Chapter 36

By the time dawn approached, few people were left releasing river lanterns. The master and disciple parted ways, one returning to Chishuang Mountain, the other setting off to find Shen Xi. With less than ten days remaining, Xie Chang'an knew that no matter how much she practiced, she would not achieve any breakthrough. Although Yu Chunshan and the others had not yet emerged from the Dahe Youxian, and Xie Chang'an should have stayed to wait with Shen Xi, the fact that her own master was about to undergo his heavenly tribulation meant it would be inexcusable for his only disciple to be absent.

She found Shen Xi and explained the situation, informing him that she had to return to Chishuang Mountain early. Upon hearing that there were less than ten days left until Zhu Xuanguang's tribulation, Shen Xi was naturally shocked.

"Don't delay; return to the sect first. I will stay here for a few more days. If Zhang Fanruo and the others still haven't come out, I will hurry back then," Shen Xi said. In truth, both knew well that with their cultivation levels, it was difficult for them to play any significant role in Zhu Xuanguang's tribulation. Even if someone like Fang Qinglan were present, could they have stopped the fall of True Person Canmiao?

That scene at Fuguang Mountain had left a lingering shadow in the hearts of many cultivators. Just because they didn't speak of it did not mean they felt optimistic about Zhu Xuanguang’s trial, for the current state of True Person Canmiao and Zhu Xuanguang could very well be their own future. When the rabbit dies, the fox grieves; no one wanted their fate to be prematurely nailed to an irreversible Book of Life and Death.

After returning to Chishuang Mountain, Xie Chang'an did not rush to see Zhu Xuanguang but first went to see True Person Sheyun to report what she had witnessed at Fuguang Mountain. True Person Sheyun did not seem surprised; he merely checked her progress in cultivation, urging her that while reaching the Sword Heart Realm was gratifying, her current state was unstable. Since she would have to shoulder heavy responsibilities at Chongming Peak in the future, she must not slacken. Not a word was said about whether Zhu Xuanguang would succeed in his tribulation, yet it seemed as if every word pointed toward it.

Xie Chang'an asked, "Master Uncle, does Chishuang Mountain not intend to invite cultivators from other sects to stand guard this time?"

True Person Sheyun nodded. "This tribulation will not be open to outsiders. Your master will go to Chenhua Peak alone, and all surrounding peaks will be cleared. I will be present, and the other disciples will retreat to Tianyi Peak, just in case."

Xie Chang'an knew the reason Zhu Xuanguang did not want guards; given the precedent of True Person Canmiao, no amount of guarding would be useful. Chenhua Peak stood independently, with no support on any side, only connected by half a mountain face, making it the safest location.

Xie Chang'an asked, "Then have you found a solution?"

True Person Sheyun fell silent. She knew there was no need to ask further. No answer was, in itself, an answer.

Taking her leave from True Person Sheyun, Xie Chang'an went to the Hongdu Pavilion. This place held tens of thousands of volumes of Chishuang Mountain's collection, a vast ocean of books ranging from ancient immortal cultivation secrets to the classics of mortal scholars. Xie Chang'an was a frequent visitor; for years, she had run here whenever she had free time, yet even so, she had never been able to fathom just how many books were kept there.

She spent six days in the Hongdu Pavilion, devouring every cultivation classic she could find, working day and night without eating or sleeping, yet she still could not find the answer she sought. Xie Chang'an was disappointed, yet she felt it was to be expected. If the heavenly tribulation were easily solved, the great masters of the past would not have regarded it as a life-and-death ordeal, and True Person Canmiao would have long since turned danger into safety. She simply refused to give up a shred of hope, wanting to try her best until the final moment.

There were only three days left until Zhu Xuanguang's tribulation. As she emerged from the Hongdu Pavilion, the sunlight falling upon her felt warm yet unreal and distant. Below the white jade stairs, disciples of Chishuang Mountain came and went. Some were there to read, others just passing by. They held great admiration for this fellow disciple whom their elders described as having mediocre innate talent but who had made rapid progress through diligent practice, and they frequently offered respectful greetings.

