Worldly Karma, Lonely Luofu

On the shore of the East Sea, Yuan Tianyi stood atop a giant rock.

The night was moonless, but a crescent-shaped jade plate hung in the air above Yuan Tianyi's head, quietly emitting a soft radiance that illuminated the sea for dozens of miles around.

The sea breeze stirred gently, whipping up white crests on the waves.

This was the place where, sixty years ago, Yuan Tianyi had cultivated the Empty Life Extinguishing Sea Glazed Art, left Luofu, and seen the ocean for the first time.

Sixty years had passed like a fleeting white steed, gone in the blink of an eye.

The legends of the world were not entirely true. At that time, Fairy Cangyue, the most outstanding and beautiful disciple of Cihang Jingzhai for decades, stood beside him. Fairy Cangyue extended her hand to him, but he placed this Mò Chà Pearl in her palm.

At that moment, Yuan Tianyi's heart was set on the Dao. He severed his relationship with Fairy Cangyue himself. However, after entering the Heavenly Human Realm, Yuan Tianyi unexpectedly found his heart still entangled. For sixty years, his cultivation had been like unraveling those knots, but without this Mò Chà Pearl, one knot remained impossible to untangle. Now, with this Mò Chà Pearl before him, it could finally be resolved. Once this bond was broken, perhaps he could truly take that final step and transcend the mortal world. Yet, the scenery remained the same, and seeing this pearl again, it was now in the hands of such a young, beggar boy. The warmth of soft jade was still lingering around him, but the person herself was long gone. Yuan Tianyi's eyes held a mixture of joy and sorrow.

He stood silently for a moment, then slowly turned to face the youth beside him. "You already heard from that person in the Shu Region just now. I can grant you one request. Whatever you desire, as long as it is within my power, I will fulfill it for you."

The sea breeze was damp and cold. The youth's clothes were ragged, and his face had turned a bluish-green from the cold. However, after Yuan Tianyi had used his magic to whisk him from the Shu Region to this place thousands of miles away on the East Sea, the youth had remained silent while Yuan Tianyi stood still. Only when Yuan Tianyi looked at him directly did he reply, "Can you take me as your disciple?"

"Take you as my disciple?" Yuan Tianyi glanced at the youth. "Wealth and fame, even if you wanted mountains of gold and silver, enough to rival a nation, I could help you achieve it. You truly want nothing else but to be my disciple?"

"Yes," the youth nodded.

Yuan Tianyi remained silent. Suddenly, the youth saw a flash of silver light in his eyes, and then felt a surge of hot energy explode directly in his mind. His vision abruptly changed. He was no longer standing on the giant rock by the sea, but was falling into a volcano, with scorching, fiery lava below. As soon as he plunged into the magma, his flesh and blood began to char and rot. The pain was so intense that his scalp felt like it would explode. He involuntarily tried to let out a world-shattering scream, but found he couldn't. Hot magma surged into his mouth and nose, burning him from the inside out. Yet, he did not die. As soon as his flesh and blood charred and rotted, new, tender skin would grow, repeating the cycle of agonizing torment.

"You saw that they were no match for me and were envious of my divine abilities, which is why you wish to become my disciple? But do you know that cultivation is like snatching chestnuts from a fire? To cultivate my Luofu Secret Method, both body and spirit must endure endless torment," Yuan Tianyi's faint voice suddenly descended from the sky. When the voice disappeared, the youth realized he was still standing on the giant rock by the sea. However, the sensation of his flesh charring and rotting seemed to linger within his body. In an instant, beads of sweat drenched him completely.

"What you experienced today is merely a minor pain. When you truly begin cultivating, the suffering and horrors you will witness will be hundreds or even thousands of times greater. My Luofu teachings are also unique, with a nine out of ten chance of death. Are you absolutely certain you want nothing else but to be my disciple?" Yuan Tianyi saw the youth writhing in pain, gasping for breath, and flicked his sleeve with slight displeasure.

