Refused on the Mountainside

Half an hour later—

Watching his younger sister practice swordplay according to his guidance, Ju Hua sighed softly.

He hadn't lied earlier; the true intent of the Dao of Gentle Wind was indeed something he had grasped while sparring with her. To have reached the entry level of a Dao after a mere moment of ordinary practice—such talent was something Ju Hua had never even heard of, and it even left him feeling a sense of dread.

Judging by the content of the book "Desolate Era," everything in the Three Realms is currently under the gaze of the Lord of Heart Demons, who has merged his body with the Heavenly Dao. Although I am merely a Loose Immortal who doesn't even qualify as a pawn, what if he discovers my anomaly? He pondered nervously for a moment, but soon, Ju Hua chuckled at himself.

He seemed to be suffering from a case of "seeing every bush and tree as an enemy." If the Lord of Heart Demons were a truly existing figure, shouldn't his gaze at least be focused on beings at the level of Celestial Immortals or True Immortals?

Let alone a Loose Immortal, the Lord of Heart Demons likely wouldn't even deign to pay attention to a Celestial Immortal.

"Caution is necessary, but there is no need to be paranoid!" Ju Hua steadied his mind and then called out to Zhuanshui Qiu:

"Little sister, I am going to Shangyang Mountain!"

"Are you going to see Immortal Shangyang?" Zhuanshui Qiu wanted to ask more, but when she turned her head, she found that Ju Hua's figure had already vanished.

Shangyang Mountain was one of the many mountain ranges that the Zhuanshui River flowed through. Although this place was outside the territory of the Zhuanshui Clan, a Celestial Immortal from the clan had long resided here in seclusion.

Ju Hua rode the clouds and mist, arriving in the vicinity of Shangyang Mountain in less than half a day.

There was a flight-restriction formation nearby. Although it wasn't particularly powerful, this was, after all, the territory of a Celestial Immortal, and Ju Hua naturally could not simply ignore such a restriction.

After landing at the foot of the mountain, Ju Hua walked up the mountain at a leisurely pace.

However, just as he reached the mountainside, he saw a young attendant in the distance holding a scroll, seemingly waiting for someone.

Ju Hua had a premonition that the person this attendant was waiting for was him. Sure enough, as Ju Hua drew closer, the attendant walked straight up to him.

"Immortal Ju Hua, please stay your step!" the attendant shouted.

"What is the matter?" Ju Hua stopped and asked.

"Patriarch Shangyang has ordered me to pass on a message: there is no need for you to go up, Immortal Ju Hua. This is a Reincarnation Edict; please keep it safe!" The attendant spoke briefly, then handed the scroll in his hand to Ju Hua.

"..."

Hearing the attendant's words, Ju Hua was slightly stunned at first, but he soon calmly accepted the scroll.

Ju Hua then said, "Thank the Patriarch on my behalf!"

"Yes!"

The attendant bowed slightly.

Ju Hua did not hesitate further; he turned and left immediately.

Under the attendant's gaze, Ju Hua descended the mountain rapidly. Once he reached the foot, a propitious cloud appeared beneath his feet, and he soared into the air, quickly departing the area.

On the way—

"A Reincarnation Edict?" Ju Hua toyed with the scroll for a while before storing it away in his storage treasure.

Patriarch Shangyang was one of the few Celestial Immortals of the Zhuanshui Clan. He had held Ju Hua in high regard before his tribulation, and Ju Hua had received his guidance several times.

Ju Hua had no other intentions in coming here; he simply wanted to pay his respects to this ancestor of the Zhuanshui Clan. After all, Patriarch Shangyang had high expectations for him, and since he had failed his tribulation, it was only right and proper to visit.

As for Patriarch Shangyang turning him away, Ju Hua cared even less. Celestial Immortals had infinite lifespans, while Loose Immortals could die at any moment under the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations; having too much interaction between the two was not necessarily a good thing.

However, he hadn't come away empty-handed. This Reincarnation Edict was no common item!

If he wished to reincarnate and cultivate again, this Edict would ensure he was reborn as a member of the Zhuanshui Clan, which greatly reduced the risks of reincarnation.

Many Loose Immortals who wished to reincarnate would rack their brains without ever obtaining such an Edict, yet Patriarch Shangyang had gifted it to him directly. It was clear that the other party had not completely given up on him.

"Does he hope I can become a Celestial Immortal in my next life?" Ju Hua stood with his hands behind his back atop the clouds, gazing at the distant, towering mountains.

After a long while—

"I, Ju Hua, want to become a Celestial Immortal—why must I wait for the next life?" A hearty laugh rang out among the clouds. Soon, the sound faded away, and at the same time, Ju Hua's figure sped away from the area.

It had taken Ju Hua half a day to reach Shangyang Mountain, but the return trip was much faster. In less than two hours, he was back at the Zhuanshui Clan territory.

However, Ju Hua did not return to his residence immediately. He went straight to a palace located beside the Zhuanshui River; this was the residence of the current clan leader, Zhuanshui Qing.

"So it is Clan Brother Ju Hua!" Zhuanshui Qing, dressed in formal attire, walked out of the palace and smiled. "Looking at how travel-worn you are, Clan Brother, you must have gone to pay your respects to Patriarch Shangyang, right?"

"Naturally!" Ju Hua nodded directly and continued, "Clan Leader, I consumed quite a lot of the clan's resources for my tribulation. Now that I have become a Loose Immortal, it is only natural that I should contribute my share to the clan!"

The Zhuanshui Clan was one of the major tribes in the Great Xia World, and a major tribe naturally had its own rules.

Before the tribulation, Ju Hua didn't need to concern himself with anything else and only needed to focus on his tribulation. But having failed and become a Loose Immortal, he could no longer be as free as he once was.

The clan leader before him, Zhuanshui Qing, was the best example of this.

He was also a Loose Immortal, yet he had to hold the position of clan leader, dealing with a massive amount of mundane affairs every day. To think of cultivating in peace was almost impossible!

Of course, this was Zhuanshui Qing's own choice. Although being the leader of the Zhuanshui Clan was laborious, the power and influence far exceeded that of an ordinary Loose Immortal.

Hearing Ju Hua's words, the smile on Zhuanshui Qing's face grew even warmer.

That Ju Hua could be so "sensible" naturally saved him a lot of trouble.

The Loose Immortals of the Zhuanshui Clan were divided into two types: those of the clan itself, and those who were guest elders.

Guest loose immortals were one thing; after all, they were merely outsiders and could not openly oppose him, the patriarch of the Zhuanshui Clan. However, the loose immortals of his own clan, especially those with formidable strength, did not hold a status much lower than his own. Unless he tore off the mask of civility to invoke the clan rules and summon a Celestial Immortal ancestor, he could not force them to obey his commands.

Before undergoing his tribulation, Ju Hua already possessed the combat power of a top-tier loose immortal. Although he had failed the tribulation, once he converted the tempering of the heavenly tribulation into actual strength, he would at the very least remain a top-tier loose immortal.

A top-tier loose immortal who was also a clansman—he certainly had the ability to give a patriarch like him a headache!

Now that Ju Hua had taken the initiative to state that he would follow the clan's arrangements, Zhuanshui Qing was naturally in a great mood!

PS: The setting of Desolate Era is complex and vast. Although I read it through completely before writing this book and took notes on important points, it is inevitable that there will be omissions or mistakes. If such situations arise, please feel free to point them out. If I can fix them, I will do so immediately; if I cannot, I will supplement the setting later!

Please don't just lash out and accuse me of disrespecting the original work without considering anything else; I want to respect the original work too!