My Legend Still Exists in the Cultivation World

Chapter 26.1: The New Patriarch?

Jing Yue shed all his pretenses.

Everyone was astounded and the two wardens shouted in shock, “Who are you!”

But Liu Tianhao, who came with Warden Chen, trembled in his heart. “It’s you!”

He recognized him! This person was Jing Yue who entered the sect together with him!

Jing Yue smiled cheerfully and said, “It’s me. Are you surprised? Are you shocked?”

Liu Tianhao’s eyes were full of horror and a bad premonition welled up in his heart. He could not forget the spectacular visions in Frostcloud Sect that day, and he had reasons to suspect that the occurrence was related to the person in front of him!

The others knew that something was wrong too, especially when they noticed that Jing Yue was already a level-3 Qi Refining cultivator at such a young age, and became more uncertain at that.

Warden Wang was so nervous that his mind launched a spell in his stunned daze. A green light flashed through the gaps of the prison cell and was about to hit Jing Yue!

Liu Tianhao shouted, “No!!”

But he was too late. He watched helplessly as Jing Yue pulled out a bell and shook it gently.

A clear chime of the bell rang and a translucent shield appeared around Jing Yue, completely absorbing the spell.

The next moment, a huge and oppressive force enveloped the entire dungeon. Under the heavy pressure, Warden Wang spat mouthfuls of blood and slumped on the floor, his limbs twisted in weird angles as if the bones were crushed.

Warden Chen was shaking like a leaf. “Patr… patri…”

Whitefog Summit.

Yi Ye slowly opened his eyes from his meditation, tweaked his fingers in divination, and sneered, “Impudent fool, you’re courting death!”

Bluecloud Summit.

Wei Tianli was having a discussion with several elders. Suddenly, his movements halted, a killing intent flashed across his eyes, and he disappeared from the spot instantly.

At the same time, all the disciples of Frostcloud Sect also felt the pressure from the patriarch. However, since it was not directed at them, only the lowest-ranking disciples felt a little uncomfortable.

Despite that, when the patriarch was angry, everyone in Frostcloud Sect panicked.

The guests currently staying in the sect were shocked as well, speculating what had happened in Frostcloud Sect that caused the patriarch to lose his temper?

In the dungeons, Jing Yue slowly kept the bell.

He was just a level-3 Qi Refining cultivator, so of course he had to prepare a safety charm in advance. This bell was used to summon helpers.

The stunned Warden Chen stared at Jing Yue blankly. Who was this person?! Why… Suddenly, a ridiculous thought flashed in his mind—One year ago, someone had joined under the Zushi and Patriarch Yi Ye had a new Shidi…

No! Impossible!!

Warden Chen screamed in terror and passed out!

At this moment, the ground had collapsed. No matter how stupid they were, by this time, they already realized that they had provoked someone who should not be offended, and they plunged into cold despair.

Suddenly, there was a flurry of movements before their eyes and four people appeared in the dungeon.

The Sect Leader!

Patriarch Liu Feng!

Patriarch Liu Yun!

And… Patriarch Yi Ye!

Yi Ye hurried towards Jing Yue. Without any movements from him, the prison door before him instantly twisted and deformed, opening a huge gap in the center. The handcuffs on Jing Yue’s wrists also broke apart instantly.

“Shizun…di ahh! You’ve suffered!”

Yi Ye hugged Jing Yue tightly, the heartbroken expression on his face made it difficult for people to look directly at him. Wei Tianli, Liu Feng, and Liu Yun twitched their lips at that sight.

As for the others, they had no time to pay attention to Yi Ye’s ruined image as if he was possessed. They were stunned by the honorific that came from the patriarch’s mouth…

Shidi?!

Could it be that the new patriarch of Frostcloud Sect was Jing Shan, who had been imprisoned by them, accused with numerous allegations, and was about to be eradicated of his cultivation base and expelled from the sect?

The answer was right before their eyes because they saw the other two patriarchs and the sect leader paying their respects to Jing Shan. Everyone was scared out of their wits!

Yi Ye scrutinized Jing Yue’s body carefully before he breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to take him away.

Wei Tianli said, “Patriarch, how should we deal with these people?”

Without stopping, Yi Ye’s voice dropped to a freezing point, “What’s the use of keeping people who deceive the master and destroy the ancestors? Kill them.”