Yuan Tianyi thought that after saying this, the young beggar would surely change his mind. But to his surprise, the youth, hunched over in pain, appeared even thinner in the sea breeze. Yet, his face held an unprecedented determination. After nodding forcefully, the youth, biting his lip, replied in a voice as hoarse as if burned, "I'm not afraid."

Yuan Tianyi looked at the youth with cold eyes. "I can agree to take you as my disciple, but according to my Luofu Sect Rules, all who wish to join Luofu must pass an entrance trial. I cannot make an exception for this. If you fail, you cannot make any other requests. Have you considered this carefully?"

The hunched youth nodded forcefully again.

Yuan Tianyi frowned slightly. This was clearly an ordinary mountain boy, but the more he looked, the more he felt this thin youth was extraordinary. His clean eyes shone with an intense light, unlike the fear or numbness of ordinary beggars.

Was this the worldly karma that he still couldn't see through?

Yuan Tianyi glanced at the Mò Chà Pearl in his hand, which was emitting a faint blue glow. When he looked up again, the light from the crescent jade plate that had been suspended above his head silently vanished.

A white and blue radiance rose from the shore of the East Sea and headed south, its speed more than ten times faster than the sword lights from Mount Shu.

"A blessing from the immortals!" On a fishing boat far out at sea, fishermen who had woken up early in the dark to fish watched the white and blue radiance and all prostrated themselves in awe and fear.

***

Yuan Tianyi brought the youth to a mountain valley.

Was this where the entrance trial would take place? Yuan Tianyi didn't say, and the youth dared not ask. Before them lay a peculiar sight: a deep blue, mirror-like mountain lake. The surrounding mountains and forests were reflected on its surface. The shore was covered with unknown shrubs and flowers, many of them bearing berries of various colors. However, it was April, a time of warmth and blooming flowers, yet white ice floes floated on the lake. As the youth looked closer, he saw patches of transparent, thin ice sheets constantly emerging from the depths of the deep blue lake.

Yuan Tianyi, barefoot, walked to the edge of the lake and dropped the Mò Chà Pearl from his hand into the water.

This Mò Chà Pearl, which would cause most cultivators in the world to lose their Dao heart and go mad, was thus thrown by Yuan Tianyi into this deep blue lake where thin ice sheets emerged from the bottom.

The Mò Chà Pearl did not sink upon hitting the water. It rippled with the waves, and suddenly split open as if hatching from a cocoon. To the youth's astonishment, a sapling rapidly grew and floated on the water's surface, its leaves transparent and as crystalline as ice flakes. "What is this?" the youth couldn't suppress his natural curiosity and blurted out the question.

As soon as he spoke, the youth felt uneasy. People like Hetu and True Lord Lieyang were like ants before Yuan Tianyi. In his eyes, Yuan Tianyi was a true deity. Without permission, he naturally understood his question as an offense.

But Yuan Tianyi said lightly, "This is Jīng Tú. It flowers once every hundred years and bears fruit once every thousand years. After bearing fruit, it withers. This Mò Chà Pearl is the seed it produces."

"Then there will only be this one plant forever? Isn't it very lonely?" the youth said.

"Lonely?" Yuan Tianyi paused for a moment. Then, seeing the small but vibrant Jīng Tú floating on the lake, he said faintly in his heart, "Ignorant youth, what do you know? What in this world is not lonely?"

This was a mountain range with a mild climate, abundant moisture, and dense trees, quietly nestled in a desolate, uninhabited wilderness.

With Yuan Tianyi's speed of flight, it was still night when they departed from the East Sea. By the time they reached this valley, the sun was already rising. Emerging from the valley, the youth saw thick, colorful mists rising between the warm and humid mountains. Suddenly, he saw several brightly colored venomous snakes coiled around tree branches. Even though they were several dozen feet away from Yuan Tianyi, the snakes and insects scurried away to avoid them. However, the sight of these venomous creatures and the desolate, uninhabited landscape made the youth unable to help but ask, "What place is this?"

