Chapter 28

This day, Jiang He came out of his room as usual, and with a casual hop, he was outside—

Living on Yasha Mountain, there wasn’t much good about it, except that every time he went down to Lingzhao Peak, he could experience the thrill of suicide.

Jiang He especially liked this feeling of completely losing control.

Of course, he was still young, looking at least only ten years old this year, so naturally, he couldn’t just die like that.

Therefore, in the split second when his body was falling and about to hit the ground, a battle disc flashed under his feet, the purplish-red light as fast as an illusion.

Once the light dissipated, he was standing firmly on the ground again.

Looking up, Lingzhao Peak this morning was still beautiful.

In another half a month, the crane of Returning Crane Well would be back, but…

As Jiang He’s gaze moved towards Returning Crane Well, a strange animal inevitably entered his sight.

“Sigh…”

A long sigh, like a hundred ghosts and demons in chaos.

Jiang He patted his forehead, already not knowing what to say.

As the seventh… no, the former seventh disciple under the Seat of Fudao Shanren, the slightly chubby Jiang He had some understanding of Fudao Shanren’s various bad habits.

But how come he didn’t know before that master liked raising geese?

It was said that this goose followed Fudao Shanren all the way from a lonely island in the human realm to the vast lands of the Nineteen Continents.

Originally, Fudao Shanren planned to eat it, but unexpectedly, when it was truly at a point where he could eat it whenever he wanted, he actually said, “To be able to raise a goose for so long, it’s probably more than just a fate of filling the belly,” and simply spared the goose’s life.

Everyone on Yasha Mountain, upon hearing this, all looked at Fudao Shanren with an unusually horrified gaze.

They thought the sun had risen in the west, and Fudao Shanren would never eat meat again.

It’s just a pity…

Jiang He walked closer to Returning Crane Well, looking at the large white goose elegantly curving its neck on the rather wide surface of the well water, leisurely preening its shiny feathers.

This was the final destination of that large white goose.

No one expected that this old bastard, Fudao Shanren, would actually raise the goose in Returning Crane Well!

Jiang He walked around the large white goose twice, his fingers on his chin, feeling like there was a lump in his throat that he couldn’t swallow.

Eldest senior sister was one thing, but how could even a goose related to the eldest senior sister be so arrogant?

Although he had heard that master’s newly accepted eldest senior sister was a very kind-looking person, Jiang He just couldn’t bring himself to like her.

No choice…

Back when he heard that his master had finally taken in a new disciple, he was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes.

He could finally get rid of the title of youngest junior brother! It was earth-shattering!

Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, the promised little junior sister had become the eldest senior sister!

The unlucky Jiang He was still the youngest junior brother under the Seat of Fudao Shanren, but had gone from being the seventh disciple to the eighth.

This life was unbearable!

A few days ago, it was his and the sixth senior brother Chen Weishan’s turn to be on duty at the Deacon Hall, and they happened to run into that unreliable sect leader throwing his hands up, leaving a whole pile of miscellaneous tasks for them to do.

It truly gave them a headache, and they hadn’t even had time to go and see the new eldest senior sister.

As a result, less than 24hours had passed, and master had directly ordered the eldest senior sister to go into closed-door cultivation!

Poor Jiang He and Chen Weishan hadn’t even seen the face  of this legendary “Yasha Mountain Eldest senior sister,” “Yasha Mountain’s only female cultivator,” and now Jiang He could only stare intently at this large white goose that was said to have a deep connection with the eldest senior sister.

The large white goose played in the water, its webbed feet paddling beneath the surface, its posture so elegant.

Jiang He shook his head as he watched, unable to help muttering, “I bet in another half a month or so, when that flock of crane comes back, they’ll kick you out!”

The large white goose turned its head away, presenting its backside to Jiang He.

Jiang He looked at it and was speechless.

Could it really be that the year was unlucky, and even a large white goose was bullying him?

