Chapter 456: Flowing Light Sword

Eventually, Chen Mobai and Meng Huang’er arrived a bit late for the rehearsal at the Daoist Academy. However, both were in excellent form. As the first and last performers of the graduation ceremony, they each completed their parts flawlessly in a single take.

After the rehearsal, the two of them invited Bian Yiqing out for a meal. For Meng Huang’er, Bian Yiqing was her mentor. And for Chen Mobai, Bian Yiqing was also the one who guided him onto the path of cultivation. It was after listening to his opera performances in the past that Chen Mobai grasped the key to controlling his spiritual consciousness. Furthermore, during the entrance examination in Danxia City, it was Bian Yiqing’s report to his superiors that ultimately allowed Chen Mobai to be admitted.

Bian Yiqing did not refuse and gladly accepted.

“The Immortal Sect will belong to you in the future. I hope that in my lifetime, I can witness either you or Yuan’er play the Divine Shocking Melody.”

The spirit wine Chen Mobai brought was quite potent. After three rounds of drinks, Bian Yiqing was slightly tipsy and shared some heartfelt thoughts.

“Teacher, please rest assured, I will strive towards that goal.”

No matter what, people from the Immortal Sect always have ambitious goals from a young age. Even Meng Huang’er harbored the ambition of playing the Divine Shocking Melody.

“Then I shall try my best to be the one who listens to you play the Divine Shocking Melody.” Chen Mobai smiled and uttered a remark that left Bian Yiqing unsure how to respond.

Among the Immortal Sect, those awaiting the Divine Shocking Melody are all Nascent Soul Venerables. Chen Mobai’s remark not only expressed his ideal of achieving the Nascent Soul stage but also subtly hinted at his grand ambition of reaching the Deification stage.

“Then you must work hard.”

Although Bian Yiqing had great confidence in Chen Mobai’s talent, achieving the Nascent Soul stage was, after all, the pinnacle of the Immortal Sect, and it wasn’t something that could be accomplished by talent alone. Even Gongye Zhixu, the Vice-Hall Master of the Immortal Sect, was busy striving for the resources required to achieve the Nascent Soul stage. Even if Chen Mobai managed to form a Golden Core, he would likely have to wait another one or two hundred years to acquire the resources for the Nascent Soul stage, given the Immortal Sect’s seniority system.

And some Nascent Soul Venerables within the Immortal Sect could no longer wait that long. According to Bian Yiqing’s speculation, within the next hundred years or so, the Nascent Soul Venerables at the top would arrange for this group of Xuan Yin Dao Seeds, accumulated over more than a century, to collectively perform the Divine Shocking Melody once. In particular, it had long been rumored that the Master of the Immortal Affairs Hall, one of the three great hall masters, was nearing the end of his lifespan and would retire and yield his position once someone below him achieved the Nascent Soul stage.

Of course, Bian Yiqing did not mention these matters to either Chen Mobai or Meng Huang’er. During the meal, as a seasoned veteran, he faintly sensed that the atmosphere between the two young people was a little off. However, at his age, he had learned the wisdom of “where ignorance is bliss.” Since neither of them brought it up, he simply feigned ignorance.

After the meal and drinks, the three of them parted ways. However, at this point, to avoid suspicion, Meng Huang’er proactively offered to escort Bian Yiqing back to the Daoist Academy, as her cultivation was nearing a breakthrough and she also needed to rent a training room in Building No. 9 for a period.

But as Chen Mobai walked home alone, he received a text message from Meng Huang’er. She would be back tonight. Suddenly, Chen Mobai had an urge to return to Xiaonanshan to farm and hide for a few days. But he felt that doing so would be a bit excessive. After all, Meng Huang’er had specifically returned to the Daoist Academy to celebrate his graduation. Chen Mobai could only sigh, wondering how he could guide Meng Huang’er, who seemed to be straying onto a deviant path, back to the righteous one. The good news was that the graduation ceremony was only a few days away. No matter how much hardship or exhaustion he endured, it would only be for these few days.

That day, Chen Mobai stood on the balcony of the mountaintop villa and took a deep breath. In front of him, Meng Huang’er held onto the railing, her cheeks flushed, breathing softly to calm her tired, trembling, slender body after a round of cultivation.