Liu Feng and Liu Yun also said, “That should be the way.”

Wei Tianli clasped his hands. “I obey!”

And so, the fates of Liu Tianhao and the rest were announced ruthlessly.

“No! No way! I don’t want to die!”

“I’m willing to eradicate my cultivation base! I’ll go home and fulfill my filial duties!”

“I admit my mistake! I beg the patriarch for forgiveness!”

“Sect Leader, please have mercy!”

The swish of the sword was heard and the dungeon fell silent once again.

As soon as Jing Yue stepped out of the dungeon, he saw a little yellow chicken flapping its wings and flew right into his arms.

Blue phoenix said coquettishly, “Big baddie, I miss you so much.”

Jing Yue, “… Why didn’t you accompany me in the dungeon then?”

Blue phoenix froze and glanced around guiltily. “I am… that is… there’s a barrier around the dungeon and I can’t get in.”

Jing Yue, “Uh-huh.”

Could he not guess?

Recently, there was an influx of cultivators in Frore City, and many of them were famous for their abilities. This had provided a lot of material for the bookstores in the city, and new books were produced in the market one after another.

Blue phoenix was utterly immersed to the point of not eating and sleeping, so how could it remember him? Even the words that left its mouth were full of slang.

Jing Yue, “Just now, in the dungeon, your favorite ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ scene was played. It’s such a pity that you’re not around to watch it. Haiyaa…”

Blue phoenix: !!!

So sad! Wanna cry!

QaQ

That day, Jing Yue returned to Whitefog Summit with Yi Ye. Two days later, different rumors started to circulate in Frostcloud Sect.

Most of it mentioned that the Noble faction and Primary faction had made Patriarch Yi Ye angry. As a result, Warden Wang, Warden Chen and a few accompanying disciples were executed. As for the reasons, there were rumors that they had slandered innocent disciples, or they had harmed fellow disciples, or they did some nasty things that damaged the reputation of Frostcloud Sect in front of other clans.

The high-ranking officials from the Noble faction and Primary faction were equally confused. All of them knew what Warden Wang and Warden Chen were going to do that day, but they were merely accusing a junior disciple of committing some crimes, so why was Patriarch Yi Ye involved? They were on tenterhooks for a long while, fearing that Patriarch Yi Ye would pursue the matter, but nothing happened.

Despite that, no one relaxed their vigilance. They guessed that maybe because the ceremony was just around the corner and Patriarch Yi Ye ignored it for the time being but would follow up after the event. Therefore, the three factions were well-behaved like never before, hoping to earn some brownie points.

In the dormitory, Liang Yuan and Shi Nian discussed this matter too. When Jing Shan was taken away that day, they tried getting help from a Shixiong from the Civilian faction, hoping to get Jing Shan out, but the response they got was disappointing. The other party even warned them not to be nosy.

Yu Xiaobao was silent the whole time. Even though his brother had not been dealt with yet, his heart was still heavy. He vaguely guessed that this matter was related to Jing Shan and the truth of it must be something quite inconceivable.

Perhaps, the tri-faction situation was about to change…

Chapter 26.2: Mu Feng

In the blink of an eye, there were only seven days until the Patriarch Initiation Ceremony. On Whitefog Summit, two disciples guarding the spiritual garden were arguing.

Qiu Bai, “I think Fairy Su Hua from the White Phoenix Sword Sect is the most beautiful. I saw her from a distance the other day and for a moment, I fell into a dreamlike state. I didn’t even dare to look at her again for fear of blaspheming the fairy.”

Qiu Hong, “You’re so outdated. Fairy Su Hua is too common in the cultivation world, appearing all frosty and emotionless like most of the female cultivators. Obviously, Fairy Bi Ling from the Genesis Sect is the most charming. Just one look from her eyes and your soul will be captured!”

The two of them bickered endlessly when they suddenly heard a cough behind them.

When they turned around, an unfamiliar boy appeared out of nowhere and smiled at them.

Qiu Bai and Qiu Hong were appointed to Whitefog Summit just half a year ago. Although they did not know the teenager, since the other party could come and go freely on Whitefog Summit, they knew they could not easily offend this person.

Therefore, they asked politely, “Shixiong, how can we help you?”

Jing Yue, “I’m here to pick some Green Rock Vine.”

The two exchanged a glance and dared not stop him.

After Jing Yue had left, Qiu Bai said, “Who is that?”

