Chapter Sixty-Five: Knots of the Heart and Walls Within

The sun and moon race past youth like a shuttle weaving through time. Cultivators seldom perceive how swiftly the years slip by. Since the three Nascent Soul elders joined forces to pierce the “Heavenly Veil” and send six young disciples to the demonic cultivation side, more than five years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Throughout these years, Hong Jian faithfully kept her promise, dedicating herself to training alongside her senior brother. In the first two years, she advanced rapidly, rising a rank every year. Yet, upon reaching the peak of the tenth level of Qi Refining in her third year, she once again encountered an insurmountable barrier, just as she had when advancing from six to seven. Her cultivation entered a long period of stagnation.

Meanwhile, her junior brother, Chen Zaizhi, seemed to have inherited the true teachings of Ding Chunxue. Step by steady step, he caught up, surpassing Hong Jian in the fifth year. He was barely troubled by bottlenecks, and signs of Foundation Building began to emerge. Although Chen Zaizhi was several years older than Hong Jian, being overtaken and surpassed by him was intolerable for her. She was determined not to accept it and tried every conceivable method to break through.

Fang Zheng, too, was trapped by the same barrier. At seventeen, with Hong Jian’s support and an exceptional training environment, he had reached the sixth level of Qi Refining by thirteen. Everyone knew that the sect’s Core Formation wood-root elders were waiting for Fang Zheng’s breakthrough. Zhang Yu, for example, was recruited to Xiangji Peak by Fei Chengji after reaching the seventh level, and though not formally apprenticed, had a dedicated mentor. Yet Fang Zheng remained silent; four years had passed and he still hadn’t found the key.

Hong Jian was powerless to help. This was not something the Myriad Transformations technique or nourishing pills could solve, and she dared not place too much pressure on Fang Zheng for fear of backfiring.

These five years passed with a peculiar quiet across both the cultivation continent and Dan Cliff Sect. If there was even a ripple in the stagnant waters, it would be the Qingyun Festival in Hong Jian’s eighteenth year. Once again, an incident occurred in the sect’s secret realm: one hundred entered, ninety-nine returned. After a headcount, the missing person was Pan Cong, the instructor of the sect’s wood-root Qi Refining apprentices.

Pan Cong was unlike Jian Hui; he was in the late Foundation Building stage, among the top in strength there. If he hadn’t been assassinated, how could he have failed to return? It seemed that the death of Jian Hui years ago had opened a door for the Foundation Building disciples, who realized that committing murder in the secret realm was truly invisible and undetectable.

Back then, Jian Hui’s death was not deeply investigated by Wan Chao Peak. This time, Pan Cong’s incident prompted Mu Fengshan, the head of Xiangji Peak, to insist on finding out the truth.

There was only Qin Baoxian who entered the Snowdrift Cliff, intending to enter seclusion after returning but instead found himself summoned for questioning every other day. Not only him, but all ninety-nine disciples who emerged were subjected to repeated interrogations, leaving them exhausted.

Yet, in the end, Pan Cong’s death remained a mystery. He was far more responsible than Qu Changhe and better loved. His loss weighed heavily on Fang Zheng for quite some time.

With only a few months left until the next Qingyun Festival, Ling Xuzi and the elders could not let the sect’s secret realm continue to suffer incidents. Surely, countermeasures would be devised, though it was not yet time to inform everyone.

One day, Ding Chunxue was training with Hong Jian and Chen Zaizhi at sea as usual. Midway, Chen Zaizhi suddenly let out a muffled groan and collapsed onto the flying boat. His aura was chaotic, his meridians surfaced beneath his skin, writhing like earthworms—an alarming sight.

Startled, Hong Jian hurriedly stabilized the boat. “Chen Zaizhi, what’s wrong?” she cried. Years of companionship had not resolved her knot of resentment, but she did not wish him harmed.

Chen Zaizhi did not answer, but Ding Chunxue’s face lit up with joy, cutting off Hong Jian’s question. “Let’s hurry back—our junior brother is about to cleanse his marrow and build his foundation.”

Hong Jian gasped softly, realizing that once again this boy had gotten ahead of her. It was impossible not to feel disappointed. In silence, she helped her senior brother escort Chen Zaizhi back to Wan Chao Peak.

That night, Chen Zaizhi successfully established his foundation at Snowdrift Cliff, just twenty-four years old, well worthy of the title “genius.”

Yet that night, hardly anyone in Dan Cliff Sect paid attention to his Foundation Building. Instead, all eyes were fixed on Suihan Peak, one of the five peaks, where a major event had occurred: the old peak master, Nascent Soul elder Li Xince, had died unexpectedly.

Li Xince, late-stage Nascent Soul with a wood root, had presided over Suihan Peak for over three hundred years. In the past decade, his cultivation had faltered and he had given up hope of further advancement. Ling Xuzi and Sun Yougong knew he relied on pills for his health and avoided disturbing him unless necessary, but none expected he would pass so suddenly without a word.

Li elder’s funeral needed handling, and a new peak master was required. Suihan Peak gathered wood-root cultivators, and there were few choices for succession. The peak masters agreed that Li Xince’s eldest disciple, Ying Qi, would take over. Ying Qi was a generation below Ling Xuzi and Sun Yougong, decisive and resolute, not only an accomplished Nascent Soul cultivator but also one of the sect’s foremost alchemists.

With this major matter settled, Ying Qi took charge of Li elder’s funeral arrangements. For a time, everyone at Suihan Peak wore mourning attire, held rites, and even Hong Jian followed her master Yan Changqing to pay respects at the elder’s memorial.

Once all was settled, Sun Yougong returned to Wan Chao Peak. Though he felt he hadn’t been particularly busy, he was still utterly exhausted, sighing, “I really am getting old.”

Only then did he learn of an unexpected delight: Chen Zaizhi had established his foundation. Afterward, Chen’s water-root did not mutate much, making him ill-suited for ice techniques, but his true energy’s penetrative power had increased. Yan Changqing and Ding Chunxue together chose a beginner’s technique, “Piercing Stone Arrow,” for him.

Naturally, Sun Yougong’s thoughts turned to Hong Jian, who remained stuck at the peak of Qi Refining. He summoned Ding Chunxue to inquire about her condition, learning that apart from a visit to Suihan Peak, she had been secluded in cultivation. After pondering, Sun Yougong said, “Her situation is special. Don’t push her. Do you remember how she advanced from six to seven? It was in the secret realm. Let her follow me for a few days, I’ll think of a way.”

Ding Chunxue was surprised. To his knowledge, the grandmaster rarely took such personal interest in his dozen or so disciples, including Yan Changqing. The elders, when facing bottlenecks, received only a few hints, and whether or when they broke through was left to fate. How was it that the junior sister received such favor?

He thought it, but said nothing, and quietly accepted the instruction.

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Recently, things have been busy, and lunchtime has been too tight. After some discussion, updates will be moved to the evenings from now on, during the golden hours of seven or eight o’clock each night.^^