Chapter 86: New Year's Eve Approaches, Yun Zhou Leaves the Mountain

In Hidden Peak, Nan Cheng slowly exhaled.

His long, dishevelled hair framed a gaunt face tinged with an unhealthy pallor. His slightly sunken eyes, devoid of spirit, betrayed extreme exhaustion. His body was incredibly thin, and his steps were unsteady, like a rusted piece of iron. Who could have imagined that before entering Hidden Peak, he had been a dashing young master from a noble family?

Holding the jade token, he came to the treasure vault one last time to retrieve spirit fruits.

“Forty-three,” Nan Cheng said, handing the jade token to the old man and stating his number.

The old man took the jade token, glanced at it, and then picked up a ledger to make a note. “This token has exactly forty-three spirit fruits remaining,” he said.

Nan Cheng was slightly surprised. “What a coincidence?”

The old man cast a sidelong glance at him. “You didn’t know?”

Nan Cheng frowned, thinking that a 'Bing' level jade token could retrieve thousands of spirit fruits. He had only used it a few times before, taking merely a couple hundred. Now, it was almost depleted. He hadn't expected that senior to have taken so many, yet the remaining amount was just enough for him to complete his cultivation. That senior truly was an otherworldly master, foresightful in every respect.

He was secretly astonished and impressed. After the old man handed him the spirit fruits, he took his satchel, slung it over his back, and headed towards his secluded cultivation spot.

As he passed a high-hanging cave at the edge of Hidden Peak, Nan Cheng suddenly stopped.

He looked up at the cave, which resembled a skylight.

A light flashed past.

“This is…” Nan Cheng pondered for a moment, then said, “Did someone light a Sword Star?”

“This part of Hidden Peak must be near the mountainside. I didn’t expect to see it from such a distance… Could it be that another genius has emerged from Sword Peak?”

Nan Cheng gazed at the dark spot where the light had vanished, and a flicker of fighting spirit arose within him.

At the summit of Sky Cavern Peak, heavy snow still raged violently. Fierce winds swept through thousands of mountain caves, their howls ceaseless and mournful.

Ning Changjiu stood on the cliff. Starlight illuminated his features, and the cold wind ruffled his white robes. His figure was as bright as the moon, reflecting the grandeur of heaven and earth.

Ning Xiaoling watched him, feeling as if all her senses had been momentarily taken away. It was a long time before the sound of falling snow and the howling wind gradually returned to her ears, carrying a faint, ethereal quality.

Many who witnessed this scene shared the same illusion: how could an outer sect disciple possess such an otherworldly, ethereal aura?

Lu Jiajia watched the Sword Armor crumble and vanish, seeing the sword intent drift out like fine sand coalescing into a single thread. Its edges were somewhat rough, but the central thread was incredibly pure. It circled Ning Changjiu’s body, like a small earth dragon coiling around him.

Lu Jiajia slightly raised her wrist. With a silent sweep of her sword art, the sword domain receded, and the fierce wind and blizzard once again swept into the area.

“That was quite well done,” Lu Jiajia praised lightly. “Though you did resort to a bit of a trick. You spent a long time preparing to barely achieve this, but you can’t always rely on such methods.”

The starlight gradually dispersed, and the faint, sparkling lights in his sleeves grew dimmer and dimmer, like dying fireflies.

Ning Changjiu said, “Thank you for your guidance, Master.”

Lu Jiajia held her long sword, her cloud-like hair fanned out. Her cool voice spoke again, “That will be all, then.”

The disciples below the snowy cliff slowly came to their senses. Le Rou, who was standing outside the inner peak entrance, only belatedly regained her composure. Her hands clasped tightly at her chest, then immediately released, and she moved away with a troubled expression, turning and walking into the shadows of the inner peak.

From the words of her master and the other disciples, she finally understood how Ning Changjiu had accomplished it.

It seemed he had secretly learned a high-grade teleportation formation. He first carved array symbols on the Sword Star and the ground. After activating the formation, he sent the burning pile of firewood from the ground up to the Sword Star, thus igniting it.