Qiu Hong, “I don’t… ah! Could he be the new patriarch? I heard that he lives on Whitefog Summit and this spiritual garden belongs to him, but we haven’t seen him in the past few months.”

Qiu Bai’s burly body trembled before he exclaimed in unison with Qiu Hong, “Hahaha! How is that possible?”

On the other side, Jing Yue returned to his room to prepare the medicine.

Mu Feng’s Dantian was destroyed, which meant he had lost the ability to cultivate. Although he was not the one who did it, the entire matter was caused by him in some way. In any case, the other party was a disciple of Frostcloud Sect and he was also not some hopeless treacherous villain. How could he watch as Mu Feng’s future was ruined just like that?

Mu Feng had just injured his Dantian while the core of his spiritual root was still intact. In Jing Yue’s memory, there was an Inception Regenerating Pill that could reshape and regenerate everything in the body, except for not being able to repair the spiritual root.

However, Jing Yue only knew bits and pieces of the pill recipe, so he did not hand the information over to the Pill Refining Hall before. Now, he could only try it out by himself.

This test lasted for six days, not to mention the blood, sweat and tears that went into the experiments. In short, all the gophers on Whitefog Summit were almost wiped out by blue phoenix.

Yes, Jing Yue had activated a new skill in blue phoenix—the gopher catching skill.

Fortunately, the Inception Regenerating Pill was successfully concocted finally.

On the same day, Jing Yue inquired about the whereabouts of Mu Feng’s dormitory and went down the mountains with the pill.

Along the way, he met many cultivators from other sects, and there were particularly many people near the Alchemy Hall. It was said that there were many learned cultivators in the art of alchemy that came to seek advice recently, so much that the elders of the Alchemy Hall were annoyed and all disappeared without a trace.

After he passed through a corridor full of vines, Jing Yue arrived at a small courtyard.

At this time, the gate of the courtyard was wide open, and two disciples were sitting on a stone bench chatting leisurely. On the stone table, there was a plate of spiritual fruits and two cups of spiritual tea, and they looked pretty comfy.

Jing Yue, “May I know if Mu Feng is in?”

The two paused in their conversation and saw Jing Yue. One of them was quite impatient but dared not show his temper at Jing Yue, so he merely said nonchalantly, “Who are you?”

Jing Yue, “I’m Jing Yue from Whitefog Summit.”

Jing Yue? Who? Don’t know.

However, they heard clearly that the other party came from Whitefog Summit, which was the territory of Patriarch Yi Ye!

The attitude of the disciple who posed the question improved a lot. “If you’re looking for Mu Feng-shixiong, he does live here.”

“Is he in the room?”

That disciple smiled meaningfully, “Where else can he go?”

The other disciple laughed as well.

Jing Yue frowned. He felt a sense of schadenfreude in their smiles.

As he entered the room, he found Mu Feng alone in the room lying on the bed.

The sunlight spilled into the room through the window, but the rays did not shine on the corner where he was, so it looked pretty gloomy and desolate.

“Mu Feng,” Jing Yue called out.

The other party slowly turned his back to him, making it clear that he was ignoring him.

Seeing that Mu Feng moved slowly but not paralyzed, Jing Yue knew that the sect had given him a Hundred-turn Meridian Pill to repair his meridians.

“Mu Feng.”

“Stop calling. Which defeated opponent are you, here to laugh at my sorry state now?”

A simple sentence was enough to convey the treatment he had experienced these days. Jing Yue was silent for a moment before he said calmly, “I’ll help you reconstruct your Dantian.”

The person on the bed obviously tensed his back before he chuckled. “Are you kidding me? I’ve never heard that an eradicated Dantian can be reconstructed.”

Jing Yue, “Not knowing about it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”

Mu Feng turned his head angrily and tried to prop his body up. “What? Isn’t my sorry state enough to make you happy? Why bother to play tricks on me? Do you really think I’ll fall for it?”

He panted loudly as he stared at Jing Yue, eyes bloodshot and heart consumed by bitter hatred. If not for the pill that was laced with poison, how would he end up in such a state?

To think that his dormitory used to be filled with people, his fellow disciples respected him, but now…

Once the ceremony was over, he would be forced to leave the sect. Twenty years of effort had been wasted and he could never touch this path again!

Jing Yue calmly bragged, “Believe it or not, the pill is personally refined by the patriarch on Whitefog Summit.”

