Chapter 18

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Would Guan Xie and Zhe Feng mind what he was doing? After all, in the eyes of others, Zhe Feng was merely a disciple of the Falling Moon Peak, so anything he did had its justification. Not wanting to be questioned further by Zhe Feng or to be so close to him, he hurriedly followed the direction Jiang Qing indicated and climbed into the carriage. Yun Zhou and Yun Yao trailed behind silently, as if frozen by fear.

Zhe Feng stood outside the carriage in silence for a long moment. Jiang Qing waited a bit longer, then leaned out and said, “Fellow Daoist Zhe Feng? If it’s inconvenient for you, I can take the reins myself.”

“No need,” Zhe Feng replied, stepping onto the carriage’s front platform.

The spirit horse paced through Zhaoshui City; upon exiting the city gates, it soared into the sky with the wind.

An Wuxue sat inside the carriage. Taking advantage of the quiet except for the wind, he recalled the earlier situation. Zhe Feng’s doubts seemed to stem from a suspicion of his previous conduct, not his identity—such a notion was too fantastic to conceive easily.

He resolved to remain vigilant from now on.

He bowed his head in thought, silent, while Yun Zhou became lively.

“By the way, Daoist Jiang, I was born late and missed the chaotic era when the immortals fell. I only heard elders mention the Immortal Catastrophe and know some of the orally transmitted stories. You said you were born a thousand years ago. So you must have witnessed the Immortal Catastrophe firsthand?”

An Wuxue absentmindedly stroked the leaf of a Soul-Nurturing Tree that Kunkun had picked for him, closing his eyes.

Jiang Qing responded, “Hmm?”

He shook his head. “I did not see it with my own eyes. Thanks to a benefactor whose whereabouts I do not know, I slept in the depths of the Underworld Sea for the first few hundred years.”

Yun Zhou’s face showed disappointment, but Jiang Qing continued, “However, afterward, I cultivated continuously in Northern Abyss City, which preserved the most complete heritage among the four coastal cities during the Immortal Catastrophe. Lord Shangguan, the city lord, was a distinguished figure of that era, so I know more than most cultivators.”

“Is Su Xue tired?” He suddenly turned to An Wuxue with a smile. “If I’m disturbing you, I’ll stop talking.”

An Wuxue slightly opened his eyes and whispered, “Not at all, I’m just resting my spirit.”

Yun Zhou immediately perked up his ears. “Tell us quickly!”

The carriage traveled through the clouds, spirit beasts occasionally flying past, their cries mingling with the wind and drifting inside.

An Wuxue leaned against the side and closed his eyes again, listening to Jiang Qing recount in the wind’s murmur: “The reason it’s called the Immortal Catastrophe is that it was a calamity brought about by the Everlasting Immortals. Before the catastrophe, immortals from both realms were numerous. Over thousands of years, various sects continuously had people ascend to immortality. As immortals fell and overlapped, their numbers remained around a dozen or so…”

Though these were events An Wuxue had experienced personally, he couldn’t help but listen intently.

It matched perfectly with what he already knew.

In the path of cultivation, nine out of ten sought the road of immortality.

To break through tribulations and successfully ascend meant sensing the Heavenly Dao, extending lifespan, and remaining unfallen except in great calamities.

To ascend, one must forge their own path—like Zhe Feng’s Path of Ruthlessness, one must be undisturbed by mortal desires from beginning to end, with a steadfast Dao heart.

How many could achieve this?

Very few.

“…Even thousands of years ago, when immortals were many, ascending was not easy. But about 1,400 years ago, when the South Crane Immortal of Falling Moon Peak still lived, the number of Everlasting Immortals in both realms reached dozens.

“At that time, most cultivators attributed it to fortune. But two hundred years later, a sudden surge of turbid energy corrupted many spirit veins and spawned demons and monsters.”

Yun Yao interjected timely: “The Turbid Immortals.”

At the mention, An Wuxue’s mood darkened, as though a heavy stone pressed on his heart.

Jiang Qing nodded: “Yes. Those extra Everlasting Immortals were not on the orthodox path of cultivation. Cultivators refined spiritual power with clear energy, but someone discovered a secret method to harness the turbid energy suppressed beneath the Heavenly Pillar’s spirit veins to cultivate demonic power.

“No need for a clear Dao heart, no bottlenecks—absorbing more turbid energy raised one’s realm.

“This was a shortcut that harmed the vitality of both realms.”

Jiang Qing paused.

Everyone’s expression grew solemn; no one spoke.

Because what came next was well known to all in the Four Seas and Two Realms.

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How many could resist the temptation of cultivation without bottlenecks?

Not to mention ordinary cultivators and demons born with demonic power—even immortals themselves, seeking to advance further, fell into this path.

The Northern Abyss Immortal Lord was one such case.

She was a prodigy of the Floating Life Path and ascended to immortality, but after introducing turbid energy to cultivate demonic power, her strength became formidable. Thus, the battle of Northern Abyss was especially fierce.

Cultivators and demonic cultivators fought to the death, leaving mountains of corpses.

As long as the secret method to cultivate turbid energy existed, cultivators would keep falling into demonic cultivation.

Once the turbid energy’s influence began, it seemed endless.

That was the Immortal Catastrophe.

“…To restore order, the South Crane Immortal, along with other Everlasting Immortals who had not succumbed to demonic cultivation, sacrificed themselves, setting a deadly formation to destroy all Turbid Immortals and obliterate that secret method.”

Jiang Qing sighed. “It’s said that after that, although the Turbid Immortal chaos ended, no immortals remained in either realm, leading to prolonged disorder. The Ten Thousand Sword Formation of the Four Seas was established then.

