Chapter 77: A Storm Brews Over the Taichu Sect

Qin Haoxuan found himself growing more and more fond of the little golden monkey. He stroked its head again. “Little Gold,” he said, “from now on, you’ll stay with me. I’ll treat you well. I’ll teach you how to till the fields, water the crops, and grow all sorts of grains and spirit herbs.”

Little Gold tilted its head again, a look of confusion in its eyes.

“Grains and spirit herbs,” Qin Haoxuan explained with a flash of inspiration, “are things that taste even better than figs!” The simple analogy worked. Hearing the words “better than figs,” Little Gold began to chirp and screech with excitement.

“Alright, it’s getting late. Time for sleep.” Qin Haoxuan patted the monkey’s head, his own mind preoccupied. Without the supplemental power of a spirit herb, his cultivation speed had slowed to a crawl. He had to get back to the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley as soon as possible.

Lying down, he transferred his soul into the small snake and, with no one the wiser, shot down the nameless peak with incredible speed. In a short while, he was back in the valley.

The familiar, perpetually dim sky and the intense pressure of the valley immediately weighed on his spirit. As he entered, he saw that the corpse of the Undying Witch Fiend had already been corroded by the toxic air, leaving behind nothing but a dark, skeletal frame.

Qin Haoxuan ventured deeper. Since devouring the fiend’s demonic intent, his Spiritual Sense was stronger than ever, and he had been diligently cultivating it every night while others slept. He could now walk a few steps farther than before. The outer region of the valley was vast, and under the influence of the dense poison, even the snake’s keen senses were greatly diminished. He could only search meticulously, inch by inch. He remembered how he had found the Formless Sword by pure chance; his spiritual senses hadn’t detected it at all. If not for that lucky glance, he would have missed a priceless treasure.

As he searched, his mind drifted to the great war between immortals and demons that had taken place here thousands of years ago. What kind of cataclysmic battle, fought by what level of supreme experts, could have left such a terrifying scar upon the land? He looked at the chilling remnants of the conflict, and a scene began to form in his imagination… a sky filled with flying swords and flashing techniques, the ground littered with severed limbs and lifeless bodies. Priceless artifacts were smashed into scrap metal, and entire mountain peaks were leveled, the hard earth scarred with craters dozens of meters deep.

Time passed quickly. After searching for a long while and finding nothing, he looked up and calculated the time. If he didn’t head back soon, it would be dawn. It wouldn’t do to be seen, especially in an unfamiliar place like the Nature Hall. It seemed he would have to come back tomorrow. Searching the entire outer valley was going to be a massive undertaking.

By the time he returned to the nameless peak, the sky was already growing light. He went to Xuanji’s room and found his master sitting in meditation. “Time is precious,” Xuanji said. “Assume the five-hearts-to-the-heavens posture, quiet your breath, and listen carefully to the incantation.”

Qin Haoxuan did as he was told, sitting cross-legged. It took him only three breaths to enter a state of perfect calm, his heart as still as water. Xuanji nodded in satisfaction. Pu Hanzhong had repeatedly told him that Qin Haoxuan’s Dao Heart was exceptionally firm, and though he had been skeptical, he now saw that the boy was a model of mental fortitude.

Xuanji recited the mnemonic for the Celestial River Dao Art once, then explained, “This art is named for the long and endless flow of the celestial river. It is a profound and steady technique. Though not considered high-level, it is simple, practical, and very suitable for a cultivator who has just sprouted.” He then spent another half-hour personally pointing out the art’s nuances and the things to watch out for during cultivation. Only after watching Qin Haoxuan successfully circulate the energy once did he rest easy.

Qin Haoxuan was not only moved by his master’s care, but also secretly shocked. The fiend’s notebook had been right! An orthodox Daoist art truly could help him break through with the Dao Heart Seed Demon Art. He had been skeptical—how could a demonic art need the help of a righteous one? But as he circulated the Celestial River Dao Art, he felt it stimulate the demonic art within him. His speed of absorbing spiritual energy suddenly increased, and he could feel a subtle, positive change occurring in the Dao Heart Seed Demon Art, though it was still too early to tell what it was. He was overjoyed. If a basic art like this could help so much, what would happen when he learned a more powerful one?

After completing one full cycle, he stood up and bowed deeply. “Thank you, Master,” he said with genuine sincerity.

Xuanji smiled and, with a gentle wave of his hand, an invisible force lifted Qin Haoxuan to his feet. “Practice it diligently when you return,” he instructed. “With your Dao Heart, you will master its essentials quickly.”