Mu Feng, “…”

After a while, he asked hesitantly, “You’re from Whitefog Summit?”

“I am.”

“But why would Patriarch Yi Ye save me?”

Mu Feng could not believe it. After all, even the Primary faction had given up on him, stepping on his blood and tears, exchanging benefits with the enemies!

But what could he do? He could do nothing except swallow the bitter fruit.

Jing Yue knew he had misunderstood but did not explain further. He took out the pill directly. “The reconstruction process will be very painful. I hope you can bear with it.”

Seeing Mu Feng’s dazed expression, he continued, “Why are you so wishy-washy? You are already like this. How worse can it get?”

Mu Feng smiled bitterly. “You’re right. How worse can it get?”

With that said, he took the pill and swallowed it in one gulp.

Very soon, Mu Feng felt a sudden warmth in the originally empty Dantian, and his body became hotter and hotter, as if his internal organs were being burned by a raging fire.

But Mu Feng was not afraid at all. He even wished that it could hurt more, because he knew that his ruined Dantian was being repaired little by little.

The pill was effective! This person did not lie to him!

Mu Feng mobilized the strength of his entire body to overcome the pain. When he imagined that he could cultivate again, he felt that there was nothing intolerable.

His will that had become weak and uncertain was now indestructible!

“Arrgghhhh…”

Although Mu Feng tried his very best to endure the pain that even his teeth were ground to pieces, the refining process was too excruciating that he finally screamed.

The two disciples outside the courtyard startled at the same time, and one of them asked in a low voice, “What’s happening inside?”

The other person shook his head and said quietly, “Maybe the person was actually here to torment Mu-shixiong?”

“Isn’t that too cruel? More ruthless than the people before this.”

“Tsk, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. I thought he looked pretty pleasing to the eye, not like a brutal person at all.”

“Forget it, let’s ignore it. Who told Mu-shixiong to make so many enemies before? Besides, that person lives on Whitefog Summit. We can’t offend someone like that.”

After about fifteen minutes, Mu Feng finally stopped screaming and his breathing gradually eased. Jing Yue scanned with his divine consciousness and found that his Dantian had been restored like before.

When Mu Feng opened his eyes again, he found no outsiders in his room.

He lowered his head, slowly opened his palm and clenched a fist again, tears pouring down his face.

After a while, he walked out of the dormitory. Mu Feng ignored the surprised expressions of his roommates.

He fell on his knees heavily and kowtowed repeatedly in the direction of Whitefog Summit.

Chapter 26.3: Dawn of the Ceremony

 

The dawn awakened the slumbering Frostcloud Sect.

When Jing Yue stepped out of his room, the three patriarchs of Frostcloud Sect were already waiting outside. Seeing him, they immediately performed the disciple’s greetings.

Yi Ye, “Shizun, today is your initiation ceremony. This disciple and grand-disciples have prepared a few gifts for you. Please accept them.”

Jing Yue smiled and said, “Then I have to see what it is?”

Yi Ye nodded at Liu Yun, and the other party stepped forward with a jade box.

Liu Yun, “Zushi, this is the Mirror of Evasion, which can block a full blow from a Return to Void cultivator. I hope Zushi can accept it.”

Jing Yue knew that Liu Yun was worried about his low cultivation base, and if he encountered an enemy and could not escape in time, he could use the item. He accepted the gift and said, “You’re too considerate.”

Liu Feng followed up with her gift, which was a Sumeru Ring.

Although the phrase ‘a tiny mustard seed could accommodate a huge Sumeru Mountain’ originated from a line in the Buddhist scripture, it had long been accepted by the cultivation world. The Sumeru Ring was a completely independent space, similar to a Qiankun pouch, but the former could hold living things.

Jing Yue scanned the ring with his divine consciousness and found that a small spirit mine was stored in it.

“… Very well. You’re very thoughtful.”

Liu Feng stepped down with a smile.

Finally, Yi Ye presented a wooden box.

Jing Yue explored with his divine consciousness. There was a book in the box, and also a jade token. His eyes widened suddenly. “That jade token is…”

Yi Ye, “You gave it to second-shixiong. There is also a manuscript that recorded second-shixiong’s cultivation insight. I know he has always wanted you to see it.”

Jing Yue’s eyes darkened.

