Chapter 1658: Heaven and Earth (Part Five)

At the Ghost-Severing Sect, as night fell, laughter still echoed from Zhao Min’s bamboo courtyard on Little Bamboo Peak. Many cultivators were seated in the yard, drinking and chatting. Recently, this courtyard had been a constant hub of activity. Wei Zhongran, Baili Yuan, Wang Tian, Li Wuyi, Wei Chituo, Li Changting, and others frequently gathered here.

Meanwhile, Miao Wangqing and Zuo Shengyan had returned to seclusion after staying for a few days. Seeing Wei Zhongran and the others about to ascend had placed significant pressure on the veteran Golden Core cultivators. Furthermore, the matter of Zhao Zhi had made the two women think of their own situations. Their Dao companions were already at the Nascent Soul stage; would they follow in Zhao Zhi’s footsteps? Their cultivation levels made that possibility seem quite high.

Naturally, they were unwilling to accept such a fate. Even the usually lazy Miao Wangqing, after looking at her children and Li Wuyi, found herself unwilling to give up on the Great Dao.

“You should ascend with Senior Uncle Wei first. Once the sect’s guardians are replaced by the next generation of Nascent Soul cultivators, we will find you in the upper realm. It’s just unexpected that the first to ascend was actually Junior Brother Li Yan. Truly surprising!” Baili Yuan said, holding a wine jar.

For the past few days, they had gathered here whenever they were free. He directed these words at Gong Chenying. Now that she and her companions were leaving, they had shared the information about Li Yan’s potential location with the others. Only a few knew of Li Yan’s departure; even later, the other Nascent Soul cultivators only knew he might have gone for training. The low and mid-level disciples believed their ancestor was in death seclusion. Only someone as devoted to the Dao as him could have reached the Nascent Soul stage so quickly.

Baili Yuan and the others knew that Li Yan appearing in the Immortal Spirit Realm was only a possibility and that the information from the trade house was just a deduction. But no one was foolish enough to say that out loud.

“As the eldest senior brother, I’ve been guarding the sect all this time, while my little junior brother only did it for a few years before abandoning us. If I see him again, I must ask if he plans to return and guard it for a few more centuries to make up for it!” Li Wuyi said, sounding dissatisfied.

Li Changting, also a Nascent Soul cultivator, smiled brightly and poured him a cup of wine. She looked at him with deep affection; in her eyes, her Wuyi was always the best…

In the center, Wei Zhongran sat in the hall. Beside him, Li Zhaoyan stood holding a wine jar, obediently pouring him a cup from time to time. Occasionally, she would whisper a few words to him, and he would reply softly, his eyes full of smiles.

Looking at the disciples and their descendants filling the yard, various thoughts crossed Wei Zhongran’s mind. After his talk with Li Yuyin, she had immediately entered seclusion. This left him feeling guilty, but he could only sigh. He needed time to heal. He had told her he knew of her feelings, but for now, he chose to ascend.

When Li Yuyin had come to see him last, she wanted to ascend with them and demanded to know his heart. Angered by his response, she decided not to go with him, fearing she would look too thick-skinned. Wei Zhongran had more thoughts hidden in his heart, but he couldn’t tell her, lest she truly followed him.

He knew the anxiety in Zhao Min and Gong Chenying’s hearts. Thus, over the years, even when searching for a node, he had stayed near the Wind God Continent. He and Mo Qing had finished their preparations long ago. When he learned that Zhao Min and Gong Chenying also wanted to ascend, he, as a father, decided he had to protect them. One was his daughter, and the other was his disciple. Ascending was incredibly dangerous. Even if they found a node, the success rate was usually only thirty percent.

He had returned this time to wait for the two of them so they could leave together. If they encountered mortal danger during the process, he would sacrifice his life to protect them. If Li Yuyin were there, she would likely do the same for him—something he desperately wanted to avoid.

‘You must live well. You will surely succeed in your ascension…’ Sitting in the hall, Wei Zhongran occasionally glanced toward the peak where Li Yuyin resided. His gaze seemed to pierce through the night, seeing the graceful sister who had looked after him since the beginning…

Wei Zhongran estimated that based on the information they had, the node near the Wind God Continent might lead to the Northern Pastoral Realm in the upper realm. Finding the Ghost-Severing Sect there would be a hassle, but for his daughter and disciple, he felt it was all worth it. Mo Qing had shared the duty of guarding the sect with him for centuries and was close to both master and disciple. He, too, chose the same node; traveling together would increase their chances.

