Chapter Sixty-Four: Heart-to-Heart

Hongjian was shaken to the core by what she heard. She turned to look at Grandmaster Sun, instinctively thinking, “This is bad. Grandmaster must know everything if he brought me here.”

But as she had grown older and weathered many ups and downs, Hongjian was no longer that helpless girl who used to panic at the first sign of trouble. She quickly regained her composure and pondered silently, “Never mind how Grandmaster found out that I know about this matter—what is his attitude toward it?”

A sudden realization struck her: “Grandmaster clearly doesn’t approve of what the Nascent Soul Elders are doing. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have leaked the news to Master Yan Changqing when all the other sects were eager to participate. As a result, Chen Zaizhi was spared.”

Thinking this, she tentatively asked, “Grandmaster, can the ‘Heavenly Veil’ really be opened? Why are the Elders doing this?”

Sun Yougong sat cross-legged atop the flying treasure, his long brows drooping as he gazed toward the ‘Heavenly Veil’. With a sigh, he replied, “Sect Master Dai of the Talisman Sect once wrote to Elder Jin, stating with great certainty that if three Nascent Soul cultivators combined their power, they could temporarily tear open a small fissure in the ‘Heavenly Veil.’ The gap would be just large enough for one person to pass through and would remain open for a few breaths. Whether this is true, we shall soon find out. As for why they are sending six young disciples who haven’t even formed their Foundations to the other side, I suspect it has to do with searching for the Mirage Temple. If they had completed their Dao Foundations, they’d be recognized by the demonic cultivators in the Endless Sea the moment they were discovered—the consequences would be dire.”

This aligned with the implication Yan Changqing had inadvertently revealed that day: the ‘Heavenly Veil’ had separated righteous and demonic cultivators for thousands of years—who knew what awaited on the other side? To rush in blindly was obviously dangerous. Hongjian’s heart ached for Shi Qingxiang as she asked, “Will any of them be able to return?”

“If Ji Youyun’s divination technique is truly as effective as rumored, at least one of the six will survive,” Sun Yougong replied.

“Grandmaster, you don’t approve of what they’re doing, do you? That’s why Junior Brother Chen wasn’t sent.” Had Chen Zaizhi gone to Huanhua Hall that day, Qiu Xiuning’s fate might have been very different.

He chuckled. “Do you think I did this for your Aunt Ying’s sake? Chen Zaizhi is talented and diligent, and rare in his steady temperament. I am old now and no longer hope to attain Nascent Soul myself, so I must think of the sect’s future. Such a fine disciple must be kept to inherit the secret arts of Dan Cliff Sect—how could I let him risk his life needlessly?”

Hongjian had not expected Grandmaster to speak so frankly with her. She gazed at his relaxed features, his gray-white beard and hair, and sensed his words were sincere. Yet Elder Jin was also advanced in years; time waits for no one, and he must be desperately eager to find the Mirage Temple, which was how Dai Mingchi persuaded him so easily.

She realized she had never tried to see things from the perspective of these powerful elders.

Sun Yougong smiled faintly. “That day in Huanhua Hall, Ji Youyun must have sensed something and tried to take you as his disciple. Unexpectedly, you refused outright. Many thought you were shortsighted and couldn’t recognize a good opportunity, but I was impressed by your intuition and your rare sense of self-preservation. Having already accepted Chen Yingjiang, I had resolved never to take in another female disciple at Evening Tide Peak. But looking at you then, I wavered, thinking perhaps it would be worth breaking the rule just this once.”

Chen Yingjiang was, in fact, Aunt Ying. Hongjian blinked, realizing Grandmaster’s words held many implications. Did he dislike female disciples? Was it because of Aunt Ying? Did he actually not appreciate her constant attentiveness? Since Grandmaster had chosen her for her promise, surely he was thinking of the sect’s future and wouldn’t dismiss her as casually as Aunt Ying.

The tension that had always been wound tight within her heart finally eased. Hongjian smiled and said cheerfully, “Don’t worry, Grandmaster. I’ll cultivate diligently and live up to your expectations.”

Sun Yougong’s smile was meaningful. “You’ve always done well, Hongjian, but you’re growing up fast. When you’re older, will you still be able to focus on your training? Perhaps it would be best for you and Zaizhi to become Dao partners after you both establish your Foundations. That way, you’ll both settle down and stay at Evening Tide Peak to cultivate.”

Hongjian was startled out of her wits. Had Grandmaster just said what she thought he had? How could he think that? Who would want to be Dao partners with that troublesome Chen Zaizhi!

She was so flustered that she choked on her own breath and broke into a fit of coughing. Before she had even finished, she retorted indignantly, “Grandmaster, don’t listen to Aunt Ying’s nonsense. She’s always finding ways to make things hard for me. I’m not marrying anyone! I promise to stay by your side and cultivate diligently all my life. Grandmaster, Grandmaster…”

She tugged insistently at Sun Yougong’s sleeve, rocking him back and forth, until he had no choice but to calm his emotional young disciple. His expression grew stern. “Remember what you say today. Your Aunt Ying also once vowed to focus solely on cultivation. But after reaching the peak of Foundation Establishment and failing to progress for seven years, she sowed discord among her peers. I pin great hopes on you. If you turn out the same, I won’t simply send you far away and be done with it.”

Hongjian nodded emphatically. “Don’t worry, Grandmaster.” She thought to herself, “I won’t be as useless as that old witch.”

While Hongjian and Sun Yougong were having this rare, heartfelt conversation high above the clouds, three surging plumes of white vapor suddenly shot up from the deep sea several miles ahead. As they collided in the sky, an earth-shattering boom erupted, and spiritual energy from all directions surged toward the spot, the force so tremendous it instantly altered the tides of the Endless Sea.

Sun Yougong’s expression shifted slightly. “They’ve begun!”

The three mighty forces did not dissipate with the impact. As more and more spiritual energy was drawn in, they gradually merged into one.

Night fell prematurely. The sea around the ‘Heavenly Veil’ grew so dark that the distant stars could be seen shining above; even the place where Hongjian and her Grandmaster hovered was affected. For a hundred miles around, only a single orb of light remained, growing brighter and larger, until it illuminated the surroundings as if a new full moon had risen over sea and sky.

Hongjian stared, awestruck, mouth agape, unable to recover for a long time. No wonder it took Nascent Soul cultivators—this spell consumed a staggering amount of energy and needed to be sustained for ages.

What happened next seemed less shocking by comparison. The “moon” slowly shrank as it floated across the sky, clearly being consumed. When it finally vanished, the sea gradually calmed, and daylight returned.

Having witnessed the entire process, Sun Yougong remarked, “It looks like they succeeded.” But Hongjian heard not a hint of joy in his voice and was puzzled. Her own mood was bleak because her friends had been sent into danger with no certain fate—but what was troubling her Grandmaster?

Sun Yougong glanced at her and said coolly, “It’s done. There’s no need to dwell on it. When we return, focus on your cultivation.” With that, he turned the flying treasure and headed straight for Evening Tide Peak.