Yan Qing murmured, “Is that so?”
In fact, according to his knowledge, phantasms were more similar to a kind of virus or parasite. Once they awoke and broke out, they would turn their host into a monster that knew only slaughter. This was an unbreakable curse left behind by the ancient demon god. They could only be killed.
But he had heard Xie Shiyi say “evil.”
Once more, Yan Qing couldn’t help but think of what the demon god had said to him before they died.
Phantasms were a shadow from which there was no escape, life after life.
So was it really a case of something as simple as parasitism?
Xie Shiyi didn’t seem too eager to talk about this. He changed the topic and said, “Are you sure you don’t want to rest? There’s a long stairway leading to Desireless Sect. We can’t take the cloudship to the top, nor can we ride our swords. We can only walk.”
Yan Qing: “......” Yan Qing wilted again. After looking down on his current cultivation, he began looking down on Desireless Sect. “Why is your sect so fussy?”
Xie Shiyi ignored him, saying mildly, “You still have six hours.”
“Oh.”
Yan Qing hastily lay down. He was so tired that his eyelids were fighting to close. As soon as he thought that he still had to climb Desireless Sect’s damn stairs, he had a headache. Behind a jade table, lying on his arm, Yan Qing could only look at Xie Shiyi’s fallen sleeves from across an expanse of light grey. Streams of light glimmered through the snow-white spiritual silk. The hand that held Regretless all year round was cold as icy jade.
Yan Qing didn’t speak. He closed his eyes, hiding all his expressions and emotions in the dark.
The three families of Violetaurum, the four hundred and eighty temples—Xie Shiyi had only simply mentioned these matters to him. But with Xie Shiyi’s current position, the things that were worthy of his mention must be huge, unshakable matters.
And the Qin family of Violetaurum had connections to Tenside City.
Tenside City had disappeared in a fire, but the demonic realm had countless cities, and criminals rampaged across its surface. A new capital should have soon been erected.
What exactly was the Qin family doing?
The cloudship reached the atmosphere above Southluster. They had just about spent an entire day in travel. When Yan Qing woke, the clouds outside his window seemed afire, scarlet as blood. He leaned against the table. From the window, he could see vast waves of smoke billowing over Southluster, rolling on without an end. Mountains and islands were scattered throughout like chess pieces on a board, enveloped in a light layer of mist.
That mist was spiritual energy so potent it took on tangible form. With a single glance, he saw spiritual herons crying out in the mountains and water, washing his soul in tranquility.
“We’re here?”
Yan Qing poked his head out, quite curious about all of this.
Xie Shiyi: “Yes.”
He had sat with Yan Qing here all day. He rose and walked outside, and the Cultivation Alliance disciples outside respectfully stood and formed a row.
Tianshu was at the end of the crowd. He said merrily, “Duwei, the cloudship has arrived. I’ve already told the sect of your return.”
For once, Xie Shiyi frowned. “Why did you tell them?”
Tianshu had a guilty conscience. “Uh, well, it’s rare for you to come back to the sect. The sect leader and the elders are all happy because I told them in advance. They all said they would leave their peaks just to welcome you.”
Yan Qing couldn’t suppress a snort of laughter. Why did this group of people at Desireless Sect seem like their son had come home after many years wandering far from home?
They even called people from all over the sect to welcome him.
They really put on a show.
Xie Shiyi’s expression was ice-cold. He asked, “They’re coming to receive me?”
Tianshu: “Uh…yeah.”
Xie Shiyi was silent for a moment, then chuckled, his voice as indifferent as ice. “If they really want to welcome me, they might as well get rid of those nine thousand and nine hundred steps of stairs.”
Tianshu lifted his sleeve to wipe away his sweat. “Ah? I’m afraid that won’t do. The ancestors set that rule in place; even the sect leader can’t get rid of them.”
Xie Shiyi hooked the corner of his mouth in scorn. He didn’t continue to stay in place, walking forward.
As his little follower, Yan Qing went with him.
