Ascending the Mountain (1)
The silver sword was sliced cleanly in two by the golden threads and, with a crisp snap, dropped into the dry leaves below.
Yan Jue froze.
The threads fluttered, then coiled back around her neck, becoming a collar again, complete with a small gold bell.
Where the sword had just been floating, a faint blue wisp of spiritual energy drifted in the air.
Yan Jue could hardly believe it. That so-called demon-suppressing collar she had spent money on that day had actually snapped an immortal sword in half!
She stared at the blue spiritual energy for a long while, then suddenly seemed to realize something. She sprang to her feet and reached out.
The faint blue energy slowly gathered in her hand, condensing into a nearly colorless shard of ice.
In this novel’s setting, every immortal artifact had a core; it was the essential material used to refine it.
Looking at the ice crystal, Yan Jue could roughly guess that the Thunderflame Sect disciple’s immortal sword had been forged with this as its core.
Yan Jue’s rule for life was simple: she never stole or robbed. But if someone made things difficult for her, then they couldn’t blame her for being impolite.
With complete peace of mind, she put the ice crystal into her Qiankun bag.
She then picked up the broken sword from the ground. The blade was an almost transparent silver, like a fish’s tail; it felt supple to the touch, yet its edge was unbelievably sharp.
One look was enough to tell it was valuable.
It could be used to refine other materials, or exchanged at the Trade Hall.
Yan Jue put the two pieces of broken sword away as well.
After finishing all that, her hand suddenly paused. She realized something unusual was stirring within her body.
It was winter, and the air was biting cold.
Yet there seemed to be a surging heat raging through her chest!
Yan Jue’s pupils contracted sharply; an idea flashed through her mind.
She didn’t have time to think about anything else. She immediately sat down and began to meditate on the spot.
The spiritual energy in her chest grew faster and faster, gradually spreading throughout her entire body.
Yan Jue suddenly opened her eyes. After struggling with the early Foundation Establishment Realm for so long, she had actually broken through after that fight just now!!!
She felt much lighter. Rising from the ground, she raised a hand and removed the gold collar from her neck.
Frowning, she hesitated for a moment, then muttered the spirit-communicating incantation at it. The collar in her hand suddenly began to tremble violently, and then it flew out of her grasp.
The golden, threadlike ring frolicked through the woods, whistling through gaps in the leaves before drifting back, strands and all, into Yan Jue’s hand.
The thing that had just looked so imposing now glowed with a soft luster in the sunlight; the three tiny gold bells dangling from it rang crisply in the breeze.
Yan Jue felt a little happy.
This demon-binding ring forged from Northern Sea black iron really was no ordinary thing! Could this be the... first stroke of good fortune she had encountered in this world?
Yan Jue ran her fingers over the cool ring, and the demon-suppressing collar suddenly gave a faint tremor, as though proudly answering her.
She looked at the quiet woods around her, and only then did she feel the piercing cold. She let out a heavy sigh.
This world was full of unreasonable bandits.
If she wanted to stand firmly in it, she would have to improve her cultivation.
-
By the time Yan Jue came out of the forest and returned to Drunken Spring Pavilion, the two troublemakers were already gone.
They had probably gone to look for their sword.
Yan Jue let out a breath and explained the situation to the madam.
The madam was so moved she was almost in tears, so excited she didn’t know what to say. “Immortal, how can I ever thank you?”
Yan Jue: “It’s nothing. It’s only what I should do. If you have time, just go to the temple and light a lamp for the departed girls.”
Yan Jue was standing in the center of the first-floor hall, speaking with the madam. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see many girls peeking down from the railings, secretly watching her.
Her cheeks warmed, and she felt a little shy.
The madam: “That suits me perfectly. I’ll go to the Bodhisattva Temple later.”
Yan Jue cupped her hands. “Then I’ll be taking my leave.”
She didn’t dare linger. Just as she turned to go, she suddenly heard someone call out from behind her.
“Lady hero.”
Yan Jue turned around and saw that the girl Rou Yi, with whom she had argued so much a few days ago over whether she was staying in Morning Glow Hall or Verdant Mist Palace, was standing behind her at some point.
Rou Yi frowned as she stepped forward and said softly, “Thank you very much for saving me, lady hero. I was rude to you a few days ago. I’m very sorry.”
Today, the brothel girl Rou Yi was dressed very plainly. Her long hair was neatly pinned up with a plain hairpin, which only made her look even more tender and lovely; she had the delicate, clinging charm unique to a brothel woman.
Yan Jue: “It’s fine.”
Rou Yi: “I don’t know how to repay you. Why don’t I... follow you?”
