The sword emerged silently, suddenly revealing a bit of its sharpness. The sword heart stirred first, instantly blocking the incoming attack.
That Dull Gray Sword, even when striking abruptly, didn’t release any flashy light. Yet the might and charm within it were clearest to sword cultivators.
After just a few exchanges, the formless sword qi wounded invisibly. Blood soaked the hem of the Black-Clothed Sword Cultivator’s robes, dripping down drop by drop.
Only after he sustained multiple injuries did the Firmament Legacy finally halt.
Ying Zhuochen staggered a step and half-knelt on the ground. In the end, he cupped his hands and expressed thanks. “Many thanks to Senior for the guidance.”
The Dull Gray Sword remained utterly still, offering no response. It turned and flew away, exuding the poise of a true master.
The view here had been concealed by the intervention of Hidden Sword Mountain’s higher-ups. No outsiders saw it. The elders merely exchanged voice transmissions among themselves: the Sword Venerable had an heir.
“This mountain opening has been truly successful. Everyone, see you at the Pill Appreciation Conference.” One elder from Hidden Sword Mountain stroked his beard with a beaming smile.
Seeing that each disciple had gained something, the elders exchanged pleasantries and courtesies for a while. However, some with aloof temperaments had no interest in mingling and quietly departed.
The curtains swayed lightly as the pink-robed elder from Joyous Union Sect silently left.
He never participated in such conversations. Yet because he didn’t want to stay within the sect, he often took on the task of leading teams outside.
Besides him, the one who left directly was Hidden Sword Mountain’s Sword Venerable.
A golden rainbow streaked through the sky. As their master, he naturally had to shoulder a teacher’s responsibilities. With a wave of spiritual power, he sent out pills to the disciples who had just emerged from the Sword Tomb.
“Master.” Ying Zhuochen cupped his hands and received them. He swallowed the pills, adjusted his breathing to heal, and then listened to his master’s instructions.
“You stay in the sect to recover from your injuries. Go into seclusion to comprehend the sword dao. Don’t wander outside. By the next All Sects Martial Meet, there will be a place for you.” Yun Jian instructed in a deep voice.
Ying Zhuochen felt no dissatisfaction. He held his sword and acknowledged the order. Then he heard his master continue.
“I need to head out for a few days. You stay in the Sword Pavilion and hold down the fort.”
His master rarely went out and seldom even left the Sword Pavilion. Someone else might have asked why, but this disciple was emotionless and merely acknowledged again.
After arranging for his disciple, Yun Jian sent a transmission to the sect master. He needed to leave for a bit. The position of Sword Venerable was no small matter; if he wasn’t in the sect, he should inform them.
The Hidden Sword Mountain sect master asked, “Since you’re going to Pill Cauldron Sect, why not go with the other disciples?”
“No need. This is my personal matter. No need to trouble the sect with reception.” Yun Jian politely declined.
It truly was his personal affair.
He was still hung up on the dream his senior sister had entered.
Skilled in artifact refinement himself, after that dream, he wanted to seek out some spiritual materials. Then he could refine artifacts for summoning souls, capturing dreams, and probing heart demons.
Such esoteric and rare spiritual materials required a bustling place like Pill Cauldron Sect to try his luck.
–
This region was divided into the Outer Sea and the continent. The continent was further split into human, demonic, and beast domains.
Pill Cauldron Sect was nearly at the center of the Dao Sect lands, where cultivators from all sects gathered. Simply put, Hidden Sword Mountain and Myriad Beasts Sect were in more remote locations, farther from Pill Cauldron Sect.
The journey was long. Flying magic artifacts were deployed in full force, and they even used the teleportation arrays that major sects had set up between cities. Otherwise, it would have taken days and nights of flight.
The trip was dull, so the disciples found their own ways to pass the time.
On one side of the spirit boat, the Gray Feather Eagle of a beast-taming disciple occasionally slipped out to glide and catch the wind, drawing waves of onlookers and exclamations from the pill cultivators.
Li Yin’s gaze swept over. Senior Sister Mo was holding her cat in her arms and had also taken her little rat, placing it fondly on her shoulder.
Seeing her like she’d entered a zoo, Li Yin brought out the Seven Star Sword Flower to let it bask in the sun.