Once they entered Desireless Sect, they met a crowd of big shots of the present era. Great Ascension cultivators were as common as the hairs on a cow, and the Void Comprehension cultivators were countless. For safety’s sake, Yan Qing hid Trouble in his sleeve, telling him to sleep if he could.
Once Yan Qing saw the long stairs Xie Shiyi spoke of, his eyes widened in disbelief. These weren’t ordinary mountain stairs, but cloud stairs. They floated off of a cliff, the jade-colored steps set in the mist, all nine thousand and nine hundred layers reaching into the sky.
Yan Qing looked at the thousands of meters of pure air below them and complained, “Was this really designed for humans to climb? As a Qi Refining cultivator, if I fall down, won’t I die?”
Xie Shiyi calmly said, “Of the people who can reach this point, no one has your cultivation.”
Yan Qing chuckled through gritted teeth. “Wow, then aren’t I the most unique honored guest that your sect has had since its founding?”
Xie Shiyi declined to comment.
***
Desireless Sect had ten main peaks and more than three hundred outer peaks. Today, after receiving Tianshu’s message, all the recipients had seen shock and joy in each other’s eyes.
After Xie Shiyi became the Cultivation Alliance leader, he had left for who knew how many years.
They hadn’t expected that Jadeclear Peak, which was silent and empty year after year, would welcome its owner once again.
The leader of Desireless Sect, Venerable Lezhan, pushed open the gates of the main palace. He was immediately met with the master of Colorjade Peak, Xi Zhaoyun.
The cultivation world had methods for preserving one’s complexion, but Xi Zhaoyun had chosen to present herself with the face of a middle-aged woman.
Wearing a simple hairpin, unadorned by makeup, she smiled at Lezhan and said in a pleased voice, “Duwei has returned.”
Lezhan nodded and seemed halfway between a sigh and a smile. “Yes, I thought I’d only ever be able to see him at Azurejade Palace from now on.”
Xie Zhaoyun and Lezhan walked outside together, white cranes and other birds flying above their path. The two people were wearing the blue and white robes given out by Desireless Sect. The man was confident and cultured, and the woman was gentle and graceful. Walking through the flowering pines and green bamboo, there seemed to be starlight floating in their wake.
This was the power of Soul Formation cultivators to commune with the heavens and earth.
Xi Zhaoyun’s face was filled with a smile. He said softly, “Two hundred years passed in a blink of an eye. Do you still remember what Duwei looked like the first time he came to our sect?”
Lezhan said with laughter, “How could I not remember? The day he came to the sect, blood almost dyed all of the nine thousand and nine hundred steps outside of Desireless Sect.”
Xi Zhaoyun lost his smile. “I just remember that he was covered in blood that day, and his face was pale as ash, as he walked up the cloud stairs without a word, holding Regretless. Back then, I called out to him and told him he could climb the mountain another day, but he didn’t listen.”
Lezhan paid him no mind. “Back then, Duwei had sealed off his five senses, so how could he hear what you said?”
Xi Zhaoyun: “He sealed off his senses?”
Lezhan said, “Yes, didn’t you see his dazed manner back then? He’d completely sealed off his senses. I don’t know where he went through such a vicious battle, but his meridians had suffered serious injuries, his bones had shattered in several places and his clothes and hair were covered in blood. Seeing his injuries, I felt that Duwei shouldn’t be able to lift his sword or walk forward. But that boy still took his sword and climbed every one of those nine thousand and nine hundred steps, leaving a bloody footprint behind with every step, without saying a word.”
Pursing her lips, when Xi Zhaoyun thought of that scene, she couldn’t quite bear it. She sighed and complained, “Tell me, Duwei is the boy you chose from the human realm, so he could come to Desireless Sect any time he chose. Why did he have to be so stubborn on that day?”
Lezhan reached out, and a green leaf landed on his palm. He hesitated for a long time, then said softly, “...I feel like back then, Duwei truly couldn’t find anywhere to go.”
Xi Zhaoyun: “Oh?”
