The war drums abruptly stopped.
The Dao-Questioning Plaza fell into dead silence. The air was thick with the stench of blood. Every gaze from the floating islands and the plaza below locked onto a single ink-black figure.
Chu Yue gripped the hilt of his blade with one hand and shook off the blood on it. With a crisp "click," the narrow blade slid neatly back into its sheath.
The wind swept past, lifting a bloodstained strand of hair at his temple and brushing across his cold, still face.
Behind him, the last steelwhite ape collapsed with a heavy boom, crashing into a heap of severed limbs and mangled corpses.
Looking around, the vast and grand Dao-Questioning Plaza was soaked in blood. Corpses of steelwhite apes, large and small, were piled like mountains, not a single one left alive.
Golden light flared under Chu Yue's feet. Circle after circle of brilliant gold spread outward, dazzling like the noonday sun and piercing to the eyes.
Only a few disciples from the other peaks managed to snatch advancement. Those who had been fighting among themselves over who would qualify suddenly banded together after Chu Yue acted. Sending anyone forward was better than having no one qualify at all.
Up on their floating island, the stewards of Cloudwater Hall announced the results of the first round of the Beast Hunt. Surfoot Peak slew three steelwhite apes. Thousandchance Peak slew four. Resonance Peak slew three… And Violetstage Peak slew one hundred and four.
The elders and peak masters wore complicated expressions. Everyone had known Chu Yue was strong, but none of them had seen him slay the black jiao lord, and so had no true concept of his strength.
Now that strength materialized before their eyes. The shock it brought was even more terrifying than hearing of the black jiao lord’s death.
"What kind of strength is this? How did we never know such a person existed within the sect?"
"Both his blade techniques and movement techniques are top-notch, but his killing intent is too heavy. He doesn't seem like someone who walks the path of cultivation."
"I just admire Li Lanxiu. Watching this man gives me chills. Slaughtering steelwhite apes is like chopping vegetables to him; he’s swift and merciless. Is he really not afraid to keep someone like that around?"
Li Yanbi’s eyes widened in amazement. He had just been playing chess with Li Lanxiu earlier, but now he couldn’t tear his gaze from the plaza, sometimes shaking his head with a sigh, sometimes nodding in admiration. "He far surpasses me back in my day. So young, yet so ruthless with his strikes. He hasn't bullied you, has he?" He frowned and asked Li Lanxiu with concern.
He had seen countless people before. The stronger a person’s ability, the stronger their pride. For someone like Chu Yue, whose power had reached such a level, his pride must match it.
To serve another would be an unbearable humiliation for someone like that, something they could never leave unavenged.
Li Lanxiu smiled lightly and shook his head, then turned to look toward the Dao-Questioning Plaza.
The second trial had begun. A teleportation array opened at the center of the plaza. The disciples who had advanced walked onto the array in twos and threes, their figures vanishing without a trace.
One by one, the people on the plaza made their way toward the array. Only a single dark figure stood unmoving. He rested one hand behind his back on the hilt of his blade and tilted his head up, staring at a certain floating island. As if waiting for something.
"What is Chu-shidi waiting for? If he doesn’t go soon, the teleportation array will close..."
"Is he waiting for Elder Shen? Or Peak Master Li?"
The disciples buzzed with speculation, unable to guess his intentions. He had already stolen the spotlight. Everyone's attention was fixed on him. What more could he possibly need?
Li Lanxiu rose and walked to the railing. He narrowed his eyes and gazed across the distance, then gave Chu Yue a slight nod.
The onlooking disciples only saw Chu Yue take a few steps forward. The cold, stern face that had remained unchanged all along finally showed a faint smile. He lifted his robe and knelt on one knee, bowing his head slightly, his posture devout and focused, as if kneeling in gratitude to a god who had protected him.
Only then did he rise and head toward the teleportation array.
Thousands of disciples lined the floating island's railing, watching. They looked at each other in confusion. There were several floating islands by Violetstage Peak's side. After that one kneel, the peak masters who had been watching felt their hearts surge. They wondered whether the gifts they had sent earlier had struck the right chord and whether this kneel was his way of repaying the favor.
Only Bai Zhenchuan let out a cold, mocking laugh, seeming utterly disdainful of Chu Yue's gesture.
The figures of the advancing disciples appeared within the giant mirror. A lush, green valley unfolded, with verdant mountains and crystal-clear waters, thick woods, and towering ancient trees.
At that moment, a majestic voice rang out simultaneously inside and outside the mirror, like a decree from a god:
"The second trial is the Battle to Subdue the Yao!"