From its reddish-brown branches and leaves, the yellow-stamened white flower had already been plucked and stored away by her.
This mutant spirit plant was impressive. Every so often, it nurtured a strand of high-grade sword qi, blooming a flower infused with sword qi—equivalent to a strike from a Body Integration Stage sword cultivator. It was perfect as a life-saving trump card.
Its intelligence was higher than Gold Orange and Silver Gray’s, but only slightly. After a few words from the human cultivators, it had become her beast companion as well.
Its original name was already nice, so Li Yin directly named it “Seven Star.”
Seven Star shook its needle-covered stems. It didn’t dislike the name, but it lacked patience for other matters and didn’t bother remembering others’ names.
Thus, after the human, cat, and rat’s code names, a flower was added.
【The flower wants that one.】
【The round one.】
Li Yin took out several pills, along with some byproduct treasure pearls from the beast-taming disciples’ cultivation.
These treasure pearls were no different from spirit pearls, condensed from her spiritual energy.
Plants weren’t like little animals. Li Yin treated these things as fertilizer, burying them in its soil for slow absorption.
She had only placed half when Mo Xiangwei leaned over, full of curiosity.
“What’s this?” She recognized the Wisdom Pills but pointed at the spirit pearls.
Li Yin explained to her. Casually, she also fed a pill and pearl to Gold Orange and Silver Gray.
Seeing the little animals clutching the pills and pearls without letting go, and with “Junior Sister Yin”‘s permission, Mo Xiangwei picked up a pearl and examined it in the light.
The treasure pearls were crystal clear, with flowing luster, varying in size. The largest spirit pearl was about the size of a chicken egg.
“The various sects’ methods are all so different. Truly fascinating.” She sighed, handing the items back to her junior sister.
Li Yin put them away and heard her topic shift abruptly.
“Be sure to keep that invitation I gave you safe. Plenty of people visit Pill Cauldron Sect every day, and accommodations inside are limited. If you want to stay overnight, the invitation serves as your token.”
Mo Xiangwei lowered her voice again. “You don’t know, but the inns at the foot of the mountain jack up their prices sky-high on days like this.”
“Jack up prices?” At the mention of money, Fat Senior Brother turned his head. “Then that invitation must be worth quite a bit.”
“If you’ve got some shady idea, I advise against it.” Xia Erruo shot him a glance.
Mo Xiangwei pursed her lips in a smile. “There are indeed some disciples inside who sell their invitations at high prices.”
“What you all might not know is that those closest to the source get first dibs. Many cultivators seek high-grade elixirs from master alchemists. They first obtain an invitation and pay a personal visit to show sincerity.”
Though timid, she had her own accomplishments in pill refinement. Speaking on related matters, her timidity faded, her bright eyes shining with spirit.
She was right, Li Yin nodded inwardly.
In the game, the capture target was a mighty pill cultivator. After apprenticing under the target, some even came begging this “poor little thing.”
Of course, the player used every opportunity. Unfortunately, her luck held true to form—the guy had a heart demon issue, and the random judgment triggered an outbreak on the spot.
The player took the hit first, getting injured—which perfectly set up a hurt-comfort ploy for intimate contact with the target and a wave of favorability.
As she quietly recalled this, Mo Xiangwei counted on her fingers. “Let me see—even those Buddhist cultivators have ones focused on medicine. Disciples from all sects can see them at the Pill Appreciation Conference.”
Zheng Qian chimed in. “I heard this time there’s even a Mahayana cultivator giving a lecture. Expect even more people.”
His information was reliable, and Mo Xiangwei nodded along. “It’s our sect’s Elder Fu.”
Li Yin seized the moment and struck. “A Mahayana cultivator—how impressive. To think he’d give a lecture.”
Little Junior Sister gazed eagerly, her expression full of desire to “behold his splendor.” Mo Xiangwei didn’t disappoint her.
“Elder Fu cherishes his sect disciples the most. The market streets are crowded with all sorts, and conflicts occasionally arise between outsiders and our disciples. Elder Fu steps in to resolve them.”
Li Yin thought, no kidding.
She recalled plenty of details. “Elder Fu” was indeed soft-hearted, practically a bodhisattva.
One reason for the player’s bad end wasn’t just expulsion from the sect—it was the target’s personality.
