Chapter 12

Jianchou had initially thought she would plunge headlong into the darkness with Wujian and end up battered and bruised.

Never did she expect to witness such a vast and open sight before her eyes.

Fudao Shanren had traveled all the way from the temple gate, straight through to the back, crossed the mountain stream, and then spotted a cave.

Without hesitation, he charged inside!

After a brief moment of darkness, Jianchou’s heartbeat suddenly stopped as she held her breath.

The thick, almost tangible darkness was gradually dispelled by swirling streams of multicolored light—soft, bright, but not harsh to the eyes.

It was as if they were inside the belly of a mountain.

At the base of the cavern lay a pool spanning a hundred feet in diameter.

Facing them was a sheer cliff, rising like a blade, its flat surface pressing high against the dome of the cavern some thirty feet above.

At the lower part of the cliff stood two tightly shut golden gates.

About ten feet above the gates, embedded deep into the rock face, was a massive sphere that occupied nearly a third of the cliff’s surface!

The sphere protruded halfway outward, its stone surface pockmarked with hollowed-out ancient patterns.

Inside, a bright white light gently swirled, as if flowing and rotating within the sphere.

The white light scattered outward, somehow transforming into a spectrum of colors.

The dazzling radiance nearly stole all of Jianchou’s attention.

She was still standing on Wujian, the sound of rushing wind in her ears as she drew closer and closer to the stone gate!

The nearer she got, the more she realized her own insignificance.

Whoosh!

The tip of  Wujian dipped downward, descending.

Fudao Zhenren landed with a light step, standing before the enormous stone gate.

Jianchou followed, stepping off the sword.

The moment she looked up at the gate, she realized she had to crane her neck just to barely glimpse the top of the towering golden doors.

Even higher above, the massive sphere seemed as though it might plummet down at any moment—terrifyingly precarious!

Beams of light continuously scattered from the sphere, vanishing into the surrounding darkness in an instant.

Just watching it made Jianchou’s heart race with fear.

“We pay our respects to Shanren!”

In the vast and otherworldly space, the voices of four people suddenly rang out in unison.

Startled, Jianchou turned and realized that at the base of the cliff stood two men and two women, all bearing traces of bloodstains.

They bowed deeply toward Fudao Shanren, who stood beside her.

She couldn’t make out their expressions, but they seemed excessively reverent.

Fudao Shanren seemed to sense Jianchou’s bewilderment.

Holding the broad Wujian in one hand and leaning on his tattered bamboo pole with the other, he turned to her and raised his eyebrows smugly.

In that instant, Jianchou—already familiar with Fudao Shanren’s temperament—immediately understood his meaning:

Well? Impressed by your master? Scared now, aren’t you?

It was as if she could already hear him saying those words.

Unable to help herself, she twitched her lips and said nothing.

Hmph.

Little brat.

Fudao Shanren, displeased that Jiandhou ignored him, couldn’t let the juniors from other sects remain bowed for too long.

He turned back, adopting a dignified tone.

“No need for formalities at a time like this. Rise.”

The four finally relaxed, straightening up and lifting their heads.

Now, Jiandhou had the chance to study them.

Two men and two women stood in a row, facing her.

The leftmost was a male cultivator, carrying a long sword in a crimson scabbard.

He wore a dark red robe, its cuffs and collar stained with what looked like dried blood.

His cheekbones were high, but his features were otherwise unremarkable—so ordinary that nothing about him stood out at a glance.

The second from the left was another male cultivator, shouldering a massive black axe.

His right hand was covered in a dense patchwork of old and new scars, and he wore black metal bracers.

Jianchou had no idea what material they were made of, but just looking at them made her feel their weight.

When she glanced at his face, she found him thick-browed and broad-faced, his eyes wide like copper bells as he stared back at her.

For a moment, she froze, startled by his intense gaze.

Fudao Shanren, however, paid no attention to their exchange.

Instead, he glanced at the closed golden gates and asked,

“Did anything happen while I was gone?”

“After leaving the Secret Realm, we never went back in. But that beast has repeatedly rammed against the Secret Gate without success.”

A clear, melodious voice suddenly spoke up from the side, carrying a faint tremor of lingering fear.

Jianchou turned toward the sound.

The speaker was a woman standing beside the axe-wielding cultivator.

She wore a water-blue gauze robe embroidered with strange patterns at the corners—at a glance, they resembled closed windows.

Slender and graceful, her eyes shimmered with an intoxicating allure, her lips full and glossy.

Yet within her narrow phoenix eyes lurked a probing curiosity, as if wondering about Jianchou’s identity.

Honestly, Jianchou’s first impression of her wasn’t bad.

Her gaze shifted to the girl beside the woman—

A young girl, no more than thirteen or fourteen, stood there timidly.

Dressed in red, her round face was utterly adorable as she blinked curiously at Jianchou.

Jianchou blinked back.

The girl flinched as if startled and quickly averted her eyes.

Fudao Shanren observed this exchange and shot Jianchou a warning look.

Immediately, Jianchou stopped her wandering gaze and stood obediently to the side.

For some reason…

In this situation, Fudao Shanren’s gaze carried an unusually intimidating weight.

Once satisfied with her compliance, he turned back, sweeping his eyes over the four.

“There’s no time to waste—delays invite disaster. You traveled thousands of miles to come here for training, and though your recklessness isn’t entirely your fault—blame your elders for not using their brains—since I, Fudao Shanren, have stumbled upon this matter, I won’t abandon you to your fates.”