His second disciple, Yi Wang, was the most talented among his disciples. No, it could even be said that he was the most talented among all the people he had seen in his previous life. It only took Yi Wang three thousand years to attain the Return to Void stage. If not for the Yao Catalyst, Yi Wang would most probably enter the Tribulation Passage stage in less time than himself.

Despite that, during the great battle of the Yao Catalyst, Yi Wang managed to kill the Yao Saint with his Return to Void cultivation level, saving the human race from the calamity that might have befallen them!

Jing Yue was very proud, but also very heartbroken.

Although his eldest disciple, Yi Nian, also perished during the battle, he had left offspring, and his relatives and descendants were well taken care of by Frostcloud Sect, which continued to this day. Yi Wang, on the other hand, was originally an orphan and had suffered during childhood, so much that he became cold and aloof, used to being alone.

Yi Wang had neither disciples nor family members, only a sword that never left his side. But once he died, there was no longer any trace of it in the world.

Jing Yue took out the jade token from the box. It was only half the size of a fist. Back then, he carved it and gave it to Yi Wang, and since then, Yi Wang had been wearing it.

It felt cold to the touch and the chill flowed directly into his heart.

But many years ago, it had been warmed by Yi Wang’s body.

Jing Yue looked at the lines on the jade token and was startled for a moment. “Why is there an extra inscription?”

—Sword from my heart, I offer my body to the sword. (剑出我心，以身祭剑)

He remembered that there were only the first four characters on the jade token.

Yi Ye, “Second-shixiong carved it later. He said he had new enlightenment in his swordsmanship.”

Jing Yue took the manuscript and flipped through it. It seemed that Yi Wang wanted to create a new sword technique, and it had already taken shape.

Generally speaking, no matter how precious a sword was, it was nothing but an inert object at first. But as the cultivator and the sword continued to merge, refine, and grow, it would gradually develop a sword consciousness, then sword spirit, and finally evolved into sword soul.

It was almost impossible to find a sword that had conceived a sword soul even in ten thousand years, and the person who owned them must be a master of swordsmanship. Barring any accidents, the path of Dao could be expected.

Yi Wang’s idea was a brand new perception about swordsmanship—when the cultivator had attained the Absolute-level of Amethyst Abode stage, they need to breach the Amethyst Abode, reconstruct the physical body, blend the sword spirit with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and refine it in the Dantian. On this basis, the cultivator could start the cultivation practice from scratch, forge the Heavenly Grotto without any hindrance and awaken the sword soul.

“Excellent!”

Jing Yue could not help but praise.

Yi Wang was indeed a rare genius in the past ten thousand years. Without imitating his predecessors, he created a unique path of his own and presented another possibility for the next generations!

It was a great pity that the sword technique was not yet perfected but the creator was no more…

Jing Yue could almost see the disfigured child he had brought back with the pair of lonely and indifferent eyes again. There was a twinge of sorrow in his heart that could hardly be suppressed.

The last page of the manuscript contained eight words: One Dao of Swordsmanship, there is no ultimatum. (剑之一道，没有终极)

He closed the manuscript and kept it properly.

Jing Yue, “Let’s go. It’s getting late.”

Yi Ye, “Shizun, you know that our sect prohibits flying unless there’s an emergency. But if you don’t fly in from the sky today during the initiation ceremony, it would seem less imposing, so…”

With a wave of his hand, a bunch of magical flying artifacts appeared in mid-air.

Yi Ye, “Why don’t you choose one?”

Jing Yue, “…”

—A broom, a rag, a wooden bucket, a carrying pole, dice…??

Imagine if he entered the stage with such magical items, the picture was too beautiful that he could not bear to watch it.

Jing Yue knew that Yi Ye did not do it on purpose, because Yi Ye’s own flying magical item was a washboard, only he mostly used his sword as a flying instrument while outside that he was able to maintain his image of a superior being.

However, he really could not accept Yi Ye’s kind intentions. Perhaps only the blue phoenix could understand him.

“I want the broom! Jing-jing, choose the broom quickly! That’s a wizard’s mount! Ji-ji wants to sit on a broom!”

Jing Yue, “… Thank you for your kindness. I’ll handle it myself.”

Yi Ye, “But Shizun, you can’t mount your sword yet?”

Jing Yue gave him an expression of incredulity before looking up at the sky silently.