Lezhan said, “In fact, when I saved Duwei in the human realm, I told him that he could come to Desireless Sect anytime if he needed me. But in the ten years that followed, that boy never appeared. At the time, Duwei’s cultivation had already been destroyed, his spiritual root had been shattered, his family in Cumbrant City had abandoned him and everyone was accusing him of sin. But in that helpless and hopeless position, that boy still never planned to ask me for help.”
Xi Zhaoyun’s voice was husky. “That does seem like Duwei’s nature.”
Lezhan gave a light smile. “That’s true. So I was curious why Duwei would come to the sect that night, and why he was in such a terrible state when he was climbing the cloud stairway.”
“Blood wound all the way down the path behind him, down all nine thousand and nine hundred steps. When he reached the top at the end, his spiritual energy was scattered, his strength was exhausted and it seemed as if he would fall to his knees at the next second. When I went to hold him up, he was as stiff as a log. I brought him to Jadeclear Peak and asked him whether he wanted to become my disciple. He only nodded and didn’t say a word.”
The further Xi Zhaoyun listened, the deeper her frown grew. “Just what happened to Duwei back then?”
Lezhan pursed his lips and said, “I don’t know.”
When he was wandering in the mortal world, he saw a boy walking alone down Peachriver Path, and his heart was moved.
He rarely saw Duwei in a miserable state.
Even on Peachriver Path, surrounded by a bustling crowd and judged with every step, the young man was calm and unhurried, without a trace of unease or fury.
After he entered Desireless Sect, he became an untouchable legend in the cultivation world.
He was forever a noble son of heaven, dwelling high in the clouds.
His ink-black hair was forever unsullied by dust, and his robes were purer than snow.
It was as if the boy of that day, who had walked alone up nine thousand and nine hundred steps, covered in blood and dirt, was only a dream.
“Come to think of it, there’s one more thing.” Wherever Lezhan walked, the green bamboos parted on their own and the mist scattered, revealing a bare space for the immortal.
His thoughts extended, he smiled and said, “Jadeclear Peak was planted with a lot of plum trees. That night, I told Duwei to take a proper rest, but he only lowered his head in silence. After I left, he didn’t move in the slightest. He stood by the cliff alone, facing the mountainside full of plum blossoms across from him for a long time.”
“It was snowing heavily on Jadeclear Peak. I saw his hair and face were about to be dyed white by snow, but he still didn’t leave. I don’t know what he was thinking of.”
Xi Zhaoyun asked, “With such abnormal behavior, say, could it be that Duwei lost a loved one that day?”
Lezhan shook his head. “No, Duwei was completely alone in Cumbrant City.”
Xi Zhaoyun was left more perplexed.
Lezhan said with a smile, “Duwei was lonely and taciturn back then, never making a sound, but I could sense that he was lost at heart. He didn’t know where he should go, so he came to Desireless Sect, step by step.”
Xi Zhaoyun was surprised again. She broke out into a chuckle. “Lost? How interesting. We watched Duwei grow up, but I never thought this word would apply to him.”
Whether it was the brilliantly talented head disciple of before, or the master of Azurejade Palace of the present who held authority over life and death, in their eyes, Xie Ying had always been calm, controlled and noble.
He was just what a proud son of heaven should be.
The stairway dyed with blood that night, and the plum blossoms that fell without an end—no one knew what lay behind them.
The two cultivators walked from the inner peak to the outer peak. Who knew how many sect disciples they scared silly on their way.
Phoenixes and red-crowned cranes cried out as they circled above them.
A light breeze blew through the mountains, the sun shone through the mist and disciples knelt respectfully along the path before them.
Lezhan and Xi Zhaoyun called a cloud over with a gesture and stepped onto it, their sleeves drifting through the air.
“Let’s go, we’ll welcome Duwei.”
***
As soon as he took the first step up the stairs, Yan Qing began cursing Desireless Sect in his heart.
As the high-and-mighty number one sect in the realm, you don’t even have the money to erect a railing?
How are visitors supposed to come to your door like this?!
But then he thought of Xie Shiyi’s words: of all the people who could come here, he was the only one with this cultivation.
Yan Qing fell silent, giving two cold laughs. It looked like Desireless Sect didn’t value his visit.
