Chapter 121: Taking A Disciple
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"Fellow Immortal Lonemoon..." Bao Feiping asked in a worried tone, "Is Fellow Immortal Yi Qing... really all right?"
Lonemoon's mouth twitched a little as he answered, "Don't worry, he knows what he's doing... at least he should know."
What the hell does "he should know" mean?
And why did he dash straight into the kitchen the moment he got out from the Nine Firmanents Distortion Mirror?
Immortals don't need to eat, so although they had a kitchen, it was only used sparingly by some immortals who loved their food; the utensils were usually not complete.
But... even overlooking the fact that Yi Qing had oil, salt, sauce and vinegar on his person, why was he also equipped with pots, pans and food ingredients? He even had bowls, chopsticks and tea. These were hardly things one would take on a journey; it was more like he was moving house?
Huh, even if he were to pull out a set of tables and chairs, I'll not be surprised.
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Then...
Yi Qing really pulled out a table and four chairs.
"..."
( ̄△̄;)
Wait a moment — even Immortal Lonemoon sat down as if it was the most natural thing in the world!
"Chef, I want to eat seafood!"
"Yes Master, no problem Master!"
"..."
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So for the entire afternoon, Bao Feiping looked with mouth agape as Yi Qing came out from the kitchen bearing dish after dish, which were devoured with gusto by the other two. While wolfing down their food, they even invited him politely to partake of the repast.
"Do join in, City Lord Bao," invited a smiling Lonemoon. Then turning his head, he expression changed abruptly as he chided, "Holy shit! Shen Ying, leave me a piece will you. You've finished almost everything!"
Out of politeness, Bao Feiping helped himself to a morsel. It was unexpectedly... delicious!
Just as he was thinking of helping himself to another piece, he found that the bowl was already empty.
"..." He did not know what to make of this lot.
With mixed feelings, Bao Feiping sat at the table for two hours before the two finally put down their chopsticks.
"I think your son should be better by now? I suggest we take a look just in case." Wiping his mouth, Lonemoon was once again the perfect gentleman; the flustered expression of the man who had just been bickering over food was completely gone.
For a moment Bao Feiping was silent as a thought suddenly struck him.
Could it be that they were worried that some other incident might crop up after Father had finished with treating Little An's injuries; that was why they had lingered here for so long?
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So that was it...
With that thought in mind, Bao Feiping's heart warmed towards them. With a look of gratitude, he stood up and said, "Thank you Fellow Immortals." Then he hurriedly turned and led the group to the front hall.
Bao Yi, who had just finished treating the little boy's injuries, saw the group coming and strode up to meet them.
"Father!" greeted the little boy as he dived headlong into Bao Feiping arms. Then he raised his little head from his father's shoulders, peeking curiously at the three people behind.
"Little An." A relieved Bao Feiping lifted his son up, feeling mixed emotions after having gone through the day's harrowing events.
"Little An." Bao Feiping looked toward Yi Qing and said, "This is Sword Immortal Yi Qing, he was the one who saved your life. Come and thank your benefactor."
At first, the little boy seemed a little surprised, but being the sensible boy he was, he quickly released himself from his father's embrace and walked towards Yi Qing. Cupping his fists, he bowed respectfully and said, "Little An expresses my deepest gratitude to Immortal Yi for saving my life."
"It was a small matter," answered a poker-faced Yi Qing impassively. "You don't need to thank me. I also owe my life to you all." He was just following Master's orders. Hmmn... What tasty dish should he cook for Master tonight?
"But the fact is, Fellow Immortal got injured because of Little An," said Bao Feiping, stepping forwards. He tried his best to ignore the shattered mirror.
Exchanging a glance with Bao Yi, he continued, "Providence seems to have brought you and Little An together. Not only do you two have the same body constitution, you also appeared when he was in danger."
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"That's right!" concurred Bao Yi as he pushed his grandson forwards, "Theirs was indeed a providential meeting."
Furrowing his brows, Yi Qing swept a look at the two men. "Please tell me frankly what you have in mind."
Both men fell silent, an awkward expression flitting across their faces. After a while, Bai Yi sighed and said, "To tell the truth, we do have a favour to ask of you." Lowering his head, he held the hand of the little boy. "Although there are numerous immortals in the various countries of the Immortal Realm, sword cultivators are hard to come by. The number of sword cultivators within my Qu Shuang City, including the two of you, are no more than a handful. Little An is still young, he is at the age where he needs someone to guide him. But his constitution is such that he can only train in sword techniques, yet there is no one in our residence who can help him."
"Fellow Immortal Yi Qing!" Bao Feiping added anxiously, "Given Little An's constitution, his situation... you might have experienced a similar situation in the Lower Realm, maybe even worse. My father and I can protect him for a time, but we cannot protect him forever. He needs to learn a skill urgently. So..."