Just as he was pondering whether to secretly find an opportunity to get this “fated goose” of his master’s into the Culinary Hall to be cooked, Jiang He hadn’t made up his mind when he heard a sudden loud bang behind him!

A small face instantly tightened, and as soon as Jiang He turned his head, he immediately felt a powerful aura rushing towards him!

Terrifyingly pure spiritual energy, carrying an almost destructive aura, swept across the mid-air above his head!

The speed was astonishingly fast!

Before Jiang He could react, that terrifying attack had already disappeared.

In that instant, the entire Yasha Mountain was alarmed!

The huge sound still echoed throughout the valley, and Lingzhao Peak was buzzing with noise.

Jiang He stiffened his neck, standing beside Returning Crane Well, and looked up.

He saw that on the high cliffs of Yasha Mountain, at a certain location said to be where the eldest senior sister was in closed-door cultivation, a huge hole, fully seventy or eighty feet high, had been smashed open by something, the outline of the edge quite peculiar.

Jiang He blinked his eyes, looked for a long time, and finally swallowed his saliva.

He recognized it. It looked like a person’s leg.

The disciples who were originally on Lingzhao Peak all looked towards the location of the incident.

Those who were not on Lingzhao Peak also quickly flew out on their magic artifact or through the air, and dense rays of artifact treasures appeared in mid-air.

Everyone discussed animatedly.

“Enemy attack?”

“How dare someone attack Yasha Mountain? Don’t they want to live?”

“Doesn’t quite look like it…”

“What a huge hole!”

“This shape is a bit strange…”

…

It was indeed a bit strange.

Jiang He stretched out his short arms, propping up his chubby double chin, a few thoughtful glints flashing in his dark, round eyes.

He directly stepped on a ray of purplish-red light and rose up, heading straight towards the strangely shaped breach.

At this time, Fudao Shanren, having heard the news, also had a solemn expression.

The sect leader Zheng Yao, who was usually so lazy that words couldn’t describe it, actually followed behind Fudao Shanren with his belly sticking out.

None of them spoke, flying directly towards the hole.

The hole that had been smashed open was really too big…

The few people who had just flown over found it hard not to see Jian Chou standing inside.

Across that strangely shaped large hole, Jian Chou’s gaze was truly calm and composed.

She naturally also saw Fudao Shanren and the sect leader and the others hovering in mid-air, and there were even several faces she didn’t recognize.

Even a child who looked like a little radish head had come over to join the excitement.

Jian Chou thought for a moment, pinched the Dao seal drawn on the piece of paper in her right hand, and the paper disappeared into her palm.

Holding the jade slip in her left hand, she slowly walked out, and the surroundings were silent.

Stepping over the ruins left on the ground, Jian Chou found that the entrance to the Scripture Pavillion seemed to be in a state between reality and illusion.

Between the broken gate of the Scripture Pavillion and the broken top of the rock, there seemed to be a black crack.

When Jian Chou didn’t look at it, she could sense its presence, but when she looked at it, it was gone again.

Jian Chou carefully stepped over, and the light from outside finally shone on her body.

All the Yasha Mountain disciples standing on Lingzhao Peak immediately recognized her, and a commotion broke out.

Wasn’t this the Martial Aunt Elder Senior Sister who had gone into closed-door cultivation ten days ago?

What on earth had happened to cause such a big commotion?

Could there really have been an enemy attack?

The disciples’ questions were also the questions of the sect leader and the elders.

Fudao Shanren didn’t care so much.

His face was unusually serious, and as his deep and insightful eyes looked over, he immediately noticed the difference in Jian Chou compared to before.

Although she had been in  for ten days, the skin on her face was very good, soft and radiant.

There was panic and bewilderment in her eyes, but no trace of fatigue.

On the contrary, her immortal light was gathered and no longer scattered outwards.

Her left hand held a jade slip, but her right hand seemed to not know where to be placed.

Carefully looking Jian Chou up and down, there were no wounds on her body.

