Shen Congyun's Request

By the great lake, the young Confucian scholar Sun Chaser paced back and forth with irritation written all over his face.

There had been quite a commotion on the lake these past few days. Waves frequently churned, and heaven knew how many apertures that young master Yan from Prince Wu'an's Residence had opened. All he knew was that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in every direction had weakened considerably.

As he was thinking, a piercing signal gold cry suddenly rang out from beneath the lake.

A streak of golden light brimming with astral force pierced through the lake, sending spray flying.

"Many thanks to Sun Chaser for helping me open my aperture. Xu Yan is deeply grateful."

His voice drifted from afar, while the youth himself had already vanished.

The young Confucian scholar stared blankly in the direction of his departure. Only after a long while did he withdraw his gaze, then hurried down into the spiritual cavern beneath the lake.

Seconds later, a furious, teeth-gritting roar came from within.

The supreme yang spiritual energy of heaven and earth that had accumulated for nearly ten years had vanished overnight. That spiritual vein had withered considerably.

Several hundred miles away, a fierce headwind howled toward him, whipping Xu Yan's black hair into a wild dance.

He felt utterly carefree, incomparably unrestrained. From his previous life until now, he had never experienced such a state.

The Literary Gold Shuttle beneath his feet hummed. In an instant, it shot a hundred meters away, streaking through the sky!

Yet the spiritual energy within his Baihui Aperture was also being consumed at a rate visible to the naked eye.

In the Human Path, one had to cultivate to the second realm of the five realms of the mortal world, the Spirit Bridge, before one could ride the Spirit Bridge and command the wind in flight. Before that, one could only rely on magical artifacts to flee through the air, which consumed spiritual energy immensely.

An hour later, Xu Yan panted softly as he landed steadily on the ground.

Even so, this already far surpasses ordinary cultivators with nine apertures, Xu Yan thought, a faint smile at the corner of his lips.

They all said that with the Formless Nine Apertures, the depth of spiritual power in a single aperture rivaled the nine apertures of an ordinary cultivator. But now, it seemed that was far from the limit.

An ordinary cultivator who had only just opened their nine innate apertures could not possibly control a high-grade magical artifact and fly for more than an hour as he had.

After the spiritual energy in his Baihui Aperture was exhausted, Xu Yan braced himself with one hand and silently practiced the aperture-opening formula in his heart.

Behind him, a massive spiritual aperture shaped like a silver jade disk seemed to manifest. The gale swept past, and spiritual energy from heaven and earth surged in from all directions. In less than the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the spiritual energy within his aperture was full to overflowing once more.

"Not only is my spiritual energy far deeper, but my recovery speed after depletion is also beyond anything a nine-aperture cultivator can match."

After all, they had to restore a full nine apertures, while Xu Yan only needed to restore his single Formless Aperture!

He tossed out the thumb-sized Signal Gold Sword and flew away. After notifying Fourth Uncle Yan, Xu Yan returned to Shangyin Academy on his own.

A day later, within the ancient and elegant Master's Hall.

Master Xun sat cross-legged before a desk, his expression calm and composed as he rested his mind. Sensing Xu Yan ascending the mountain, he slowly opened his eyes. They were unfathomably deep, like a boundless sea of stars.

"Disciple Xu Yan pays respects to Master." Xu Yan clasped his hands and bowed.

"Now that your Formless Aperture has opened, how is your state of mind?" Master Xun examined Xu Yan, his gaze slightly darkening.

Xu Yan paused for a moment before answering, "It feels as though I have drifted beyond the mortal world and ascended as an immortal. It is as if all things between heaven and earth can be held within my heart, leaving me utterly at ease."

"The formless is all forms. The sea embraces a hundred rivers; because it contains all, it becomes great. This is the most accommodating spiritual aperture power between heaven and earth, enough to command every wondrous art in the world." Master Xun sipped his spiritual tea and spoke each word deliberately.

Then his tone shifted. "Since ancient times, there have been countless peerless geniuses. Aside from the Formless True Person and the Nine-Aperture True Lord, there were also those like you, who sealed their spiritual apertures and opened the Formless Nine Apertures. Yet none of them left their names in the ancient records. Do you know why?"

"Please enlighten me, Master."