Pausing, he looked at Bao Yi, who was beside him, then cupping his fists solemnly, he said, "Fellow Immortal, please accept my son as your disciple and guide him on the orthodox path to becoming a sword immortal!"
His words surprised not only Yi Qing but also Lonemoon, who was standing beside him.
"Accept him as disciple!" Lonemoon stood up immediately, glancing at the little boy, before turning to look at Yi Qing. Suddenly, he felt a little like laughing. "City Lord Bao must be joking. Your son is only eight years old but was born an immortal. Now he is already an Earth Immortal. Whereas Yi Qing, who has just ascended, is only an Earth Immortal. Both are about the same level, how can one teach the other?"
If they had not looked so serious, he would have thought they were trying to insult Yi Qing.
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"My two Fellow Immortals, don't misunderstand me!" Bao Feiping explained hurriedly, "I'm really sincere about wanting my son to be a disciple in your sect. Although my son was born an immortal, he currently knows only some basic sorcery; he knows nothing about immortal sword techniques, to say nothing of understanding sword intent. As both of you know, immortal sword cultivation requires an understanding of sword techniques. So in this aspect, he is still a novice and should address Fellow Immortal Yi Qing as Master."
His reasoning did made sense. After pondering for a while, Lonemoon asked, "Although Sword Immortals are hard to find, but with Qu Shuang City's influence and power, surely it's not difficult to find someone willing to teach your son? Why do you need... Yi Qing? Isn't it better to look for a sword immortal with a higher level of cultivation?"
"Because, Fellow Immortal Yi Qing is the most suitable!" Bao Yi answered abruptly.
Lonemoon paused in thought; then he suddenly understood what Bao Yi meant. They might be able to find other sword immortals, but there was only one with an Innate Sword Embodiment. When even the fiendish clans covet such a body, who could be sure that a sword cultivator wouldn't? Being a sect disciple under Yi Qing, who had the same Innate Sword Embodiment was the best and safest option.
"I'm really touched by City Lord Bao's fatherly love!" exclaimed Lonemoon, his eyes brightening. He suddenly sensed further possibilities in the deal that they had just concluded. "Since you put it like this, we have no reason to reject your request. Right, Chef?" He nudged Yi Qing, giving him a meaningful look that conveyed the message: food expenses, food expenses, food expenses...
Yi Qing frowned and looked down at the little boy. Turning to Shen Ying, he was about to speak when he was cut off by Lonemoon.
"Don't worry City Lord, I have made my decision. It's settled!"
"Thank you Fellow Immortal!" Delighted, the two men nudged the little boy, urging, "Little An, greet your master quickly."
The little boy knelt down. Looking a little bewildered, he greeted Yi Qing, "Disciple Little An pays my respects to Master."
Yi Qing's brows furrowed even deeper at this. Stepping to the side, he said, "City Lord Bao, about this matter..."
"If there is no objection, this matter is settled," Lonemoon interrupted once again, "By the way, what is your son's name?"
"Oh, he follows his mother's surname, Ning. His first name is Zi'an."
"Ning Zi... What!" Lonemoon's eyes widened in surprise, his expression darkening.
Holy Shit! Ning Zi'an!
(゚Д゚≡゚Д゚)
"I object!"
Yi Qing: "..."
Shen Ying: "..."
The three Baos: "..."
Chapter 122: Ascending Three Stages
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"My wife used up all the energy she had to give birth to him. That is why he takes my wife's last name," Bao Feiping explained, thinking that Lonemoon was upset about Little An taking his mother's last name. "Fellow Immortal Yi Qing may give him another name if he so pleases. after all, from this day on, he's your sect's-"
"No!" Lonemoon interrupted before he could finish speaking.
"What?" The two men from the Bao family stared at Lonemoon incredulously. "You don't have to give him another name-"
"No! I mean he cannot become Yi Qing's disciple!" Lonemoon said angrily. In a most serious tone, he said, "And he cannot join Invincible Sect. Certainly not!"
"... Why?" Bao Feiping was shocked. Did he not agree just awhile ago?
"Because... be..." Lonemoon struggled to find the right words His usual glib tongue seemed to lose its effect as he thought long and hard about what to say next. "My sect... is full at the moment!"
"Ah!?" What does he mean?
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"Er, I mean..." he regained his composure and glanced at Yi Qing. "Yi Qing is the one whom you are asking. Let's see how he decides. Right, Chef?" He turned and shot a meaningful look at Yi Qing, which said: I will not give you your food allowance for a year if you agree!
Yi Qing: "..."
Bao Feiping: "..."
Didn't Lonemoon say he could decide for Yi Qing?
"Fellow Immortal Yi?" The two of them turned to Yi Qing.
Yi Qing studied the child standing in front of him, who shared much the same fate as he did. He was moved. "It's not impossible for me to take him as my disciple."
