Chanting Alone on a Lonely Peak

"Hmm... the Yi Sword Gate, the Threefold Way. Just whose realm the Zheng Kingdom is remains an open question..."

Jiang Yang held the jade slip and murmured to himself in the fading glow of sunset.

For now, at least, although Rain Xiang Mountain was an immortal Sect with an orderly Dao Lineage, it did not reign supreme alone. There were still powers nearby that could wrestle with it.

The book took a lofty perspective, far removed from Jiang Yang's present circumstances. Countless powers, great and small, had never even been recorded in its pages.

In time, they would be worn away and erased, yet they were as tenacious as grass and trees, endlessly replacing one another, springing to life again when the wind blew.

Since the book chronicled three hundred years of changes in the Zheng Kingdom's landscape and customs, it contained not only introductions to various powers but also related biographies and accounts, considerably broadening Jiang Yang's knowledge.

Jiang Yang became engrossed in reading. By the time he looked up, the sun had slipped toward the western horizon without his noticing.

He set down the jade slip, pulled over the Meditation Cushion, and took out a jade bottle. He tipped out an Essence-Nourishing Pill and swallowed it, then closed his eyes and circulated his cultivation method to regulate his breathing.

The next day marked the Start of Summer, and morning dew gathered.

Within the cave abode, the concentrated moisture slowly dispersed with each breath Jiang Yang drew and released.

Abundant Spirit Vigor was refined and filtered through his breathing, rising in a mist before flowing little by little into his Qi Sea and advancing Jiang Yang's cultivation.

As Taiyang climbed into the sky, Jiang Yang opened his eyes, their divine light bright and vivid. His face looked as though it had been carved with knife and axe, his sharp brows lending him the air of an immortal. Even without any expression, he drew the eye.

After finishing his morning cultivation, Jiang Yang straightened his appearance and dispersed the water mirror before him, thinking:

This [Lush Peach and Plum] talent really is marvelous. No matter how many times I look, I can't help feeling drawn to this face. If the change hadn't been so gradual, I wouldn't even recognize my own looks and bearing now.

In just a few short months, he had transformed from a boy whose features had yet to mature into his present self. The talent's miraculous ability to "enhance the features and nurture the physique" was truly outstanding.

Jiang Yang had grown accustomed to his own face. When he washed using a water mirror each day, he merely thought it pleasing to the eye, still unaware of how devastating its appeal was.

What Jiang Yang himself had failed to notice was that, ever since he had awakened his Dao Fruit, the people and events he encountered had been inconceivably favorable. Almost everyone he met was kind, and the scheming and deceit he had experienced in the Lower Court had vanished entirely.

Those thoughts passed in an instant. Jiang Yang set aside his distractions, pinned up his long hair, and left his cave abode.

The sunshine outside was lovely, with a rare absence of rain. Jiang Yang planned to visit Fang Xu today and see whether he had any swords available.

After all, Senior Brother Zhou Yanwei had already put in a word for him. Whether anything ultimately came of it or not, he ought to make the trip.

If they're too expensive, forget it. I'll just go to [Craft Peak] and have a sword forged to use for now...

Jiang Yang was not particularly fixated on the quality of his first sword. He only wanted something that would meet his needs for practice.

It was still rather early to visit, and he could not let his brimming magical power go to waste. He decided to practice his spells for a while first.

Standing in the open space in his courtyard, Jiang Yang brought his fingers together to form a seal, stirred his magical power, and quietly recited the incantation:

"Water of clear waves, gather into a shield. Condense!"

Dense moisture gathered and dispersed at his bidding, condensing around Jiang Yang beneath the blazing daylight. It clung to him in a thin layer like a cicada's wing, appearing and disappearing in the sunlight.

From Jiang Yang's tests, this Mystic Shield looked limp and flimsy but was exceptionally tough. Even under direct bombardment from magical power, it merely rippled and trembled. No matter how violently it shook, it never showed any sign of breaking, displaying something of softness overcoming strength.

After practicing it several times, Jiang Yang switched to his footwork technique. In the end, he simply used both together, leaping up and down along the cliff beside his cave abode with the Mystic Shield around him, leaving phantom images everywhere in a dazzling blur.

Though the youth had enough bull-like vigor to spare, his magical power imposed a limit. He soon stopped, with only about thirty percent of the magical power in his Qi Sea remaining—the warning line Jiang Yang had set for himself.

The Sect was relatively safe, but the feeling of having no magical power left was truly unpleasant. Under ordinary circumstances, Jiang Yang would never allow his reserves to fall to such a state.