“Only after the emergence of the Cold Sword Venerable, who ascended and swept across the land with sword light to purge demons, did the Immortal Catastrophe finally end.”

At this, Zhe Feng, standing outside the carriage, seemed to be listening too. He appeared somewhat lost in thought.

The formation he maintained loosened for a moment, and the strong wind blew the curtains hanging on the small windows.

An Wuxue peeked through the gap stirred by the curtains, seeing the layered mountains below, full of vibrant life.

Jiang Qing’s words stirred his thoughts, recalling many memories.

He and Zhe Feng had once supported each other.

As the Immortal Lord ruling both realms after the chaotic era, Zhe Feng had to be a model gentleman in the world’s eyes.

Those things Zhe Feng could not do, would not do, or did not see, were all handled by him as the first seat.

Yet the painstaking effort ended with Zhe Feng’s cold remark: “Just deserts.”

“Su Xue?” Jiang Qing called him. “Why the frown? Is the silk quilt I provided uncomfortable?”

He snapped back to reality and reflexively touched his forehead.

“No,” his voice was a bit hoarse. “It’s just the first time I’ve heard someone talk about these things. I’m a bit moved.”

“Oh right, Su Xue, you weren’t a cultivator before,” Yun Zhou said. “By the way, since both sides were evenly matched and the immortals just barely won—what if the demonic cultivators led by the Northern Abyss Immortal Lord had won? Would immortals now be the ones despised by all?”

Yun Zhou scratched his head. “I guess what I said sounds a bit heretical…”

Jiang Qing squinted. “It is a bit heretical, but children speak without restraint, and you have some truth there.”

Yun Zhou widened his eyes. “Children speak without restraint? Who’s the child? Daoist Jiang, you look about my age! Just because you’re the spirit of Heaven and Earth doesn’t mean you can rank yourself older!”

“Hmm, fair enough,” Jiang Qing nodded.

Yun Zhou: “……”

Jiang Qing looked at Yun Yao. “Daoist Yun Yao, you’re so quiet. Why don’t you say more? You seem to feel an instant kinship. I’d like to get to know you better.”

Yun Yao: “I…”

“My senior brother’s always been like this, a closed book,” Yun Zhou interrupted. “Wait, Daoist Jiang, you felt instant kinship with Su Xue and with my senior brother, but not with me? Are you doing it on purpose?”

“I already said it,” Jiang Qing said leisurely. “How could it be unintentional?”

Yun Zhou: “…………”

An Wuxue laughed aloud.

Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt.

Outside, Zhe Feng spoke calmly, as if without sorrow or joy: “Cloud Sword Sect has arrived.”

Yun Zhou’s expression stiffened, and he and Yun Yao jumped out at once.

An Wuxue was unhurried. Only when Jiang Qing got off did he lift the curtain and lean out.

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The gate of Cloud Sword Mountain appeared.

The gate was unremarkable; looking in from here, one could only see the steps leading into the mountains. The surroundings were peaceful and serene, showing no sign of danger.

But only their group knew that the tranquility was merely an illusion frozen for two months.

A hand reached out toward him.

An Wuxue: “...?”

He looked and saw Jiang Qing standing by the carriage, extending a hand to help him down.

“Daoist Jiang,” Zhe Feng stood with sword in hand, lowering his gaze, “knock on the gate.”

Jiang Qing said, “I only reached out because Daoist Zhe Feng did not seem to intend to help Su Xue. Just a small courtesy.”

An Wuxue: “...”

He silently jumped down on his own.

Zhe Feng withdrew his gaze.

Jiang Qing looked disappointed, turned, and made a hand seal toward the Cloud Sword Mountain gate, sending in a formal Northern Abyss visiting token.

Though he was a visitor to Cloud Sword Sect that day, he was an outsider, yet half a participant in the illusion.

Knocking on the gate this way would not disturb the entire illusion.

Shortly, the token Jiang Qing sent received a response.

The message was: “Honored guest, please wait a moment. We will attend to you shortly.”

Jiang Qing left at once upon receiving this.

Now, he sent another message in return: “I come on urgent business and await here. I hope your sect will open the gate swiftly.”

The message talisman floated again into the Cloud Sword Sect.

Yun Zhou nervously wiped his forehead, solemnly asking, “What do we do next?”

Zhe Feng: “Wait.”

Soon, a figure appeared on the steps by the mountain gate, descending toward them.

The figure wore a blue cloud-patterned Dao robe. His hair was streaked black and white, resembling an older cultivator.

Yun Zhou whispered excitedly, “Sect Leader! That’s the Sect Leader!”

But Zhe Feng said, “There is no sign of any living person here besides us.”

—The one coming to meet them was a corpse.

“Daoist Zhe Feng, we seem to have only guessed half the truth. There’s not just an illusion here,” Jiang Qing stared intently at the approaching Sect Leader. “The people inside seem real, but the killer created an illusion and controls the corpse’s body inside to create the false appearance that Cloud Sword Sect still has people.”

He glanced at Yun Zhou and Yun Yao: “You’d better prepare yourselves. Your ‘Sect Leader’ may only be a corpse controlled by someone else.”

Yun Zhou’s hand trembled gripping his sword sheath.

“Beasts,” he muttered.

Yun Yao’s face was cold and silent.

An Wuxue stood calmly aside.

He could tell that Zhe Feng had certainly realized it too.

There was a great demon inside Cloud Sword Sect.

Once they stepped over the gate, the Cloud Sword Sect beyond the illusion would likely be completely different from what they saw now.

An Wuxue quietly surveyed the surroundings.

Zhe Feng would have to enter the sect soon. Was now a good opportunity?