Lonemoon's heart jumped. He cursed under his breath. "Chef...." Watch what you're saying!
But he heard Yi Qing continue, "But I am not yet an expert. I am still learning under my own master. I have to ask..." He turned to face Shen Ying fully and said, "Master, I-"
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"No!" Shen Ying interrupted.
Yi Qing turned to the men and repeated, "No!"
The two men: "...." What happened to helping each other out?
"City Lord, Exalted Immortal, we have urgent matters to attend to back at my sect. Since your child is fine, we will take our leave!" Lonemoon tugged at Yi Qing's and Shen Ying's sleeves and turned around to walk out of the abode before either of them could say anything more. With a swoosh of their flying sword, they were gone.
Bao Feiping: "..."
Bao Yi: "...."
What's the matter?
——————
Lonemoon dragged the two of them out of the house and into the air. He had a disapproving look on his face the entire time. He only stopped when they had reached the bottom of Invincible Sect's hill..
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"I-" Yi Qing began.
"Don't speak!" Lonemoon cut him off. "I know you pity the child, but you cannot accept him as your disciple! You can accept anyone but him!"
"You-"
"I know you think I'm being heartless," Lonemoon said anxiously. He began to pace back and forth. "If he does not train his sword technique, the Primordial Soul Sword Qi might act up again, but... I'm doing this for your good and for the good of our sect. There are some things you might not understand. I will explain to you in time. Who knows? You might end up thanking... Eh?"
"What are you doing!"
Before he could finish speaking, Yi Qing had pushed him aside.
"Get out!" Who cares about the explanation? Just don't stand between my master and I!
Lonemoon: "..." F*cker!
"Master." Yi Qing handed over the storage bag hanging from his side and addressed Shen Ying seriously, "I am going to have a breakthrough. I will take a long time this time. This is the food I prepared. You can eat from this bag when you get hungry."
"Oh, okay!" Shen Ying received the bag.
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"A breakthrough?" Lonemoon coughed, rushing toward Yi Qing. "You've just ascended, how could you... Wait, your immortal Qi!" On closer inspection, Lonemoon noticed that the immortal Qi surrounding Yi Qing's body was unbelievably thick and rich – he was only suppressing it.
"Could your immortal Qi be... from the mirror? Didn't you come out immediately after getting rid of the excess sword Qi? Why..." He hadn't been in there for more than ten minutes. "How long were you in there for?" Time did work differently inside the mirror.
"A hundred years."
"You couldn't have done this in a hundred years..." It would be difficult even to just get rid of the excess sword Qi in a hundred years, wouldn't it?
"Oh, I was afraid I would stay in there too long and miss my master's mealtime," he replied somberly. "So I quickly absorbed all the sword Qi and immortal Qi from inside the mirror." I just haven't had the time to incorporate it into my dantian.
"You absorbed it all! Holy shit!" The sword Qi was someone else's. It was understandably difficult to get rid of it, but he actually kept it and stored it up? And all that immortal Qi came from half an immortal's meridian. Normal immortals would take at least four to five hundred years to absorb so much immortal Qi, yet he had done so in just a hundred years! He even... freaking suppressed it and delayed his breakthrough.
He's perverted!
Yi Qing's expression remained unchanged. The immortal Qi around his body felt like it was going to explode. Clearly, he was not going to be able to suppress it for much longer. He shot another glance at Shen Ying and said, "Master, after I breakthrough, there will be a Heavenly Tribulation. Please do not come near me."
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She nodded. Then, he mounted his flying sword and flew out of Invincible Sect, into a deserted place a few kilometres away.
Indeed, within minutes, there was an explosion of immortal Qi in that area, causing the sky to take on a different colour! The clear sky suddenly became dark. This Heavenly Tribulation looked so different from the Lightning Tribulation they had experienced in the lower realm. The sky split into two halves – half was filled with lightning while the other half was filled with a blazing fire.
Then, a dragon roared. The fire dragon began to fly down from the sky. The land within a few kilometres of the dragon began to dragon caught fire. All the way to Invincible Sect, they could feel the heat from the dragon. It looked like the dragon was going to burn everything on the earth. Suddenly, they understood why Yi Qing had to go so far away to break through.
After the fire dragon descended, they saw bolt after bolt of lightning striking down. Lonemoon raised his head to survey the fire and the lightning. Floaty Bitao had told them about the Heavenly Tribulation before. The immortals that went through this tribulation would have to endure 81 bolts of lightning and 36 shots of wildfire. Lonemoon was envious, but he could not help but feel worried for Yi Qing. The lightning aside, the wildfire looked just as scary as the deviant fire they saw back in the mystic realm. Even with an immortal body, Lonemoon could not see how Yi Qing would be able to endure it.