The sky was washed in clear blue and spiritual birds soared with wings spread wide, gliding like traces of white mists. Jing Yue blew a whistle and the birds seemed to be summoned, swarming in groups towards Whitefog Summit and fell next to his feet obediently, bodies slightly inclined.

Blue phoenix, who had recovered its ‘former beauty’, stood on Jing Yue’s shoulders, raising its chicken head arrogantly. Although it was dissatisfied that Jing-jing gave up the broom, but at the moment, all the spiritual birds bowed down to it, so it was still acceptable.

Seeing the blue phoenix’s silly narcissistic look, the corner of Yi Ye’s eyes twitched.

Jing Yue finally chose the celestial crane closest to him, sat on its back, and touched its head.

The celestial crane shrilled loudly with a stretch of its neck, flapped its wings and soared into the sky, and the other spiritual birds followed closely behind.

Chapter 26.4: The Patriarch Initiation Ceremony

More than a dozen cultivators appeared at the entrance of Frostcloud Sect, in their early twenties, stunning in appearance and natural beauty. However, the expressions on their faces were frosty, making people afraid to look at them.

When the disciples of Frostcloud Sect guarding both sides of the mountain gate saw their arrival, they suddenly gasped, face flushed, and tongues knotted with excitement.

“Qin… Qin-zhenjun, welcome!”

The young man nodded slightly and led the group of fellow sect members into Frostcloud Sect.

This group of people belonged to the world’s number one sword sect, the disciples of Sword Inscription Sect.

Actually, they have embarked on their journey very early on. After all, the appointment of a new patriarch in Frostcloud Sect was a big event that shocked the cultivation world. Be it formal or private reasons, the Sword Inscription Sect attached great importance to this occasion, so how could they be late?

However, they received news about demonic cultivators along the way, so the delay was inevitable.

Some of the disciples in the group were here for the first time. As soon as they entered the mountain gate, they were immediately astounded by the dreamlike scenery of Frostcloud Sect.

“I’ve heard that Frostcloud Sect has the best view in the cultivation world, and it really deserves this title.”

“It’s rumored that the boundary stone of the sect was carved by Daoist-Master Jing Yuan. I’ve always wanted to come and admire it. When I saw it just now, my soul almost left my body!”

“I wonder how amazing the new patriarch is. I’ve heard that even the three patriarchs who have gone into recluse will show up for today’s ceremony.”

“After all, he has inherited the legacy of Daoist-Master Jing Yuan himself. No matter which sect or clan he goes to, who wouldn’t regard him as a treasure?”

The disciples chattered excitedly when they were stopped by the young man. “Watch your words!”

They startled and immediately fell silent.

Suddenly, they heard the cry of a bird. Everyone raised their heads reflexively and saw a crane flying above them with a person on its back.

Who was that?

They could not help but wonder, who dared to fly in Frostcloud Sect? Could it be the new patriarch?

On the square of Aquazither Island, a light fragrance lingered and soft music filled the air.

The patriarchs of Frostcloud Sect who had not shown up for a long time slowly appeared one after another, causing shock and excitement among the guests. After thinking about it carefully though, it was to be expected.

The Patriarch Initiation Ceremony this time was in fact a Disciple Acceptance Ceremony for Daoist-Master Jing Yuan. As the other living disciple, of course Patriarch Yi Ye must be present. As for Liu Yun and Liu Feng, the new patriarch had become their Shishu in terms of seniority ranking. If they do not attend, it would be equivalent to disrespecting the ancestors.

Suddenly, the few patriarchs stood up and looked towards the sky.

From a far distance, a crane soared through the clouds carrying a young boy of eleven or twelve. The youth had a graceful and delicate appearance, like a little male fairy stepping into the world on auspicious clouds.

Was that the new patriarch of Frostcloud Sect?

The guests were stunned before quickly laughing at their ludicrous conjecture. How could the world’s number one school appoint a child as their patriarch? However, after they saw Wei Tianli and the other elders bow their greetings, everyone was stupefied.

It was really him?! Such a young boy? Could it be that he was the person Frostcloud Sect was looking for more than a year ago?

“Is Frostcloud Sect crazy? That child is only a level-3 Qi Refining cultivator. Even if he did inherit the legacy from Daoist-Master Jing Yuan, there’s no need for him to hold the position now. Don’t they realize a big tree attracts more wind?”