However, neither Wei Zhongran nor Mo Qing had any idea how large a single realm in the Immortal Spirit Realm actually was! It wasn’t like the distance between the Barren Moon Continent and other continents as they imagined…

Within the bamboo courtyard, everyone laughed and talked. Even those who were usually silent wore smiles. Beside Zhao Min sat not Gong Chenying, but Bai Rou, who was dressed in similar white clothing. Li Zhaoyan had come to see her mother off, and after thinking about it, Bai Rou followed. Deep down, she wanted to know if they had received any more news of Li Yan.

Bai Rou listened to Li Wuyi and the others talk, sitting there softly with a gentle smile. She didn’t touch a drop of alcohol, holding a tea cup in her snow-white hands. She spoke very little, only occasionally turning to talk to the two beasts behind her. She asked them about their experiences on the Wind God Continent. She claimed her own training was always supervised by the Dual Ancestors and she had never traveled alone. Thus, she wanted to hear of their travels, perhaps to prepare for her own future excursions.

The two beasts knew of her close relationship with Li Yan, from the battle at Wind-Cool Mountain to the events on the Verdant Continent. Especially since the seductive but ruthless Shuang Qingqing had helped Li Yan many times, their relationship was more like mentor and friend. Thus, they were very polite to Bai Rou and answered her questions in detail.

However, they only discussed what she asked and never mentioned the events in the extreme north. To them, their master’s affairs should only be shared with Mistress Min and Mistress Ying. Thus, Bai Rou believed they had spent those years with Gong Chenying. After each question, she would take mental notes of everything regarding the Wind God Continent. Given her personality, she feared traveling alone, even as a Nascent Soul cultivator. She preferred staying at the Wood Flow Sect to guard it. She planned to wait for the next Nascent Soul expert to appear before ascending to find Shuang Qingqing. However, lately, she had felt a sudden urge to visit the places where Li Yan had fought…

“Once you leave, I’ll be the only one left on Little Bamboo Peak. The fourth junior sister is always in seclusion. Sigh!” Wei Chituo said, his large eyes staring as if in complaint. Back in the day, although Little Bamboo Peak had few people, their generation was complete. Now, some had fallen and others were ascending.

Li Wuyi’s face darkened upon hearing this. “I say, Second Brother, where have I gone? And where did all those disciples go?”

“Those disciples aren’t part of today’s conversation! And you? You always act like a peak master and nobody talks to you. Whether you’re there or not makes no difference!” Wei Chituo glanced at Li Wuyi with a boorish expression. He was now a Nascent Soul cultivator and had gained some insight into the world’s rules. Li Wuyi was at the mid-stage, not the late-stage; the gap between the first two phases of the realm wasn’t that large. Besides, he was a body-refiner.

Before Li Wuyi could speak, Wang Tian interjected. “The culture of your Little Bamboo Peak needs to change. This Old Second Wei is a Nascent Soul cultivator, yet he runs to our Spirit Insect Peak every day, acting all high and mighty as if he’s afraid people won’t know his realm.”

Wang Tian looked at Wei Chituo with disdain. This fellow was now pestering a female Golden Core cultivator from his peak, ignoring his status. He heard that she had initially refused, but the resources he offered were simply too tempting. She eventually agreed to spend time with this “Senior Uncle.” But Wei Chituo had become “spirited” because of it. Every time he visited, his aura would make the spirit insects of the peak tremble in fear. How could anyone cultivate? The beasts were running wild. Yet this Old Second Wei thought he looked quite impressive. Wang Tian, as the Nascent Soul elder of Spirit Insect Peak, had to speak up. But Wei Chituo would just glare at him, asking why he should listen to another ancestor. The two had almost come to blows.

In the end, Wang Tian won slightly, but they weren’t fighting to the death. Wang Tian had suffered quite a bit himself. This left him frustrated, wanting to teach this boor a lesson.