Most of the disciples of Invincible Sect stopped what they were doing to witness the tribulation. Lonemoon had no choice but to set up a defensive array and instruct everybody not to get too close to Yi Qing.
It was only then that he began to count the shots of wildfire.
34... 35... 36!
Finally...
Wait a moment!
37... 38... 39... There were more...
Σ(°△°|||)
Holy shit, weren't there only supposed to be 36 shots? What's going on? Is there a sale? Was he getting two for the price of one?
He recalled what happened in the Azure World and turned to look at Shen Ying.
"Shen Ying, are you seeing this?" Is there someone in the heavenly realms messing with the immortal realm as well?
Shen Ying paused midway while munching on a pastry. She shook her head and answered, "No!"
"No, why are there..."
Wait a moment!
There were 36 shots of wildfire if he was breaking through one stage. There are more than 36 hots this time. If it's not because heaven had made a mistake, it must be... Yi Qing is breaking through not one, but two stages. Was he going to become a Mystic Immortal immediately?
Lonemoon's heart began to race.
He continued counting the shots of wildfire. 70... 71... 72...
Then...
73... 74...
( ̄△̄;)
There were a total of 108 shots of wildfire before it finally stopped.
Lonemoon: "..."
Motherf*cker! They're a bunch of cheats!
凸(艹皿艹)
Chapter 123: Characters in the Novel
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"Father Niu," Shen Ying called as she looked inside the storage bag that Yi Qing had handed over to her. She took out more pastries from the bag and said, "Why don't you tell me the plot of your novel while we're waiting?"
"You want to know now?" Lonemoon rolled his eyes. He had tried to tell her several times before but she had clearly not been interested.
"Yeah, I'm free now." Chef is having a breakthrough and I'm bored anyway. "Who is that child? Is he the boss of the enemy?"
"No." Lonemoon frowned as he recalled something. He clenched his fists and said, "He's the book's... male lead."
"Oh." Shen Ying sat down at a stone table beside her and continued to take out different types of pastries from inside the bag. She put them in her mouth and gestured for Lonemoon to continue.
Please begin your performance!
The corners of Lonemoon's mouth twitched as he rolled his eyes once again. He felt his insides stir with anger. Lonemoon snatched the plate of pastries from Shen Ying before he continued to tell her the plot of the novel.
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The novel he had read was a typical romance novel involving divine beings and immortals. It also centred around an abusive-romantic relationship between a master and a disciple.
"Chef is gay?" Shen Ying suddenly said.
Pu...
Lonemoon spat out the pastry he had just put into his mouth.
"Gay your ass! What are you thinking? Can you clean your rotten mind?" Lonemoon glared at her. "The master in the novel was Ning Zi'an, and the disciple was his disciple. The story did not involve your chef disciple."
"... oh." What a disappointment.
Lonemoon poured himself a cup of water and continued.
The novel took the perspective of the female lead. The female lead was a mortal at first. She got into a fight with an immortal demon and accidentally entered the Upper World. She became a fish in a pool, and was ultimately saved by Ning Zi'an.
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At that time, Ning Zi'an already became an Exalted Immortal. He was no longer the weak child they had seen. In fact, he was about to become a Young Emperor in addition to being highly respected in the immortal realm.
He brought the female lead home and discovered that she had some special powers: dirty things were always attracted to her – things like sealed up Yin Qi, suppressed demons, and dissipated heretic spirits.
The male lead was very intrigued by this. On further investigation, he found out that she was born with a Yin soul. Her Yin energy was naturally cold, thus all those dirty things were attracted to her. That also explained why she met with so many unfortunate "accidents" from a young age. That was the way she had been stumbling through life up to that point.
Ning Zi'an felt sorry for her, so he decided to accept her as his disciple.
In the novel, Ning Zi'an was described as an intellectual immortal not good with words, and fully focused on training. He was not described as one who was interested in romance. Instead, he always practised abstinence.
What Lonemoon did not understand was why an immortal who was fully focused on training and increasing his own cultivation would so easily accept the female lead as his disciple. But after what happened in Qu Shuang City, Lonemoon could hazard a guess. It is likely that Ning Zi'an thought that he and the female shared extremely similar fates – they were both burdened with a body they were born with.
The rest of the novel was typical of a romance novel. The female lead harboured a secret crush on the male lead, but could not confess her feelings because of their master-disciple relationship. The storyline could be summarised with this sort of view: No matter how much her master tortured her, she treated him as if he was her first lover.
Each time she was abused by him and got into trouble, there were always two, three, four, five, six, seven... countless males who would notice how beautiful the female lead was. They would then fall helplessly in love with her.
But the male lead remained blind!
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After a bunch of misunderstandings, and after countless instances of abuse, the male lead finally saw clearly and fell in love with her. It was a typical, horrible Mary Sue 1 novel.