He was kind to everyone. Even after the player schemed to become his sole direct disciple, she didn’t get much special treatment.
Unless the player clung on shamelessly in her “poor little” persona, she could barely snag a sliver of his gentleness.
Little Junior Sister propped her cheek, listening, then suddenly asked, “That Elder Fu is so gentle. Surely many people want to be his disciple, right?”
She subtly steered the topic, and Mo Xiangwei obliged. “Of course. All the sect disciples want to be his apprentice, but Elder Fu hasn’t taken any.”
She hesitated slightly, as if recalling something. “However, I heard from my master that he once had a direct disciple…”
Little Junior Sister shifted closer in a few moves, urging her on. “Your master is so formidable—his direct disciple must be famous too.”
Mo Xiangwei shook her head slightly. “That was long ago. I only heard it from others. That disciple later went missing, seemingly fallen outside.”
“Elder Fu never took another disciple.”
Such sect anecdotes were not to be missed. As she spoke, the other Myriad Beasts Sect disciples gradually drew near, ears perked.
Little Junior Sister was closest. After hearing it, she wore an expression of feigned regret, mirrored by the others.
Seeing they were still not satisfied, Mo Xiangwei racked her brain. “There are plenty of rumors among disciples. Some say that disciple back then made a mistake and was expelled. Others say she met with an accident during training outside. Some claim she didn’t fall but had no face to return…”
She paused abruptly. “Oh, right—some say the Pill Appreciation Conference was organized by Elder Fu for that disciple.”
Beside her, Li Yin tilted her head. “To commemorate her?”
Senior Sister Mo shook her head. “That, I don’t know.”
As they spoke, a heavenly palace faintly appeared on the distant horizon amid the clouds. Layered eaves, golden roofs gleaming, flying eaves amid flowing clouds. Compared to Myriad Beasts Sect’s scenic mountains and waters, it had a more opulent, gilded splendor.
Flashes seemed to flicker at the cloud’s edge. Looking closely, they were small magic artifacts arrayed like stars, swirling in the sky.
The Myriad Beasts Sect disciples all looked up. Mo Xiangwei explained, “Those are protective sect artifacts, part of the grand protective array.”
Beyond the horizon, towering buildings rose below, with cultivators flying in and out. Li Yin glanced down.
Suddenly, a bell tolled from the distant sky, faint and far, lingering and profound, yet clearly resounding in their ears.
“That’s the bell signaling the lecture’s start.” Mo Xiangwei consulted the others. “We’ve arrived just in time. Shall we go listen for a bit first? Then I’ll take you to the guest quarters.”
The senior brothers and sisters had no objections, and Li Yin nodded in agreement.
The flying boat soared straight past the buildings and markets below, heading for a dojo. Other streaks of light flew out along the way, joining their path.
Moments later, they all slowed, eventually landing on the ground. The cultivators switched to walking.
“When mighty cultivators give lectures, out of respect, we can’t fly around haphazardly.” Xia Erruo explained to the newcomer Little Junior Sister, leading her to land and stow the flying magic artifact.
Li Yin nodded in understanding, but her gaze involuntarily fell on the flowerbeds beside the path.
This was the site for mighty lectures, yet it was unexpectedly simple and natural—no trace of the gilded splendor from the cloud palaces earlier. Fragrant flowers bloomed quietly along the path.
Li Yin followed her senior brothers and sisters’ pace on one side but reached out on her own, her fingertip brushing the silky-soft petals.
Yao Huang peonies bloomed all along the way, golden yellow over pale yellow, deep green clustering light green.
In the save files, the best gift for the capture target was a yellow peony.
Each sect had different playstyles. In the game, pill cultivator disciples farmed fields. The player farmed too but privately planted some yellow peonies to boost the target’s favorability.
Or rather, she had used a single yellow peony to deceive his soft heart.
Little Junior Sister was a bit lost in thought, her fingertip lingering on the yellow peony petal. Mo Xiangwei noticed and assumed she liked the flowers. “Elder Fu loves these the most. Not just here—even his Medicine Hut is planted full of them.”
“They’re indeed beautiful.” Li Yin casually replied.
She looked ahead. The dojo was elevated, misty clouds drifting below the jade platform. Gauzy curtains veiled the platform, faintly outlining a seated figure—that must be Elder Fu.