Geniuses might be admired, but the relentlessly diligent were more inspiring, especially when the young woman was as fair and radiant as morning dew on a spring stream. As they stole glances at Xie Chang'an, she paused on the white jade steps, looking down at them. These people were the rising stars of Chishuang Mountain, full of vitality and ambition, seeing the golden path of immortality laid out before them, as if they, too, could see the hope of their own future ascension. Not long ago, Xie Chang'an had been just like them, lost and ignorant, unaware that the heavenly tribulation was not an affirmation of a cultivator's ability, but a potential nightmare that might eventually limit their path to the heavens and nail them firmly to the mortal world.

This sentiment did not last long. After she failed to find Zhu Xuanguang at Chongming Peak and was directed by Pei San to the vegetable garden, her reflections turned into blazing fury.

She had checked that patch of lychee trees every few days, personally fertilizing them and soothing them with spiritual energy. When she was on Chishuang Mountain, she did not even let others water them; the trees were aligned perfectly, with the spacing between each tree exact to the millimeter. The fruit was meant to be plump and round, hanging with perfect grace—a sight that perfectly matched her standard for beauty, which she cherished dearly.

And now—half the lychee trees had been dug up, and a nameless, strange tree had been planted in the bare patch of earth. The culprit stood with his back to her, still looking at his "masterpiece" with satisfaction.

Xie Chang'an: "???"

She gasped, nearly losing her composure, tempted to commit an act of insubordination right then and there.

"Why has your breathing become so heavy?" Zhu Xuanguang turned around. "Have you been slacking in your cultivation these past few days?"

Xie Chang'an: ...Heaven is my witness; for a split second, she had truly considered the possibility of twisting his neck off and kicking it like a ball.

"Master, if you wanted to plant a tree, why not use your own patch of land?"

Zhu Xuanguang said nonchalantly, "Isn't my land still planted with cabbage? The disciples of Chishuang Mountain are quite fond of eating it."

Xie Chang'an took a deep breath, thinking to herself why she had spent six days and nights in the Hongdu Pavilion; perhaps it would be better to just let him fail his tribulation.

"My lychees grow very well, and they love eating them too!" she said, gritting her teeth.

Zhu Xuanguang replied, "You have too many of those fruits, and the disciples in the mountain can't finish them; leaving them there is a waste. It's better to clear some space for me to plant a tree. This is no ordinary tree."

"Isn't it just a ginkgo tree?" Xie Chang'an said with a forced smile. "They exist in the mortal world too."

Zhu Xuanguang: "This is a ginkgo from the Immortal Mountain; it lives much longer."

Xie Chang'an: "My lychees are from the Immortal Mountain too."

Zhu Xuanguang: "When the ginkgo grows, its leaves will turn golden yellow; with your side of the lychees, it will be both a sight to behold and a treat to eat. Isn't that the best of both worlds?"

Xie Chang'an: ...She saw absolutely no "best of both worlds" here.

The ground was dug, the tree was planted, and scolding was useless. She swallowed her anger and went to water the lychees and the ginkgo. This ginkgo was indeed different from those in the mortal realm. Although it was still a small sapling, its leaves shimmered with a faint silver light when kissed by the sun. She examined it closely and found the leaf veins looked like silver threads woven together; she could only imagine the sight of a full-grown tree shimmering with silver and gold.

"How is it? It is indeed different, isn't it?" Zhu Xuanguang was very satisfied. His face remained that same indifferent, cold, and aloof mask, but his tone held the expectation of a fisherman waiting for his disciple to offer flattery.

Xie Chang'an couldn't help but retort, "You have practiced the Heartless Way for so many years, yet you only cultivated the outer appearance; the inside is not like that at all!"

Zhu Xuanguang looked at the young ginkgo tree, very satisfied, and paced slowly with his hands behind his back. "You have followed me for so long, why are you still only half-enlightened? The Great Way is heartless, but that does not mean the lesser paths are also heartless. If one is human, it is impossible to be without joy, anger, sorrow, and delight—even immortals cannot avoid it. Otherwise, how could the legends of the ancient immortal wars and the collapse of mountains and seas have come to be?"

Xie Chang'an chuckled. "Then I still prefer the Master I first met."

Zhu Xuanguang raised an eyebrow. "You like the one who made you afraid?"

Xie Chang'an said blankly, "I like the one who doesn't infuriate me."

