Failed to Destroy His Embarrassing Past

Yun Qing solemnly accepted Bear All Things with both hands. The instant it settled into his grasp, he felt as though he truly held ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers. A sense of solidity, intimately connected to the origin of the immortal realm's earth, rose within him. He felt... harmony with the Great Dao.

He straightened his robes with solemn care and bowed deeply to Yun Huang, each word clear and resolute:

"I, Yun Qing, vow to emulate the earth's generous virtue, to bear heaven's boundless might and sustain the life of all things. Wherever your heart directs me, even should mountains and seas overturn and the nine heavens crumble, I shall... uphold your will with all my strength, shrinking from neither death nor ten thousand deaths."

His oath rang like steel, echoing across Cloudsea Summit.

Yun Huang watched him quietly. After a long while, a rare smile curved his lips, faint yet like sunlight falling over mountains and rivers.

"Mm." His quiet acknowledgment formally put all their previous grievances to rest.

Then Yun Huang raised a hand toward the broad cloud platform outside the pavilion, half-veiled in mist. His tone returned to its usual indifference. "Weren't you clamoring for 'instruction'? Let me see just how much you've improved as a middle Immortal King, and whether you deserve the name 'Bear All Things.'"

Yun Qing was delighted, fighting spirit blazing in his eyes. "Please instruct me, Brother Huang!"

Their figures flashed, and the brothers stood side by side at the center of the cloud platform. Black robes and white fluttered amid the swirling mist, as distinct as two separate streams, yet strangely harmonious.

There was no suspicion, no scheming. This time, there was only the purest exchange of Dao arts, a clash of strength.

Where spear shadows rose, mountains shifted; where fists and palms flew, a great sun hung overhead. Two figures wove and darted through the sea of clouds. Their exchanges stirred terrifying ripples of energy, only for the Cloud Platform Grotto-Heaven to absorb and dispel them, leaving nothing but flawless accord amid the interlacing spear shadows and divine light.

Half an hour later...

With his long hair disheveled, several burning red marks on his face, and his entire body covered in the cloud platform's distinctive stardust fragments, Yun Qing finished this "immensely rewarding" sparring session in a daze.

With the Immortal Emperor personally providing "guidance," the results were naturally immediate. Under the hammer blows of actual combat, Yun Qing's control over his strength and understanding of spear intent rapidly solidified.

Of course, suffering "a little" along the way was perfectly reasonable.

Having thoroughly helped his elder brother "stabilize" his cultivation, Yun Huang stood at the edge of the cloud platform with his hands behind his back. As he watched that somewhat bedraggled figure with shining eyes, the irritation this mood-ruining fellow had lodged in his chest over the past several days finally eased considerably.

Within a grotto-heaven, the years left no trace; in cultivation, one forgot their passing.

Three months slipped quietly by in this blessed land cut off from the world.

Yun Qing devoted himself to cultivation here, consolidating his middle Immortal King realm. Sometimes he sparred and discussed the Dao with Yun Huang; sometimes he listened to Yun Huang play the zither. He benefited immensely.

Yun Qing even brazenly "fleeced" the grotto-heaven of quite a few exceedingly rare spiritual plants, immortal ores, and spiritual marrow of heaven and earth-all under the fine-sounding pretext that "a man in confinement lacks resources and must procure his own."

Whenever this happened, Yun Huang would either lift his eyes from an ancient text to give him an indifferent glance, or briefly pause his fingers on the zither. Then, with a soft snort, he would let him be.

Deep in his eyes hid a helpless smile that bordered on indulgence.

Fan art by reader @When Spring Startles, Dreams Remain.

Of course, besides cultivating, there was another matter of the utmost importance.

Yun Qing had to destroy his "embarrassing past"!

Every time he thought of those drafts of "poems of a lonely maiden's lament" scattered around the meditation chamber, Yun Qing flushed scarlet and squirmed with discomfort, wishing he could turn back time.

To that end, Yun Qing pestered Yun Huang for several days, exhausting every flattering word and swearing solemnly that he was only going to tidy up some "clutter" and would never let it interfere with his cultivation. Only then did Yun Huang, seemingly impatient, grudgingly agree to let him return to the Immortal-Sealing Tower for a while.

