In a blink of an eye, half a month had passed. As spring warmth approached, the weather grew increasingly pleasant. Yet, beneath the tranquility, Cliff City was in turmoil. Each sect was still in a period of adjustment, striving to adapt to life without the White Sun Mansion, exhausting their minds in the distribution of resources and filling the void left in its wake.
On this day, the sky was overcast, hinting at the imminent arrival of a rain or snow shower.
Shi Song sat in his study, meditating, his hand resting on his severed shoulder.
At the age of over 270, he was nearing the life expectancy limit of a Golden Elixir cultivator, which was 300 years. His physical body had suffered a severe blow, his vitality was draining away, and the hope of ascending to a higher level was bleak. However, before his life ended, he had settled a decades-old grudge. Despite the sadness, he also felt an unspeakable sense of relief.
Only in retrospect could one truly understand the principle behind it all. In the Cliff City of old, Jin Huan was the dazzling sun at its zenith, casting all others into the shadows with his unparalleled power. But now, with the sun shot down, Shi Song found himself wanting to take its place, only to realize his shortcomings. He had no choice but to share power with the No Return Sword Gate, Xuan Yin Sect, and Pure Water Sect. Surprisingly, he accepted this fact without regret or loss, but with a peaceful heart.
Now, it was unlikely for a single sect to dominate Cliff City again. The move of the Thousands Spirits Sect back to Cliff City was a settled matter, and their struggle for interests in the city was going smoothly. But to secure their position, they still needed to work hard. At this stage, maintaining a good relationship with Immortal Yu was undoubtedly the most important and effective strategy.
He should send someone to the south soon to bring Little Nine back. That girl got along well with Yu Ci, didn't she?
Thinking of that quirky little girl, Shi Song smiled, picked up his freshly brewed tea, and took a sip. At that moment, a familiar presence entered from the outer courtyard. It was Hu Dan, the true pillar of the Thousands Spirits Sect.
"Hmm, it's time to pass on the position of sect leader. Junior Brother Hu is, of course, the best candidate." Shi Song thought.
Although he and Hu Dan were from the same sect and had the same master, there was a significant age gap between them. After their master's death, Shi Song had taken over his teaching duties. His relationship with Hu Dan was both paternal and fraternal, and he trusted him more than his own sons. However, Hu Dan had always been ambitious, yearning to venture into the wider world and seek further advancement. This was not blameworthy, but the Thousands Spirits Sect could not do without him. Now that their major enemy, Jin Huan, was gone, it was crucial to tie him down with the responsibilities of the sect.
As Shi Song was considering this, Hu Dan stepped in and called out, "Senior Brother."
Seeing his solemn expression, Shi Song was somewhat puzzled, "What is it?"
"Someone from the Still Heart Temple has arrived."
"The Still Heart Temple?"
Shi Song was momentarily unable to shift his train of thought. As he was still puzzled, Hu Dan lowered his voice and added, "Taoist Bao De from the Still Heart Temple has come to assist Elder Xie in managing the defense of Cliff City. As for Immortal Yu, he will be returning immediately."
With a "sizzle", the tea in Shi Song's cup evaporated instantly, followed by the shattering of the cup.
*********
A palpable unease permeated the air in Cliff City.
The source of the unrest originated from a decision by the Lichen Sect: Immortal Yu, the man responsible for the extermination of the White Sun Mansion, would no longer assist Immortal Xie Yan in maintaining the defense of Cliff City. He was recalled by the Sect, and Taoist Bao De, having read the Sect's decree, officially took up the mantle.
What was happening? Was another upheaval imminent?
There was never a shortage of individuals with keen intuition, especially after a major catastrophe, their numbers significantly increased.
"It's said that the Xuan Yin Sect lodged a complaint. Weren't they on the brink of conflict a few days ago?"
"Probably due to his inability to maintain control. Since the turmoil in Sky Rift Valley, more people have died in one night than before."
"Heh, it must be because he stirred up a hornet's nest. Not to mention, could he really handle the tiger's whiskers of Sunset Valley?"
Rumors swirled around the city, but regardless, the fact was clear: Yu Ci, the recent influential figure in Cliff City, was suddenly removed and replaced by someone of equivalent status. More importantly, Immortal Xie Yan, the true and only significant figure in the city, remained silent on the matter.
Many people became anxious, most of them had participated in the operation to annihilate the White Sun Mansion. They initially thought that Yu Ci represented the will of the Lichen Sect and were prepared to act ruthlessly. But now, what did this mean?
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If the Sect's disciples were recalled for punishment, what would be the fate of those who actually carried out the deed?
Yu Ci, oh Yu Ci, you've really caused a lot of trouble!
The people of Cliff City were shocked, angry, resentful, and hateful. But as the person involved, Yu Ci was oblivious. He sat on the brocade couch in his carriage, eyes closed in meditation, while the Fish-Dragon hovered beside him, both silent. If the coachman hadn't known about the Immortal Elder's temperament, he might have thought the person inside was dead.
This was the fifth day since leaving Cliff City.
The carriage rumbled along, racing across the wilderness. Four magnificent Step Cloud Beasts sprinted with all their might, traversing mountains and valleys as if on level ground.
This was the Sun Chasing Carriage, originally Jin Huan's vehicle. When Jin Huan, Jin Chuan, Kuang Yan Qi, and others initially went to the Still Heart Temple, they rode in this carriage. After the fall of the White Sun Mansion, the carriage came into the possession of the Thousands Spirits Sect. This time, Shi Song specifically used it to send Yu Ci back to the Sect. Besides being a courteous gesture, there was also a sense of hope embedded in this action.
