Aspiring to the Immortal Path
Aspiring to the Immortal Path - Chapter 696: Imminent Storm

The Immortal path was difficult and full of unpredictable dangers.

These dangers could take the form of fiends, one's peers, and also various personal difficulties.

Starting from the charge at Celestial Heart, a cultivator faced the risk of dying upon failure. But the chances weren't high, and the Five Energies Sovereign Essence Pill greatly increased the chances of success and reduced the dangers.

But so long as the risk was still there, there would come a day when they eventually came to pass.

Heng Wei's death was a reflection of this risk, both a coincidence and an inevitability.

Losing a companion made everyone depressed, and rather than cheering them, Cai Junyang's successful summiting worsened their moods—losing a friend would make one feel bad, and having a friend outperform one by too much would make one feel even worse.

Not in their wildest estimations had anyone expected Cai Junyang to have the ability to reach the summit.

When Tang Jie had divided the Ninedark Mantra and passed them on to everyone, each person had benefited, even using what they had been given to develop their own understandings and developing those chopped-up chapters into their unique personal arts, their trump cards and foundations. Even Tang Jie hadn't done this, nor had he expected it. And among them, the one who had done this the best was Cai Junyang.

The Hundred Tribulations Passage Art had been tempered through countless life-or-death trials, put to full use every time, allowing Cai Junyang to take it beyond its regular form and display a style unique to himself.

To push against the currents and fearlessly advance was the source of his confidence, and through all the countless missions he had gone on and the bloody battles within, he had comprehended a sliver of the Dao of Slaughter.

Only those with the Dao of Slaughter could permanently kill the Reaping Wind Snakes and reach the summit.

In each and every attempt, Cai Junyang accumulated understanding, until finally, he comprehended Slaughter, upon which he cut through all opposition and reached the summit, much grander than when Tang Jie had used a Heavenbane Lightning Pearl to open the way.

The moment he comprehended Slaughter, he understood this Dao down to his bones. Tang Jie had entered the Dao through Wisdom, which allowed him to easily understand the Great Daos but made it no less difficult for him to grasp their essence. Cai Junyang had comprehended the Dao using his body, personally experiencing the Dao Will, so his level of profundity was much greater than Tang Jie's.

When he comprehended Slaughter, he needed no master or guidance, immediately creating three powerful killing moves. When he stepped into the Moonlight Pond, even the spiritual liquid yielded to him.

Seated in the Moonlight Pond, sensing the spiritual power rushing around, he sat there for three days and three nights.

In these three days and nights, Cai Junyang not only rapidly stabilized his Spirit Ring foundation, he also merged with the world like Tang Jie. Not only did this help him comprehend the Violet Jade Mantra, he also gained a sliver of a chance at entering the Dao, which was bound to be of infinite help to him in the future.

He was refined and reborn in both body and mind, and he officially jumped to the top of the group, leaving even Bei Canghan in his dust.

In truth, the moment Cai Junyang comprehended Slaughter, Bei Canghan had become inferior, but now, even without the Dao of Slaughter, he would still be no match for Cai Junyang.

Three days later, Cai Junyang emerged from the pond.

A bell rang out through the Water Moon Paradise, signaling that the cultivation period in the Water Moon Paradise for the fourteen disciples had ended.

The Starsnatch Monkey couldn't help but engage in a nagging session as it sent out the thirteen disciples.

As they returned to the world, they all sighed in sorrow over the death of Heng Wei, and how it seemed like they had been reborn.

After that was an audience with Sect Master Ling Xiao.

From the moment they ascended to Celestial Heart, they were no longer simple disciples, but mainstays of the Basking Moon Sect. Although they were generationally still juniors, their outstanding strength made them the rising stars of their generation.

The six major sects had numerous rising stars every year, but to have so many from one generation was still rare. While this was admittedly somewhat due to their own efforts, there was also no denying that Tang Jie had something to do with it. If he hadn't divided the Ninedark Mantra, Cai Junyang might have been able to get to a rather high altitude, but he would have never been able to reach the summit. As for Shi Meng, there was no way he would have reached Celestial Heart, and there was no need to bring up Wei Tianchong. He owed far too much to Tang Jie. Even Bei Canghan and the others had benefited greatly from the Stone Gate Sect incident.

Thus, as they sighed, they also expressed their gratitude to Tang Jie.

Fortunately, this gratitude didn't just have to stew in their hearts. It was time for them to repay the favor.

"This trip to Endsea will be different from others. In the past, the Basking Moon Sect would have been your backer so that you could act without thinking of the consequences, but in a foreign land, you must be careful about your every action. Although you have all entered Celestial Heart, you must understand that this level of strength is nothing to Horizon Ocean Pavilion. You are going in order to help Xu Miaoran out of her predicament, not to kill yourselves. If you cannot tell where this boundary is or the severity of it, then it would be better if you didn't go…" Ling Xiao slowly said.

The disciples sounded off their agreement in unison.

"A snake cannot be without a head. Canghan, you shall be the leader."