Fudao Shanren immediately breathed a sigh of relief: “Looks like it’s nothing serious.”

The four white-haired old men following behind Zheng Yao couldn’t help but twitch their lips.

Finally, an elder whose eyebrows were as long as his hair couldn’t help but speak, “Uncle Master Fudao, saying that might not be very appropriate, right? Are the matters of Yasha Mountain not considered matters?”

Fudao Shanren disdained to speak to this junior and rolled his eyes at him.

The elder was immediately speechless.

He felt aggrieved!

So what if he was an elder?

He couldn’t stand up to Fudao Shanren’s seniority!

Who asked him to be the only surviving elder from that great battle ten generation ago? Without Fudao Shanren, there would be no Yasha Mountain today.

The elder felt angry but had no choice but to endure it and swallow it down.

Seeing that they were no longer speaking, Fudao Shanren also landed on the ground and stood in front of her.

Jian Chou finally slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

Fudao Shanren opened his mouth and asked, “Did you encounter a sneak attack by evildoers?”

“No…” Jian Chou’s face was stiff, and after a moment of hesitation, she replied, “This disciple didn’t expect to cause such a big commotion.”

“Pfft!”

The sect leader behind suddenly spat.

He choked on his own saliva, but before he could catch his breath, he exclaimed in surprise, “What did you say?!”

What did disciple didn’t expect to cause such a big commotion” mean?

So, this commotion was not caused by others at all, but was the masterpiece of their Yashan family?

What a joke…

That terrifying fluctuation still gave Zheng Yao lingering fear, let alone the other disciples and elders!

The power that burst through the wall was extremely pure, that was one thing, but more importantly, it contained a feeling that made one’s scalp tingle…

What exactly that feeling was, Zheng Yao couldn’t describe.

Perhaps, it should be something beyond mere “power,” something even more terrifying than power!

Perhaps it could be called—

Pressure?

In any case, Zheng Yao didn’t think this was something a Qi Refining Stage cultivator…

“Wait, what’s your cultivation level now?!”

His gaze fixed on Jian Chou’s suddenly became strange, and he asked in surprise.

Jian Chou glanced back at Fudao Shanren, who also said, “That’s right, what’s your cultivation level?”

“About, just reached the Foundation Establishment stage perhaps?”

Jian Chou wasn’t very clear, “This disciple sealed my battled disc and established my foundation not long ago, but there’s no sun or moon in the Scripture Pavillion, so I don’t know how much time has passed. Have I been in closed-door cultiavtion for a long time?”

“…Reached Foundation Establishment stage?”

This was the sect leader Zheng Yao, thinking he was dreaming.

“Not long ago?”

This was Fudao Shanren, tilting his head and also thinking he was dreaming.

The two particularly unreliable leaders almost simultaneously turned their heads and looked at each other.

At this moment, they were both a bit dumbfounded.

“Wait, wait, things are a bit chaotic, let me sort them out.”

The wise fatty finally landed on the ground as well, and at the same time noticed that the small area in front of the door was particularly small.

He simply waved his hand and ordered, “Four elders, tell everyone else to disperse. The few of us, let’s go. We’ll talk inside.”

With that, Zheng Yao took the lead and walked in front, re-entering the Scripture Pavillion.

In the center of the Scripture Pavillion was a large round table, currently empty.

Zheng Yao walked over, casually pulled out a chair, sat facing the back of it, rested his hands on the armrests of the chair back, and looked at Jian Chou from head to toe with the gaze one would use to observe a rare animal.

This gaze was truly spine-chilling.

Jian Chou’s previous questions hadn’t been answered, and she vaguely felt that the Dao Seal she had experimented with seemed to have caused quite a bit of trouble.

For a moment, she felt guilty and didn’t dare to ask any more questions, but could only force herself to endure that feeling and stand obediently in front.

Fudao Shanren also pulled out a chair and sat down.

At this moment, Zheng Yao finally spoke, “Let’s start with the first question. Eldest senior sister, what is your cultivation level ?”