Then, using the exact same method, he used the teleportation array to move the Sword Armor from within the light domain to outside it. Without the starlight providing power, the Sword Armor collapsed on its own.

The entire process was virtually effortless for Ning Changjiu, consuming almost no spiritual power to complete.

Therefore, some disciples considered this act to be merely clever, even shameless. However, Le Rou, who didn't consider herself foolish, understood the difficulty involved. Just projecting the starlight domain precisely onto the formation he had drawn—she wouldn’t know how to calculate that accurately.

Perhaps Ning Changjiu really did possess some ability.

But he must have spent almost no time cultivating these past two months, instead focusing on how to use unorthodox means to light the Sword Star, all for the sake of showing off tonight... Hmph, he acts so calm and collected on the surface, but inwardly he’s incredibly vain. Such a hypocrite remaining in the inner peak will eventually corrupt Ning Xiaoling, and might even harm Master!

Fortunately, Master’s tone just now was quite flat, indicating she didn't think highly of his flashy methods.

In the sky, the starlight gradually faded, and everything returned to normal.

Ning Xiaoling excitedly walked to his side and asked with a smile, “What was that you just did, Senior Brother? It was so amazing!”

Ning Changjiu lowered his voice and said, “That was a very powerful Sword Fire Ascent technique. I’ll secretly teach you when we get back to our room.”

Ning Xiaoling nodded, half-believing, half-doubting.

She opened her palm, and the sword intent in her palm condensed into a soft line, like a willow branch swaying in the spring breeze.

“This sword intent seems to really like me,” Ning Xiaoling said, looking at her palm as one might gaze at fish in a pond.

Ning Changjiu said, “Of course, Junior Sister, everyone loves you.”

“Senior Brother, you’re lying again,” Ning Xiaoling said, rolling her eyes with a smile, then closed her hand, holding the sword intent in her palm.

Lu Jiajia explained, “These Sword Stars were hung in the sky by the founding ancestor. Each one contains many threads of sword intent. It is said the ancestor’s cultivation back then had reached beyond the Five Paths. Obtaining even a trace of this sword intent, whether absorbed into the body or embedded into a sword, is immensely beneficial for sword cultivation.”

Ning Xiaoling nodded. “Grand-Master was truly a good person, blessing Sword Peak for a hundred years even after his death.”

Ning Changjiu closed his hand, then looked up at the stars bobbing and swaying in mid-air. “Their material seems very special,” he said.

Lu Jiajia nodded. “According to the sect’s archives, these Sword Stars were forged from the remnants of extraterrestrial meteors.”

Ning Changjiu was slightly surprised. “They’re from outer space?”

Lu Jiajia said, “Yes, among the four peaks, only Sky Cavern Peak has these Sword Stars.”

She seemed unwilling to explain further. Turning her back suddenly, she looked at the scattered disciples still watching them below the snowy cliff and said, “The star-ignition has concluded. You may all return. Do not be late for morning lessons tomorrow.”

The disciples below the snowy cliff processed their surprise, bowing one by one before taking their leave.

Ning Changjiu said, “Then I, your disciple, shall also take my leave.”

Lu Jiajia softly said, “Wait.”

Ning Changjiu asked, “Is there anything else, Master?”

Lu Jiajia asked, “Where did you learn that minor flying formation?”

Ning Changjiu replied, “I saw it in a book in the pavilion. I found it quite interesting, so I studied it for a while.”

Lu Jiajia then asked, “What is your true cultivation realm now?”

Ning Changjiu replied, “I have not yet entered the Profound Realm.”

Lu Jiajia’s eyes flickered slightly, and with a hint of annoyance, she said, “Still trying to deceive me?”

Ning Changjiu spoke sincerely, “If I had entered the Profound Realm, I wouldn’t have needed to go to such lengths. My current cultivation is indeed insufficient to light that star.”

Lu Jiajia hummed in acknowledgment, not pressing further. She softly asked, “What are your plans for New Year’s Eve?”

During the half-month leading up to New Year’s Eve each year, most disciples would descend the mountain to visit their families.

Ning Changjiu retorted, “What are your plans?”

