It had been over a month since Xia Yushan, Xi Tianyi, returned from the Golden Crow Clan's territory. During this time, none of the disciples left, fearing that the demons could unleash a true demon level attack against them again.
Bai Weiwei didn't confront Tianyi again over Ji Wutong's death. How could the Bright Ascension Sect disciples allow her to do such a thing and increase the Buzhou Immortal Sect's displeasure towards them? They knew that if the Buzhou Immortal Sect acted against them, none of the other first-rate sects would take action. And the second-rate sects under the Bright Ascension Sect might even celebrate the chance to replace the Bright Ascension Sect.
Bai Weiwei didn't irritate Tianyi, but Bing Huoyuan and Bai Ningwei weren't so lucky. Since Bai Weiwei couldn't find Tianyi, she vented all her pent-up frustrations on Bing Huoyuan and Bai Ningwei.
Bing Huoyuan still had some feelings for Bai Weiwei, so he allowed her to vent, but he would leave frustrated each time. Every time he left, he would wonder how his kind and innocent Weiwei turned into this madwoman.
What was worse was the reason Bai Weiwei turned into her current state, Ji Wutong. Before, Bing Huoyuan felt that he still had some chance because he had a place in Bai Weiwei's heart, even if it wasn't one between a man and a woman. Now, however, he could discern that Bai Weiwei had completely shut him out and no longer had any good feelings towards him.
Bai Weiwei blamed Tianyi for killing Ji Wutong, she blamed him and Bai Ningwei for not standing on her side, she blamed the Bright Ascension Sect for allowing the Tianyi to kill a brilliant person like Ji Wutong without due punishment, and she blamed the Buzhou Immortal Sect for allowing all this.
Within a short month, the decades-long feelings that Bing Huoyuan harbored towards Bai Weiwei had been ground until it was almost all gone. Only the knowledge that he had once deeply loved this woman was left. Once he returned, Bing Huoyuan decided that he wanted to cancel the marriage alliance plans. The only reason he agreed was that he had loved Bai Weiwei, but now, all that was left was pity for her. Now that he didn't want to be with her anymore, marrying her would only lead to tragedy.
Even if it was a marriage alliance, both sides still needed to be able to live peacefully together, which wasn't possible with Bai Weiwei's current resentful mentality. If two incompatible cultivators were to be forcibly married, then it would often lead to the enmity between both sides growing, with one side eventually mysteriously perishing.
Although his feelings had dimmed, Bing Huoyuan still had some worries for Bai Weiwei. With those treasonous words spoken by her, the best option would be an exile from the sect. And how could an untalented cultivator like Bai Weiwei survive without protection, especially one that was exiled?
As Bing Huoyuan pondered Bai Weiwei's future, he slowly realized that Bai Weiwei was like a delicate flower cultivated in a greenhouse. Without exquisite care, she would wither away. In the past, she survived thanks to meeting people like him or Ji WUtong, who would protect her, but what about when they left?
Bing Huoyuan decided that he would help Bai Weiwei fight for a lenient punishment. A demotion to an outer disciple would be best, but exile wasn't a bad option either. If she were exiled, he would help her change her identity and start a new life. He wasn't only doing this because of his former feelings as a man towards Bai Weiwei, but also in consideration for Bai Ningwei. Bing Huoyuan had his love slowly torn to pieces by Bai Weiwei's actions, but Bai Ningwei was different.
No matter how Bai Weiwei shouted or acted towards her, Bai Ningwei would only smile and try to comfort Bai Weiwei. Even the disciples of Boundless Mountains who didn't like Bai Ningwei felt sympathy for her martyr-like actions.
All in all, the three of them were living under the limelight. Almost every day, there would be gossip about the three. If Bai Weiwei didn't go crazy every time she saw Tianyi, he would have brought some snacks and watched the show with front row seats.
Tianyi couldn't help but think, normally the kindhearted Bai Weiwei would have been the female protagonist attracting the attention of male characters, each more accomplished than the previous. From Xi Ri's investigations, Bai Weiwei didn't go build a harem but changed through them like new dresses or heels until she found the perfect match.
But now, it seems that her kindhearted nature underwent a drastic change. Is it because Ji Wutong was supposed to be her perfect match?
Whatever the reason, the current Bai Weiwei doesn't fit the mold of a female protagonist. Rather, it seems the supporting female character, Bai Ningwei, is more like the protagonist. Actually, she also has a protagonist character background.
Her clan was wiped out when she was young, and she was separated from her sister at a young age. However, Bai Ningwei never gave up and eventually entered a first-rate sect and attained the friendship of Bing Huoyuan, an immortal seed. Eventually, Bai Ningwei reunited with her sister but discovered that she had fallen in love with the person who helped reunite her with Bai Weiwei, but because Bing Huoyuan loves her sister, Bai Ningwei will quietly sacrifice herself.
