Chapter 60: What a Terrible World
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
Deep within the mountain forests of the Ruins of Ancient Times, disciples of the Heavenly Script Academy stumbled forward, wearied and cautious. They pressed on until they reached a spot where crumbled walls from the Primordial Era stood as silent witnesses of time. Here, the group finally stopped. Those injured began tending to their wounds, while the unharmed maintained vigilance and lit campfires.
Atop one of the collapsed walls sat Ji You. Seated cross-legged, his eyes were closed as he meditated, regathering his strength. The spiritual energy within the ruins was abundant, yet the oppressive killing qi hindered the circulation of spiritual essence. Despite this, a faint spiritual radiance began to surround Ji You. The scattered energies of the ruins were drawn toward him, converging and thickening around his form.
Seeing this spectacle, Wen Zheng Xin, who was treating Pei Ru Yi’s wounds, glanced toward Ban Yang Shu.
“Is that the disciple you left behind in Beisha Town?” she asked.
“Yes, he’s Junior Brother Ji from the Outer Court,” Ban Yang Shu replied with a nod.
Wen Zheng Xin frowned slightly. “On the Winter Solstice, there was a rumor in the Inner Court that you and Junior Brother Ji were ambushed in the streets by a cultivator in the Dao Fusion Stage and were rescued by someone in the Lower Three Stages at its peak. Was that really true?”
Ban Yang Shu shook his head. “Given the circumstances of that day, it’s not an exaggeration to say so.”
“When did the peak of the Lower Three Stages become so powerful?” Wen Zheng Xin mused, recalling the sight of countless flying swords and the overwhelming sword qi emanating from a single figure. She found it both astonishing and unsettling. The tale of that Winter Solstice incident had reached her ears in the Inner Court, but she had dismissed it as exaggerated gossip. Now, having witnessed Ji You’s prowess with her own eyes, she realized just how much those rumors had underestimated him.
“Ji… which province’s family does that surname hail from?” she asked absently while continuing to channel spiritual energy into Pei Ru Yi’s body.
“There is no such family. Junior Brother Ji is a wandering rogue cultivator from a remote county in Feng Prefecture.”
“?” Wen Zheng Xin froze, utterly incredulous.
Ban Yang Shu, still infusing spiritual energy into Pei Ru Yi, added, “It is said that Junior Brother Ji was once a rogue cultivator. His family sheltered a young girl who caught the eye of the Mystic Origin Immortal Palace for alchemical purposes. To protect her, he was forced to break through to the peak of the Lower Three Stages and later entered the Heavenly Script Academy.”
“Forced to break through?”
“He said he used to cultivate casually and had no intention of joining the Academy,” Ban Yang Shu replied, his face expressionless. Then, noticing Wen Zheng Xin’s gaze fixed on Ji You, he chuckled softly but said nothing more.
Ever since Ji You sensed the Heavenly Tome, Ban Yang Shu had found himself intrigued by this Junior Brother. His curiosity had led him to gather tales, including the one about Ji You’s forced breakthrough and the girl meant for alchemical sacrifice. Back when he first heard these stories, his expression mirrored Wen Zheng Xin’s current disbelief.
While others might focus on Ji You’s identity as a rogue cultivator, Ban Yang Shu’s concern lay elsewhere: When did Ji You begin cultivating?
Unlike Chu He, who awakened his spiritual sense at the age of eight and became renowned, Ji You’s background was shrouded in mystery. Ban Yang Shu’s investigations uncovered a grim tale from three years ago: the Ji Clan of Yuyang County was annihilated by a passing cultivator. Survivors either perished or fled. It was said Ji You escaped into the mountains and was later rescued, spending a month recuperating in a clinic.
Given what he knew of Ji You’s character—a man willing to risk his life to save even unknown miners—it seemed unlikely he had cultivated then. Had Ji You been a cultivator, his body refined by spiritual energy, he wouldn’t have required a month to recover. Thus, Ban Yang Shu concluded that Ji You must have started cultivating only after that ordeal. If true, it meant Ji You had reached the peak of the Lower Three Stages in under three years.
The disciples of the Outer Court often praised the terrifying talent of the Chu Clan, but what was that compared to Ji You? Not even Chu Xian, the elder brother of Chu He, could achieve such rapid progress. In the entire Azure Clouds Dominion, perhaps only the young master of Spirit-Mirror Mountain could rival him.
Ban Yang Shu had kept these thoughts to himself, knowing how shocking they would be. From the moment he realized Ji You’s unparalleled potential, he felt Ji You belonged to a different realm of cultivation altogether—especially after this recent battle. Though unspoken, everyone could sense Ji You’s spiritual essence surpassed even those in the Dao Fusion Stage. If only he were born into an esteemed clan, he might have become a figure who dazzled across eternity.
