Chapter 51: Volunteering to Descend the Mountain

This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation

“If I am not mistaken, Master is upset about the Starry Sky Stone incident and wants to stand up for Ye Cong Xin. However, does Master know why Ye Cong Xin is more popular than me, yet the disciples who joined the trial preferred to give the Starry Sky Stone to me instead of her?”

Yu Zhao’s lips curved into a mocking smile.

Ye Cong Xin felt a sharp pang in her heart.

Fearing that Yu Zhao might expose something humiliating, she hurriedly interjected, “Sixth Senior Sister, I… I know I was the one holding everyone back, and I caused trouble for the group. It’s only fair that the Starry Sky Stone goes to you. I have no objections, really.”

“Oh, so you admit you were a burden. Because of your delays, we wasted two extra days, and throughout the journey, you contributed nothing. How can you have the audacity to compete with me for the Starry Sky Stone? Just because you’re useless?

Ye Cong Xin, can you at least have some shame?”

When Yu Zhao spat out the final sentence, she felt a surge of exhilaration.

She used to keep everything bottled up, hiding her emotions and enduring in silence until it felt suffocating.

Now, having mastered the Illusory Tides Technique, she lived by the principle of following her heart and seeking no desires.

Whoever crossed her would find themselves slapped in the face.

Ye Cong Xin’s face flushed red with anger, but she maintained her façade of kindness and vulnerability, refusing to retort. She could only look at Yu Zhao with tearful eyes, shaking her head repeatedly.

In the past, Su Ming would have jumped in to defend Ye Cong Xin.

But having just been humiliated by Yu Zhao himself, he didn’t dare lift his head, let alone speak up for Ye Cong Xin.

Moreover, despite Yu Zhao’s harsh words, they made him reflect. Had their actions really been so excessive, leading to today’s outcome?

Master Qing Yan, seated high on the cloud platform, remained as serene and detached as a stone Buddha from the moment Yu Zhao began recounting her grievances.

Yu Zhao’s sorrow and anger failed to stir even a flicker of emotion in him.

He looked down on the world from above, aloof and untouched.

Yu Zhao glanced at him and suddenly laughed.

“Master, you are the most formidable cultivator I have ever seen…”

Sect Master Ji Yuan: ?

Why had her tirade suddenly taken a turn? He had been listening with keen interest.

Both Su Ming and Ye Cong Xin also felt puzzled and indignant.

Why were they scolded, but the Master was spared?

Master Qing Yan remained indifferent.

He figured there had to be more to her statement.

“…and the coldest, most hypocritical cultivator I have ever known.”

Yu Zhao harbored complicated feelings toward Master Qing Yan.

When he rescued her from the refugee crowd, she had revered him as an immortal.

When he brought her to the Five Elements Dao Sect and accepted her as his disciple, she had regarded him as both a mentor and a father.

Back then, Yu Zhao saw Master Qing Yan as her savior, someone she was willing to give her life for.

But no matter how immense her gratitude had been, it was gradually eroded by accumulating disappointments.

The sword that Master Qing Yan wielded was the final straw that broke the camel’s back.

From then on, Yu Zhao was completely freed.

“Insolence!”

As Yu Zhao’s words trailed off, a colossal pressure swept across the grand hall.

Su Ming and Ye Cong Xin were flung away by the overwhelming force before they could even react, losing consciousness immediately.

Yu Zhao, on the other hand, barely managed to stay standing under the protection of Sect Master Ji Yuan. Even so, Ji Yuan was struggling—his chair had been reduced to dust, and he was now half-crouching, desperately resisting the pressure from Master Qing Yan.

Sect Master Ji Yuan silently cursed his luck. Yu Zhao actually dared to insult Qing Yan to his face—was she trying to bring the heavens crashing down?

“Master, you often preach that elders should be tolerant of juniors. Why can’t you overlook a single disrespectful remark from me?” Yu Zhao, drenched in sweat and trembling uncontrollably, forced a faint smile and held her ground, meeting Qing Yan’s gaze.