Ah, what great sisterly love!
However, the current situation seems to be that Bai Weiwei became crazy, and in disappointment, Bing Huoyuan became heartbroken. Who else enters but Bai Ningwei? She will quietly comfort Bing Huoyuan and never gives up on her sister. When Bing Huoyuan turns back, he will discover that it was Bai Ningwei who was always quietly standing beside him.
The two would go through twists and turns, misunderstandings and separations, before eventually realizing their feelings for another and hooking up. During this time, Bai Ningwei will succeed in her revenge against the Hei Clan, only to learn that there is a darker force pushing the conflict in the Heaven Continent.
The hidden force will eventually overcome the Buzhou Immortal Sect and plunge the Heaven Continent under their tyrannic rule. Through the power of love, Bai Ningwei and Bing Huoyuan will overthrow the hidden force and become the leaders of the Heaven Continent before ascending to a higher plane of existence. The end.
Tianyi rubbed his chin. It's so heart-moving, it should be made into a book. Or maybe a novel? Or a webnovel! I could write it into a storybook for my Xiyi Talisman...although I wonder how many people would like it. Cultivators are serious people, after all. If they didn't have diligence, they wouldn't make it far on their immortal path, so I can't imagine them taking an interest in novels. Not to mention, writing the Buzhou Immortal Sect falling leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Instead of cultivators, I find it more likely for mortals to be interested in the internet. Should I find a way to make Xiyi Talisman available to mortals? But the cost of making a Xiyi Talismans is quite literally worth more than a mortal's life, not to mention that not all mortal will be able to use it since many can't even read. Maybe I should do a test run?
Tianyi's eyes alighted as he thought of a good place, the Xi Dynasty. However, just as quickly, he shook his head. What am I thinking? I should be diligently cultivating. Selling to mortals obviously won't bring me much benefit. I'll work on the Xiyi Talisman on the side but before that...
Tianyi played with the palm-sized Vast Heaven Islands. I should find a place to settle Fan City.
Elder Jadeflame had already announced the end of the Demon Slaying Expedition. Now, all the disciples were returning to the Descending Immortal Embassy, and once everyone gathered, they would return to the Huang Realm.
Tianyi thought about taking the people of Fan City to the Huang Realm with him, but then what? He couldn't let them stay in the Buzhou Immortal Sect, so he would have to let them find a place outside. It may sound good at first, but how many of them will be able to survive in an unknown environment, especially in the Huang Realm, where everyone had superior resources and cultivation methods?
It was better to find them a safe location in the Demon Cage Realm. If there was any fate between Tianyi and any of the people, they might meet again in the future. So Tianyi was walking out, planning on searching for a safe location.
"Where are you going?" Xia Yushan asked Tianyi, who stepped out of the Descending Immortal Embassy.
"Nothing much. I felt the need to settle the people of Fan City since the Demon Slaying Expedition is ending." Tianyi truthfully said. He had nothing to hide, after all.
Xia Yushan stilled for a moment and stared at snowglobe-like Vast Heaven Islands in Tianyi's hand. After a moment of silence, Xia Yushan spoke. "I'll go with you. I once gave some pointers to a junior from Fan City, so I want to bid farewell."
Tianyi's eyes lit up with interest. "Who?"
"Just a small fellow, you might not even recognize him. His name is Lushu." Xia Yushan said.
Tianyi frowned. That name seems familiar. Have I heard of him? Forget it. If I don't remember, he's not that important.
Tianyi and Xia Yushan flew off into the distance. Tianyi wasn't planning on flying too far since he didn't take out his immortal boat. The location around the Descending Immortal Embassy was near barren land, so there weren't many demons. Only the weakest of demons and monsters lived here.
It was a safe location, but the environment wasn't suitable for cultivation. That's why, even though they knew it was dangerous, many cultivators lived in demon-infested land.
The location Tianyi chose was at the juncture between the barren land and the territory of a powerful demon. Controlling the Vast Heaven Islands, Tianyi moved Fan City out, but Tianyi wasn't done yet.
He could just clap his hands and leave, but Tianyi felt that would be too irresponsible, so he decided to add a little extra, plus he wanted to experiment a bit. First, Tianyi brought out Fan City and laid them onto the land, then tapping the pendant on his waist, Tianyi unleashed the Mountains and Seas Formation that encompassed the surrounding kilometers around Fan City.
Tianyi wasn't attempting to create a second Vast Heaven Islands. That would take too long, but creating a concealment and spatial formation with his current spacetime mastery wasn't as time-consuming.