"In this valley lies a hidden clan of tiger yao. They have cultivated for a hundred years, entrenched themselves here, and wreaked havoc across the region, harming countless innocents."
"In today's battle, you must each obtain a yao core within one day in order to advance to the third round!"
The disciples drew their swords and stood ready, carefully observing their surroundings in the valley.
Jiang Jiusi glanced around thoughtfully. In the distance, he caught sight of a vermilion temple perched on the edge of a cliff. Its bright red walls stood out starkly against the lush green valley, the eaves curling high, the structure exuding a solemn and imposing aura.
He suddenly halted, his gaze fixing on the plaque hanging above the temple gate. He murmured under his breath, "Highmount Temple."
"Highmount Temple? Why does that sound so familiar?" Lian-shixiong also turned his gaze toward the temple, his brows slightly furrowed.
On the altar inside the temple sat a statue of Lord Highmount, bearing an immortal-like air with a brocade robe and a grand cloak. His appearance was dignified and awe-inspiring—except for his head, which was that of a tiger.
The other dozen or so disciples also noticed the Highmount Temple, and their expressions gradually turned complicated.
Highmount Mountain lay a great distance from Conundrum Sect. They had occasionally heard tales of tiger yao there, creatures who had awakened their intelligence and preyed on passing travelers and merchants. The cultivation of an individual tiger yao, with a century or so of training, was not particularly high—something a cultivator could manage.
But the tiger yao of Highmount were a clan: grandfathers, fathers, sons, three generations of yao under one bloodline. Killing one meant drawing the vengeance of the entire family. It was a tricky affair—if one wasn’t absolutely certain of success, it was best not to provoke them lightly.
Lian-shixiong, a seasoned veteran who had weathered many storms, observed the Highmount Temple and said, "It looks like no one has worshiped here for many years, yet the temple shows no signs of decay. Clearly, Lord Highmount often returns. He probably treats this place as a refuge."
"We could set up a small demon-slaying formation in the temple, wait for them to return and catch them off guard. If that doesn’t work, we’ll think of another method tomorrow."
Jiang Jiusi nodded slightly, adding, "The more people participating in the demon-slaying formation, the better. If we work together, we’ll have a higher chance of success. Does anyone object?"
The disciples all voiced their agreement.
Meanwhile, Chu Xuan swept his gaze across the crowd, only to notice that Chu Yue had long since disappeared. He paused for a moment, then gave a helpless, wry smile.
Yu-shixiong let out a cold laugh and said flatly, “Looks like Chu-shidi objects again. I wonder where he’s off to observe the situation from this time. I’m more at ease without him here. If he were, I’d honestly worry he’d snatch up all the yao cores and not leave a single one for the rest of us.”
“Chuxuan-shixiong, Chu Yue is from your Violetstage Peak. Why don’t you rein him in?” Yu-shixiong asked provocatively.
Chuxuan chuckled and shook his head. He answered truthfully, “He belongs to my xiao-shidi. He only listens to Xiao-Shidi, not to me.”
Jiang Jiusi stepped closer, unable to hold back his question. “Has Li-shidi been well lately?”
“He’s been well.” Chuxuan answered simply.
Jiang Jiusi’s face fell with disappointment. He gave a bitter smile. “Ever since we parted on the flying boat, I haven’t seen Li-shidi again.”
After returning from the Azurerain realm to the sect, Xue Wujiu hadn’t said a word. He hadn’t asked why Jiang Jiusi didn’t kill Li Lanxiu, nor why he failed to subdue Chu Yue. He never brought up either matter, and still treated him the same as before.
But Jiang Jiusi could no longer go back to the way things were. He couldn’t face the reality that his revered master had wanted to use him to commit senseless slaughter. If that stunning, vivid face of Li Lanxiu had died by his blade, wouldn’t he have had to atone with his own life?
Jiang Jiusi had only one lifelong passion—beauty. His heart was filled with longing for Li Lanxiu’s true face. That fleeting glimpse beneath the veil was like a rare delicacy set before a famished glutton, who was allowed only to inhale the aroma but never taste it. The torment of it gnawed at his very soul.
Chuxuan saw through him. Another pitiful soul bewitched by Li Lanxiu.
But his xiao-shidi was ruthless and selective. A person had to be either useful or entertaining. Without either quality, they weren’t even qualified to be a toy.
Jiang Jiusi clearly had neither. Chuxuan didn’t call him out. Instead, he urged, “Let’s head up the mountain and set up the demon-slaying formation before dark.”
Night fell. The outline of the temple grew hazy in the dim dusk.
Several disciples sat cross-legged at their respective formation points as directed, tightly clutching spirit talismans in hand, chanting incantations and channeling spiritual energy.