“I feel the opportunity for a breakthrough…” Meng Huang’er slightly raised a hand to brush away the sweat-dampened strands of hair clinging to her flushed cheeks, a hint of joy in her eyes. The Immortal Sect has extensive records regarding breakthroughs in cultivation realms, and generally, once such a feeling is experienced, success is almost guaranteed.

“That’s good. Later, when you're about to break through, I'll book another room in Building No. 9.” Both of them had ample experience in discreetly achieving breakthroughs without attracting attention.

Upon Chen Mobai’s words, Meng Huang’er recalled her two attempts at Foundation Establishment in Building No. 9. When her first attempt using the Qi Tian art failed, she had truly felt utterly disheartened and completely despairing. She had never imagined that she would have a second chance. Moreover, it was by mastering the Critical Method that she, whose Dao Heart had been shattered and who harbored a fear of Foundation Establishment, was able to calmly overcome this hurdle. All of this was thanks to the prodigy before her.

Meng Huang’er gazed at the young man standing in the rising sun, seemingly radiating a layer of brilliance, and was captivated. She made up her mind that she must cling to this powerful connection.

In the morning mountains, vividly colored birds chirped and sang joyfully. The fresh air carried a faint earthy scent, and as the sunlight poured down from above, crystalline dew drops fell from distant verdant leaves, splashing onto the grass. As morning sets the tone for the day, witnessing such a vibrant display of life, Chen Mobai on the balcony felt his heart swell with joy. He, too, seemed to immerse himself in this beauty of burgeoning life, single-mindedly savoring the satisfaction of the moment.

At some point, the shadows of the two, which had fallen from the balcony into the living room, merged once again.

Crimson City Grotto-Heaven. As one of the Immortal Sect’s Ten Great Grotto-Heavens, it housed, in addition to the Martial Arts Daoist Academy, other universities of varying sizes. Among them was a rather inconspicuous academy named “Flowing Light.” Unbeknownst to her, Shi Wanyu had already studied at this academy for ten years. For an ordinary girl like her, these ten years were arguably the most wonderful and joyous decade of her life. It was her first time leaving her parents and experiencing unrestrained freedom on her own. And at this university, she met a multitude of diverse individuals. She and her three roommates became inseparable friends and confidantes. If there was any regret during her ten years at university, it would be not having experienced a truly unforgettable romance.

On the eve of graduation, Shi Wanyu stood alone on a chair, staring blankly at her phone. On her phone was a photo she had taken at the Shan Hai Academy. In fact, given her looks, she had what could be described as a reinforced platoon of suitors at university, and even outside of campus, there were individuals like Gu Mingxuan and Wen Xiong. However, after her encounter with that person, Shi Wanyu found all other boys to be utterly mundane. If only she could be with him…

Thinking this, she opened a drawer and took out the lipstick that was placed deepest inside. But her expression quickly dimmed. He was the chief disciple of the Martial Arts Daoist Academy, widely recognized as the top individual of this generation in the Immortal Sect, invincible at the Foundation Establishment stage, and hailed as an unparalleled sword dao genius with the potential for Deification. What did it matter if she was beautiful? Among the Four Great Daoist Academies, there were countless goddesses more attractive, with superior cultivation, and from better backgrounds than her. Unless the heavens were blind, he would certainly not choose her as his life partner.

Thinking this, Shi Wanyu sighed, pouted, and put the lipstick back. Just as she was about to close the drawer, she found it seemed to be jammed by something. She pulled it out again, squinted, and looked down, finally finding the culprit. It was a card! The moment Shi Wanyu saw it, she remembered the origin of the card. Because this, too, was a precious memory she shared with him. The shared smile when they reunited after a long separation in the small alley of Crimson City Grotto-Heaven, the surprise of being called by name by him—even now, recalling it filled her with sweetness. It was just that fortune-teller who was such an eyesore. If she hadn’t been there, it would have been just the two of them.

Shi Wanyu, thinking this, took out the card that had jammed the drawer, casually flipped it over, and was about to put it back when she noticed something different. “That’s strange, I distinctly remember there wasn’t an arrow on it.” Shi Wanyu looked at the front of the card, which still bore the same verse: “Stars burst beyond the dawn, ashes drift before the steps.” But on the back, a faint black arrow had appeared. Since the back was originally a dark red background, it wasn’t very noticeable. As it was an item linked to her memories of Chen Mobai, Shi Wanyu had looked at it numerous times, and she was certain that the arrow had not been there before.