As he spoke, the four before him seemed to exhale in relief.

From this, Jianchou deduced that Fudao Shanren must be a figure of considerable influence in the Nineteen Continents.

Could it be that he actually doesn’t lie all the time?

The thought amused her, so she kept listening intently.

Fudao Shanren continued, “The teleportation array requires five people to activate. Now that I’ve found the fifth, your trial ends here. Once the array is activated, you’ll return directly to the Nineteen Continents.”

“Many thanks, Shanren!”

The four finally relaxed fully, expressing their gratitude in unison.

However, they were also deeply curious about the “fifth person” Fudao Shanren had mentioned.

Earlier, they hadn’t dared to look around, fearing disrespect.

But now, with the tension eased, they all turned their attention to Jianchou.

Under their collective gaze, Jianchou felt extremely uncomfortable.

She thought, Should I introduce myself now?

The words were already at the tip of her tongue, her nerves tightening, when—

“Jianchou, come here. I still have things to discuss with you.”

Fudao Shanren beckoned her over.

Jianchou?

(T/N: Jianchou=sorrow)

Her name is Jianchou?

All four pricked up their ears.

The sword-carrying youth showed no particular reaction, but the axe-wielder mouthed the name silently, as if tasting it.

The blue-robed woman studied Jianchou a moment longer, her gaze flickering.

The little girl, having overcome her fear again, peeked at Jianchou with renewed curiosity.

The same question burned in all their minds: What’s her relationship with Fudao Shanren?

Unfortunately, Jianchou lacked any mind-reading abilities and couldn’t discern their thoughts.

Hearing Fudao Shanren call her, she was startled but obediently followed as he walked to the side.

The massive cavern’s origins were a mystery to her.

The ground she stood on was a semicircular platform jutting out from the mountain’s belly, surrounded by the deep pool.

Fudao Shanren stopped at the water’s edge, some distance from the four.

Just as Jianchou was about to speak, he flicked his fingers, and a translucent barrier shimmered into existence behind her, isolating them from the others.

“Don’t be alarmed. It’s just a soundproof barrier.”

Here, their conversation would remain unseen and unheard.

Jianchou understood but was puzzled.

“Master, is there something you need to tell me?”

“Earlier, I was in a hurry, fearing something might happen to them, so I didn’t have time to explain much. This place is dangerous at any moment. I want you to leave with them—take the teleportation array straight to the Nineteen Continents. When you arrive, you’ll appear on an island. Stay there, don’t wander. Carry this with you and wait for me. I’ll find you within two days at most.”

With that, he handed her the tattered bamboo pole he always carried.

Jianchou’s lips twitched.

Is this… a parting gift?

Why…

Is it so…

Shabby!

The bamboo pole was filthy, nine segments long, roughly four feet in length.

Its once-green surface was marred by countless white scratches from years of rough handling.

It looked utterly unremarkable.

After a long hesitation, Jianchou reluctantly accepted it.

“Thank you, Master.”

“You’ve already read ‘The Law of All as One’ I gave you. It contains the most basic methods for wielding magic tools. With your talent, you can mimic them well enough to bluff your way through. The teleportation shouldn’t pose any danger.”

Fudao Shanren glanced at the silent golden gates, his eyes shadowed with deep wariness.

“But the Nineteen Continents are a land of cultivation, and these four aren’t from our Yashan Sect. Human nature is hard to predict. That axe-wielding oaf seems like a fool—easy to trick, but he might be reliable in a pinch.”

Human nature is treacherous?

Why…

Does this not match what she imagined?

Jianchou gripped the bamboo pole with both hands and nodded. Her impression of the axe-wielder aligned with Fudao Shanren’s assessment.

“This disciple thinks the same. By the way, Master… does this broken bamboo pole have a name?”

“…”

Broken bamboo pole?!

Fudao Shanren nearly exploded with rage.

“Do you have any idea how precious this is?! I traveled all the way to the South Sea to cut this Nine-Jointed Bamboo! Do you know how many people would weep for just half a segment?! And you call it a ‘tattered bamboo pole’? Give it back!”

“No, no, no!”

Horrified that her unreliable master might actually take it back, Jianchou hastily clutched it to her chest.

“Master, you can’t take back a gift! This disciple thanks you for your generosity!”

“At least you’re not completely stupid!”

Satisfied, Fudao Shanren finally relaxed.

He had thought there were many things to explain, but in the end, aside from the bamboo pole, there wasn’t much else.

As long as Jianchou had a shred of common sense, she’d be fine once she arrived.

Once he resolved the issue within Qingfeng Temple Secret Realm, he could return to the Nineteen Continents and report back.

With that, Fudao Shanren dispelled the barrier and led Jianchou back to the four.

Their eyes immediately locked onto her—or rather, the bamboo pole in her hands.

The little girl blinked.

The sword-bearer remained silent.

The axe-wielder’s eyes bulged in disbelief.

he blue-robed woman’s eyelid twitched violently, her expression stiff.

After a long pause, she finally spoke to Fudao Shanren, hesitantly, “Shanren, this must be the fifth person you found? Forgive Lan’er’s rudeness, but may I ask her esteemed name and which sect she hails from?”

Fudao Shanren arched an eyebrow, glanced at her, then at Jianchou.

Jianchou understood.

Holding the long, emerald-green Nine-Jointed Bamboo, she took half a step forward, clasped her hands in salute, and bowed slightly, a faint smile on her lips.

*Disciple Jianchou, of the Yashan Sect.”