Yan Jue: “!?”
Yan Jue: “That won’t be necessary.”
Perhaps because this was a harem novel, the women in the story had all been somewhat led astray in their thinking.
Yan Jue hated nothing more than those stories where the male lead started collecting a harem from the very beginning. Naturally, she would never allow Rou Yi to follow her.
When Rou Yi saw her as if facing a great enemy, she bit her lip. “Lady hero, you’re righteous to the core. Even so, if I don’t repay you, I’ll never be at peace.”
Seeing that Rou Yi refused to give up, Yan Jue thought for a moment and said, “Then let me make a request of you?”
Rou Yi was stunned. “Please, tell me.”
Yan Jue: “When one travels the world, it’s always good to have some special skill for self-defense. If you know any self-defense techniques, could you teach me?”
The other night, the black-clad man had stormed into Morning Glow Hall. The situation had been extremely urgent.
Yan Jue was certain that the reason Rou Yi had survived that disaster wasn’t only because that unlucky man had taken a knife for her.
Rou Yi herself must have some skills.
Since she had transmigrated into this world, the more she could learn, the better.
Rou Yi blinked. “I don’t have anything I can teach you, lady. But I once learned a full set of seduction arts from Lady Jade Face of Spring Blossom Cave. Unfortunately, I’m not particularly suited to it, so I never learned it very well. Still, I can recommend you to her. I think Lady Yan has a natural charm.”
Yan Jue: “Seduction arts?!”
Yan Jue could only smile politely. “Thank you, miss. If I ever need anything in the future, I’ll come find you.”
Rou Yi looked at Yan Jue’s pale face. The girl’s teal skirt fluttered in the breeze; sunlight slanted down on her, making her red lips and white teeth even more vivid, her smile bright and unrestrained.
Somewhere, a bell rang softly and clearly.
Rou Yi’s lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing.
...
Yan Jue didn’t dare waste time. She immediately took her token and headed up the mountain.
After reaching the mountain, it was still early.
Yan Jue first went to the Administrative Hall to return the token.
Although the mission she had taken earlier had already timed out, she had sent a spiritual dove to explain the situation, and at the very last moment the Administrative Hall had granted her an extension and withdrawn the mission that had been reassigned.
She still received the reward.
Yan Jue felt that this must have been the situation. Otherwise, there was no way to explain why the killer’s lingering soul had flown into her token instead of the tokens of those two people.
Five Dragons Sect had a rule that disciples in the Foundation Establishment Realm had to complete three beginner-level missions before they could freely enter and leave Five Dragons Mountain.
This was only the first one she had finished.
She was a tiny bit closer to her escape plan.
Yan Jue received the reward for completing the mission.
Beginner missions were less missions than a way for disciples to get their feet wet; the rewards were perfunctory.
This task had nearly cost her half her life.
And all the reward amounted to was a dozen or so low-grade Spirit Stones.
Yan Jue then handed the elder three red pills she had found on the black-clad men. “These are the items recovered from this mission.”
The elder looked at them for a moment and gave her five more low-grade Spirit Stones.
After collecting her reward, Yan Jue made a trip to the Refining Hall.
The disciple there frowned as he examined the shard of ice in Yan Jue’s hand. “This is extremely rare salted stone.
“Legend says that on Little Salt Mountain in the Northern Frontier, it can snow in summer; when the cold is at its worst, one can smash a block of ice from the Cold Pool inside the mountain, and once taken out, it will never melt for a thousand years.”
Yan Jue had only just transmigrated into the book, so she knew nothing about the uses of various materials. Very humbly, she asked, “Then what does Senior Brother think I should use it for?”
The disciple frowned. “Such a complete and precious material is excellent for refining tools.
“Selling it at Five Dragons Market would also fetch a good price, but that would be far too wasteful.”
Yan Jue’s eyes moved, and she handed over the thing in her hand. “Then, Senior Brother, do you think this can be added to this?”
The original owner’s spiritual root was of water and earth, which was also considered quite excellent.
Perhaps because the Ghost Mansion Fox Clan had always been nobles among demons, the original owner’s inheritance was also very good.
A water spiritual root wasn’t very powerful in the early stages, so Yan Jue felt that before she reached the Illumination Realm, she could strengthen it a little and cultivate ice techniques to increase the spiritual root’s power.
The disciple was stunned. What Yan Jue handed over was a... rather bizarre piece of golden black iron.
Most Five Dragons disciples cultivated swords. As for rare materials like ice crystal, the most common way Five Dragons Sect refined them was to add them to a blade.
With the power of ice material added, every slash of the sword-wielder’s blade would carry the might of ice.
