Chapter Fifty-Six: The Torrential Rain

The heavy rain fell relentlessly, large droplets pounding against Youzhong’s emaciated frame. He gazed into the silvery curtain of rain and mist before him, where the figure of a handsome man seemed to flicker in and out of sight.

Was he truly a Qi Refining Adept? Or perhaps another servant of the Court? It was not uncommon for cultivators descending from the mountains to take up posts within the imperial government. If that were the case, things would become troublesome...

Youzhong’s eyes dropped briefly, glancing at Nanming, who lay sprawled in the filthy puddles.

“We are both cultivators from Shanquing Prefecture, originally cultivating quietly within our sect. But one day, agents of the Court’s Demon Subjugation Division burst into our sect, accusing us of consorting with evil spirits.

Before we could even explain, they forcibly seized us and threw us into prison. After being shuttled around, we ended up in this island prison.

Fortunately, the prison warden here was perceptive and felt we must have been wronged. So, he did not shackle us with the Binding... Spirit Chains,” Youzhong said, giving Su Yuanbai a small bow and sighing softly.

“Sect?” Su Yuanbai’s dark eyes peered calmly through the silvery veil of rain at the frail man standing before him. The downpour and gale nearly made Youzhong seem like a kite with a broken string, swaying feebly, as if he might collapse at any moment.

He cut quite a pitiable figure.

This Qi Adept didn’t know about the Profound Crystal, nor, it seemed, about the major sects. Well, it was better to mention a powerful one—if the stranger was aware of the sect rankings, perhaps he would be more cautious.

“Shenzhen Sect,” Youzhong replied after a moment’s hesitation.

The name he gave, Shenzhen Sect, ranked among the top three sects in all twelve provinces, occupying one of the ten great blessed grounds—Upper Pure Jade Flat Heaven.

Once, this place had been the cultivation haven of Master Zixu Yuanjun. After Zixu Yuanjun ascended in broad daylight at the Ritual Altar, the Yellow Court Temple within Upper Pure Jade Flat Heaven mysteriously collapsed, and the celestial scripture, the “Upper Pure Scripture,” was revealed to the world.

A celestial scripture appearing should have been a sign of great fortune.

But the hearts of men are unpredictable. The twelve Resident Immortals of the caves within Upper Pure Jade Flat Heaven all vied to seize the “Upper Pure Scripture” and cultivate the true path, hoping to ascend as their predecessor had.

First, they debated and dueled upon the Red Jade Terrace, and all the Immortals reached new heights in their enlightenment, purple mist swirling above them.

Yet, it was unclear which Immortal’s resolve first faltered, for suddenly violence erupted.

What followed was a series of strange events, until only one flawless Immortal remained in Upper Pure Jade Flat Heaven, and the celestial scripture naturally fell to him.

But what happened next surprised everyone.

This flawless Immortal lifted the cave’s restrictions and welcomed all who sought the immortal path from the twelve provinces, founding the Shenzhen Sect and becoming its ancestral patriarch.

So, when the frail man uttered the name Shenzhen Sect, it was Xi Chunxue whose composure first cracked, her soul even drifting forward to scrutinize this gaunt figure.

She wanted to see what was so special about someone from Shenzhen Sect.

Youzhong, not having mastered the art of seeing spirits, could not see Xi Chunxue observing him so closely. Still, he sensed an intense gaze upon him and assumed it was the handsome stranger’s wariness at hearing the sect’s name.

He had gambled correctly.

Youzhong let out a silent sigh of relief.

“Of course, with my limited abilities, I am not an inner disciple of Shenzhen Sect. In fact, even the threshold for outer disciples was barely within my reach. Luckily, a senior at the Profound Spirit Realm took a liking to me and accepted me as an outer disciple,” he said, lifting his chin slightly, displaying the pride peculiar to disciples of a great sect.

But as the saying goes, too many words bring mistakes.

Xi Chunxue, on hearing this frail man’s explanation, couldn’t help but snicker, then floated back to Qu Hanchen’s side, shaking her head with a soft laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Qu Hanchen scratched his head in confusion. He didn’t see anything amusing in the conversation, nor did he understand why Xi Chunxue’s expression had changed so drastically at the mention of Shenzhen Sect.

“People say those of us from the mountains are strict, but they don’t know that cultivator sects are even stricter. There are monthly assessments, annual competitions, and every even-numbered year, inter-sect tournaments.

‘A liking’ means nothing to cultivators. Only strength is judged,” Xi Chunxue said with rare amusement.

“So you’re saying there’s no way a Profound Spirit senior would simply ‘take a liking’ to him?” Qu Hanchen began to understand her point.

“Impossible. Unless that so-called senior wanted to use him as a furnace, or his innate talent was truly extraordinary.

But looking at him, I can’t imagine it’s the latter,” she replied, glancing at the frail man.

Even the most basic water-control technique was handled so crudely—it was hard to see any remarkable talent there. Profound Spirit wasn’t as lofty as Divine Wandering, but it was still considered the gateway to the Grand Dao. Using someone like him as a furnace would only sully one’s own path.

“Never heard of it,” Su Yuanbai said calmly.

“Ah?... Hm...” Youzhong glanced repeatedly at Su Yuanbai, confirming the words had indeed come from the handsome man before him. He was left more puzzled than ever.

When the Shenzhen Sect was founded, all the seventy-two blessed lands, thirty-six lesser caves, and the nine other great caves’ Qi Adepts and Immortals would have known of it. Could this man’s cultivation place be some obscure backwater? But how could such a remote place produce an old monster like this? Though the pressure he exerted wasn’t overwhelming, Youzhong’s instincts screamed at him not to provoke this old monster.

“There is one more thing.”

“Go on, old monster.”

Youzhong’s face went deathly pale. How had he blurted out what he was thinking? This was bad—truly bad!

“Hahaha! I quite like this fellow!” Duan Lingqi, hovering in the air, laughed heartily at the man’s inadvertent use of “old monster.”

“Would you call your own lord an old monster?” Xi Chunxue looked up at Duan Lingqi.

“I said nothing of the sort,” Duan Lingqi snorted.

“The prison warden you mentioned, the one you called perceptive—who is he?” Su Yuanbai, knowing full well that “old monster” referred to himself, was not offended; he simply gazed at the frail man and asked evenly.

“I do not know the warden’s full name, only that others call him Deputy Warden Lin,” Youzhong replied after a brief hesitation.

“Deputy Warden Lin? That name sounds familiar,” Duan Lingqi muttered.

“Not only the name, but the face as well. He was the elegant man in the black robe who just drifted past us,” Xi Chunxue said, her deep eyes gazing in the direction where Lin Lan had departed, her voice tinged with gravity.

Could it really be him?