The romance between the two people had nothing to do with others initially. What was frustrating was that... both protagonists had a knack for causing trouble to others. Every character around them in the novels who got too close to them would inevitably get into trouble.
The male lead said, "You are just my disciple – same as every other disciple around."
So... the other disciples were destroyed.
The male lead said, "I have no feelings for you. Even if I do, they're just familial."
So... the Bao Family fell.
The male lead said, "I want to protect the immortal sect master; I have no interest in a relationship."
So... the sect was ruined.
The male lead said, "In this life, I only want to protect the Three Realms."
So... the gates of the demon realm were opened.
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In sum, the romance between the two people could cause the destruction of the entire immortal realm.
"This is a rough summary of the plot," Lonemoon finished. He picked up the tea pot and poured himself a cup of tea.
"Oh..." Shen Ying nodded. She studied Lonemoon, who was acting calm. Suddenly, she asked, "What happened... between the female lead and all those other males?"
Pu...
Lonemoon spat out a mouthful of tea before he could swallow it.
His expression changed. Panicking, he answered, "What... what else could happen? It's just a matter of who likes who."
"You're sure?"
"Why should I lie?"
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"Then why are you blushing?"
"I'm just... feeling warm!"
"Oh~"
"..." I said it's not erotica. Keep your stupid suspicions to yourself!
"In any case, you just have to remember that these two people are pathogens – all who interact with them would find themselves in trouble. Yet, in the end, they got their happily ever after. The other people who had spend hundreds of thousands of years cultivating themselves, on the other hand, met their untimely end." Lonemoon's expression was strict. "It's definitely not wise to get involved with the male lead. Invincible Sect could be destroyed because of it."
"How about Chef?" Shen Ying asked. Lonemoon had finished the entire plot but she did not hear anything about Chef.
"He only appeared in the last pages of the novel. At that time, the gates of the demon realm were opened. The demons were invading the immortal realm. In order to save the male lead's disciple, he forced the gates of the demon realm close." Lonemoon furrowed his brow and continued, "That's why I said that the most miserable character in the novel was..."
"Is it so hard to close the gates?" Shen Ying asked curiously.
"Huh?"
The corner of Lonemoon's mouth twitched. Is that the point? Are you even listening to the plot?
"What is it made of? Is it really heavy?"
"Why do you care how heavy it is?" The point was that Yi Qing definitely cannot take the male lead as his disciple! Otherwise, given how things will play out between the male lead and the female lead, Invincible Sect would not remain standing for long!
"From what I see, Chef is pretty strong right?"
"What has this got to do with how strong he is?"
"Why did it take him so much effort to close the gates? There's something wrong with the plot."
"Is that a typical gate? That's the gates of the demon realm! Do you think anyone could easily open and close them?" Lonemoon glared at her. "Demonic Qi alone is able to corrode an immortal's body. Anyone who can close the gates must possess very special powers."
"Is there a lot of demonic Qi on the gates?"
"Of course!"
"Is it also big and tall? Does it look extra heavy?"
"That must be the case, right?"
"Are there the words "Demonic Realm" on the gates?"
"I... suppose?"
"And there are two rings on the gates, in the mouths of two red-eyed baboons?"
"What red-eyed baboons?" This was getting ridiculous. Lonemoon rolled his eyes and asked, "Do you think this is some kind of television drama? Why are you describing it as if it were real? Have you seen it?"
"I have!" Shen Ying nodded.
What?
"..."
Holy shit!
Chapter 124: The Gates of the Demon Realm
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Given that he had advanced three stages, Yi Qing only completed the Heavenly Tribulation ten days later. He was now a Stygian Immortal instead of an Earth Immortal, second only to Bao Yi of the Bao Family. However, he was a sword immortal. Sword immortals were naturally stronger than the other immortals of the same cultivation. Strictly speaking, Yi Qing was likely even stronger than Bao Yi.
All he was concerned about, however, was whether his master had enough food to eat. He hurriedly regulated his meridians and flew back toward the sect. Along the way, he met two other people who were just on their way out.
"You're finally done. Let's go, we're going to Qu Shuang City!" Lonemoon waved his hand, dragging Shen Ying along behind him.
"Master, this..." Yi Qing paused. Did they not just return from there?
"Let's leave first. We'll explain to you on the way," Lonemoon said anxiously. He started to mount his flying sword.
Yi Qing did not ask anymore questions. He summoned his flying sword and reached out to pull Shen Ying up behind him on the sword. Then, they flew off together toward Qu Shuang City.
"What happened in Qu Shuang City?" Shen Ying asked while they flew.
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"Do you remember the demon which invaded the city earlier?" Lonemoon asked. "Do you know how it escaped?"
Yi Qing frowned and pondered. Ning Zi'an's Primordial Soul Sword Qi had distracted Bao Yi. The demon took the chance to escape, and then...
