.

[Hiss, I feel cold just looking at the computer screen. I can’t help but hug my blanket and shiver.]

[Go for it! Hope to see a new world record born!]

[That satellite overhead view is amazing, feels like looking down at Blue Star from outer space.]

[Wait, what’s that! Looks like a meteor?]

At some moment, in the sky above, a point of light seemed to break through layers of clouds, falling rapidly from beyond the sky.

In the satellite footage, the clouds in the sky seemed to ignite from intense friction, that streak of light wrapped in burning cloud layers, descending like lightning from the sky.

Suddenly, the screen turned completely white.

Moments later, at the locations of five mountain ranges distributed around the world, thick white mist surged upwards, forming rolling pillars of air, whistling skyward like smoke signals.

At this time, people around the world couldn’t see this scene.

They were staring blankly upwards, gazing at the sky.

It was as if a violent cold wind suddenly swept across the entire surface of Blue Star, the intense cold causing water vapor to condense, turning into a fluttering snowfall covering the whole world.

In the close-up shots from the satellite broadcast, amidst the vast whiteness, that meteor-like object flashed by, vaguely revealing its outline.

In front of screens, countless people let out exclamations of surprise.

“A sword! It’s actually a sword!”

— A sword comes from beyond the sky, frost whitens all under heaven.

[End of Volume One: The Beginning of All Things]

We are currently recruiting. CN/KR/JP Translators/MTLers are welcome!

Discord Server: https://discord.gg/HGaByvmVuw