“Yes, for him to be revered by everyone like that, if he is feeble-minded and gets blindsided, wouldn’t it be a problem instead? If that hindered his practice and made him unable to find his path of Dao, what will Frostcloud Sect do about it then?”

Amidst the doubts, some people gloated.

The disciples of Mauve Aurora Sect exchanged glances with each other. The elder thought secretly to himself: The more inconceivable the actions of Frostcloud Sect, the better for Mauve Aurora Sect.

As soon as Jing Yue landed, Wei Tianli invited him to take a seat.

Thereafter, Yi Ye sat next to Jing Yue, while Liu Yun and Liu Feng separated on both sides.

Facing the crowd, Wei Tianli announced loudly, “This is the fourth disciple of Frostcloud Sect’s ancestor, Daoist-Master Jing Yuan, and also the person of great auspicious to the sect, Jing Yue. Today, Frostcloud Sect proclaims to the world that Jing Yue is the new patriarch of Frostcloud Sect, and anyone who insults will henceforth suffer punishment!”

As soon as his voice fell, everyone in the vicinity felt three coercive suppressions descending on their heads like ten thousand mountains.

The elder of Mauve Aurora Sect only felt a flurry before his eyes and vaguely saw a bright red word ‘kill’ in his daze. He could smell a bloody stench in his nose, an endless roaring in his ears, sometimes piercing, sometimes gravelly, sometimes shrill, sometimes low-pitched, again and again.

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

The sound was thunderous, shaking his entire being until his blood surged, almost falling to his knees.

He was furious. He led his disciples to attend this celebration, so why was he insulted? Unbeknownst to him, the coercion was only aimed at people who disrespected Frostcloud Sect. Although other guests felt the pressure too, it was not so uncomfortable for them.

It was a threat! And a warning from Frostcloud Sect!

The elder tensed his neck and glared vehemently ahead, and happened to collide with the gaze of the new patriarch. The dark eyes of the other party seemed to consume his soul, causing him to be devoured by a frosty chill from head to toe, and he could not help but tremble from shock.

He quickly came back to his senses and lowered his head hurriedly.

No matter how things would develop in the future, but today, the Frostcloud Sect was still the top cultivation school with a Tribulation Passage powerhouse as its guardian, and it would not allow any other sects to look upon it with contempt!

Behind the square, one hundred thousand disciples knelt, touched their foreheads to the ground, kowtowed three times and said loudly, “Greetings to the Patriarch!”

The deafening roars echoed repeatedly, as if the rolling waves of thunder, as if the mighty surges of the ocean, making everyone go numb at the scalp.

No matter what the guests thought before, they all bowed slightly now and said in unison, “Congratulations to the Patriarch!”

Twang…

From a distance, the Jadecloud Bell responded, the chime intertwined with the human voices, solemn and majestic.

But among the one hundred thousand disciples, some looked terrified and nervous.

Although they had never seen Jing Yue’s true face, and they could not see it clearly now either, once they thought of his age and the recent changes that happened within the inner gates, it was sufficient to guess his identity.

The new patriarch was most probably Jing Shan!

This answer left Yu Xiaobao in a daze. He could hardly imagine that he had the gall to entrap the new patriarch! He also dared not speculate why he disguised himself as Jing Shan and infiltrated the inner gates?

Several people who had had direct conflicts with Jing Shan, such as the Long brothers, were remorseful and wished they could disappear from the spot!

Mu Feng also recognized the other party. The person who gave him redemption in his despair turned out to be the new patriarch of Frostcloud Sect! At that moment, he made an oath in his heart: He would follow him to his death even if there was no salvation!

As for the high-ranking officials of the Primary, Noble, and Civilian factions, their tenterhooks had reached the limit! They felt as if there was a sharp knife hanging above their heads, not knowing if it would drop at any point!

Everyone was lost in their own thoughts. At the front, each clan presented generous gifts one by one.

A clear voice was suddenly heard…

“Sword Inscription Sect, Qin Yanzhi, here to pay respects.”

A silence fell over the court but Jing Yue’s spirits lifted. He had been curious about this person for the longest time.

A young man dressed in black slowly stepped out from the shadows. The sunlight poured over him, the rays flickering between his inky eyebrows, illuminating his bright eyes.

Qin Yanzhi held a gift in his hand, his footsteps steady, leading a group of disciples through the crowd. There was silence where the group passed.

Finally, he stopped three feet away from Jing Yue.