"I will carry out the sect master's will!" Bei Canghan said with a bow.

Although Cai Junyang had surpassed him in strength, leadership was an important role that wasn't decided based solely on martial prowess. Bei Canghan was the oldest of the group, and had abundant experience as a leader and a cautious personality. Nobody objected to him being the leader.

In truth, Ling Xiao had originally intended to have Zuo Quanming lead the group. After all, as a Heart Demon True Person, he was the strongest, and he had also wandered the world for many years, making him even more experienced than Bei Canghan. But when he had looked over at Zuo Quanming, this guy had instinctively shrunk back, so he knew that this guy had no sense of responsibility and had no desire to be a leader.

But after some thought, Ling Xiao took out an item and said, "Zuo Quanming, you were the only disciple who did not enter the Water Moon Paradise to cultivate. Out of fairness, I grant you these two treasures to assist you."

He threw over a jade tablet and a golden hoop.

The two items seemed unremarkable, but the moment Zuo Quanming grabbed them, he felt an unusual power. After slightly examining them, he knew how to use them. It turned out that the jade tablet contained a Divine Connection personally sealed within by Sect Master Ling Xiao. As for the golden hoop, it contained a powerful defensive Divine Connection that could protect the group. Both were valuable treasures that delighted Zuo Quanming. Moreover, Zuo Quanming knew that these two treasures had a threefold purpose—to make up for his loss in not entering the Water Moon Paradise, to make the group stronger as a whole, and to allow Ling Xiao to keep a watch on the group through the power of his sealed Divine Connections—and he couldn't help but inwardly sigh in praise. Of course, Ling Xiao was keeping a watch on the group not because he lacked trust, but because he was concerned.

After giving Zuo Quanming these treasures, Ling Xiao spoke with the group more.

The Basking Moon Sect hadn't been sitting on its laurels while Bei Canghan's group had been cultivating in the paradise, and it knew everything that had happened in Horizon Ocean Pavilion. Some of the capable subordinates of the Search Hall had even established communications with Xu Miaoran.

The Basking Moon Sect had already planned out every step of the group's journey.

Once the details had been explained, the group of fourteen silently left that night.

Great Wind Island, Cherryfall.

Cherryfall had always been famous for its cherry blossoms, with the third month of spring being the blooming season. The flowers would bloom into a majestic sea of pink, and whenever a gust of wind blew, the petals would drift down, exuding an intoxicating fragrance.

Every year, Xu Miaoran would pay a visit to the town at this time.

Pacing among the sea of flowers, strolling among the trees, and having the petals rain down upon her, she would appreciate the picturesque scenery.

This year, Xu Miaoran came to Cherryfall again.

She went over to a sweets shop and shouted, "Shopkeeper, get me a bowl of jujube and longan soup, and add on a plate of osmanthus cakes."

An old man walked out of the shop, and his eyes brightened as he spotted Xu Miaoran. "Oh, if it isn't Madame Xu! You've finally come! I've been waiting for a few days now for you to show up!"

Xu Miaoran smugly threw back her hair and said, "I also wanted to come, but the blossom season hadn't come yet. Last year's view wasn't good, a big gale coming out of nowhere and blowing down all the trees. This year, I've come over to see if the flowers have bloomed as they should have."

"Bloomed, bloomed, of course they bloomed." The old man brought Xu Miaoran her soup as he excitedly said, "You can see the spring colors all around you. Everyone has looked forward to Madame coming to visit."

As he was talking, a woman came out of the shop and bowed to Xu Miaoran. "Madame Xu, you've come. I was wondering why the magpies had come to sing their joyful song to me today, and why the jasmines blossomed early. It seems like it was all to welcome you, Madame."

Xu Miaoran smiled. "Auntie Zhang is as good with your words as ever."

Old Zhang served up the cakes and said, "Madame, taste this old man's skill and see if I've gotten any worse."

Xu Miaoran took a sip of the soup, and then her delicate hands picked up a cake and put it in her mouth. She then nodded in satisfaction. "The same old taste."

Old Zhang laughed. "Madame, if you like it, I can pack it up and send it to your mansion. There just so happen to be fourteen boxes in my shop."

"'Fourteen boxes'?" Xu Miaoran was startled. "How bizarre. If there were fifteen, you'd have a complete set."

The old man replied with a smile, "There were originally fifteen, but my old lady somehow slipped and dropped a box while she was wrapping them."

Xu Miaoran's expression sank. "Is that so? What a pity."

"Madame, does this old man need to send these desserts to any particular place?" Old Zhang asked.

Dabbing a finger in the date soup, Xu Miaoran wrote on the table. "Just send them here, understand?"

The old man narrowed his eyes. "Madame, be at ease. They will all be sent over tonight."

"Very good." Xu Miaoran rose and left.

Three days later, Xu Miaoran returned to Horizon Ocean Pavilion.

Taking a seat in her reception hall, Xu Miaoran said, "Pass on my order. Starting from today, the restriction is removed, and everyone is free to go out. And have Hong Yuan get ready. Tell her… that the trading is about to start back up."