“About Foundation Establishment.”

Jian Chou thought for a moment and then said, “It shouldn’t have been long, so… the initial stage, perhaps?”

Zheng Yao immediately lowered his head and began counting on his fingers.

As he counted, he felt that something was wrong, and suddenly raised his head again, this time towards Fudao Shanren, “Uncle master, Uncle master, when did she start cultivating with you?”

Cultivating?

Fudao Shanren thought carefully, only to feel his scalp prickling.

“About thirteen days ago? But…”

He raised his head to look at Jian Chou, “Were you cultivating when you were on the Thirteen Immortal Islands?”

Jian Chou shook her head.

Then, she suddenly noticed a detail.

“Master said that thirteen days ago I started following master to cultivate, which was when we were on the cliff of Qingfeng Temple. That means only… ten days have passed?”

Inside the Scripture Pavillion, she hadn’t been aware of the passage of time outside. She had originally thought that at least three to five months should have passed…

But she hadn’t expected it to be only ten days?

She suddenly realized why Zheng Yao and Fudao Shanren had such expressions.

Foundation Establishment in ten days, Xie Buchen.

The first thing that came to her mind was actually this, not because of Xie Buchen, but simply because Foundation Establishment in ten days was… unbelievable.

In the Nineteen Continents, where Foundation Establishment in a hundred days could bring fame, what was the concept of Foundation Establishment in ten days?

It was the next Xie Buchen.

“Calculating the time like that, it’s about ten and a half days… what’s more…”

A strange light filled Fudao Shanren’s eyes, “I remember, little Jian Chou, you said that before you caused such a big commotion, you should have already reached Foundation Establishment stage, right?”

“…Yes.”

Jian Chou blinked.

“It’s just that this disciple can’t be sure when exactly I reached Foundation Establishment stage…”

“That’s enough!”

Zheng Yao suddenly slapped his thigh, completely losing the dignified image of the Yasha Mountain sect leader!

He even laughed wildly, stood up and said to Fudao Shanren, “So what if it’s ten and a half days? Uncle, Uncle, how many years has it been! How many years has it been since such a genius appeared in the vast lands of the Nineteen Continents! To have one in our Yasha Mountain is merit accumulated over countless lifetimes, enough!”

No one could predict the impact of a genius on a sect.

No one could predict the impact of two geniuses on the Nineteen Continents.

At this moment, Jian Chou couldn’t understand Zheng Yao’s wild joy.

At this moment, Fudao Shanren felt a bit sour in his heart.

He silently took out a chicken leg and bit into it with a crunch: “I’m not happy… I’m not happy at all… This is too much! Too much!”

As he spoke, he even felt that the chicken leg had no taste, worse than chewing wax!

With a “smack,” the chicken leg was directly thrown onto the smooth tabletop.

Fudao Shanren turned his head to look at Jian Chou, “Wait, your battle disc is ten feet. I understand roughly how much time it took me to light up a ten feet battle disc. How could you be so fast? How much of your battle disc did you light up?”

Sealing the battle disc for Foundation Establishment stage could happen at any time; generally, as long as more than half could be lit up, Foundation Establishment stage would be successful.

If Jian Chou had only lit up half, then it would truly be a pity for this talent.

Thinking of this possibility, Fudao Shanren’s feigned low spirits and silence became somewhat genuine, and he waited for Jian Chou answer.

Jian Chou recalled the matter of the “Heavenly Disk,” and a smile appeared on her face.

She was just about to tell Fudao Shanren when…

Unexpectedly, that long-eyebrowed elder from earlier descended again and began walking into the Scripture Pavilion.

“Reporting to the Sect Master…”

“Didn’t I tell you to leave? Why are you back again?”

Zheng Yao had been waiting for Jian Chou’s answer, and being interrupted made him irritable.

He responded with some impatience.

The long-browed elder sighed and said, “Sect Master, there is a guest from outside.”

“A guest?”