"If one does not reach the pinnacle of the Human Path, how can one leave one's name in the annals of history? To be born formless also means the Great Dao has no gate. You must walk a path that belongs to no predecessor and find your own form. Only then can you break the deadlock and attain the bearing of one who stands between heaven and man."

After Master Xun finished those few words, Xu Yan sank into contemplation.

All living things possessed form.

Master Xun was telling Xu Yan to find his own "form." Was that not another way of saying that he had to determine what kind of seeker of the Dao he wished to become?

He had read extensively, so he naturally understood the meaning.

Yet most people in this world understood many principles taught by sages and worthies. But how many could truly achieve unity of knowledge and action?

Master Xun rose to his feet and looked at Xu Yan solemnly. "Xu Yan, there is nothing more I can teach you. In letters, you far surpass those of your age. The title of foremost scholar in the Dragon Gate Examination is yours for the taking. In martial cultivation, you have already opened your Formless Aperture. Was that not why you came to Shangyin to study?"

"Master's learning fills the classics, and your wisdom encompasses all things. Xu Yan still has much to learn." Xu Yan seemed thoughtful as he bowed.

"I am not driving you away. Before the Great Yin Dragon Gate Examination, you may remain if you wish." Master Xun smoothed his black robe and said in a deep voice, "The Great Dao is narrow, but heaven and earth are vast. A carp in a pond can only be a carp for its entire life. Only upon entering the sea does it have the chance to leap through the Dragon Gate."

"This disciple has benefited greatly."

Within a secluded courtyard somewhere on Plum Mountain.

The Literary Gold Shuttle hovered above Xu Yan's palm, spiritual energy rippling around it as he remained deep in thought.

"Young Master Yan, what are you thinking about?"

At that moment, a middle-aged man's voice came from the plum grove not far away.

With slightly graying hair and beard, Shen Congyun wore brocade robes as he stepped over crimson blossoms and leaves. He passed through the plum grove in a single leap, not a single leaf touching him, like a wisp of light smoke.

Xu Yan was startled inwardly at the sight of that ghostlike movement technique.

After opening his apertures, his hearing and sight had become exceptionally sharp. Yet even after Lord Shen had approached so closely, he had not noticed him at all.

"Lord Shen, you are still in Shangyin?" Xu Yan rose and clasped his hands, visibly surprised.

"I fear I will have to remain here for quite some time." Shen Congyun spoke seriously. "Young Master Yan, I heard you have just opened your spiritual aperture. I have an inherited movement art here. Would you be interested?"

Xu Yan was slightly taken aback. Looking at the faint smile in Shen Congyun's eyes, he pondered inwardly.

This man was an Imperial Brocade Guard from Dragon City, an official who served beneath the Son of Heaven. Although Xu Yan belonged to Prince Wu'an's Residence, there was no need for Shen Congyun to seek ties with or curry favor with him. It would be meaningless.

"Lord Shen, is there perhaps something Xu Yan can assist with?" Xu Yan asked calmly, clasping his hands.

"Hahaha, there is indeed a matter in which I must trouble Young Master Yan." Shen Congyun's gaze darkened slightly.

"Please speak freely, Lord Shen!" Xu Yan said.

"I would like to ask Young Master to decipher eight thousand characters of Primordial Script for me," Shen Congyun said evenly.

As he spoke, he took a half-bamboo-slip Daoist text from his storage pouch. It still carried traces of earth, as though it had only recently been unearthed from some ancient cache.

He spread it across the stone table. Xu Yan looked over and fixed his gaze upon it.

They were all exceedingly ancient Primordial Script characters, and not a single complete, coherent passage of Daoist scripture could be found among them. Clearly, they had been deliberately scrambled by someone!

Xu Yan lifted his eyes and glanced at Shen Congyun, whose smile had deepened. He more or less understood why Lord Shen had come to find him.

If he sought Master Xun, the latter would likely see through the meaning of the Primordial Script at a glance.

Seeking people like Yan Qing and Qiu Yunji, former top scholars, would not work either. Given enough time and effort, they could completely piece together and translate the scrambled script.

In Shen Congyun's eyes, someone capable of deciphering Primordial Script yet uninterested in reassembling the scrambled text—

In all of Shangyin, was there not only this newly promoted Fourteenth Gentleman?