"It vanished into thin air, along with all the demonic Qi." The formidable demonic Qi had disappeared in an instant. "City Lord Bao later searched all around, but could not find even a trace of the demon."
"How did it do that?" Even if it knew how to vanish, it could not have covered its tracks so thoroughly.
"It went through the gates of the demonic realm," Lonemoon answered. "The gates lie inside Qu Shuang City!"
"The demonic realm!" Yi Qing exclaimed.
"We already informed City Lord Bao ten days ago, but despite their efforts to search the entire city, they have not found the gates," Lonemoon updated Yi Qing. "Just to be safe, we decided to go down the moment you completed the Heavenly Tribulation."
"How did you come to know of this?" Yi Qing asked. He knew that the demonic realm existed, but he did not know anyone who had actually been there. Why were the gates of the demonic realm situated in such a deserted place like Qu Shuang City? "This is such a huge matter. Are you sure those gates lead to the demonic realm?"
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"I'm not sure." Lonemoon gestured toward Shen Ying. "She saw it."
Yi Qing's expression changed immediately. With a sombre expression, he said, "Then it must be the gates of the demonic realm! That's right!"
Lonemoon: "..." Son of a b*tch!
——————
The three of them flew nervously, passing through several transportation arrays along the way. FInally, they arrived at Qu Shuang City. Once again, they found themselves in the immortal city, but this time the atmosphere was very different. The city did not feel as crowded and warm as it did before. Instead, there was a cold silence about it. They only saw a few immortals walking about in the city.
When they arrived at the City Lord's Abode, Bao Feiping was already seated at the entrance waiting for them.
"Fellow Immortals, you are finally here," he exclaimed excitedly. He walked forward and greeted them, cupping his fists. HIs gaze rested on Yi Qing. He was evidently shocked. "Immortal Yi Qing, your cultivation level..." Ten days ago, he was a mere Earth Immortal. How did he become a Stygian Immortal?
Yi Qing nodded and answered courteously, "This is all thanks to the treasure that you lent to me a few days back."
Bao Feiping looked at him in disbelief. The Nine Firmanents Distortion Mirror contained immortal Qi from half an immortal's meridian and could indeed help people advance swiftly in terms of their cultivation, but... This is way too much, right?
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He remained perplexed for several moments. Then, he recalled the matter at hand and regained his composure immediately. He led the three guests into his house and said in a low voice, "When I received Brother Lonemoon's letter that day, we sent several men out to search the city. We haven't found the so-called gates of the demonic realm, but we did find out about unusual events in the area."
He pulled a map of the city out from thin air and pointed to a point on the map. Then, he began to explain. When the demons first set their sights on Little An, they carried out a similar investigation but did not manage to find anything unusual. This time, the same thing happened. They did not find anything unusual happening in the city, neither did they find any trace of the demons that had invaded the city, much less any remnants of demonic Qi.
But whether the gates to the demonic realm were hidden in the city was a huge matter which would concern not only Qu Shuang City, but the entire immortal realm. Bao Yi was unsatisfied when the men came back and reported that they had not found anything unusual. Therefore, he went out to search the city for himself. Indeed, he returned having found something small.
"There are many places in the city where the immortal QI is thinner and scarcer than average." Bao Feiping pointed out several points in the map. Initially, there were many immortals living in the city, most of whom trained regularly. Naturally, different places varied in terms of the volume of immortal Qi. But after the invasion by the demons, many immortals left the city. Given that the city was built atop an immortal meridian, and that fewer immortals were now absorbing the immortal Qi, the immortal QI should have begun to thicken all around. But the immortal Qi in the city seemed to remain scarce in specific areas.
"We also found out that there were many places like that in the outskirts of the city. There was at least one such place every ten feet, but we don't know the reason for this. Could it be related to what Brother Lonemoon said about the gates of the demonic realm?"
Lonemoon frowned. It was true that only demonic entities could repel immortal Qi.
"Shen Ying!" He shouted, turning toward Shen Ying. "Where in the city did you see the gates of the demonic realm?"
"In that... whatever tower..." Didn't I already say so before?
"Weighty Tower?" Bao Feiping clarified.
"Yes, just before you entered." She pondered over this for a moment, then added, "It disappeared in a flash."
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Just before they arrived... That means it appeared just when the demons escaped? The demon escaped into the demonic realm. That was why it did not leave a trace?
But they already checked the Weighty Tower several times. Contrary to the other weird places they identified, the Weighty Tower had the thickest immortal Qi in all of the Bao Family's property.
"City Lord, can you bring us there?" Lonemoon suggested. There were some things that they could not see, but that Shen Ying – the cheat – could.
Bao Feiping nodded and led the few of them into the courtyard. Lonemoon checked the Tower where Shen Ying said she had seen the gates of the demonic realm several times. Yet, just as Bao Feiping had said, he found nothing out of the ordinary.