Red-faced, he gathered the scattered poetry drafts one sheet at a time, preparing to destroy every last trace of the evidence.

Only when he tried to destroy them did he discover that the Cloud-Heart Paper he had written on was actually an immortal material! Its extraordinary substance was impervious to water and fire.

Perhaps Yun Huang's willingness to grant his every request over these three months had made him a little too pleased with himself, or perhaps he was desperate to rid himself of this source of shame. In a moment of hotheadedness, he actually trotted eagerly off to find Yun Huang, who was studying an array diagram beside the Immortal Lake.

"Brother Huang, could I borrow your Radiant Sun Divine Flame?" Yun Qing held the poetry drafts, his eyes full of hope.

One breath of silence passed.

Just as Yun Qing thought he would refuse, Yun Huang unexpectedly said nothing. He merely gave him an indifferent glance and reached out to take them.

Delight surged through Yun Qing, and he hurriedly presented the drafts with respectful hands. Yet with a sweep of his sleeve, Yun Huang simply... confiscated the whole stack?!

Yun Qing: "???"

"I have another use for these." Yun Huang tossed out this single remark, then returned his gaze to the array diagram, as though he had merely accepted some insignificant trinket.

Yun Qing turned to stone on the spot, his hands still frozen in midair in the posture of holding the drafts. An extremely ominous premonition came over him, but cowed by Yun Huang's long-established authority, he dared not argue. He could only circle him anxiously, occasionally stealing a glance at the sleeve containing the drafts, his face plainly declaring, "Give them back!" and "What exactly are you planning?"

Then one day, after finishing his spear practice on the cloud platform, Yun Qing saw Yun Huang sitting alone beneath the Immortal Tree. He held a slim, elegantly bound volume and seemed quite... absorbed in it? There was even a rare curve at the corner of his lips.

Alarm bells clamored in Yun Qing's heart. He crept a little closer and focused his eyes-

On the cover, flowing, graceful calligraphy spelled out the title: Collection from Within the Tower. Yun Qing was quite familiar with those characters, imbued with their distinctive Dao resonance.

Taking a closer look at the pages inside... Yun Qing was even more familiar with that handwriting...

They were actually those poems of a lonely maiden's lament! Not only had Yun Huang failed to burn them, he had bound them into a book himself?!

At a complete loss, Yun Qing froze where he stood. He wanted to rush forward and snatch it back, but truly lacked the courage. He wanted to ask for it, but shame and indignation made the words impossible to utter.

Finally, when Yun Huang seemed to notice his presence and raised those tranquil golden eyes toward him-

The dignified eldest son of the Yun Clan, newly advanced to the middle Immortal King realm, actually... turned around stiffly on the spot and "walked" away with his arms and legs moving on the same side.

No matter how one looked at his retreating figure, he seemed to be fleeing in utter defeat.

Yun Huang glanced at his elder brother's foolish display and gave a soft snort. His mood inexplicably brightened, and even the way he turned the pages grew more leisurely.

He wouldn't have the nerve to actually snatch it back anyway.

His fingertips brushed over the poetry collection's smooth cover. Yun Huang's gaze settled on one particular line, "I would weave spirit silk to keep you warm," and the faintest trace of amusement flickered deep within his golden eyes.

Mm... considering that he's been reasonably diligent and well-behaved lately, and his spear technique really has improved, perhaps I won't tell him that the entire Immortal-Sealing Tower, and even Langhuan Clear Void, are covered by Retrospective Image-Recording Arrays?

For now, he would keep this poetry collection in his custody. Later... if this fellow dared act the fool and anger him again, perhaps he could transcribe a copy and distribute it throughout the Yun Clan as a "commendation"?

Yes, an excellent method.

In the unseen shadows beneath the Immortal Tree, the curve at the Immortal Emperor's lips gradually became... rather difficult to describe.

The Cloud Summit Tournament drew nearer by the day.

That day, Yun Qing finished cultivating and rose to his feet, his aura full and perfectly rounded. His gaze drifted toward the grotto-heaven's entrance, and the fighting spirit in his eyes rang like a keen sword drawn from its sheath.