But adding it to other magical implements wasn’t impossible.
The disciple said, “It can be tried, but the refining fee will be five hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones.”
If this had been in the past, that would have been a sky-high price to Yan Jue.
But this time she didn’t even feel awkward. She took out the contents of her Qiankun bag and said, “Then, Senior Brother, how much can I exchange this for?”
What she handed over were the two broken pieces of sword that the golden threads had snapped in two down the mountain just now.
The disciple was silent for a long while. “This stone is a Falling Stone produced in the Northern Frontier; it’s extraordinarily hard.
“If you want to refine it, I’d recommend an offensive magical implement, like throwing darts or daggers made from these two pieces of Falling Stone.
“I don’t recommend forging them into a sword. The surface area of the two stones is too small, and there’s a clear break in the middle. Even if you make a sword out of them, the effect won’t be very good...
“You could also choose to sell them. For these two pieces of Falling Stone, our Refining Hall is willing to offer 1,500 mid-grade Spirit Stones. What do you think...”
The disciple was rather uneasy, but Yan Jue didn’t care in the slightest and waved a hand. “Then let’s do that.”
She urgently needed money right now anyway; besides, she didn’t know whether she could get that price anywhere else.
-
Five Dragons Market.
Five Dragons Market was also located halfway up Buzhou Peak, and it was the place where Five Dragons Mountain disciples bought things.
There were many small shops here, selling magical implements, sundries, cultivation manuals, talismans, as well as accepting commissions to refine various other self-defense weapons.
As soon as Yan Jue stepped inside, she once again drew a crowd of strange looks.
“Isn’t that the Watercloud Sect disciple who’s been flirting with Junior Brother Chu..."
“Junior Brother Chu is so lucky. He’s already got a Dao companion to dual cultivate with at such a young age; his future is limitless!!!”
“Pah. Senior Brother Chu belongs to Senior Sister! How could Senior Brother Chu, who’s so loyal, ever betray Senior Sister!”
Yan Jue’s hearing had always been excellent. Hearing the faint murmurs around her, she couldn’t help curling her lips.
Chu Fu’s cultivation might not be high yet, but because he had a wind spiritual root, a face as handsome as Pan An, and the identity of a candidate outer disciple, his reputation had long since spread throughout the whole sect.
But.
Your loyal Senior Brother Chu... was extremely adept at keeping a harem.
Although the original text repeatedly stressed that the only person he loved in his heart was Qi Xianqing...
Yan Jue thought he and his group of beauties were all getting along quite happily.
The shopkeeper at the general goods store was very enthusiastic and immediately introduced things to Yan Jue. “This little junior sister, what kind of heavenly treasures are you looking for?”
Yan Jue looked over the goods on the shelves for a while and said, “These hairpins.”
Since she had found such a good place as Myriad Demons Pavilion down the mountain, she would definitely have to visit often in the future; she ought to exchange more hairpins for backup.
Everyone looked over in disbelief.
Rouge, hair ornaments—these kinds of decorations were highly prized in the mortal world, but in the cultivation world, they were worth little.
After all, everyone was a cultivator; cultivation came first.
And yet this Yan Jue actually wanted to buy these!?
A young junior sister pouted and whispered, “No way. Is she planning to seduce Senior Brother Chu again tonight...”
“So what if she’s pretty? Senior Brother Chu and Senior Sister are already like that... Senior Brother Chu is so loyal; he won’t let her wedge herself in.”
“I think some people are just naturally fox-like. Tsk.”
Hairpins on Five Dragons Mountain were cheaper than in the mortal world. Yan Jue only spent ten low-grade Spirit Stones to exchange for more than ten hairpins.
Yan Jue put the hairpins into her bag, and on the side, she asked the shopkeeper for a copy of The Five Dragons Encyclopedia before turning to leave.
A girl passing by spat, “Vulgar beyond belief!”
-
The courtyard was deep, and white clouds swirled around the edges.
Qi Xianqing strolled in, lifting a hand to part the pale green gauze curtain. What met her eyes was a dark red beauty couch.
A woman with strikingly beautiful features was lying on the couch, her clothes somewhat disheveled and her expression drowsy.
Hearing the sound, she lifted a hand and gave a soft yawn; a few tears welled at the corners of her eyes.
Qi Xianqing knelt. “Master.”
Under the dim light, Qi Xianqing wore white robes. Her skin looked even more fair and flawless, as though she were a banished immortal.
Master and disciple; one alluring, one proper.
Yun Zhen: “Was the descent from the mountain this time smooth?”
Qi Xianqing: “Everything went smoothly.”