She picked up the card again and examined it closely. The girl, who truly had no knack for deduction, shook her head and placed the card horizontally at the bottom of the drawer to prevent it from getting stuck again. But the moment she placed the card horizontally, Shi Wanyu’s eyes widened as she discovered something new. She saw that the arrow, astonishingly, also changed its direction.

Shi Wanyu took out the card, holding it between her slender, pale fingers, and rotated it up, down, left, and right, discovering that no matter how she turned it, the faint black arrow consistently pointed southeast.

“What is this?” She couldn’t figure it out, but everyone else in the dorm had gone out with their boyfriends that day, so she had no one to consult. As a very ordinary university, most students at Flowing Light Academy did not manage to achieve Foundation Establishment by the time they graduated. In their dorm, the other three did not intend to join the military, so they had already found boyfriends and planned to marry right after graduation. Shi Wanyu was merely an ordinary pretty girl, and she instinctively recoiled from the military, which was rumored to be particularly arduous and exhausting. Yet, whenever she tried to resign herself to finding a boyfriend, Chen Mobai’s image would involuntarily surface in her mind. After several attempts, she had procrastinated until now, at graduation, still a novice in matters of the heart.

Shi Wanyu had originally decided to muster the courage and confess her feelings to Chen Mobai before graduation. If she were rejected, she would completely give up hope and, like her friends, simply find a man she found agreeable and who treated her well, and marry him. And if the heavens were truly blind and granted her wish, she would happily bear his children and become a good wife and mother… However, every time she opened her phone and drafted the text message, she would get stuck at the sending stage. Because Shi Wanyu knew that once that message was sent, their relationship, which was still somewhat friendly, might come to an end. So each time, her fingers would tremble, unable to press send. Today was no different.

Shi Wanyu, who was tapping her forehead in annoyance, suddenly noticed that the arrow on the card in her hand lit up. It seemed to be guiding her in that direction. “I have nothing else to do anyway, so I might as well go see.” Shi Wanyu glanced at the empty dorm room, put on a light cardigan, changed into her round-toed leather shoes, and left with the card.

As she walked, she found herself at a museum within Flowing Light Academy. It was an exhibition hall open to both students and the public, displaying various artifacts from notable figures of the academy. Shi Wanyu checked the card in her hand, confirmed it still pointed there, then swiped her student ID, passed through the turnstile, and entered.

It couldn’t be behind the exhibition hall, could it? The museum usually had few visitors, and now, with graduation nearing, it was completely empty. Only Shi Wanyu murmured to herself, holding the card. However, just as she was wondering if she should go outside to check behind the museum, the arrow on the card in her hand suddenly vanished. Shi Wanyu was startled. She picked up the card and examined it closely, finding that it was truly gone. She couldn’t help but look around, and right before her was an exhibit.

It was an elegant longsword displayed inside a glass case. Below it were its name and description.

Flowing Light Sword!

Shi Wanyu carefully read the description below and discovered it was a low-grade third-tier sword artifact, the personal sword of Flowing Light Academy’s first principal. This principal had come from the Martial Arts Daoist Academy. Although he successfully established his Foundation, his cultivation of the Participating Resonance Pact lacked a sufficiently powerful Natal Resonance Object, causing him to fail at the crucial moment of forming his Golden Core. Throughout his life, he only ever reached the perfected Foundation Establishment stage. However, at the time of his passing, the principal used the Participating Resonance Pact to infuse his lifelong essence into this Flowing Light Sword, upgrading it from a peak second-tier to a low-grade third-tier artifact. To commemorate the principal and this spirit, the Flowing Light Sword was sealed here, with the Immortal Sect providing spirit stones annually to nourish it and prevent its tier from degrading.

Upon reading this, Shi Wanyu examined the Flowing Light Sword closely again. Sure enough, on the silk cloth draped over the hilt, she found a dull-looking jade stone. This must be a spirit stone! Within the Immortal Sect, most people, though aware of spirit stones, had generally only seen them on television. While at Shan Hai Academy, Shi Wanyu had indeed seen the spirit stone of the Violet Lightning Sword, but there was still a significant difference between various spirit stones.

After examining the Flowing Light Sword, Shi Wanyu still didn’t understand why the card had led her there. She looked around once more but found nothing, so she shook her head and turned to leave. However, she noticed someone had appeared behind her at some point.

“Ah!” Shi Wanyu couldn’t help but let out a surprised cry, but soon, she realized she had actually met this person before. The card in her hand was one she had drawn from this person.