Zhu Xuanguang couldn't help but laugh. A person who rarely laughed looked stunning when they did—like spring mountains in view, with lush trees in full bloom.

"Alright, take this jade as compensation for your lychees."

A snow-white silk cord dangled before her eyes, attached to a piece of white jade, no larger than a lychee, without any carving or ornamentation. Xie Chang'an touched it and felt a gentle, lingering warmth; she knew this was no ordinary piece of jewelry.

"Is it a magical artifact?"

Zhu Xuanguang said, "It cannot be called a magical artifact. It is called the 'Divine Light Calming Jade.' Bind it with a drop of your blood to your soul; wearing it often can soothe the mind. It is better than ordinary jade."

Exchanging half a patch of lychees for a jade pendant—she accepted it with a clear conscience. She finished watering the plants and infused them with spiritual energy. As she worked diligently, Zhu Xuanguang watched his disciple toil with his hands tucked into his sleeves, then heard her say:

"True Person Sheyun said he would be present for the tribulation in three days. I will go as well. Even though my cultivation is insufficient, perhaps I can be of some help."

By logic, Zhu Xuanguang should have refused, because the lineage of Chongming Peak consisted only of the two of them, and if he were to allow anyone to be present, it certainly shouldn't be Xie Chang'an. But as their eyes met, he saw an unshakable determination in hers.

Zhu Xuanguang remained silent for a moment and replied, "Very well."

...

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Zhu Xuanguang's tribulation was not publicly announced, but the disciples of Chishuang Mountain were aware; such a matter could not be hidden. True Person Sheyun had withdrawn all disciples from the three peaks to Tianyi Peak and had Fang Qinglan oversee the sect, while he himself remained at the foot of Chenhua Peak to personally guard Zhu Xuanguang.

"You have come," Zhu Xuanguang said.

The two stood at the summit of Chenhua Peak, looking back from afar at the other peaks of Chishuang Mountain. There stood the temples and halls built by generations of Chishuang Mountain's disciples, towering at different heights, hidden in the mist, with flowing water winding around rocks and lush trees growing tall—it was the place they called home for their pursuit of immortality.

"I have come, and the Zhaohuang Sword has come as well." True Person Sheyun raised an eyebrow and patted his long sword. The Zhaohuang Sword was not Sheyun's personal sword, but as the sect leader, he was the only one who could wield it. Because of this, there had always been a rumor that the Zhaohuang Sword not only represented the authority of the sect leader but also embodied the destiny of Chishuang Mountain, acting as the sect's guardian treasure.

This simple, unadorned long sword was currently hanging modestly at True Person Sheyun's side. At first glance, it looked no different from an ordinary wooden sword; no one would have guessed it was a divine weapon forged from ten ancient divine swords in the Alchemy Pool.

Zhu Xuanguang's gaze drifted back from the distant mountains and settled on the Zhaohuang Sword. "With you here, who is overseeing the sect and managing the situation?"

"Naturally, it is Fang Qinglan. He returned from Fuguang Mountain a few days ago. Didn't I tell you? Have you forgotten again?" True Person Sheyun studied him, his expression subtle. "Last time, Chang'an said you almost forgot even Pei San."

Zhu Xuanguang was speechless. "My memory has indeed been poor lately."

Sheyun stared at him for a long time, then shook his head. "Forget it." The words trailed off, and it was unclear what he meant by "forget it." But Zhu Xuanguang did not press him.

Sheyun looked up at the sky. "The time is almost here, isn't it?"

Zhu Xuanguang said, "You can still leave now. Just leave the Zhaohuang Sword."

The two looked at each other for a long while before True Person Sheyun looked away. "How can the leader of Chishuang Mountain be separated from the Zhaohuang Sword? I may not live to see the day I reach the perfection of the Sword Immortal Realm and face my own tribulation, so I must experience yours. Besides—" He tilted his chin toward a figure halfway up the mountain. "Isn't your disciple there too?"

When True Person Canmiao faced her tribulation, a group of experts in the Sword Immortal Realm stood guard, and the entire protective formation of Fuguang Mountain was used as a barrier; yet in the end, it could not help her ascend successfully. Now, as Zhu Xuanguang faced his tribulation, there was only one True Person Sheyun and one Xie Chang'an.