They subsequently checked the odd places that Bao Feiping had pointed out earlier. Similarly, they found nothing else out of the ordinary.
"Father has already gone to the capital to report this matter," Bao Feiping informed them. If their city indeed contained the gates of the demonic realm, they did not have the power to make any decisions.
Lonemoon nodded and surveyed his surroundings once again. He still could not find anything odd. He was beginning to doubt if Shen Ying really had seen the gates of the demonic realm earlier. She could very well have been seeing things. He could not help but turn to Shen Ying beside him and ask, "Hey, have you found anything?"
"Yes," Shen Ying answered.
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"Oh... what?" Lonemoon asked in surprise. Even Bao Feiping turned around immediately, staring at her in shock. "What do you see?"
"A gate."
"Holy shit, you see the gates of the demonic realm? Where?"
Shen Ying pointed to the ground. "Here!"
Everyone looked down at the space on the ground that Shen Ying was pointing at.
"..." There was nothing there.
"There... and there!" Shen Ying pointed in seemingly random directions. "They're all around."
The corners of Lonemoon's mouth twitched. "What does that mean?" Were the gates of the demonic realm rat holes? Why were they located all over the ground? "Where exactly is it? Speak clearly!"
"..."
Shen Ying sighed, turned around to face Yi Qing and said, "Chef, help me to fly up there."
Without any hesitation, Yi Qing drew his flying sword and flew Shen Ying up into the air. They flew higher and higher, until they were about a thousand metres in the air. Then, she pointed downward and turned to address Lonemoon and Bao Feiping, who flew up together with her.
"Here!"
The two of them looked down and suddenly understood. The colour drained from their faces.
Damn!
Chapter 125: Collective Effort
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
They had a bird's-eye view of the entire Qu Shuang City below them. Qu Shuang City was built atop an immoral meridian. Immortal Qi filled the entire city, but immortal Qi was especially thin outside of the city. This caused the city to stand out from its surroundings. In particular, its shape.
The city was initially built in a haphazard manner – it did not take on any particular shape. If people wanted to reside in the city, all they had to do was apply with the City Lord for permission to build a house. As long as the City Lord gave his permission, they could build their house anywhere they wanted. That explained why there was so much space in the city.
But at that moment, from where they were in the sky, the group saw that the city had taken on a square shape. They did not know when this began, but the entire city looked like it was planned out using a measuring tape. Not a single house was out of place. The main lane running through the city was placed neatly in the center of the square, bisecting the square into two equal halves.
They had not noticed before but from such a height, the entire Qu Shuang City did look like... a gate! A huge gate. The places which Bao Feiping had pointed out earlier as being odd were scattered neatly around the gate so that they looked just like nails around the door.
"City Lord Bao," Lonemoon suddenly called. "Do you have a method to temporarily suspend Immortal Qi from flowing into the city? Or do you have an immortal equipment for us to examine the immortal meridian?"
"Examine the immortal meridian? Do you mean..." Bao Feiping looked perturbed. His heart was thumping in his chest as a frightening idea surfaced in his mind. He nodded furiously. "Yes! The Sky-Covering Seal!"
He immediately conjured a seal with both of his hands. A huge crystal in the shape of a human face appeared, looking down through a glass lens. The entire Immortal City's immortal Qi disappeared in an instant. The constantly flowing silver immortal meridian slowed down, finally revealing a black core right inside of it.
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Just as Shen Ying had said, the trained cultivator would be able to sense that there was a strong cold Yin aura around the black door, which had two red-eyed baboons on it, licking rings.
Those are the gates of the demonic realm!
Bao Feiping's hands began to tremble. He did not even have enough strength to keep searching and investigating. The crystal in front of them broke into pieces suddenly, and panic filled Bao Feiping's heart. Everything that did not make sense before suddenly clicked. How did the demon suddenly escape? Why couldn't they find a trace of the demon no matter how hard they looked? Why was it so easy for the demon to break through the demon-dispelling array they set up outside the city gates?
It was because the gates of the demonic realm were not located within Qu Shuang City – it was formed by the entire Qu Shuang City.
The immortal meridian in Qu Shuang City was genuine, but the immortal meridian was also a seal containing the gates of the demonic realm.
Bao Feiping broke out in cold sweat upon figuring it out. He became as white as a sheet. "Brother Lonemoon, this is a huge matter. We need to inform my father immediately" Now that they had found the gate, they had no choice but to report it to the capital. They also needed to let His Majesty know.
"City Lord, please go ahead." Lonemoon nodded. "If you need anything, please tell us. The Invincible Sect will do our best to help."
"Thank you!" He flew down toward the ground and started making follow-up arrangements.