“Yes, Master!” Qin Haoxuan nodded, his heart filled with warmth as he looked at his master’s kind face.

“Remember to practice it every morning, when the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is at its purest. Do not waste this time,” Xuanji added, then slowly closed his eyes. Looking at the deep, ravine-like wrinkles on his master’s forehead, a sign of his dwindling lifespan, Qin Haoxuan felt a pang of sadness.

But that feeling was quickly swept away by a sudden, catastrophic piece of news.

Zhang Kuang was missing. The moment Qin Haoxuan returned to his quarters, Murong Chao told him. The entire upper echelon of the Taichu Sect had been mobilized to search for the lost Purple Seed.

Within the sect, a Purple Seed was considered completely safe. No one would be foolish enough to attack one. As such, they weren’t given any special protection, just as one wouldn’t constantly watch over a sensible child at home. In its thousand-year history, the sect had never lost a disciple from within its own walls. And now, the first to disappear was a Purple Seed.

Elder Chu knelt before the Sect Master, Perfected Man Huanglong, on Emperor Peak, sweat pouring down his face. He recounted the events leading up to the disappearance: Yelu Qi had left a note saying he was taking Zhang Kuang on a tour of the mountains to broaden his horizons. The Sect Master could understand the elder’s thinking; a Twentieth-Leaf disciple should have had no trouble looking after a novice within the sect’s territory.

The Spirit Field Valley had been turned upside down. Numerous elders had ventured deep into Hundred Beasts Mountain, using all manner of spiritual arts to search for any trace of him.

“If anything has happened to Zhang Kuang…” Perfected Man Huanglong sighed, looking at the kneeling elder. “Well… you had best take care of any unfinished business you might have.”

Elder Chu kowtowed repeatedly. At that moment, he didn’t care about his own death sentence. He was far more concerned about Zhang Kuang’s safety. If he could trade his life for the boy’s, for the sake of the sect, he would do it in a heartbeat. But if Zhang Kuang was truly gone… tears streamed down his face. He had failed his own master, failed the sect. He would be too ashamed to face the ancestors even in death.

“Go and search…” the Sect Master sighed, rising to his feet. A flying sword appeared beneath him, and he shot from Emperor Peak like a rainbow, joining the search himself.

“Haoxuan, did you hear?” Murong Chao said, his voice low and filled with a nervous excitement. “The sect has issued its highest-level reward. Whoever finds Zhang Kuang will be accepted as the Sect Master’s personal disciple! I mean, I hope he’s dead out there, but if I could find him alive… our lives would change forever.”

A cold sweat broke out on Qin Haoxuan’s back. His worst fear had come true. The entire sect was in a frenzy. If they discovered the truth, would the Nature Hall be implicated? If it was, that was something he could not allow. If it came to it, perhaps he should turn himself in, explain everything. Even if the sect executed him, he could not let the Nature Hall be destroyed.

“Haoxuan? Haoxuan?” Murong Chao nudged him. “What’s wrong?”

“Huh?” Qin Haoxuan snapped out of it, shaking his head. “I was just thinking. Zhang Kuang and I grew up together. Knowing his personality, I’m trying to figure out where he might have gone.”

Murong Chao’s interest was instantly piqued, but just then, Pu Hanzhong arrived.

“Haoxuan, why aren’t you cultivating? What are you doing here?”

“Senior Brother Hanzhong,” Murong Chao greeted him. “Haoxuan is trying to think where Zhang Kuang might be.”

Pu Hanzhong’s heart skipped a beat. This was exactly why he had rushed to find him. His face grew stern. “Haoxuan, listen to your senior brother. Cultivation requires focus. Do you think your abilities are greater than the elders’? They can’t find him, so what makes you think you can?”

Qin Haoxuan immediately took the cue. He bowed. “You’re right, Senior Brother. I let worldly matters distract me. I will go cultivate now.”

Pu Hanzhong then turned to Murong Chao. “And you. Think about it. What are the chances you could find him? Why not use this time, while everyone else is distracted, to focus on your own practice?”

Murong Chao agreed verbally, but his heart was still filled with ambition. To become the Sect Master’s disciple… his entire future would be different.

When Qin Haoxuan got back to his room, his face was a mask of worry. Pu Hanzhong followed him in, closed the door, and put a single finger to his lips. “Focusing on your cultivation,” he said aloud, “is the right path.”

Qin Haoxuan instantly understood the warning—the walls might have ears. He quickly sat down and began to meditate in earnest.

(End of Chapter)