She briefly told Yun Zhen about the Northern Frontier situation, then thought for a moment and skipped over the Qingye Town portion.
Yun Zhen: “The demonic path has indeed started moving again. I’ve already reported this matter to Five Dragons Sect.”
“You’ve returned this time, so you should be going into closed cultivation soon, yes?” Yun Zhen opened her eyes; her long legs were crossed. “Have you had any new insight?”
This was the part of Qi Xianqing that Yun Zhen liked best.
Cultivation was difficult. Many disciples, after reaching the Illumination Realm, would rack their brains for years without grasping any profound method. Not to mention cultivating while traveling down the mountain; even if they secluded themselves with complete focus, it could still take five or six years before they gained the slightest understanding.
But Qi Xianqing was different.
She was a natural genius in cultivation. Merely descending the mountain for trial could bring signs of a breakthrough; that was truly rare.
Qi Xianqing: “This disciple saw the tragic state of the little fishing village in the Northern Frontier and was deeply moved.”
Yun Zhen: “Good. Since you’ve gained something, go into closed cultivation now.”
Qi Xianqing’s expression was cold. She bowed deeply to Yun Zhen. “This disciple will certainly do my utmost this time.”
The next second, Yun Zhen’s gaze fell on the bite marks on Qi Xianqing’s neck.
“...”
Yun Zhen: “Xianqing, I know you’re under a lot of pressure, but you still have to take care of your body. The class on dual cultivation arts may be wonderful, but don’t let someone drain you dry.”
Qi Xianqing: “?”
Yun Zhen waved a hand, and several bundles of precious herbs on the shelf over there fell to the ground with a thump, landing right by Qi Xianqing’s feet. “Here, take these tonics. Don’t be embarrassed. I’ve said it before; you’re my most prized disciple, and my things are yours.”
Qi Xianqing remained silent, her pale lips pressed tightly into a straight line.
After walking out of Cloud Pavilion, Zhou Leng was waiting outside with her sword in her arms. The moment she saw Qi Xianqing, she rushed over and asked, “Senior Sister, Senior Sister, I want to ask, which senior brother was so fortunate as to be favored by you? Is he good to use? Is he handsome?”
Qi Xianqing: “?”
Frowning, Qi Xianqing shot her a frosty look, frightening Zhou Leng into shrinking back at once. She glanced at the bite marks on Qi Xianqing’s neck and said, “No, I just thought that after all these years, Senior Sister hadn’t planned on looking for a dual cultivation partner. I was just happy for you.”
Qi Xianqing: “...”
-
Yan Jue exchanged for the things she wanted, then swapped for some healing ointments as well, stuffing everything into her pale pink Qiankun bag.
After all, danger could strike at any time in this world.
It was better to be prepared.
The wound on Yan Jue’s shoulder was still throbbing.
The immortal swords of Five Dragons Sect were basically capable of exorcising all evil and corruption in the world; for someone like Yan Jue, a fox demon, their damage was especially severe.
Two hours had already passed. Without treatment, the wound was tearing at her like a knife, and it still felt sticky, as though it were continuing to bleed...
Yan Jue remembered reading in a novel before that when demons bled, the demonic energy in their blood was a hundred times denser than usual.
Anyone with even a little cultivation would be able to smell it with a careful sniff.
She had to get back to her room and treat the injury as quickly as possible.
To avoid any mishaps, Yan Jue cut through a women’s dormitory halfway up Buzhou Peak so she could reach Watercloud Peak directly; it was very convenient.
This dormitory had a style somewhat like modern buildings.
There were eight floors in a building, with a dozen rooms on each floor. Opening the door led directly to a long corridor.
What Five Dragons Sect focused on cultivating, of course, were the inner disciples with exceptional talent.
As for outer disciples, aside from people like the male lead, who possessed a wind spiritual root so gifted that after only five years of tempering in the outer sect he could directly be promoted to the inner sect...
There were also those who desperately took missions to earn points, striving for the day they could leap into the ranks of inner disciples.
And then there were outer disciples whose talent wasn’t so high, so they chose to live in the dormitories arranged by Buzhou Peak, helping the immortal sect elders and inner disciples with odd jobs; they could still make some progress that way.
In any case, the outer disciples had a pretty miserable lot.
The women’s dormitory Yan Jue was passing through now was where those outer disciples who helped the elders of Buzhou Peak lived.
As she walked, Yan Jue took out the copy of The Five Dragons Encyclopedia from her bag and started flipping through it.
Five Dragons Mountain had a dedicated office for publishing gazettes; the newspaper was also called The Five Dragons Encyclopedia.
