Chapter 48: 048 Part 1

Wei Mingyi was momentarily stunned before realizing the call wasn’t for her, but for Wu Chongyun, who was right beside her.

Such intimate address? What was this person’s status?

Instinctively, she glanced at Wu Chongyun, but saw no flicker of emotion on her face. It was as if she hadn’t heard, or as if the matter had nothing to do with her.

Wei Mingyi accepted the Jade Register and put it away. It was merely a symbol of the Heavenly Dao Champion’s status. Past champions had been revered and praised by the world for their formidable strength, but more importantly, for their Aristocratic Family origins. As for her… the Jade Register would be no protective talisman. Once she left Supreme Peak, it would be nothing short of a death warrant. Still, Wei Mingyi didn’t care about that. She looked at the Deacon Daoist, who had visibly sighed in relief, and asked, “What about the rewards?” What use was a title? She was here for tangible goods.

What the Heavenly Dao Alliance had prepared for the Head Champion wasn’t revealed until the very end. No one minded, because past champions all came from Major Clans; the Alliance wouldn’t dare shortchange them. Now, hearing Wei Mingyi, the Daoist again showed a hesitant, fearful expression, uncertain whether to hand it over.

Only when Wu Jianhuan said “Give it to her” did the Daoist finally relax and hastily offer up the prepared Qiankun Pouch. Normally, the champion received the most, with rewards distributed in descending order, a process accompanied by recruitment offers from various clans. But this time, it was different. Besides Wei Mingyi, no one had lasted until the final moment.

All around was dead silence. The mountain wind blew, quickly dispersing the thick scent of blood.

After receiving the Qiankun Pouch, Wei Mingyi immediately opened it and scanned its contents with her spiritual sense. Her action drew murmurs and mocking laughter; few would open their rewards on the spot, and they ridiculed her as boorish and vulgar. Wei Mingyi didn’t care in the slightest. She was here for Cloud Mountain Herb. If the Grand Prize contained Cloud Realm’s specialty, fine. If not, she’d have to find another way.

Inside the pouch, cultivation resources were plentiful: Pill Jades, Cinnabar, various high-quality ores—all specialties monopolized by the Four Clans. In terms of value, they didn’t compare to Penglai Purple Qi in Wei Mingyi’s eyes. She swept her gaze roughly across the contents and found the “Cloud Mountain Herb.” She abruptly released a long-held breath of stale air. The goal of this journey was perfectly achieved! Now, it just depended on whether she could leave Supreme Peak safely.

Wei Mingyi passed the Qiankun Pouch to Wu Chongyun to keep. They had no intention of lingering. Yet, the moment they moved, gazes landed on them like thistles and thorns. Her spine involuntarily stiffened.

“Daoist, since you have no affiliation, how about joining my Spirit Mountain?” Wu Jianhuan was still the first to speak. At her words, the Daoists who had been watching her coldly hand over the Jade Register shifted their expressions, their gazes growing even frostier.

“Since you were registered in Cloud Realm, you belong to my Yun Clan, don’t you?” a Yun Clan Daoist added, eyelids low.

The Three Sects’ Guardian Perfected Ones, seeing the Aristocratic Families speak up, couldn’t sit still either. Though they disliked a rule-breaker like Wei Mingyi, they were even less willing to see talent fall into the Aristocratic Families’ hands. The Pure Clean Sect Perfected One interjected, “Little Daoist, you cultivate our Pure Clean Sect’s technique, so naturally, you are one of us. As long as you recognize the principles of our generation, we will immediately accept you as a true disciple.” After a pause, she fixed her gaze on Wei Mingyi and added meaningfully, “The Ink of World Purification is a supreme art of my Pure Clean Sect, not to be taught to outsiders.”

Thus, the great families and sects all spoke, feigning warmth with cold faces. Wei Mingyi experienced the treatment of a “top-scoring exam candidate” in another world. But with her eyelids lowered, she only found it laughable inside. Ignoring the Aristocratic Clan Daoists, she looked directly at the Pure Clean Sect Guardian Perfected One. “And what if I refuse to join the Pure Clean Sect?”

The Pure Clean Sect Daoist’s expression instantly darkened, disgusted by Wei Mingyi’s unflappable face, which she took as utter provocation. She said coldly, “I won’t make things difficult for you, Daoist. You only need to forget the Ink of World Purification completely.”