Tianshu reminded him cautiously from behind, “Young Master Yan, walk a little slower. Remember to watch your path.”
Yan Qing waved and said casually, “Don’t worry, I’m not blind.” Once he finished speaking, he suddenly froze and looked over at Xie Shiyi.
Xie Shiyi’s eyes were still covered by white silk. His sleeves drifted through the air, carrying mist with them like white flowers. His eyes were currently wounded by the soul thread, and his spiritual awareness could only capture the general outline of the path. He might not be able to clearly see the shape of each step.
Yan Qing took responsibility for the disaster he had caused. He said with great warmth, “Venerable Immortal, how about I bring you up there?”
Tianshu: “?”
If not ten thousand times, Duwei must have climbed this this cloud stairway a thousand times, right? Who was bringing who?
Xie Shiyi parceled out his words like gold. “No need.”
Yan Qing was curious. “You’re sure you can see the steps?”
Xie Shiyi ignored him, walking up the cloud stairs with an upright figure. His snow-colored robes floated behind him, leaving behind the moonlit radiance of a Soul Formation cultivator.
He seemed like he couldn’t be any more familiar with this road. Yan Qing truly suspected he was pretending to be blind.
Yan Qing quickened his steps, walking before him. He thought to himself that he couldn’t fall behind a blind man. But he kept looking back to see whether or not Xie Shiyi was pretending to be blind, so he lost focus and almost tripped over a step.
The moment he fell, he almost flung Trouble out. It was lucky that Xie Shiyi seized his wrist, and the two men found steady footing thousands of meters above the ground.
In fact, even if Yan Qing really fell down, nothing would happen to him. But after thinking it over for a while, he didn’t struggle free.
Xie Shiyi said in a cold tone, “I feel like you’re the one who should be wearing this strip of cloth.”
Yan Qing ignored his taunt. Curious, he said, “Xie Shiyi, are you blind or not? How can you walk up the stairs without any problem?” Yan Qing continued to complain, “Can you blame me for this? With this stair design, won’t anyone have a problem the first time they climb it?”
He was practically inhuman.
Xie Shiyi didn’t speak.
Yan Qing’s interest grew. “Xie Shiyi, the first time you climbed the cloud stairs, were you afraid?”
Xie Shiyi’s brows creased.
Yan Qingi said, “You could even damage your eyes when you were practicing swordmanship on the roof when you were seven. The first time you climbed these stairs, did you really get through it without a problem?”
As soon as he thought of a question, Yan Qing asked it. “What’s more, when you joined Desireless Sect, did they all look at you in awe?”
The scene must have been pretty glorious.
He had a glass heart and the sword Regretless. He was a peerless talent, the number one cultivator in the realm.
They parted ways in the land where the gods fell. Xie Shiyi went to Desireless Sect, while he went to the demonic realm.
In fact, Yan Qing didn’t want to remember the memories that came just after they separated.
At the time, the demon god had just entangled him, and he had just obtained the soul thread. The first time he staggered into the demonic realm, he was met with pitch-black, endless night, filled with countless greedy and vicious eyes. The demonic realm was crawling with evil people, and there was bloody slaughter everywhere.
Alone, he walked past mountains of corpses and seas of blood, through the vast night. But when the red thread wrapped around his fingers, layer after layer, he found in the end…that his most terrible enemy was himself.
Yan Qing cast those eerie and wild scenes to the back of his mind, gazing at the clear azure sky before him once again. He blinked, smiled and said, “It must have been glorious.”
Xie Shiyi said calmly, “You can try it for yourself.”
Yan Qing pointed at the stairs. “Desireless Sect isn’t exactly hospitable, but they have a sense of ceremony! Take these Immortalization Stairs, for example—above, there’s the end of the great Dao, and below, there’s the crowds of living beings. I’m guessing that back then, you began from the first layer, climbing step by step until you became the head disciple of the number one sect in the realm. A glorious future lay before you.”
Once he listened to this, Xie Shiyi laughed lowly, filled with cool scorn. “Is that so?”
Yan Qing: “Wasn’t it like that?”
***
cela's notes: 2 hours
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