Yuan Tianyi stood at the foot of a sheer mountain peak, his hands behind his back, gazing at the mist-shrouded, desolate mountains. He said slowly, "This is where Luofu is located."

The youth didn't know if the Luofu Sect's cave dwelling was like the legendary immortal dwellings, filled with ethereal energy and sweet nectar, but at least the desolate mountains and treacherous waters before him were far from those legendary immortal abodes. The morning sun cast a golden glow on his and Yuan Tianyi's faces. The sheer mountain peak behind them was dauntingly steep, covered with trees and vines. Halfway up, it was shrouded in thick white mist, making it impossible to tell how high it was. There were no paths or steps on the mountain peak, only a black iron chain, weathered by time, hanging down from above.

"Three miles south from here, there is a small hut where the local Miao Yi people camp outdoors. The Miao Yi people are simple and honest. There are food and water inside. If travelers need to stay overnight, they only need to replenish the food and refill the water when they leave. You haven't slept all night and are weak. You can rest there first." Yuan Tianyi had been as quiet and cold to the youth as the floating ice in the lake. It was rare for him to say so much at once, and the youth was momentarily stunned. But then he heard Yuan Tianyi point to the sheer mountain peak behind him. "This peak has no name, but my Luofu Sect is on this peak. If you can reach the summit, you will be considered my Luofu disciple. If not, you will have to leave the mountain on your own."

Yuan Tianyi's words were cold and resolute, leaving no room for negotiation. The youth looked at the daunting steepness and the iron chain hanging through the clouds. He didn't say anything more. After bowing to Yuan Tianyi, he broke off a tree branch, pushed aside the bushes and grass, and walked in the direction of the Miao Yi resting hut Yuan Tianyi had mentioned, quickly disappearing into the dense rainforest.

"Master," as soon as the youth's figure disappeared into the woods, an aged figure appeared behind Yuan Tianyi. His gray-white hair was sparse and messy, and the wrinkles on his face were like ravines in the mountains. However, the most striking feature was the two deep scars on his left cheek. The old man wore the clothing of the local Miao Yi, his tie-dyed blue fabric stained with the colors of smoke and fire. Such an old man would normally be seen sitting quietly in a stilted house in a Miao Yi village, dimly smoking water pipe. But this old man, standing respectfully beside Yuan Tianyi, had eyes the color of the rising sun, shining with a brilliance utterly unfitting for his age. Looking in the direction the youth had disappeared, the old man said softly, "Master, this young man has a strong and resilient spirit and good aptitude. He truly seems like a promising talent."

"Is that so? Old Zhao Nan, you have been away from the world for a long time. You don't know that the world is once again in chaos, with widespread famine and death. This young man's eyes are filled with unwillingness and anger, a sense of injustice towards his fate, which fuels a surge of courage." Yuan Tianyi looked coldly at the old man. "As for character and aptitude, Old Zhao Nan, you should know the saying that time reveals a person's heart."

***

Several wooden huts were situated on the mountaintop. These huts were built from logs from the mountain and looked very simple. The mountain was extremely high, reaching thousands of feet, piercing through the thick clouds. Looking down from the summit, one could see mountain peaks emerging from a sea of clouds.

Old Zhao Nan, his back to the howling mountain wind, lit the reeds in a black iron pot and then put the burnt ashes into a Huang Zhong lü guan. As he did these things, his face, weathered and marked by the scythe of time, was filled with a focused expression, as if he were polishing a delicate piece of porcelain.

"When yin turns to yang, it depends on the climate. Why go to such trouble?" As he watched Old Zhao Nan intently observing the movement of the reeds' ashes in the Huang Zhong pipe, a golden silk brocade scroll of the Golden Cauldron Seven Essences Inner Scenery Scripture, which would make many cultivators' hearts race with envy, was casually placed on the wooden table beside him.

Old Zhao Nan looked up at Yuan Tianyi, who stood barefoot as if he were not of this world, and smiled. "This helps pass the time. Master, there should be a heavy rain in three days?"

