“The Demon Monarch’s decree…” Meng Qi nodded thoughtfully. So it turned out Su Junmo had gone to Beyond The Heaven to see Yun Qingyan for this reason.
“But why hasn’t he returned yet?” Sikong Xing looked around anxiously. The open space in front of the Ten Absolutes Mountain was already filled with many people, and the crowd kept growing as time passed.
Meng Qi also looked around; the more people gathered, the quieter it became.
Soon, Yan Shunbei also appeared. His presence caused everyone to fall silent.
Meng Qi looked towards Yan Shunbei from a distance. Dressed in a simple black robe, it was hard to believe that he was the leader of the number one spell sect in the Three Thousand Worlds. But Meng Qi quietly remembered what Yun Qingyan had said about Yan Shunbei being in charge of the Beyond The Heaven in the Demon Realm. She wondered if the Beyond The Heaven there was like that in the Three Thousand Worlds.
“It’s the sect leader of Jingyuetian,” Sikong Xing whispered to Meng Qi.
“Yeah,” Meng Qi nodded.
“Is the person you mentioned before his son?” Sikong Xing’s voice was even lower, careful not to mention Yan Xuan’s injury.
“Yes.”
“He looks very powerful,” Sikong Xing gazed at Yan Shunbei. “What a pity.”
“By the way, Meng Qiqi,” she continued, still holding onto Meng Qi’s arm, “Su Junmo told me that we, as unaffiliated cultivators, have been given special slots by Jingyuetian. So when we enter the Ten Absolutes Mountain, we need to stick with their disciples.”
“Okay.” Meng Qi nodded. This was good for them, especially since Yan Xuan would be there too.
The two were talking when a man in a black robe and cloak approached them. The hood of his cloak was pulled up, covering his entire head, leaving only his jawline visible.
Sikong Xing looked warily at the man who had suddenly appeared beside them. “Meng Qi,” the man didn’t reveal his face and called out her name in a low voice, “We’ll depart together.”
“Who are you?” Sikong Xing asked.
“The person you were just talking about,” Meng Qi recognized Yan Xuan’s voice and quickly informed Sikong Xing.
“Eh?” Sikong Xing was startled.
Meng Qi pointed towards Yan Shunbei on the platform. The sect leader of Jingyuetian was conversing quietly with the leaders of other major sects. Their disciples were spread around them, and Meng Qi’s position was too far away to hear their conversation.
“…!!!” Sikong Xing’s bright eyes filled with surprise. She quickly turned and looked at Yan Xuan’s wrapped figure with wide eyes.
Yan Xuan’s jaw tightened, and he took a step back. Since his injury, he had avoided staying at the sect, finding both the sympathetic and disdainful looks unbearable. This was the base of the Ten Absolutes Mountain, attended by the most outstanding disciples from the top ten sects throughout the four realms. Once known as a genius, Yan Xuan had interacted with many of these young talents. He, however, didn’t want to face them now, believing it would bring nothing but discomfort.
So, when Yan Xuan met Sikong Xing’s eyes, a hint of coldness flickering in his own, hidden beneath the hood of his cloak. He didn’t know Sikong Xing, and with his cultivation now equivalent to a Qi Condensation stage cultivator, he couldn’t discern her identity or cultivation level.
“This is my friend, Sikong Xing,” Meng Qi introduced the flamboyant girl to Yan Xuan. She then gently tugged Sikong Xing’s arm, signaling her not to stare at Yan Xuan so intently, before introducing him to her, “This is Fellow Daoist Yan Xuan.”
Meng Qi deliberately kept her voice very low, only audible to the three of them. The area where they stood was at the back of the crowd. Since disciples of the same sect tended to cluster together, nobody came to join them.
“Oh, oh, oh,” Sikong Xing nodded repeatedly, “I see.” She didn’t call Yan Xuan’s name, but her bright eyes continued to stare unwaveringly at him.
“Xingxing,” Meng Qi tugged Sikong Xing’s sleeve again. She knew the girl was enthusiastic and meant no harm, but Yan Xuan didn’t. He, who had often left his own sect and hidden himself among the hustle and bustle of Jingyue City, was likely disliked to be the center of attention.