“Sword Inscription Sect is late and hopes for the patriarch’s leniency.”

Jing Yue startled violently. For some strange reason, he felt that this person was very familiar, but after thinking about it carefully, he could not recall this face in his memory.

He concealed his doubts and said, “Don’t fret about it. Qin-zhenjun, please take a seat.”

A disciple stepped forward and accepted Qin Yanzhi’s gift. He was about to lead him to the Sword Inscription Sect’s seating location when Qin Yanzhi said, “The reason for being late is because we found traces of demonic cultivators along the way.”

“Demonic cultivators? In the Evernorth Lu region?” Wei Tianli suddenly interrupted, his expression grim.

Nowadays, the forces of the demonic cultivators were weak and compelled by the righteous Dao to be confined within the West Shu region. It had been a long time since the Evernorth Lu region heard any news of demonic cultivators. The entire Evernorth Lu region could be regarded as the territory of Frostcloud Sect, and as the sect leader, he would never allow the demons to wreak havoc in the Evernorth!

“Not only that,” Qin Yanzhi said. “It appeared on our way through the Central region.”

He gave a brief summary of their encounters during the journey. It turned out when they were in the Central region, they heard that the ancestral tombs of several small sects had been dug up, and they lost their ancestors’ sarcophagus.

But these sects were far apart and assumed that it only happened to their sect, so they were unaware of the gravity of the situation. But Qin Yanzhi quickly perceived the oddity of the circumstances. After some investigation, they could only confirm that the case was related to the Cadaver Gate, but no one was caught.

“Cadaver Gate?” Wei Tianli glanced at Liu Yun subconsciously. “Wasn’t Blood Corpse-laomo severely injured by Liu Yun-laozu back then?”

(TN: Laozu 老祖 old ancestor or patriarch. Laomo 老魔 old demon, same ranking as Laozu within the demonic clan, but this term is mainly used by the righteous dao.)

“That’s right. The Cadaver Gate has concealed themselves and hasn’t been heard of for hundreds of years.”

“No, no, haven’t you heard? The Cadaver Gate controlled Fairy Mengyan and made her go to Sword Inscription Sect and assassinate Qin-zhenjun.”

“This is actually true? I thought it was just a rumor!”

“But the cultivation level of the Blood Corpse-laomo was diminished during the fight five hundred years ago. How could he recover so soon?”

“It’s possible if he met a chance encounter. If the old demon really regained his Return to Void cultivation level, Frostcloud Sect that has forged a great feud with them back then maybe…”

At this time, the bright sky suddenly turned dark and ominous clouds rolled in instantly. A huge black coffin appeared out of thin air, pressing directly on Jing Yue!

“Since Frostcloud Sect has appointed a new patriarch, how can the Cadaver Gate not offer our congratulations?”

The shrill voice sounded both near and far. Many people’s expressions changed drastically—someone from the Cadaver Gate had snuck in!

Who was it?!

Very quickly, however, they realized that all the powerhouses of Frostcloud Sect remained calm. The new patriarch even stared at the coffin curiously without any trace of panic.

In the next moment, several red lights pierced through the dark clouds and smashed the coffin into pieces.

When the sky was clear again, Wei Tianli shouted furiously, “How dare such filthy minions like you cause trouble within the grounds of Frostcloud Sect!”

“Teehhehhee, Wei-zhangmen doesn’t appreciate our gesture. Blood Corpse-laozu has specially prepared a generous gift. If you don’t accept it today, we will only give it again in the future… ah!”

Among the guests, an Amethyst Abode cultivator’s chest suddenly ruptured, a wisp of black smoke rose from the wound, and he hastily fled.

Very quickly, another sword glare shot out. The light was merged with the forces of Yin-Yang and contained the laws of nature, shining like the bright sun and dying like the solitary star.

Jing Yue opened his eyes wide. Even if he was stung painfully by the sword glare, he was unwilling to blink, reluctant to miss such intoxicating swordsmanship.

So, that was the Daoyi Sword!

Author’s Notes: Mini-theater

Yi Ye: Oh, my Shizun… Boohoo…

Jing-jing: That

Liu Yun: God

Liu Feng: Damn

Old Wei: Idiot

…

Ji-ji: As a 10,000-year-old virgin, you are already a legendary wizard. What else are you going to sit on if not a broom?

Jing-jing: …