Surveying the surroundings, every path led straight to the jade platform, lined on both sides with blooming yellow peonies, like a road paved awaiting someone’s return.
Many figures walked the paths heavily, but they weren’t the one he awaited.
The one he waited for had long since fallen.
The flowers seemed to attract other creatures. Li Yin spotted some butterflies.
Purple wings with distinctive silver gleams, scattering spiritual light along the way.
She knew about yellow peonies, but what were these little butterflies?
Li Yin curiously reached out her hand. The little purple butterfly flapped its wings, hovering and darting to a stop in front of her fingertip before brushing past her and flying toward the high platform.
In the blink of an eye, more purple butterflies appeared. They descended from the flower clusters and even from the high sky, weaving out winding paths that shimmered with purple hues, concealing hints of secrecy—or even danger.
A bad premonition suddenly stirred in Li Yin’s heart.
These little purple butterflies felt inexplicably familiar.
Before she could dwell on it, Mo Xiangwei beside her suddenly grabbed her hand. “Junior Sister, don’t.”
“These butterflies can’t be touched. From the looks of them, they might be gu insects raised by the Medical Poison Valley.”
Hearing this, Li Yin yanked her hand back.
Medical Poison Valley—a very familiar name.
The Little Junior Sister swallowed almost imperceptibly. “Medical Poison Valley… is that… the place where they refine gu?”
Mo Xiangwei nodded. “Exactly. The Medical Poison Valley is different from pill cultivation disciples. They may be proficient in medicine and herbs too, but everyone there is either a medical cultivator or a poison cultivator. These butterflies look beautiful, but who knows—they could be poisonous creatures from the gu poison path.”
Li Yin’s mind blanked in an instant, her heart thrown into turmoil.
She remembered! She remembered everything!
She recalled everyone in those nine save files!
If her memory served her right, she even had an ex in the Medical Poison Valley—from the fifth save file, no less.
Why did she have so many capture targets!?
Help!
No, wait—could that person from the Medical Poison Valley be here too?
The thought made Li Yin recall his temperament.
That one from the Medical Poison Valley had vicious methods and a harsh personality—a heart truly venomous as a scorpion.
In the save file, the Player had accidentally saved a dying gu person whose face was ruined. Who knew that once his appearance mostly recovered, it would reveal such a glamorous, alluring face brimming with charm? The Player immediately proposed “marriage,” leveraging the life-saving grace to barge right into his inner chambers.
But who could have guessed? Beautiful as the capture target was after regaining his looks, he turned out ruthless and vicious.
Somehow, the Player offended him. They had huge fights several times. She figured that once favorability hit zero, she could annul the marriage. But the capture target refused, locking the Player in the valley and denying her freedom. The save file ended up scrapped, forcing her to manually restart.
Help!
Amid the crowd gathered to listen to the lectures and seek the Dao, the young girl betrayed panic on her face. Her features were plain, but she had a pair of lively eyes.
Her black pupils brimmed with clear moisture, lending her a pitiful, helpless air.
On the high platform, behind the curtains, the hazy silhouette seemed to notice something and stirred abruptly.
“Yin Yin…”
As he murmured soundlessly, countless fluttering butterflies gathered on the other side of the jade platform, coalescing in an instant into another tall, slender figure.
His face remained unseen, but a crisp tinkling rang out first. The silver ornaments on his body clinked lightly, producing a pleasant sound. Yet when one listened closely, even the bells seemed laced with poison, stirring headaches.
The Valley Master Ci Yuan of the Medical Poison Valley had just emerged from seclusion this time, here to hold a Dao discussion with Elder Fu of the Pill Cauldron Sect.
From the swarm of butterflies that had yet to disperse, a slightly pale hand suddenly emerged. Beneath skin as white as porcelain lurked veins of blue and green, bewitchingly vivid as if steeped in poison.
A little butterfly flapped its wings and alighted on its master’s fingertip, conveying some message.
The scent of his wife?
The man swathed in butterflies seemed to sneer.
Ridiculous.
What nonsense.
That person had died long ago.
Even so, the purple pupils amid the butterfly wings shifted slightly, peering through the dancing wings toward a certain direction.