“Seventh,” the old man spoke again, “Ten years ago, our Master was killed in the Devil Realm, and Duankong Sect has since been without a leader. This is a great shame and humiliation for the sect. We also made a solemn oath before Master’s spirit tablet that the next sect leader would be the one to kill that devil cultivator and avenge Master. Therefore, for the past ten years, I have been temporarily acting as the sect leader, handling the daily affairs of the sect.” He paused briefly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the remaining eleven cultivators in the hall. “I also know that, as the eldest senior brother, you people may have some grievances against me. That’s why I have refrained from interfering in your personal affairs for the past ten years.”
The old man smiled bitterly, “In these years, I considered it fortunate that Duankong Sect’s reputation has not declined.”
“Hmph,” one of the eleven cultivators coldly snorted. “Eldest Senior Brother, just say what you want to say. Even Seventh Junior Brother is here now. It’s rare for us to gather together like this, so Eldest Senior Brother should speak your mind. As long as it benefits the sect, we are not going to oppose you.”
“Very well,” the old man referred to as Eldest Senior Brother nodded, “The sect’s opportunity has reappeared, and I still insist that seeking revenge for our Master is important. However, it is also crucial to choose a new sect leader at this time.”
“The sect’s opportunity has reappeared?” another middle-aged cultivator took over, “Eldest Senior Brother, are you referring to that young medical cultivator from the Apricot Forest?”
“Exactly,” the old man nodded slowly, “Our disciples have experienced the Apricot Forest, and although according to the rules, nothing can be taken out from there, but…” He paused, looking around, “I have long known that the Apricot Forest holds the secret of an ancient medical cultivator. So…”
The old man’s hand flipped, and he revealed a small, exquisite green pearl in his palm.
He threw the pearl into the air, and it emitted a burst of light, converging on the wall deep inside the hall.
The light shimmered, and soon the clear image of a young man and woman standing side by side appeared. The woman was in a blue robe, her waist slender, her back straight, and her long black hair simply tied up, revealing a side profile that was elegant and refined, but with a touch of youthful innocence.
Beside her stood a man in a black robe, tall and imposing. Several scars on his face added a hint of mystery to his originally handsome appearance.
“This is…”
“Huh?”
“Aren’t these two Meng Qiqi and Ji Wujiong?”
“…They are moving!”
“It’s an array…”
“This Meng Qi is… she’s observing their sword array, and she actually!!!”
In the main hall, discussions erupted instantly. However, Ling Ji did not join in. He stood far away, arms crossed in front of his chest, quietly observing the agile figure of the woman in the blue robe within the light curtain.
It’s Meng Qi.
Ling Ji squinted his eyes slightly.
The display in the light curtain didn’t last long, and soon the hall regained its calmness.
“So, did she learn it before, or did she directly imitate the array from Feng’er and the others?” After a moment of silence, someone asked.
“This is a question I also want to know,” the old man said in a solemn and deliberate tone. “Clearly, Ji Wujiong and Meng Qi have learned more than what we have witnessed.”
Silence filled the hall once again.
“Now that Seventh is also here,” the old man glanced at Ling Ji, “let’s use the bamboo slips for voting.”
With a wave of his sleeve, he distributed thirteen bamboo slips to each of the thirteen people, including himself. “Express your opinions on whether we should break the oath made in the past and re-elect the sect leader. Each of you should state your stance.”
Ling Ji reached out and took the bamboo slip. By writing down his own opinion on it, the side with the majority of votes would emerge as the winner. His gaze slowly swept across the people in the hall. They had already begun. Some swiftly wrote down their thoughts and tossed the bamboo slip forward. The slips stood silently, waiting for all thirteen to gather, keeping their contents hidden from view.
Some whispered to the people beside them, discussing their thoughts before starting to write on the bamboo slips.
Soon, twelve bamboo slips floated in the center of the grand hall.
“Seventh,” the old man turned to look at Ling Ji, “You are the last.”
Ling Ji let out a chuckle. He exerted force in his hand, and the bamboo slip suddenly snapped in half.
“Seventh, you!” The old man stood up abruptly, frowning as he looked at Ling Ji. “What are you doing?!”
Ling Ji stood with his hands behind his back and looked at the old man. “Selecting the sect leader.” The old man relaxed, thinking that this rebellious Seventh Junior Brother was on his side this time. Before he could speak, Ling Ji continued, “Since when does Duankong Sect need to make decisions through such a convoluted process?”
As soon as he finished speaking, he lightly flicked his finger. No one saw where Ling Ji’s natal longsword emerged from, but in the blink of an eye, sword aura filled the entire hall. Even though all present were powerful sword cultivators with high levels of cultivation bases, they all felt chilled with fear.
“Seventh!” The old man was the first to speak, glaring at Ling Ji with anger. “What are you doing?!”
“Selecting the sect leader,” Ling Ji repeated with a faint smile as he glanced at his senior brother. “When the number one sword sect is choosing its leader, the strongest naturally takes all.”
…
At the same time, in the southeastern corner of Jingyue City, a group of young men and women sat around a table in a private room at the Ruyi Inn restaurant.
“We actually made it… out!” Sikong Xing couldn’t believe it was real. She reached out and pinched her own face, exerting some force, which made her yelp in pain.
“Xingxing,” the girl in the blue robe sitting beside her was naturally Meng Qi. She poured a cup of tea for Sikong Xing and said, “We have already left the Starfallen Sea.”
“Huff…” Sikong Xing breathed a sigh of relief and suddenly leaned on the table. “I still can’t believe it, after all, in the end, it was really…” As she spoke, she turned her head back with lingering fear, as if expecting someone to be standing behind her.
“But Meng Qiqi,” the flamboyant girl in the red dress turned to her friend, “Ji Wujiong said that the person in the forest was Lin Yan, that senior Lin Yan. Is it true? Is it really the same Lin Yan from the Apricot Forest?”
Upon hearing the name “Lin Yan,” Lu Qingran, who was sitting in a corner of the room, trembled and shrank her body. She timidly looked at Meng Qi and Sikong Xing. Even though they had already come out, just thinking about what happened in the Starfallen Sea made her shudder involuntarily.
“It’s precisely because it was Senior Lin Yan that we were able to get out,” Meng Qiqi said, her voice slightly hoarse as she gazed at the table. “Because of Senior Lin Yan, she has always been…” She didn’t know how to describe it. After a moment of silence, she smiled faintly, “Because she has always been a medical cultivator.”
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I’m confused. One moment we are in trouble inside the forest and next we are chatting in a restaurant? Did I miss something?
Thank you for the chapter but why did the author had to make climax to be told through flashbacks!? It kills the tension!
Thank you for the translation! I hope someone can clear out if we missed something because I still don’t know how they escaped.
Nothing is missing. That part was skipped by the author for a major plot point
Thank you for the clarification 😊