Xuan Ling

"Back then, you secretly gifted me the ' Profound Communion and Life Seizure Technique,' which greatly benefited my early cultivation. Today, I'm retrieving it from Black Mountain to repay that favor."

Qi Yun's tone was calm and even, as if he were simply recounting an ordinary past event.

He casually pointed to the stone bench opposite him, gesturing for Xuan Ling to sit down.

He picked up the teapot himself and poured a cup of fragrant spiritual tea for the person opposite him. The rising steam blurred the expression in his eyes.

Between you and me, the cause and effect are cleared.

From now on, whether you stay or leave, and which Dao Path, is entirely up to you.

Xuan Ling stood still, her fingers unconsciously curling slightly inside her sleeve.

He looked at the steaming cup of spiritual tea on the stone bench, then looked up at the calm young face opposite him, his heart filled with indescribable shock.

"Profound Communion and Life Seizure" - that was a long time ago.

Such "casual acts" were not isolated incidents during his long career of service.

He had seen too many faces, some fleeting and others fading into obscurity, beneath the vast expanse of the Black Mountain. Sometimes the distribution of small resources was to build goodwill, and sometimes it was simply out of habit.

He never imagined that a century later, a "seed" could grow into a towering tree powerful enough to shake the authority of the Great True Person and remember this humble sentiment.

"Back then, I just gave it to you casually, but you—" Xuan Ling opened her mouth, her voice a little hoarse.

He wanted to say that what he had done was worlds apart from what Qi Yun had done and demonstrated today, in terms of power and courage.

This "reward" is too heavy.

"No need for further words." Qi Yun gently waved his hand, interrupting his unfinished sentence.

Those calm eyes looked over, clear and resolute.

A drop of kindness deserves a spring in return.

This is Qi's code of conduct, and it has nothing to do with the importance of others.

He paused, picked up the teacup in front of him, took a sip, and his tone became casually inquiring, as if chatting with an old friend. "Xuan Ling, now that you have broken free from the cage, what are your plans for the future?"

Uh—I plan to—

This question made Xuan Ling suddenly pull away from the shock and emotion, and fell into a true confusion.

Intend?

Everything that happened today was like a sudden storm, violently throwing him off his familiar, oppressive path.

He had fantasized about the day he would escape Black Mountain's control, meticulously depicting it in countless quiet nights with hatred and longing.

But when this day actually arrived in such a dramatic, even somewhat absurd, way, all the paths that had been envisioned suddenly became blurred, like looking at flowers through a fog.

go home?

The word flashed through my mind, stirring only a cold, deathly silence and a sharp pain.

His "home," the Lineage that once shared laughter and warmth, and whose blood ties were intertwined, was completely wiped from the world by that Great True Person with thunderous methods many years ago because of a "mistake" he made during a mission.

The mansion was reduced to ashes, and the souls of relatives had nowhere to go.

The world is so vast that there is no longer any place for him to stand.

And right now, is he truly safe and free?

What kind of temperament did the Black Mountain True Person possess?

They are vindictive and have an extremely strong desire for control.

Today, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he was forced to bow his head by Lord Bai and had his men taken away by Qi Yun. How could he easily swallow this insult?

He himself, a former subordinate who had been "taken away," was probably already on the list of those he was determined to eliminate.

Leaving Qi Yun's protection, they found themselves in the vast Northwest, and even in the immense cultivation world.

Where can one find refuge from the hidden machinations of a wrathful Great True Person?

There was no way out, and the future was bleak.

Just then, his chaotic thoughts suddenly settled, and his gaze involuntarily locked onto the Spirit Stabilization young Daoist opposite him.

An almost instinctive thought, like a torch suddenly lit in the darkness, illuminated his gloomy path ahead and burned away the blood feud and resentment that had accumulated in his heart for a century.

"Thump!"

Without much hesitation, Xuan Ling knelt down, bowed deeply to Qi Yun, her forehead touching the ground, yet each word was clear and heavy as a thousand pounds. "Xuan Ling is unworthy, her life like a drifting duckweed, her blood feud unavenged, her path ahead blocked!"