Lu Jiajia replied, “When I ascended the mountain with my master, my family considered me dead. Now, nearly twenty years later, the mortal world feels distant, and there’s nothing left for me to yearn for in terms of family ties. Of course, I’ll remain on the mountain.”

Ning Changjiu said, “Aren’t there elders secluded on the mountain? Why would the Peak Master need to personally oversee mountain duties? Even if you don’t go home, you should at least take some time to travel and see things.”

Lu Jiajia nodded. “That may be true, but what joy is there in the mortal world? The New Year’s Eve lantern festival, though beautiful, with its singing and dancing and dazzling flowers, becomes tiring after a while.”

Ning Xiaoling listened to their conversation, pondering her senior brother’s words, and suddenly asked, “How about we go to the Zhao Kingdom and celebrate New Year’s with Sister Xiang’er?”

Ning Changjiu glanced at her with approval. “I think Junior Sister’s suggestion is worth considering.”

Lu Jiajia sneered. “Only two months, and you can’t stand it anymore?”

Ning Changjiu ignored her sarcasm, merely asking, “Will Master accompany us?”

Lu Jiajia stood silently for a long time, eventually shaking her head slowly. “It’s a rare moment of leisure. Many matters have been piling up in my heart, and my sword heart is clouded. This is ultimately not the way. I want to go into seclusion in the Peak Master’s Hall for a month. If you two go to see Miss Zhao, please give her my regards.”

Ning Xiaoling whispered, “Master, are you really not coming with us?”

“No, it’s better for me to cultivate in solitude on the mountain.”

Lu Jiajia gently shook her head and walked alone into the snowy night.

The night was deep and foggy. Behind the layers of stone cliffs, the Peak Master’s Hall, built of white jade, rose like a wall of ice flowers from the snowy ground. From a distance, it resembled a moonlit immortal palace; close up, it was solemn and ancient, its walls showing faint, moon-shadowed mottling.

Lu Jiajia stopped at the entrance of the Peak Master’s Hall.

The Peak Master’s Halls of the four peaks were all presided over by great cultivators above the Violet Court realm. Only she had the lowest cultivation, the lowest in history. The previous Peak Master had placed high hopes on her, seeing her as the future of Sky Cavern Peak. However, no matter how bright the future, it could not transform into the spring light of the present.

The depths of winter had not yet passed, and the heavy snow had not yet drifted through the courtyard like scattered petals. She stood before the Peak Master’s Hall, let out a long sigh, and silently walked inside.

The hanging curtains were like icy gauze, and the faint lamplight filtered through the drapes, illuminating her snow-white sword robes. The grand hall was so vast that it made her figure appear even smaller.

“What exactly am I doing…” Lu Jiajia closed her eyes, her lips slightly parted as she murmured to herself.

In the past two months, her cultivation had barely advanced. Was personally lecturing the disciples a sign of her valuing them, or was it a deliberate avoidance of her own cultivation because she couldn’t accept her current self?

It is difficult to go from luxury to frugality. Previously, from entering the Profound Realm to reaching the Long Life upper realm, she had progressed almost unopposed. Her master had even praised her as having the bearing of a celestial being, with the potential to reach the Five Paths.

But now, her past smooth progress had become a mental obstacle.

Moreover, during her time in the Imperial City, numerous people and events had left indelible shadows on her sword heart.

For instance, when the old fox revealed an almost unrivaled realm; when that stranger on the rainy long street took the sword and departed; and Ning Xiaoling, Zhao Xiang’er… and finally, when the Heavenly Demon broke through the sea of clouds, the overwhelming fear and might crushed her sword heart, preventing it from rising even an inch.

This was a fear that became more distinct the higher one’s cultivation realm.

Even though she later suppressed her fear and rode her sword to the Nine Spirit Platform, after miraculously surviving, what followed in her eyes was another suddenly illuminated blade. That blade has now been deliberately erased by something, existing only as a vague shadow in her mind, yet it still fills her with a sense of the vast beauty of heaven and earth, and the insignificance of all things, leaving her powerless.