“I just wanted to see,” Sikong Xing whispered, “They said before that he kept fighting even with a damaged inner core, never letting the barrier he was guarding be breached. That’s really amazing!” Her eyes sparkled with admiration, “I once fought someone really powerful. Just a flick of his sleeve knocked me to the ground. The shock to my core… oh my!”
Sikong Xing still spoke at a low volume, but her tone was filled with exaggeration, “Instantly, I felt dizzy and nauseous. Forget about continuing to fight; I just wanted to lie there and cry. I couldn’t even sit up. So…” she continued in a hushed tone, still looking at Yan Xuan with shining eyes, “You are really amazing!”
Meng Qi smiled gently. Even Yan Xuan’s cold demeanor seemed to soften. No one dislikes such direct praise, especially when delivered so sincerely and vividly.
Yan Xuan was silent for a moment before saying softly, “It’s nothing impressive. In the end, I still ended up like this.”
“When I first became my Master’s disciple, he asked me a question,” Sikong Xing shook her head and continued, “He said: why do you want to learn from me and what is your purpose in cultivating?”
“What was your answer?” Meng Qi became curious.
“I told my master that it was to become stronger,” Sikong Xing declared.
“Everyone wants to become stronger. It’s just in our nature.” Yan Xuan seemed to chuckle lightly, his tone casual, “But heaven rules above, and we cultivators defy it in our quest to get stronger. That’s why the path of cultivation is full of tribulations and setbacks. Plus, one’s innate talent plays a role, and in the end, only a few reach the pinnacle. Countless others fall along the way, unknown to the world.”
Meng Qi’s heart stirred. Yan Xuan’s words resonated with her experiences. In her case, it was even worse — she had died before she could even become strong.
“It’s not like that,” Sikong Xing shook her head again, “I haven’t finished yet.” She paused, placing one hand behind her back, and continued, “Master then asked me, ‘What is the purpose of becoming strong?’ I said, ‘To protect those I want to protect.’” She smiled at Yan Xuan, even though she couldn’t see his expression, and said earnestly, “That’s why I want to become strong. I think you must feel the same way, wanting to protect them, which is why you could keep fighting even after your core was destroyed.”
She didn’t specify who Yan Xuan wanted to protect. Perhaps his persistence couldn’t protect anyone in the end. Or maybe his perseverance saved many lives in the Western Realm.
Meng Qi glanced at Sikong Xing, then turned to look at Yan Xuan. Under his cloak, the young man stood tall and silent, not speaking for a long time.
“So, Fellow Daoist, if you persist in your path, keeping your Dao heart intact, you definitely will get better and become stronger,” Sikong Xing continued, “You don’t have to…” She gestured towards Yan Xuan’s cloak, “You don’t need to hide yourself like this. Those who make you uncomfortable simply don’t understand your Dao and aren’t worth your attention. My Master said that the most powerful cultivators in the end are those who have steadfastly adhered to their own Dao from the beginning. You are already one of the most… the most formidable among them!”
“…Thank you.” It took a while for Yan Xuan to respond softly.
Meng Qi smiled. Then, she and Sikong Xing, hand in hand, turned back to watch Yan Shunbei. Behind them, the cloaked young man didn’t lift his hood, but the hostility he had towards Sikong Xing had dissipated quite a bit.
A deep tolling of a bell rang out after another stick of incense. The sound was so profound it seemed to spread across the entirety of Jingyuetian. The area in front of the Ten Absolutes Mountain quieted down as the leaders of the top ten sects from the four realms returned to their respective groups.
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Translator’s Note:
Hello, everyone! My Son is a Reborn Villain is nearing ending, so I’ve prepared a replacement: Transmigrating into the Genius Cannon Fodder’s Aunt. For this week only, there will be daily updates, and then it will follow MSRV’s update schedule: Monday and Wednesday.
And there will be sponsored chapter for THDP tomorrow. Enjoy~
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