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Once again, Lonemoon looked down and surveyed Qu Shuang City below him. The gates of the demonic realm did not look like they were going to open anytime soon, but the demonic Qi surrounding the gates was enough to frighten people. Especially given that there were specific areas where immortal Qi was scarce, it became clear that the immortal meridian could not suppress the demonic gates' aura any longer. The demons that invaded the City Lord's Abode earlier could have just made use of loopholes, or perhaps they were not full demons.
Qu Shuang City was no longer suitable for immortals to reside and train in. Otherwise, the city's immortal meridian might become weaker and weaker, and the gates of the demonic realm might take on a clearer form. It looked like Bao Feiping would have a lot to do.
But Lonemoon was not worried that the gates would open anytime soon. At least from the novel, Lonemoon learned that the demons would need to pay a huge price in order to open the gates. They would also need a demonic descendant to lead the way.
Bao Feiping did become extremely busy in the days to follow. First, he closed down the immortal city and forbade anyone from leaving or entering the city. Then, he informed Bao Yi of the situation. They had found the gates, but they did not have the power to decide what to do next. Lonemoon did not stay behind any longer as well. Once the gates were found, he returned to Invincible Sect with the others.
——————
Three months later.
The corners of Lonemoon's mouth twitched. The grandfather, father and son of the Bao Family were seated in front of him. He nearly dropped the basket which he was holding loosely in his hand.
He had just gone out to pluck some roots. What is going on?
How did these people appear all of a sudden?
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"Brother Lonemoon!" Brother Feiping greeted him with a huge grin on his face. "We haven't met in a long time. How have you been?"
"City Lord Bao." Lonemoon glance at him. "All of you are..."
"We are here because of the matter concerning the gates of the demonic realm," Bao Feiping sighed. He continued, "After we reported the matter to the authorities, His Majesty Ge You came down to Qu Shuang City to check things out for himself. He confirmed that the gates indeed led to the demonic realm. In the interests of safety, the entire Qu Shuang City has been closed down."
"Closed down? What's going to happen to the gate?"
"I'm not sure about that. His Majesty is our country's highest authority, and he is an Immortal Emperor! He must have a way of handling things, right?" He was just guessing.
"..." Lonemoon frowned. He was not that optimistic. The novel did not mention any solution.
"After Qu Shuang City closed down, His Majesty promised to give another immortal city to my Bao Family. However, it will take some time for that promise to be kept. Since we could not stay in Qu Shuang City anymore. we decided to take you up on that invitation you extended to us earlier, Brother Lonemoon. That's why we are here."
"..." He had only invited them over in passing. Were they really taking him seriously? They even brought their entire family here.
"We expect that we would have to stay here for quite some time. I hope we are not troubling you?"
"Not... at all!" Was there any point in saying they were? They were already at their doorstep!
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Lonemoon glared at Shen Ying, who was still engrossed with her steak and rice at that moment. Then, he entered the hall, greeting Bao Yi and sending the spring onions he had picked into the kitchen.
"I have only just come to realise that Invincible Sect is a really good place," Bao Feiping said, smiling. "Your disciples each have their own strengths. It is much livelier and more exciting here than it was in Qu Shuang City."
"City Lord Bao, you are too kind..." Lonemoon answered. He had a business-like grin plastered onto his face.
Bao Feiping and Lonemoon began to exchange pleasantries characteristic of business partnerships. From time to time, Bao Yi – who held his grandson in his arms – chimed in.
Shen Ying remained utterly disinterested in all of this. She continued to focus on her food. She took two huge bites off her steak and suddenly became aware of someone staring at her. She turned and found her little friend, Ning Zi'an, staring at her with huge grape-like eyes. He looked extremely curious.
When she met his gaze, he paused and then broke into a huge grin. He turned and looked pointedly at the pastries, looking eager to try them.
"You want to eat?" She asked.
Little Friend Ning looked at the pastries again and looked back at her. He hesitated. Then, finally giving in to the temptation, he nodded sheepishly.
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"Oh..." Shen Ying picked up a pastry from the plate and held it in front of his face. "This is a walnut cake."
Little Friend Ning's eyes lit up. He was just about to take the cake with his little hand, when Shen Ying twisted her chopsticks. The pastry made one round in front of his eyes and went straight into Shen Ying's mouth. He heard the sound of Shen Ying's teeth biting the walnuts.
Ning Zi'an: "..."
(இдஇ)
He froze as his little eyes began to redden and well up. He looked so wronged.
Shen Ying sniggered. She fidgeted with the chopsticks in her hand and hurriedly finished off the pastries one by one. The plate in front of her became increasingly empty. She even ate all the peanut rice.
Once she finished all the food on the table, she let out a satisfied burp.
Ning Zi'an: "..." He really wanted to cry now. He pouted and tutted loudly, turning to bury his head in Bao Yi's arms. He did not want to look at her anymore.
Hey... bullying kids is really addictive!