Wei Mingyi let out a short laugh. No difficulty? This was asking her to cripple her own technique! “Shizun, look at them—” Wei Mingyi leaned closer to Wu Chongyun, complaining in a soft, coquettish voice.

Wu Chongyun detested the Pure Clean Sect Perfected One’s attitude. She looked at her coldly and demanded, “Is it yours?” One could say the Four Great Clans split off from the Primordial One, making them its direct heirs. Jade Emperor Sect could also claim to have been founded by Primordial One Daoists. But the Pure Clean Sect merely obtained a technique manual and took Ancestor Jing as its founder. The original founding patriarchs still understood what “purity” meant, but now… even the Aristocratic Families looked down on the Pure Clean Sect’s behavior, holding no respect for them whatsoever.

Wei Mingyi’s smile brightened. “Many thanks for the kind intentions of all Perfected Ones, but my Shizun and I have a home. There’s no need to pledge allegiance to another sect.”

“Since the Daoist insists, we won’t press further,” the Cloud Realm Perfected One said politely, though her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “The mountains are high, the road far. The journey back is long. Take care, Daoist.”

The Nine Provinces never lacked prodigies. But how many lived to cultivate to Grotto-Heaven? True, she had one Nascent Soul Dao Protector, but what if the opponents were two, three, or even more Nascent Souls? The Cloud Perfected One had already foreseen the outcome. Seizing the Heavenly Dao Champion title was a moment of thrill, but ultimately, she wouldn’t survive.

“I’ll escort the Daoist out of Supreme Peak,” Wu Jianhuan said gently. Her unusual behavior drew the attention of the other Aristocratic Clan Daoists, but those three merely frowned and said nothing more.

Both Wu Chongyun and Wei Mingyi replied in unison, “That won’t be necessary.”

They knew the dangers outside.

They intended to leave, but not right now.

Wei Mingyi grabbed Wu Chongyun’s hand and gave her a meaningful look.

Wu Chongyun didn’t fully understand, but with lowered eyelids, she nodded casually. Under the watch of countless eyes, she and Wei Mingyi walked side-by-side out of the mountain.

For the sake of face, no one would attack on Supreme Peak. But the moment they stepped out, life or death would hang in the balance.

Wei Mingyi had no intention of truly leaving. She just made a show of exiting the peak.

The Aristocratic Clan Daoists wouldn’t act; the Three Sect cultivators wouldn’t shield them either.

But just as the utterly one-sided hunt was about to begin, the onlookers suddenly discovered that the two figures had vanished into thin air—no trace whatsoever left behind.

Was it a talisman? An artifact? Why hadn’t there been the slightest stir of magical energy?

“It seems they came prepared, already intending to seize Head Champion?” the Shifang Celestial Palace Perfected One commented with a half-smile, her gaze settling on the dazed Wu Jianhuan. “Fellow Daoist Wu?”

Wu Jianhuan snapped back to attention. Burying her troubled heart, she offered a perfunctory, “What else could we do? Should we have refused to award the Jade Register? Losing was already shameful enough; better to be magnanimous and admit our defeat.”

“Indeed,” sighed the Cloud Realm Daoist. “Though I thought they wouldn’t live.”

“Wei Wuwang, Wu Chongyun… these names…”

“Wuwang… somewhat familiar,” the Heavenly Evolution Mountain Daoist remarked.

“Those two characters appear everywhere. There’s even someone named Wuwang among the Yun Clan’s ‘Wu’ generation,” the Cloud Realm Daoist replied.

“Wasn’t the Daoist who dealt with Yangchun Terrace also called Wuwang?” a voice suddenly interjected, coming from the Pure Clean Sect Perfected One. She was just making idle conversation, but at her words, everyone’s expressions froze. If it was indeed Chongyuan Sect of Yangchun Terrace, they truly had the ability to come and go without a trace. But “Wuwang” was a common given name; it might not be them.

“The Wild Domain…” The speaker trailed off. Though not registered in the Heavenly Dao Alliance, the Alliance ultimately served the Four Clans. This headache wouldn’t be hers alone to bear.

The two had vanished completely. Those hoping to ambush them along the way could do nothing but hover nearby for a few days before giving up.

The Eternal Cosmos Heavenly Realm.

Wei Mingyi and Wu Chongyun were hidden within.

Wu Chongyun showed no surprise. Even if Wei Mingyi hadn’t used such a method, she had her own ways to fight her way out.