The sentiments within were so apparent that even the carriage driver could discern them.
"He must be worried about Immortal Elder's safety," the driver mused. Throughout most of the journey, Immortal Elder remained silent, exuding an air of melancholy. This suggested that the rumors circulating in the city weren't baseless. Upon reaching Still Heart Temple, he would need to liaise with the inside sources of the Sect and relay the accurate news back as soon as possible.
As he pondered, a flash of darkness caught his eye. The Fish-Dragon, a pet of Immortal Elder, had finished its frolicking outside and slipped back into the carriage through a gap in the curtain.
The driver glanced at it, noting that the creature seemed to have grown slightly larger, and its speed had increased. He wondered what Immortal Elder was feeding it.
The Fish-Dragon swam around inside the carriage. Simultaneously, a more mystical "Fish-Dragon" swam within the "Inner Void of the Heart" of Yu Ci.
Yu Ci's spirit had always resided in the "Inner Void of the Heart," which now felt significantly more spacious. The central lake remained, but the surrounding landscape had disappeared, leaving only the Fish-Dragon dancing wildly on the lake, seemingly possessing endless energy.
The vigorous presence of the "Fish-Dragon" had been causing continuous turbulence in the void. It had started twenty days ago and had not ceased since, though the intensity and speed of the disturbance had gradually fluctuated, like at this moment.
The tremors in the void were slowly subsiding. On the central lake, although the "Fish-Dragon" was still dancing wildly, it was now primarily belching clouds of mist, which spread out in all directions. Due to the residual turbulence, a wind had risen in the "Inner Void of the Heart," stirring up the clouds. As they grew larger, they resembled a vast expanse of dark clouds covering the sky. The moon in the dome of the sky was partly hidden and eventually disappeared entirely behind the clouds, casting a shadow over the "Inner Void of the Heart."
Then, a light drizzle began to fall.
The rain nourished the earth, creating a refreshing and pleasant feeling. As the rain fell into the lake, it created a mist that connected with the sky. The Fish-Dragon moved its activity to the sky, appearing and disappearing amidst the rain and clouds. At first glance, it seemed to possess the divine power to command the clouds and rain.
In fact, Yu Ci's spirit was linked with the "Fish-Dragon." The separation in perspective was merely due to habit. He could clearly feel the "Fish-Dragon" rolling in the clouds, releasing layers of rich and pure Primordial Qi from its body, transforming it into clouds, mist, and rain, which descended in strands.
The scene presented in the "Inner Void of the Heart" was a true reflection of his flesh and divine soul. This indicated that at this moment, fluids were being secreted within Yu Ci's body, nourishing his muscles, organs, and meridians. Yu Ci speculated that this was the vital essence of his original body that the "Fish-Dragon Spine" had brought into the "Inner Void of the Heart," and now it was benefiting him.
Recently, the "Inner Void of the Heart" had always been in this state. Initially, the void's landscapes revolved in turbulence under the influence of the Fish-Dragon. After spinning for some time, the Fish-Dragon would command the clouds and rain, nourishing the surroundings. In this continuous cycle, the vital essence stolen from the external world and Yu Ci's flesh and divine soul gradually merged and intertwined, becoming indistinguishable from each other, a process of mutual adaptation.
Nourished by this vital essence, Yu Ci could distinctly feel the acceleration of his body's recovery, especially the severely damaged Divine Soul. A devastating blow that would normally take a year or two to heal had, in just twenty days, recovered by nearly eighty percent. This progress astonished everyone.
Examining the state of the "Inner Void of the Heart", Yu Ci estimated that in about half a month, this adaptation process would be nearly complete. He was curious to see what changes would occur at that time.
The "rain" gradually ceased, and the "Inner Void of the Heart" was about to start another round of turbulent rotation. Yet, the dark sky abruptly changed, with images of mountain ranges and forests appearing abruptly, encircling the central lake, layer by layer, like a masterful ink painting of a landscape, mysterious and moving, yet vividly real.
Yu Ci was taken aback. This scene, hadn't he not seen it since he was fifty miles away from Cliff City?
How he missed it!
His consciousness leaped out from the "Inner Void of the Heart". On the brocade couch, Yu Ci suddenly opened his eyes, looked at the carved patterns on the carriage ceiling, pondered for a moment, and knocked on the carriage wall.
Night had fallen. The coachman driving the Sun Chasing Carriage was already quite sleepy. Fortunately, after a few days of interaction, he knew that the Immortal Elder inside the carriage, though not very talkative, had a kind heart. He was about to ask the Immortal Elder if they could camp nearby for the night.
Just then, he heard the knock from inside the carriage. He instinctively responded:
"What can I do for you, Immortal Elder?"
"You should get off and run back as fast as you can."
"Huh?"
Just as the coachman was confused, a burst of energy surged from the carriage, catching him off guard and throwing him into the dust. The Sun Chasing Carriage was moving at high speed. Although it slowed down at night, the coachman still fell and injured his head.
He groaned in pain, both shocked and angry. When he looked up, the Sun Chasing Carriage had already dashed half a mile away. At this moment, an arc of light shot out from the void in front of the carriage, slashing across the neck of the galloping cloud-chasing beast and piercing through the carriage. Under the cover of night, he couldn't see the blood splatter, only the four cloud-chasing beasts falling together, causing the precious carriage to overturn violently.
From the shattered carriage, Yu Ci flew out, followed by a cold voice:
"Despicable runaway, today I will enforce the family law!"
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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e