This scene, which would inspire awe in mortals for a lifetime, was ironically fatal to her, whose sword heart was shattered and whose Grand Dao was faltering at the time.

Having witnessed swords and blades of immense power, she became hesitant and afraid to strike. It was as if all her moves were merely the hacks and slashes of a child with a bamboo knife, and every extra swing would only mar the exquisitely beautiful image in her mind.

She even knew that what she was trapped in was merely a simple mental block, yet for some reason, she couldn't break free.

Cold wind entered the hall, and the candlelight flickered.

The wind made the dark hair draped over her elegant back flutter to both sides and lifted the hem of her robes clinging to her thighs. Lu Jiajia turned slightly, and with a thought, closed the grand doors.

The candlelight steadied.

Lu Jiajia sat down on the cold jade platform, crossed her legs, bent her fingers, and closed her eyes to meditate.

The emotions that had accumulated in her chest today erupted the moment Ning Changjiu lit the Sword Star.

She knew full well that Ning Changjiu’s physical condition was much worse than her own at that moment. Yet, despite that, he still achieved something almost impossible. What was she waiting for? What was she doing? Why did she lack even the courage to calm her mind and face her inner demons?

How could she be worthy of being a master?

She closed her eyes, her thoughts gradually sinking as she entered meditation.

On Sky Cavern Peak, the Sword Star had long extinguished after the Sword Armor shattered. Yet, in Lu Jiajia’s heart, a faint glimmer of light slowly began to appear, followed by more and more glimmers brightening within her—these were the fragments of her sword heart, which had been slowly breaking apart over the past two months.

For the first time, she began to try to piece them together.

Three days later, with New Year’s Eve approaching, morning lessons were suspended. The sword training grounds were desolate, and the number of disciples among the tranquil peaks dwindled, leaving only lingering snow swept by the wind.

Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling bid farewell to Lu Jiajia together and walked down the mountain path of Sky Cavern Peak.

Beyond the peach blossom curtain, immortal boats hovered in the air, with several elders outside guiding and protecting the disciples on their journey home.

“What a huge boat…” Ning Xiaoling exclaimed, gazing at the floating vessel.

Ning Changjiu explained, “That’s a Cloud Skiff. Ordinary flying swords are too narrow and unsafe to stand on, and they can’t carry many people. True immortal travel involves either personal treasures like Lu Jiajia’s blue-and-white palanquin or riding on such immortal skiffs.”

Ning Xiaoling marveled, “Our sect is truly grand.”

Ning Changjiu chuckled, “Of course. With immortal swords and immortal ships, how extravagant is that?”

Ning Xiaoling didn’t quite catch it and asked, “Hm? What kind of sword did you say, Senior Brother?”

Ning Changjiu didn’t answer. He simply smiled and led Ning Xiaoling onto one of the Cloud Skiffs. The helmsman on board, wrapped in a large fur cloak, was dozing. On closer inspection, it was Lu Yuanbai.

“Uncle Lu?” Ning Changjiu was slightly surprised, then smiled. “What a coincidence.”

Lu Yuanbai was also surprised. He then looked at the young girl beside him and said with a smile, “Miss Xiaoling is truly remarkable. Achieving third place at the Sword Listening Snowfield already astonished everyone, and then breaking through the realm by igniting the star a few days ago caused a complete uproar! Your Junior Sister Le Rou’s ears even turned red with anger. You’re truly outstanding.”

Ning Xiaoling politely said, “Thank you for the compliment, Uncle.”

Hearing the address ‘Uncle,’ Lu Yuanbai smiled even more brightly. “Where are you planning to go? Are you two siblings heading home for New Year’s?”

Ning Xiaoling began, “To the Zhao Kingdom’s imperial…”

Ning Changjiu interrupted, “Let’s go to Linhe City first.”

“Ah? Linhe City?” Ning Xiaoling was startled, then remembered that it was where they had stayed with Ning Qinshui before.

Senior Brother isn’t really still thinking about Ning Qinshui’s hidden money, is he…?

Ning Xiaoling sighed. “Then I’ll listen to Senior Brother.”