She’d met people she didn’t want to meet, used talismans she hadn’t wanted to use. Those objects… she could have refused to use them, even at the cost of her life, but she had to protect Wei Mingyi.

Those memories of the past she wished to discard had once been nightmares, Heart Devils. Now, she no longer feared facing them. For Wei Mingyi’s sake, she was willing to pick them all back up.

Wei Mingyi observed Wu Chongyun’s weary expression and carefully asked, “Shizun, who is Chan’er?”

As expected, no reply came.

With only the two of them on the map, there were no annoying background noises to interfere.

The silence itself was an answer.

Shizun… she had deep ties to the Wu Clan, didn’t she? The Four Paragons of Spirit Mountain… the Zither Paragon. That was probably it.

Wei Mingyi didn’t pry further. The past was a wound. If Shizun felt the time wasn’t right, she couldn’t go digging at her scars. She raised an eyebrow and put on a triumphant air, spreading her arms wide. “The Eternal Cosmos Heavenly Realm, the Primordial One’s Ruins—it’s now ours! Is Shizun satisfied?!”

Wu Chongyun glanced at her lightly. “Were you injured?”

Wei Mingyi snorted, her eyes bright and clear. “With the Heavenly Dao protecting me, who could wound me? I’ve already expanded my Qi Sea and entered the Foundation Establishment Second Layer Realm now!”

How grand! How genius?

Wei Mingyi stared directly at Wu Chongyun, waiting for praise.

“You did very well,” Wu Chongyun didn’t disappoint. She reached out and patted Wei Mingyi’s head, praising her softly.

Wei Mingyi was delighted. She immediately launched into an endless stream of chatter, embellishing her tales of fighting three hundred rounds within the Eternal Cosmos Heavenly Realm, though she skimmed over the schemes and plots in just a few words.

Wu Chongyun listened quietly. She sat shoulder-to-shoulder with Wei Mingyi on the grassy meadow. This place was a remodeled blessed land, yet still bathed in heavenly wind and bright light. Putting aside troubling thoughts and simply gazing at the clear, beautiful scenery brought a sense of contentment. When Wei Mingyi finished, she swept her whisk across Wei Mingyi’s face and remarked, “From the First Layer to the Second Layer, it was somewhat fast.”

Wei Mingyi asked earnestly, “How long should it normally take?”

Wu Chongyun replied, “It varies by person. Slowly, perhaps a decade or more.”

Wei Mingyi nodded, propping her chin on her hand and pressing her elbow down on the whisk that kept trying to move restlessly. “The spiritual energy here is abundant, and I used Penglai Purple Qi too.”

Wu Chongyun “Mm”-ed in acknowledgment. Even among the great Aristocratic Clans, Penglai Purple Qi wasn’t used so extravagantly. Generally, it was reserved for meritorious Golden Core or Nascent Soul cultivators. As for Foundation Establishment… using it at this stage, when it couldn’t be fully digested, wasn’t the most efficient. But that was because the Aristocratic Families could obtain more suitable alternatives. When only Penglai Purple Qi was available, there was no point calculating over pennies.

After a thought, she explained further to Wei Mingyi. “Advancing from the Second Layer Realm to the Third is about condensing the ‘Qi’ within your Qi Sea into an Original Pill. This Original Pill is the vessel where the future Dan Seed will reside. It possesses no spiritual nature of its own. It needs to be tempered with internal and external elixirs. Once the Dan Seed is injected into it, the Original Pill truly comes alive, and you naturally step into the Golden Core stage.”

“Though you’ve entered the Second Layer Realm, don’t rush to condense your Qi Sea. Continue as you did in the First Layer, further developing your Qi Sea several times.” Many people, upon reaching a higher realm, wouldn’t revisit the foundational practices of the lower realms, deeming it unnecessary. But that wasn’t so. Tempering oneself—there was no distinction of stages; it was never out of date.

Moreover, she had advanced after consuming large amounts of Penglai Purple Qi. This Second Layer Realm might be “false,” lacking true solidity.

Wei Mingyi listened obediently and replied, “Alright.” She noted her own cultivation key points, then her topic abruptly shifted back to the antidote for the Wither and Flourish Poison. With great interest, she said, “Now that we’ve gathered all the ingredients, can we finally refine the antidote?” Pausing, she frowned and added, “But it’s a Heaven Tier antidote. Even with the Revival Furnace, the Assistant Masters are only at Golden Core. Hm, with Perfected One Xie assisting, can we refine it with a hundred percent success rate?”