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Around the demon core, a destructive formation had been created with crystal nuclei. It couldn’t be forcibly dismantled; one could only wait for others to join forces and dismantle the formation together from the four cardinal directions. Otherwise, the water source would be destroyed.
It was just that Tan Yun couldn’t understand it. A demon core was of considerable value, belonging to an expert of the demon race, with strength at least above the Golden Core stage. Why would someone go to such great lengths just to affect some poultry?
Tan Yun tossed the spirit stones high into the air above the stream. She formed a hand seal, and the suspended spirit stones shone like stars.
The spirit stones rotated, each finding its position, arranging themselves around the demon core. Tan Yun pressed her palms together. The spirit stones embedded themselves into the bottom of the stream, suppressing it. The demon core instantly lost its light.
She withdrew her hands, and the water bridge gradually returned to calm.
The villagers all saw the divine ability she had used. The stream began to flow again, washing away the filth and slowly becoming clean. The crowd behind her knelt and bowed once more.
“Thank you, Immortal Master! Immortal Master is truly righteous!”
Tan Yun was indifferent to their compliments. She only turned to glance back. Seeing the crowd bowing and prostrating themselves, their humble and respectful attitude truly brought her no joy. She couldn’t be bothered with it.
“May I ask, Immortal Master, is everything alright now?”
Tan Yun frowned slightly and said, “The poultry in the village only went mad after drinking from the stream. I have already used a formation to suppress and purify it. There should be no further issues.”
Tan Yun did not tell them the truth that there was a demon core at the bottom of the stream. She didn’t know the intentions of the person who set up the formation. If it caused a misunderstanding about the demon race, the already precarious balance between the human and demon races would be broken.
“That’s wonderful! Thank you, Immortal Master.”
An old man stepped forward, handing over an old storage pouch. “We do not know how to thank you, Immortal Master. Here are about a hundred low-grade spirit stones and a dozen or so mid-grade ones. It is all the villagers could gather together. It’s a small token of our appreciation. We hope the Immortal Master will not disdain it.”
“There is no need.” Tan Yun stood tall and elegant. “Have any outsiders visited your village recently?”
The villagers looked at each other and shook their heads.
“Forget it. I have other matters to attend to and cannot stay long.”
Tan Yun didn’t want to waste too much time here. With the formation suppressed, this place would be safe for now. When she returned to the sect, she would naturally order someone to investigate.
The old man bowed low. “Immortal Master, please wait. This old one would like to ask if the Immortal Master is from the Heavenly Secret Sect?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I saw the Immortal Master setting up a formation just now, without any sloppiness, so I guessed you were from the Heavenly Secret Sect.” The old man beckoned to Fu Xin. “This old one knows I shouldn’t ask anything more of you, Immortal Master, but this child has dual Fire and Wind spiritual roots. A few years ago, the Heavenly Secret Sect came looking for this child, but because… alas. In short, this old one can only brazenly ask the Immortal Master to give this child another chance, to let her participate in the entrance test.”
Only then did Tan Yun properly look at Fu Xin.
The girl’s clothes were tattered, but her eyes were bright and her features were proper. She was indeed good material for cultivation.
It was just that outsiders only knew that Tan Yun’s Sword Dao was sublime, but no one knew that she was also proficient in formations. The formation she set up today was just a relatively simple isolation formation, to seal the demon core in one area.
She looked at the girl’s bright and spirited eyes, which were similar to Sui An’s, stubborn and resilient. Even when whipped, she refused to beg for mercy. Although she had lowered her head in the end, Tan Yun’s heart was as clear as a mirror. Sui An’s stubborn eyes were always searching for an answer.
An answer that was very difficult for her to give.
She was not a sentimental person, but this similar gaze made her hesitate for a moment. At the same time, it reminded her that by setting up a formation here, she risked exposure. The only way was to bind the entire village.
Tan Yun glanced at the villagers. Seeing the expectant looks in their eyes, she sneered. With a flip of her hand, a piece of white paper floated in the air, slowly folding itself into an envelope, imprinted with the character for ‘Open’1.
Tan Yun held it in her hand. “This envelope has already explained the situation here. It is also a letter of recommendation. If you wish to take this envelope, you must make an oath2.”
Fu Xin was stunned. She immediately knelt on the ground. “I will make whatever pact the Immortal Master says.”
“You must not reveal the matter of my setting up the formation. Otherwise, you and this entire village will be doomed beyond redemption.” Tan Yun would not risk exposing her proficiency in formations for this person. The principle that a man’s talent is his crime3 was demonstrated most vividly among cultivators.