Zheng Yao furrowed his brows and stood up, waddling a few steps beside the table with his belly sticking out.

“We don’t often get outsiders visiting Yashan in recent years. Which sect are they from? Who are they?”

“They claim to be from the Jianzhu Sect—three people in total. The one with the highest cultivation is a woman at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. She says they are here on behalf of their junior sister Xu Lan’er, to offer an apology to Senior Martial Aunt Jianchou.”

Jianzhu Sect?

Coming to apologize on behalf of Xu Lan’er?

Jianchou immediately pushed aside all thoughts of cultivation and frowned, her mind spinning.

Zheng Yao didn’t know the backstory and simply turned to Jian Chou.

Master Fudao also looked at her.

“What exactly is going on?”

That day, when the messages from the Fengmo Sword Sect and Wuwang Pavillion arrived, Jianchou had read them and returned with Qu Zhengfeng, where they ran into Shen Jiu.

The two had drawn swords and fought, and then Jianchou had muddle-headedly gone into seclusion—she hadn’t even had time to report it to Master Fudao.

Now that she remembered, she recounted what had happened on Ascension Island, followed by the recent message transmission.

“Ten days ago, both the Fengmo Sword Sect and Wuwang Pavillion sent word that Junior Sister Xiao Wan is already recovering. Xu Lan’er is unharmed and has returned to the Jianzhu Sect. Apart from that, there’s no other news.”

Zheng Yao said in surprise, “A disciple attacked someone in secret, and the Jianzhu Sect didn’t go apologize to Wuwang Pavillion? And Wuwang Pavillion didn’t mention pursuing the matter at all?”

This was exactly what puzzled and confused Jianchou.

She shook her head in response to Zheng Yao’s question.

At that moment, Zheng Yao gave a cold snort.

He’d been Sect Master for many years.

Though he often said he wanted to be rid of this mess, at critical times he could never really let go.

He folded his hands behind his back and spoke with disdain.

“Wuwang Pavillion is ultimately a minor sect. As long as grudges between disciples don’t escalate to the level of sect rivalry, both parties can pretend the matter ends there. But the Jianzhu Sect’s conduct is simply disgraceful—the real victim never received an apology, and yet here they are scurrying over to Yashan to apologize to Senior Sister Jianchou.”

A bunch of bootlickers who bully the weak and fear the strong!

Zheng Yao had the least patience for dealing with people like that.

He waved his hand directly: “A group of barely-Foundation-stage cultivators dares come to Yashan? Careful I activate the Mountain Protection Array and blast them to death! Drive them off! Tell them to scram!”

“This…”

The long-browed elder still wanted to consider the bigger picture and felt that was a bit much.

Jian Chou, after a brief thought, spoke up: “Reporting to Sect Master, this might risk harming the innocent. It’s possible they already went to Wuwang Pavillion and offered an apology before coming here. Why not meet them first, then drive them off?”

“Hmm…” Zheng Yao was a bit surprised.

After thinking it over, he had to admit that made sense.

“But they’re here to see you. If there’s a headache, it’ll be yours, Senior Sister. Are you sure about this?”

Jianchou merely wanted to find out what the Jianzhu Sect was really up to.

And she was truly curious—how did Xu Lan’er manage to get away unscathed?

In her view, Tao Zhang of the Wuyi Sect was definitely no kind soul.

As for a headache?

Jianchou thought, surely it wouldn’t be her—the one now backed by the great tree that is Yashan—who’d be troubled.

So she smiled.

“If Jian Chou has a headache, Sect Master will share it too.”

Zheng Yao was momentarily stunned, then burst out laughing.

He was actually in quite a good mood.

“Then let’s go meet them.”

He said, and made to go out.

Master Fudao Shanren had been quiet all this time, watching Jian Chou and Zheng Yao settle the matter in just a few exchanges.

Somehow, something didn’t feel quite right?

Wait a minute…Jianchou still hadn’t answered his question!

“How many Kun lines did you actually light up?!”