Yuan Tianyi did not answer. He looked at a sharpened axe and some chopped firewood scattered in another spot, and asked thoughtfully, "Old Zhao Nan, how long has it been since we last used fire for cooking?"

Old Zhao Nan scratched his head. "Three years? Or five? It's been too long, I'm not entirely sure."

"Yes, it's been too long. You've even resorted to doing things like this to pass the time," Yuan Tianyi said, looking at Old Zhao Nan. "My heart is set on the Dao, hoping to comprehend the mysteries of all beings. In the past sixty years, do you know what I have seen?"

"Master's Empty Life Extinguishing Sea Glazed Art was already perfected sixty years ago. This old servant is dull-witted and cannot see what Master sees," Old Zhao Nan shook his head.

"The strong prey on the weak; this is the law of nature, and how the Heavenly Dao operates," Yuan Tianyi said grimly. "You have no intention of harming others, yet others intend to harm you. You don't kill, but others will kill you."

"Master speaks the truth. It's just that I'm already quite old," Old Zhao Nan's gaze was filled with a sense of cheerful acceptance of fate. "With Master here, I am here. If Master is gone, what difference is there between life and death?"

"Do you think he can really climb up?" Yuan Tianyi turned his head, saying no more. His long, slender fingers, which would make any woman in the world envious to the point of madness, instantly flicked out a mysterious incantation. Wisps of white cloud dispersed, forming a Light Splitting Mirror over eight feet wide. The scenery from the foot of the mountain to its waist appeared clearly on the mirror. A formidable spell, capable of reflecting most immortal techniques and magical attacks, which legend said only an earth immortal-level cultivator could perform, was being used by him merely as a scrying tool. Most cultivators would consider such a use to be like a nouveau riche squandering a treasure, but this spell, which required immense magical power, seemed to have no effect on him at all.

Old Zhao Nan rubbed his rough hands. He saw the thin youth struggling to climb up the iron chain. The chain and the surrounding branches scraped his palms and body, leaving bloody marks, yet he still climbed with all his might. For a child of twelve or thirteen, the peak was far too steep and high. After climbing less than a quarter of the way, he finally became exhausted and slowly slid down.

"It seems he can't climb up," Old Zhao Nan had never doubted Yuan Tianyi's words. However, after respectfully saying this, the old man, with his strong Miao Yi accent, grinned. "But Master, the moment I saw him, I felt he was a little different."

Regardless of how Old Zhao Nan felt the youth differed from others, there was no record in any of the Luofu Sect's scriptures of anyone achieving success through admiration alone, without effort. The next day, Old Zhao Nan's actions were still the same: he sat in meditation, breathing, motionless for half the day, as if he were dead. Then, he brought out a stone mortar that hadn't been used in a long time and, like a truly frail old man, slowly pounded millet, quietly watching the mountain winds blow the golden husks out of the mortar.

Three days later, at noon, the first thing Old Zhao Nan did after waking from his death-like seated meditation was to grin. Standing on the platform before him was Yuan Tianyi, who seemed to have merged with heaven and earth. The Light Splitting Mirror, which required immense magical power, now floated quietly in the air before Yuan Tianyi.

"This child isn't entirely stupid," a flash of light appeared in Old Zhao Nan's somewhat golden eyes. Just like three days ago, the youth was still struggling to climb. The wounds on his body were more numerous, but he had tied ropes made of cloth strips around his hands and waist. When he ran out of strength, he would tie the rope to the iron chain and hang himself on it, like Old Zhao Nan hanging cured meat, to rest briefly. In the past, the youth had never managed to climb more than a quarter of the way, but today, he was already nearing the mountainside.

"It took him so many days to come up with such a method; he's not stupid?" Yuan Tianyi said dismissively. "Besides, will this even allow him to climb up?"

Old Zhao Nan said nothing. He merely squinted, turning his head to look at the four-cornered bronze wind chimes hanging on his wooden house. Now, these chimes were ringing out melodious sounds one after another. A heavy rain, common in the Luofu mountains, was officially beginning.