As for how this person would get to the Heavenly Secret Sect and how she would concoct a story, that had nothing to do with Tan Yun.
Fu Xin locked her brows and looked back at the stunned old man. The villagers behind him all had different expressions.
She knew that no one would be willing to entrust their fate to another. Right now, because the purple-robed woman before them was too powerful, no one dared to stand up and object. She had no right to forcibly tie their fates to her own. But the opportunity before her was her last chance. If she missed it, she would never be able to step onto the path of cultivation again.
An oath carried a very strong binding force that only a great power could break. Even if Fu Xin could one day become a great power and break free from the pact, the purple-robed woman would likely not care about today’s events by then.
Fu Xin’s gaze shifted back to the purple-robed woman. Her gaze was one that people dared not meet directly. It was just a glance, but it threw Fu Xin’s heart into chaos. Fu Xin wanted to become that kind of person, to kill enemies with a flick of her finger like the purple-robed woman, to have the qualification to stand shoulder to shoulder with her.
Fu Xin kowtowed. As she rose, she bit her fingertip, raised three fingers to the heavens, and said, word by word, clearly, “I, Fu Xin, today make this oath. If I reveal even the slightest bit about the person who set up the formation here, I and the entire village that gave birth to and raised me will be doomed beyond redemption, and die without a burial place.”
After she spoke, Tan Yun raised a hand and pointed. A bead of blood floated before her. She drew a symbol in the air, and patterns appeared on the blood bead. This indicated that the vow was formed. The blood in Fu Xin’s body would be bound by this pattern. As long as the other party kept her promise, Tan Yun would naturally release the oath.
She took back the blood bead. “Remember today’s vow.”
Tan Yun tossed the envelope to her, then turned and left, treading on the air. Only a faint purple silhouette remained in the dark night sky, which soon merged with the night.
Fu Xin stood there in a daze. She licked her fingertip. For some reason, her face flushed slightly, and she revealed a shy smile.
…
After two consecutive days of flying through the air, Tan Yun arrived at the Chan Dao Temple a few days early.
The Chan Dao Temple was situated on a mountain peak. The mountain was not very high, only because many common people came to the temple every day to burn incense and ask about their future, or their marriage prospects, and so on. This kind of shallow divination was beneficial for cultivation, and it also allowed them to gain the faith of others, earning merit to offset the heavenly punishment for prying into heaven’s secrets.
At this time, the incense in front of the gate was burning strongly.
People came and went, a bustling crowd everywhere.
Tan Yun followed the crowd into the temple.
Yellow walls and tiled roofs. The tallest building was only six stories high. Unlike other immortal cultivation sects, the Chan Dao Temple was close to the people. It was also the only cultivation place that common people could easily access. Therefore, it was quite favored by common people. Its followers were widespread, from the monarch of a country down to a begging child. Even some cultivators who didn’t believe in fate had to show it some respect and believe a little.
If not for the Chan Dao Temple’s dislike for conflict, it could probably surpass the Heavenly Secret Sect and become the number one sect on the Shengtian Continent.
A man in yellow robes had just walked out of the incense hall. Whether it was intentional or not, he walked straight towards Tan Yun to bump into her.
Naturally, he bumped into empty air. He almost fell, but thankfully, the young servant beside him was quick to steady him.
The man rearranged his clothes, blocked her path, and said with a roguish smile, “Little lady, don’t be in such a hurry to leave. I just had my fortune told for marriage today, and it said I would meet the person of my heart. I never thought I’d meet you as soon as I stepped out. Don’t you think the two of us are fated?”
Tan Yun turned sideways to avoid him.
The man blocked her again. “Don’t go! Don’t be afraid, little lady. I won’t be rough with women, that’s too demeaning. I just want to get to know you.”
“Today, I have also divined that you will have a bloody disaster4.”
Tan Yun sneered. Just as she raised her hand to teach this person a lesson, a disciple of the Chan Dao Temple stepped between them, put his palms together, and bowed to them both.
“No fighting is allowed within this temple.”
The man smiled, fanned himself gracefully, and said, “I said I wouldn’t lay a hand on a woman. Don’t worry, little master.”
The disciple shook his head, did not explain, and turned to Tan Yun. “Sect Master Tan, my Martial Uncle is waiting for you in the inner courtyard. Please follow me.”
The two left, leaving the man stiff and disheveled in the wind. He had never imagined that such an otherworldly woman was actually a Sect Master.
He touched the back of his neck; it was covered in cold sweat.