He raised his head, his eyes gleaming, and stared directly at Qi Yun. The arrogance and deep-seated hatred that had been suppressed for so many years surged in his eyes like lava. "Black Mountain Old Devil, you enslaved me, destroyed my home, and exterminated my family!"

This hatred is irreconcilable!

Xuan Ling knew his cultivation was shallow, and feared he would find it difficult to avenge himself in this lifetime.

He paused, took a deep breath, and staked all his hopes and his life on the next sentence. "Only you, fellow Daoist, are like a dragon emerging from the abyss, unstoppable."

Xuan Ling is willing to abandon this crippled body and follow my fellow Daoist, serving him faithfully to the death!

I only hope that one day I can witness that Old Devil being brought to justice and his blood debt being repaid.

I humbly request that you take me in, fellow Daoist!

If the previous thoughts of dependence, arising from the situation, were still somewhat weighed...

These words, then, are a rip-off of all pretense, laying bare the most bloody hatred and the most humble pleas before Qi Yun.

The courtyard was quiet, save for the rustling of the pine trees and the clear chime of jade bells.

Qi Yun paused slightly in his teacup. The light fell on Xuan Ling, who was kneeling on the ground. His deep eyes were calm and undisturbed, as if he had expected this scene.

He didn't immediately reach out to help, nor did he show excessive joy.

He remained silent for a few moments before slowly speaking, his voice still steady but carrying a hint of caution. "Xuan Ling, have you thought this through?"

"Following me means that we will have to face that bastard Black Mountain head-on in the future, with no room for maneuver."

This is fraught with danger; the slightest misstep could result in total annihilation.

It's a hundred times crueler than living in anonymity and eking out a living alone.

Are you really sure about this?

These words were not a rejection, but rather a presentation of the cruelest possibility to Xuan Ling, giving him one last chance to change his mind.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Ling not only did not back down, but the resolute look in her eyes intensified.

He kowtowed heavily again, his voice resolute and without the slightest hesitation. "I've made up my mind! To live a life of ignominy, to serve my enemies in a daze, is worse than death."

Black Mountain and I have long been mortal enemies; it's only a matter of time before it happens.

Rather than living in constant fear, waiting for an unknown purge to come, it's better to rise up and fight, and follow a wise ruler!

He raised his head, his eyes slightly red, but his gaze was as firm as iron. "My skills are meager, and I have no hope of revenge in this life. I can only entrust this remaining life to you, fellow Daoist."

Fellow Daoist, please give me a chance!

Having said that, he remained kneeling, saying nothing more, and simply waited quietly.

That resolute determination to gamble everything, coupled with the clear-headed understanding gained through life's trials, permeated the small courtyard with a heavy weight.

Looking at the former "senior" who had placed all his hopes on him, Qi Yun's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile.

Everything went as expected.

He put down his teacup, but did not immediately tell Xuan Ling to get up. Instead, he leaned back slightly, his gaze fixed on the vast sea of clouds and mountains outside the courtyard, as if he were pondering something or admiring the scenery.

After a moment, he withdrew his gaze and focused it back on Xuan Ling. His voice was not loud, but it carried a reassuring power. "Okay."

"Since you have made up your mind, from this day forward, you are a member of my Green Mountain Dao Academy."

"Let's remember the grudge against Black Mountain for now."

What you need to do right now is to calm your mind and restore your cultivation.

I have plenty of resources here, so you can focus on your cultivation.

As for the rest----"

Qi Yun paused, a deep glint flashing in his eyes.

"I have my own plans."

He then reached out and gently lifted Xuan Ling up with a soft yet irresistible force.

"Go and rest first. You may use the quiet room in the east wing of the temple as you wish."

If you need anything, please inform the attendants in the temple.

Xuan Ling stood up, feeling as if the boulder that had weighed on her heart for hundreds of years had loosened slightly.

He looked into Qi Yun's calm yet powerful eyes, clasped his hands in a deep fist salute, and said, "Xuan Ling, I obey!"

He knew that from this moment on, his fate was inextricably linked with that of the unfathomable young Daoist priest before him.

The road ahead may be fraught with thorns and dangers.