It covered all the strange and wondrous events in the world, gossip and scandal, and of course all kinds of cultivation-related general knowledge.
Yan Jue skimmed through the parts she found interesting. For some reason, the copy she had picked up before was full of scandalous gossip about herself; now, she couldn’t see any of that.
Her gaze fell on a tiny news item: Lord Meng Heng Qi Xianqing descended the mountain!!!
Yan Jue then saw the next line: A mysterious bite mark appeared on her neck; could she already have a Dao companion?!
Yan Jue: “...”
Holy shit!!!
Wasn’t that the bite she’d left on her that day!
Yan Jue stared wide-eyed, scanning those lines over and over. As she continued reading, her peripheral vision suddenly caught something, and her steps came to an abrupt halt.
At the far end of the corridor in the distance, a person was slowly walking toward her.
That person had a cold, detached air; she was dressed in white, with exceptional immortal bearing, and carried a long black sword on her back.
Who else could it be but the icy heroine Qi Xianqing!
It was as if thunder had exploded overhead. Yan Jue froze, looking around for somewhere to hide. Just as Qi Xianqing was about to notice her, she panicked and ducked into the dorm room beside her.
“Ahhh, who is this person!?”
“Dirty lecher! Get out!”
Yan Jue hadn’t expected the people of this ancient world to be so wary of same-sex encounters. She stiffened her face and politely apologized, but before she could finish speaking, the screaming women inside shoved her hard on the shoulder. She hit the wound there, and pain twisted her expression as she sucked in a sharp breath and stumbled backward, only to slam hard into someone behind her.
Yan Jue: “...”
A cold killing intent rushed over her, and the air was filled with a familiar, threadlike scent.
Yan Jue couldn’t help it; her legs went weak, and she knelt again.
The third time now... sob sob.
Yan Jue knelt on the ground in despair. She watched as Qi Xianqing crouched down and narrowed her eyes at her face.
They were a pair of exquisitely beautiful peach blossom eyes, black as lacquer, bright and alluring; they seemed as deep and bottomless as a cold pool, yet there seemed to be... a faint trace of interest in the depths of those eyes?!
Yan Jue braced herself with both hands and could only keep backing away.
Qi Xianqing’s face was very close.
As expected of a fairy; her skin was so fine under the sunlight that not even a single pore was visible.
Qi Xianqing looked at Yan Jue, tilting her head slightly as though carefully observing something.
Yan Jue naturally knew Qi Xianqing didn’t have the leisure to flirt with her. With such a close inspection, she had probably discovered something strange.
For example... she had sensed her demonic energy!
At that thought, Yan Jue was so frightened that every fox hair on her body felt like it was about to stand on end. She slowly backed away until her spine hit the wall. Her gaze flickered; her head lowered.
In utter despair, she raised her eyes and met Qi Xianqing’s gaze.
Seeing her like this, Qi Xianqing couldn’t help but pause.
She didn’t understand why Yan Jue was so afraid of her. Usually, though she didn’t like socializing much on Five Dragons Mountain, she was extremely considerate and thoughtful in her dealings with others; the other disciples all liked and respected her.
This was the first time she’d seen someone so afraid of her.
It had been the same in the Administrative Hall before; it had been the same at Drunken Spring Pavilion as well.
A leopard doesn’t change its spots, but Qi Xianqing would not think that someone who had been so openly provocative toward her before would suddenly fear her for no reason. Yan Jue’s behavior was mostly an act.
But why put on an act...
Qi Xianqing didn’t know, and she couldn’t be bothered to think about it. It was probably, once again, related to that Watercloud Sect Junior Brother Chu.
Thinking back to how Yan Jue had clung to her like dogskin plaster, impossible to shake off, Qi Xianqing’s gaze shifted slightly as she looked at the girl in front of her, terrified out of her wits. She already had a plan in mind.
...
The cold, clean scent of plum blossoms on Qi Xianqing’s body drifted faintly through the air, like countless little brushes, brazenly teasing every one of Yan Jue’s senses.
Yan Jue held her breath, but her body seemed to ignore her commands and began trembling violently; her breathing grew even more erratic.
Then, suddenly, something warm slid down.
Yan Jue froze and instinctively reached up to touch it.
Damn it. She was actually bleeding from her nose.
And she had been scared to tears.
Yan Jue was startled. Just as she was about to raise a hand to cover it,
click.
An odd sound rang out in the air.
Yan Jue: “?”
Click, click, click...
Qi Xianqing held a colorful wooden box called a Capture Shadow Box and, like a camera, froze Yan Jue’s terrified expression in an instant!