Qing Yan’s expression darkened further. Shaking his head slightly, he muttered, “Beyond saving.”

Qing Yan couldn’t fathom why Yu Zhao would react as if the entire world had wronged her over a minor grievance. The only explanation he could conjure was that her Dao heart had crumbled, leaving her consumed by madness.

Such a person, he concluded, was no longer fit to remain in the Five Elements Dao Sect.

Abruptly, Qing Yan withdrew his oppressive force and returned to his usual cold, detached demeanor.

Sect Master Ji Yuan, unsure of Qing Yan’s intentions, remained on edge.

“Yu Zhao lacks the temperament to achieve greatness. From this day forth, she is expelled from my tutelage and may no longer claim to be of Lone Moon Peak.”

“Qing Yan!” Sect Master Ji Yuan was horrified. The series of events unfolding before him had left him reeling. First, he had learned shocking secrets about Lone Moon Peak, then he witnessed this dramatic fallout between master and disciple.

“Master Qing Yan, perhaps you should reconsider. Yu Zhao—”

Sect Master Ji Yuan didn’t believe Yu Zhao was as worthless as Qing Yan claimed. This wasn’t just his intuition; it was based on detailed analysis from his eldest disciple.

Yu Zhao had demonstrated admirable qualities by remaining composed under the threat of a fourth-rank demon and even using a Spirit Treasure to save Zhou Jin Yue. These were testaments to her potential. Qing Yan, with his clear bias, was simply misunderstanding her.

Sect Master Ji Yuan had come specifically to clear up such misconceptions and wasn’t willing to leave empty-handed. As he struggled to find the right words to change Qing Yan’s mind, Yu Zhao suddenly knelt down with a thud.

“Thank you, Master Qing Yan, for granting me my wish!”

Sect Master Ji Yuan: !!!

Wait, what? Why are you agreeing? I was just about to defend you!

Frantic, Sect Master Ji Yuan shot Yu Zhao a series of meaningful looks, trying to dissuade her.

Yu Zhao was too young to grasp the consequences of being expelled by a Soul Transformation cultivator. No other high-ranking cultivators in the Five Elements Dao Sect—or even the entire cultivation world—would dare take her as a disciple, for fear of offending Master Qing Yan.

Furthermore, other disciples would likely ostracize or resent her, making it difficult for her to integrate into any group. She would lose all privileges as a direct disciple and be demoted to an ordinary inner disciple, with minimal support from the sect.

Losing her status as Qing Yan’s direct disciple brought nothing but drawbacks. It was an impulsive and foolish decision.

Sect Master Ji Yuan, unwilling to see her talent go to waste, reluctantly turned to Qing Yan and said, “Master Qing Yan, these are just words spoken in anger. Surely, you won’t take them to heart.”

“This is no fit of anger,” Qing Yan replied coldly.

Yu Zhao untied the storage pouch from her waist and placed it on the floor in front of her.

“Inside this pouch are my identity token as a direct disciple, the magical artifacts Master Qing Yan once gifted me, and the jade slip containing the Bright Moon Over the Sea Technique. I return them all to Master Qing Yan.

From today onward, I am no longer your sixth disciple or a member of Lone Moon Peak. I am merely an ordinary inner disciple of the Five Elements Dao Sect.”

It dawned on Sect Master Ji Yuan that Yu Zhao had come prepared.

Her goal all along was to sever ties with Master Qing Yan. She had provoked him deliberately to ensure the outcome. Ji Yuan even suspected that his involvement was part of her plan; otherwise, given her fragile frame, she would have been left half-dead under Qing Yan’s wrath.

Though Ji Yuan realized he had been used, he wasn’t angry. On the contrary, he felt somewhat relieved.

Yu Zhao had made up her mind. There was no point in him interfering unnecessarily or complicating matters further.

After all, he was on her side!

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