The formation slowly activated. Pale blue light rose from the ground and wove into a massive dome of light that enclosed the temple securely within.
Everyone waited anxiously for the tiger yao to appear. They waited from nightfall until dawn, when the sun rose in the east.
But there was no sign of the tiger yao.
Lian-shixiong frowned and murmured, “The tiger yao have such a good temper? We’re setting up a formation right at their doorstep and they don’t even come out to look?”
“I heard tiger yao are known for their ferocity. Now they won’t even show their heads? Why so restrained?” Yu-shixiong was baffled as well.
At that moment, on the floating island of Conundrum Sect, Master Zhou, who had watched the whole night unfold, held his forehead and sighed repeatedly. “Rebellious disciple! Rebellious disciple! You’ve lost all my face!”
It wasn’t just Master Zhou who had lost face. The expressions of all the peak lords were complicated.
Because at that moment, within the great mirror, a shadow-clad figure wielding a narrow blade had charged alone into the tiger yao’s lair, slaying two juvenile tiger yao with swift, decisive strikes.
The tiger yao’s cave was strewn with bones, human skeletons scattered across the floor. Blood stained the filthy walls and ground.
Several large, muscular humanoid figures burst out from within at the sound of the screams, their bodies topped with enormous tiger heads.
Those tiger heads were strange—clearly shaped with human features, yet covered in golden-black fur. The yao wore stolen silks and brocades, giving them a grotesque, mismatched appearance.
At the sight of the cubs lying lifeless at the mouth of the cave, the tiger yao clan froze in momentary shock. Their monstrous faces twisted in rage. Howls shook the surrounding forest as they rushed out, heedless, to avenge their young.
Chu Yue moved with startling speed. In the mirror, only a black blur flashed through the horde.
He brushed past one of the tiger yao, and in the same motion, his blade swept across its neck. With his other hand, he grabbed a fistful of fur. A freshly severed head, eyes still blinking, landed in his grasp.
This act enraged the tiger yao. Chu Yue casually flung the head at the yao howling the loudest.
As that tiger yao lunged forward, a black blade emerged from its back. Drops of blood fell slowly from the blade’s tip.
Chu Yue pulled the blade free and wiped the blood off on the tiger yao’s clothes. He glanced at the few remaining yao just a breath away.
The rest of the tiger yao stood stunned. These were intelligent yao, long used to feasting on humans and ruling with unchecked power. No one had dared to challenge them. Now, with their kin dying one after another, they suddenly felt the same fear their victims had once felt.
Just as they would never spare prey that fell into their jaws, Chu Yue, who had entered their den, would not spare them either.
His cold, black blade pierced straight through one yao’s heart. The tiger yao looked down at the blade in its chest, its eyes wide with shock and confusion. Its claws gripped Chu Yue’s arm, shoving hard, trying to pull the blade free.
Blood seeped from Chu Yue’s wrist, wrapped in black satin, beneath the tiger yao’s claws. He stood motionless and then suddenly shoved the blade forward with all his strength, burying it entirely into the yao’s body.
Another tiger yao lunged from behind. There was no time to draw his blade. Without even glancing back, he grabbed the fur of the yao in front of him, spun around with a sudden lunge and drove them both forward. The two yao were skewered together like candied hawthorns on a stick.
The scene in the great mirror was drenched in gore—severed limbs flew through the air. The tiger yao met deaths even more brutal than the steelwhite apes.
Soon, the entire tiger yao family was reunited in death, leaving only the oldest one, Lord Highmount. Its skin was thick and flesh tough, and though it had suffered external wounds, blood streaked its body.
Lord Highmount clearly sensed the power of the man before it and tried to stall for time. It backed away a few steps and sat down on a stone bench. “You’re a cultivator?”
Chu Yue said nothing. He studied it in silence, his gaze landing on its abdomen.
Lord Highmount tried to speak again, but its eyes suddenly widened. It looked down. The black blade had pierced its gut with ease. The blade withdrew quickly. A greedy hand tore open its flesh and reached into its belly, gripping the yao core nestled in its dantian and yanking it out with force.
Blood poured from the torn wound. The brown yao core, slick with gore and still clinging to twitching veins, was held firmly in a pale, jointed hand.
The disciples of Conundrum Sect watching the battle were utterly silent, too stunned to speak. The newly initiated disciples turned pale, covering their mouths to suppress the urge to vomit.
Chu Yue pulled the yao cores from the tiger yao corpses one by one. There were seven or eight in total, resting in his palm. He lowered his head and looked at the heart-guarding mirror on his chest that connected him to the sect, then raised the yao cores for all the spectators to see.
"Young Master, I won.”
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