The inner courtyard was quiet and serene, with rockeries, ponds, swaying green willows, and the fragrance of flowers and grass. It was not noisy like the front courtyard, which was filled with the smell of incense ash.
“Sect Master Tan, Martial Uncle is inside.”
Tan Yun nodded and stepped through the doorway.
A small statue of Buddha stood there. It was the founder of the Chan Dao Temple. After his ascension, his disciples took him as the object of their faith. Tianchanzi was sitting on a prayer mat, chanting a mind-calming mantra to the Buddha statue.
When he heard movement behind him, he finally opened his eyes, turned to look at the visitor, and said, “That purple robe is truly hard to ignore. Sect Master Tan, I’m afraid you’ve made a trip for nothing today. Regarding the phenomenon a few days ago, even I cannot see through it.”
Tan Yun saw him shake his head and sigh, his eyes sincere, not looking like he was just being perfunctory. She frowned and said, “Not a single clue?”
Tianchanzi shook his head again. “No. It’s just that my lifespan is about to end, and I am concentrating all my efforts on breaking through in cultivation. I dare not investigate this matter in detail again. The only thing I can know is that the phenomenon is not unrelated to you.”
Tan Yun was stunned. “What do you mean by that?”
“I cannot see through you. I cannot see through anyone related to this phenomenon.” Tianchanzi closed his eyes, as if giving an order to leave. “Sect Master Tan, all things have cause and effect. We are able to know the effect because we observe the cause. With a fixed number comes a shackle. Not being able to see through it is not necessarily a bad thing.”
What he meant was that even if Tan Yun obtained the fruit (the result), she would not acknowledge it or bite into it. It would be better not to know. All fates should be controlled by oneself.
The days of rushing and Sui An’s sudden change to a docile personality had weighed heavily on Tan Yun’s mind, and she had been unable to find relief. Now, hearing Tianchanzi’s words, her spiritual platform5 instantly became clear.
She had never believed in fate. Even if she had to shatter the heavens and flatten the earth, if she couldn’t become an immortal, she would face divine punishment as a demon. She would never bow her head.
“A few days ago, I passed by a village and found that the stream in the village was being suppressed by a demon core, polluting the water source. Do you know who did it?”
“I only know that this person is from Lianxing City.”
Lianxing City was a place under the jurisdiction of the Demon Slaying Sect. Because of its rich spiritual energy, many cultivation families were stationed there.
“Thank you.” She turned, her back straight, cold, and proud.
“Wait.” Tianchanzi suddenly opened his eyes and called out, “Although I cannot see through your fate, I have seen a little of your marriage fortune. There are some twists and turns. Whether it can come to a successful conclusion depends on your own beliefs. This person…”
Tan Yun turned, her face stiff and cold, her gaze like a blade. “I have never included marriage fortune in my cultivation. You’d better not casually pry into it either.”
Tianchanzi closed his mouth.
After she left, Tianchanzi spoke again. “Even if I don’t say it, what’s destined to come will come. Forget it, why should I worry about it?”
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Glossary
Crystal Nuclei (晶核, jīnghé): Likely another term for a type of spirit stone or energy crystal used in formations.
Lianxing City (联兴城, Liánxìng Chéng): A city under the jurisdiction of the Demon Slaying Sect.
Martial Uncle (师叔, shīshū): A term of address for a male cultivator who is in the same generation as one’s own master.
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Reika’s Notes:
- Who is this new girl with fire and wind roots? A rival?
- This text was translated by RudeGirl and given to BC Novels for publication.
- I helped with the footnotes, formatting, grammar, etc., the usual stuff that is needed to post this on the website.
- Please let me know if there are any errors. Thanks for reading!
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- Open (启, qǐ): This character means “to open,” “to start,” or “to enlighten.” In ancient China, it was often written on letters as a polite way of saying “to be opened by.”
- 誓言契约 – A magically binding oath. Breaking it results in severe, often fatal, consequences as stipulated in the vow.
- A man’s talent is his crime (怀璧其罪, huáibì qízùi): This is a famous Chinese idiom. It literally means “to get into trouble for carrying a jade disc.” It refers to the danger of possessing a valuable item or talent that incites the greed of others, leading to one’s downfall.
- Bloody disaster (血光之灾, xuèguāng zhīzāi): A common term in Chinese fortune-telling, referring to a calamity involving bloodshed, injury, or death.
- 灵台 – In Daoist and traditional Chinese thought, the lingtai refers to the heart or mind, specifically as the seat of consciousness and spiritual awareness. For a cultivator, having a “clear spiritual platform” means having a clear, enlightened, and untroubled mind, which is crucial for cultivation.