At that moment, Pei Ru Yi stirred, her eyes opening with difficulty. Blood trickled from the corner of her lips as she whispered, “We’ve escaped?”
Wen Zheng Xin nodded. “Yes, we’ve escaped.”
“I can’t feel the spiritual energy anymore,” Pei Ru Yi said weakly.
“Don’t worry,” Wen Zheng Xin reassured her. “It’s the killing qi. Once you leave, you’ll recover. I’ll arrange for disciples to escort you out tomorrow.”
Pei Ru Yi closed her eyes again. “That person’s sword energy damaged my spiritual essence.”
Wen Zheng Xin bit her lip, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Before Ji You’s arrival, they had been locked in a grueling fight against the Spirit Sword Mountain Sect and the Dao Seeking Sect. Pei Ru Yi had single-handedly held off a Dao Fusion cultivator, exhausting her opponent’s spiritual energy enough for Ji You to slay Gong Shu Chou. But in doing so, her spiritual essence was shattered by residual energy.
Pei Ru Yi’s voice was faint. “When we joined the Academy, you mocked me for trying too hard.”
Wen Zheng Xin’s voice trembled. “I’ll never mock you again.”
Pei Ru Yi smiled faintly, brushing Wen Zheng Xin’s face. “In every era, there’s always someone out of reach. For me, that person was always you.”
Tears rolled down Wen Zheng Xin’s cheeks. “Back in the Outer Court, though I laughed at you, I was terrified of you surpassing me.”
Pei Ru Yi sighed. “But you were always ahead, so why are you in this wretched place?”
“I competed for a direct disciple position in the Hall of Tranquility. I lost. That person added my name to the list.”
Pei Ru Yi’s gaze sharpened. “You couldn’t defeat her?”
Wen Zheng Xin shook her head. “Her clan is far greater than mine.”
Pei Ru Yi’s lips curled into a bitter smile. “What a terrible world. Even Junior Brother Ji is like this…”
“Don’t speak anymore. Rest. I’ll send someone to escort you tomorrow,” Wen Zheng Xin urged.
Ban Yang Shu interjected, “The Pill Sect has alchemists who can repair spiritual essence. It’s not a serious problem.”
Silence fell between the three of them. The unspoken truth lingered: without connections, one couldn’t even approach a Pill Sect alchemist, let alone seek treatment.
Suddenly, footsteps approached. Yuan Chen, who had been standing guard near Ji You, stepped forward. “Perhaps I can help.”
“?”
“I’m an alchemist,” Yuan Chen explained.
Ban Yang Shu frowned. “But repairing spiritual essence requires an alchemist of at least the Fifth Rank.”
Yuan Chen didn’t argue. He produced a brown pill, feeding it to Pei Ru Yi before sitting cross-legged beside her. His body emitted bursts of colorful light, and thin strands of energy began flowing into Pei Ru Yi’s dantian. Invisible to them, the cracks in her spiritual essence were rapidly mending, suffused with a burgeoning vitality.
Both Wen Zheng Xin and Ban Yang Shu were stunned. Yuan Chen was far too young to possess such skill, and Fifth-Rank alchemists were typically the direct disciples of the Pill Sect. Yet, throughout their journey, Yuan Chen had appeared nothing more than Ji You’s servant, fetching water and massaging his shoulders.
Wen Zheng Xin’s voice wavered. “You’re Dan Chen Zi?”
Yuan Chen nodded.
Ban Yang Shu glanced at Ji You in the distance. “How are you connected to Junior Brother Ji?”
“He promised to help me rescue my sister from the mountains, so I agreed to let her marry him,” Yuan Chen said simply.
Wen Zheng Xin looked at Ban Yang Shu in confusion. Ban Yang Shu pressed his lips together before admitting, “I didn’t know. But ever since Junior Brother Ji arrived, he’s been saving countless lives. I left him in Beisha Town for support, but he insisted on heading to Red Mountain Mine to save trapped miners.”
Wen Zheng Xin appeared dazed, as if encountering a disciple of the Immortal Sect unlike any other. Before she could ponder further, the rustling of hurried footsteps emerged from the forest depths, prompting the Heavenly Script Academy disciples to draw their swords.
Moments later, dozens of frightened figures emerged. Their attire varied—some wore Immortal Robes, others ordinary clothing. Most had low cultivation levels. Seeing the drawn swords, they stopped at a cautious distance and sat down.
“Don’t worry,” Yuan Chen explained while continuing to heal Pei Ru Yi. “They’re people my brother-in-law saved along the way. Many were forced to enter these ruins. He said they shouldn’t have to die for someone else’s Immortal Destiny.”
“Junior Brother Ji said that?” Wen Zheng Xin asked, startled.
“He’s always lecturing me not to meddle in matters, but he can’t help himself. He doesn’t even like the Immortal Sect or its disciples.”