The space began to distort under Tianyi's control as true qi of chaos continuously flowed from his body. Under the massive amount of true qi of chaos, the sunny sky turned to the starry night sky, causing the surrounding ten kilometers to be plunged into darkness.
The residents of Fan City watched with a worshipful gaze. Tianyi had already become a legend in their hearts, and he was already akin to a god to them. So such a nature-altering phenomenon was Tianyi's will in their eyes. Some of them even began to kneel in worship.
Tianyi frowned. What's this feeling? I feel as if my soul has become slightly stronger? It's such a strange feeling.
Tianyi paused his actions to investigate his changes. Aside from his stronger soul, he felt his thoughts become faster, but only slightly. Other than that, Tianyi couldn't feel any detrimental effects, and neither could he pinpoint the source of chance. After making sure that there was no harm, he resumed his plan.
From Xia Yushan's point of view, aside from the starry night sky, nothing changed, but after spreading out his spiritual sense, he discovered that that couldn't be farther from the truth. His spiritual sense couldn't spread further than ten kilometers as if there was a barrier preventing his spiritual sense from expanding. The land around Fan City had been concealed in space!
Xia Yushan clenched his fist under his sleeves. He got stronger again.
Tianyi sighed as he retracted the Mountains and Seas Formation. He didn't try to create a pseudo realm or domain like the Vast Heaven Islands but an immortal grotto. Immortal grottos were unique locations that cultivators created. They were like another world that existed within the realm.
Ironword's inheritance grotto was also an immortal grotto, but it was a rank lower compared to Tianyi's immortal grotto. The reason was that Tianyi's immortal grotto was hidden in folded space, and Ironword's immortal grotto was a hole under a mountain. So despite being larger, having more resources, and stronger formations, Ironword's immortal grotto was still less desirable than Tianyi's. Not many people could find an immortal grotto hidden within folded space.
Xia Yushan and the resident of Fan City couldn’t tell, but if anyone ten kilometers away were to observe, they would suddenly discover that Fan City had suddenly disappeared. Even if they walked towards the location where Fan City previously was, they would not be able to find Fan City.
Furthermore, the formation Tianyi used to conceal space only allowed those with keys to enter. Each resident of Fan City had been marked with a key, and those born to them would inherit the key too, so they didn't have to worry about demons finding the place unless they knocked up a demon or got knocked up by one.
Tianyi didn't ignore the sparse qi either. The night sky was formed from Tianyi's true qi of chaos, so as long the immortal grotto existed, it will forever be night. The day it is no longer night is the day that the immortal grotto ceased to exist.
The true qi of chaos fueled the spatial concealment formation. Furthermore, it would also be converted into spiritual qi and increase the density of qi within the immortal grotto. Tianyi had used about ten percent of his true qi of chaos, so it would last a while before the immortal grotto disappears.
It really depended on how fast the cultivators of Fan City consumed spiritual qi. If no one cultivated, Tianyi had confidence for the immortal grotto to last at least a thousand years, and possibly forever with the unique nature of his true qi of chaos. Even if they produced ten Nascent Soul or Soul Nourishing Realm experts, it would only reduce the immortal grotto's lifespan by a hundred years.
The only con was that no one could undergo heavenly tribulation within the immortal grotto, but that was a common issue with all immortal grottos.
Tianyi turned to leave, but Xia Yushan stopped him. "Are you going to leave like this, without saying anything?"
"It's fine. It's better this way. We are people of two different worlds." Tianyi said, his bearing lofty, but in reality, I can't stand their worshipful looks. It gives me goosebumps!
Tianyi paused and took out his Xiyi Talisman DCR-M and sent out a message to all the holders of the Xiyi Talisman in the Fan City. It gave a summarization of the immortal grotto's general information and how to enter and exit. Since Tianyi was going to take away the Vast Heaven Islands, the Xiyi Talisman would no longer work unless inside the immortal grotto.
Waving his hand, a hole appeared in front of Tianyi that led to outside the immortal grotto. As the creator, he could create doors as he pleased. "Senior Brother, are you not coming?"
Xia Yushan looked towards Fan City and shook his head. "I still have to meet that little fellow before I leave. Junior Brother, you can go ahead."
"Okay," Tianyi said, but before he left, he pointed at Xia Yushan. Xia Yushan felt a mark appear on his body. It was the key that allowed Xia Yushan to enter and exit the immortal grotto. After giving Xia Yushan the key, Tianyi exited.
"Oh wait, I haven't given the immortal grotto a name," Tianyi suddenly said while flying through the sky. "Let's see. Since it is eternal night, and the motes of light in my true qi of chaos resemble stars, let's call it the Starry Sky Immortal Grotto."