After only a few days, his use of the Clear-Wave Mystic Shield was already taking shape. Although he could not yet command it at a mere thought, it was an excellent beginning.

As for his movement technique, there was even less to say. Jiang Yang had no standard by which to judge whether he performed it well, but all that mattered was whether it was fast.

Resting on a rock with his hands on his hips, Jiang Yang could not help thinking with delight:

Could it be... that I really am a genius?

His Spirit Root aptitude was nothing special, yet so far he had encountered no difficulties with spells. Regardless of their grade, once he had read them through and tried a few times, he could always cast them successfully.

Although there was no one nearby for him to compare himself with, people always had hopes for themselves, imagining they stood apart from the crowd and were the most special of all. Jiang Yang was naturally no exception.

After resting for nearly an hour, some of the magical power in his Qi Sea had recovered, and Jiang Yang prepared to head to Fang Xu's cave abode.

He had nothing much to pack. Patting the dust off his backside, he rose and climbed the mountain alone.

Leaping along the way, Jiang Yang observed his surroundings carefully. He had never visited Fang Xu's cave abode before and could only recall the landmarks Fang Xu had mentioned:

Two or three li away, wherever a Water-Cloud Fir stands. Water-Cloud Fir... Water-Cloud Fir... where is it?

The view ahead opened up, and suddenly a straight spruce appeared amid the dense trees, its lush branches spreading into a crown. Jiang Yang's eyes lit up, and he continued toward it without stopping.

Only when he drew closer did Jiang Yang spot Fang Xu's cave abode beneath the tree's crown.

The sight struck Jiang Yang as strange. Whether Fang Xu was merely putting on refined airs or truly possessed lofty integrity, he had actually built a thatched cottage beneath the tree as his resting place.

The cottage was quite finely made, apparently woven from the leaves of some Spirit Plant. Its form was both delicate and beautiful.

Jiang Yang landed beneath the shade of the tree and saw a couplet written on the cottage:

I walk beside the immortal mountain, chanting alone upon a lonely peak.

Above it were the words "Lone Chant Residence," carrying a touch of aloof self-pity that made Jiang Yang click his tongue in wonder:

This Senior Brother Fang is quite a character...

Before Jiang Yang could speak, a man emerged from the cottage. His cheeks were gaunt and his cheekbones prominent, giving him a decidedly unsavory appearance. It was Fang Xu.

Whether he had sensed Jiang Yang's arrival or had received word early and been waiting here, he now greeted him with a smile:

"Junior Brother Jiang, you've come. It's been several months. I trust you've been well."

Jiang Yang smiled too and cupped his hands:

"I trust you've been well too, Senior Brother Fang. I've come uninvited, so please forgive the intrusion."

"Oh, what are you saying? Your visit brings splendor to my humble cottage, Junior Brother. Please, come inside."

Fang Xu's forbidding face was tolerable when he did not smile, but the moment he did, he looked positively fierce, as though threatening Jiang Yang.

The two entered the cottage. Unlike Zhou Yanwei's lavish decor, its layout was very simple. There were only three rooms in all, and the entire place could be taken in at a glance.

Fang Xu invited Jiang Yang to sit, poured him a cup of light tea, and then said:

"No need to explain, Junior Brother Jiang. Senior Brother Zhou sent me a message last night. I already know why you've come."

Jiang Yang settled into his seat and accepted the tea. At those words, he cupped his hands and said:

"Well... Senior Brother Zhou kindly helped arrange this. Sorry for the trouble, Senior Brother Fang."

Fang Xu waved a hand casually:

"It's no trouble. There's no need to stand on ceremony."

Then he added with some regret:

"If you'd come along with me back then, Junior Brother, not only would it have cost you nothing, but you would have received at least a few swords to fatten your purse."

Though Jiang Yang felt a little regret at hearing this, he still did not regret his decision. Nevertheless, he gave a wry smile and said:

"You're not to blame, Senior Brother. What is destined to be yours will be yours in the end. I simply lacked the good fortune to enjoy it... never mind, enough about me. You must have reaped quite a harvest this time, Senior Brother Fang."

"Ah, don't even mention it."

Fang Xu slapped the armrest of his chair and sighed:

"The trip to that cave abode went smoothly, and really, there was nothing to be dissatisfied with. But we fell short by just that little bit, and the difference was heaven and earth. Even though I came away with something, it still left a fire smoldering in my chest..."