But at least—he saw the direction of the light.

Qi Yun nodded slightly, said no more, picked up his teacup again, and gazed into the distance.

Outside the Green Mountain Daoist Temple, clouds drift and gather.

Inside the temple, the pine breeze still rustles, and the jade bells ring out clearly.

A karmic connection that began with a casual act of kindness a century ago has now quietly begun to unfold in a new chapter.

Beneath the seemingly calm surface of the Northwest Holy Sect, deeper undercurrents are silently gathering.

Several days later, at Green Mountain Daoist Temple.

Qi Yun was writing at the cloud-patterned wooden table in front of the window of the quiet room.

The brush is Chang Qing brush, the ink is made from pine soot, and the paper is not silk, but just the finest Xuan paper from the mortal world.

He wrote slowly, and what he wrote were neither talismans nor Daoist patterns, nor Cultivation Method Mnemonic.

Instead, it is a simple and unadorned essay that records scattered thoughts and feelings.

The handwriting is clear, elegant, and graceful, subtly conveying a sense of simplicity and returning to one's true nature.

The sunlight outside the window was just right, and the clouds and mist swirled among the peaks. Occasionally, a spirit bird would call out as it flew by, adding to the tranquility.

The Daoist aura within the temple was natural and harmonious, blending with Qi Yun's refined and restrained presence, as if he were part of the spirit of this landscape, serene and profound.

"Call out!"

A rainbow of light descended without warning from the depths of the highest heavens.

Ignoring the layers of Formation Art and spatial distance surrounding the Green Mountain Daoist Temple, it hovered like a dream, suddenly appearing three feet in front of Qi Yun in the void.

The rainbow light shimmered with seven colors, yet remained clear and transparent.

The next moment.

The rainbow light spread silently, transforming into countless fine threads of rosy clouds.

Qi Yun felt as if the surrounding scenery was like an ink painting soaked in clear water, with the edges beginning to blur, flow, and change.

The wooden table in the quiet room where he stood, the futon beneath him, the pine shadows and clouds outside the window, and even the outline and atmosphere of the entire Green Mountain Daoist Temple —all faded and dissolved in a gentle yet irresistible way.

Before my eyes, bizarre and dazzling colors flowed and recombine, while in my ears seemed countless subtle celestial sounds simultaneously rise and fall.

Just a breath's interval.

All the Flowing Light suddenly subsided and solidified.

Qi Yun was no longer in the quiet room of the Green Mountain Daoist Temple.

The pen tip hovered, the ink still wet.

He maintained the posture of writing with a pen, and even the angle at which his clothes fluttered remained unchanged.

But the world around them was completely different.

This is a strange forest.

Sunlight streamed down from the dome above, creating a curtain of light that flowed with a warm, jade-like luster and rippled endlessly like water, isolating the inside from the outside and forming its own universe.

The woods were not silent.

Animals leap and frolic, full of vitality, yet orderly and well-governed.

The Spiritual Qi flowing in the air was pure and abundant, ten or even a hundred times more concentrated and refined than any other blessed land Qi Yun had ever seen.

With each breath, one feels clarity in the Purple Mansion, and the Dao Foundation faintly resonates with it.

On a naturally formed dark red jade platform.

A shirtless man sat cross-legged with his back to Qi Yun.

He was tall and imposing, with broad shoulders and back like a mountain ridge. Under his skin, one could vaguely see strange, pale golden patterns flowing naturally, the marks of the Great Dao imprinted on his body.

Even from just a silhouette, without any deliberate attempt to project power, an aura of "majesty" emanated from him.

Although he is simply sitting cross-legged, he gives people the feeling of standing tall and supporting the sky.

It seems that this strange world was manifested and maintained because of his existence.

"They've arrived."

A man's voice rang out, neither too loud nor too soft, neither too fast nor too slow.

The tone is not as loud and clear as one might imagine; instead, it has a unique metallic quality and a warm, mellow quality that comes with age.

Upon hearing this, Qi Yun immediately composed himself, straightened his Daoist robe, and bowed respectfully. "Disciple Qi Yun pays respects to the True Lord!"