Feng Xiangling hadn’t changed much in the past year. He still had that air of a refined scoundrel.
He mingled with the others, chatting and laughing, but he kept his distance from Chen Yin and Yu Ling, even avoiding eye contact.
…This guy… Chen Yin narrowed his eyes.
He had been expecting Feng Xiangling to make a move, but after a year of silence, he had almost forgotten about him.
Not only had Feng Xiangling disappeared, but his father, after being severely injured by Chen Yin, had also vanished, the entire Feng family seemingly erased from the cultivation world.
Chen Yin had assud that even if Feng Xiangling was forgiving, he would still harbor resentnt.
But today, he seed just like he had been a year ago, a polite and gentle young man, his gaze flickering nervously whenever he t Chen Yin’s eyes.
He was so timid that it was almost comical.
…Whatever.
He was a mber of the Yu Alliance, after all.
If he behaved himself, Chen Yin wouldn’t bother him.
He turned away and rejoined the others, raising his cup in a toast.
—
The feast lasted all night, from afternoon to dusk, then deep into the night, until the first rays of dawn painted the sky.
A year apart, they had so much to catch up on, a single night not nearly enough.
They reminisced about the past year, sharing their experiences and adventures.
As Yu Ling had predicted,
These teenagers had beco rising stars in the cultivation world.
So were now heads of their families, others chief disciples of their sects. More than half of them had reached the Supre Clarity Realm.
The most talented, like Hu Li and Luo Xiaoxiao, were on the verge of Grand Clarity.
Luo Xiaoxiao, slightly drunk, had boasted about wanting to test the difference between his strength and a true Grand Clarity Realm expert.
He and Hu Li had both been soundly defeated by Yu Ling.
Si Qing, now managing her family’s affairs, had beco even more elegant and poised, her beauty more mature and refined.
Hua Yulian had surpassed her Senior Sisters and beco the most promising disciple of her sect.
Luo Xiaoxiao, now the head of his family’s cultivation business, had lost weight due to his constant travels and social engagents.
Hu Li, guarding the northern border against monstrous beasts from the snowy plains, had earned the nickna “Wolf Blade Hu.”
Each of them was a rising star, their future bright and full of promise. And because of the Yu Alliance, rumors began to spread throughout the cultivation world, whispers of a new golden age, an era of unprecedented talent.
Yu Ling listened to their stories with a smile, her heart filled with pride and joy.
She hadn’t let them down.
Every mber of the Yu Alliance had beco soone to be reckoned with.
As the night wore on, Yu Ling, drunk and sleepy, collapsed against Chen Yin, her soft snores echoing through the room.
Chen Yin, also slightly tipsy, carried her back to her room.
The night passed quietly.
—
The next day, Chen Yin woke up late, Yu Ling still asleep in his arms, her head resting on his chest, her lips slightly parted.
He didn’t wake her, letting her sleep.
He quietly got out of bed and was about to prepare breakfast when he saw Hua Yulian sitting in the main hall, sipping tea.
“Oh, you’re awake?”
She looked at him with a playful smile, her jade bracelets jingling softly.
“Sleeping in so late, Little Ling’er must have kept you busy last night.”
Chen Yin blushed, recognizing the innuendo in her voice, and coughed awkwardly. “Sister Hua, you’re thinking too much. She was drunk. I wouldn’t take advantage of her.”
“Oh, really~? Is there really a man who could resist Little Ling’er’s charms?” Her teasing gaze seed to say, Are you sure you’re… capable?
“…Sister Hua, please.”
Chen Yin poured himself a cup of tea. “Where are the others?”
“They’re already gone. They left early this morning. I stayed behind to tell you and Little Ling’er.”
“What’s so important that they had to leave so early?” Chen Yin asked, curious.
“It’s nothing serious,” Hua Yulian chuckled. “Our Heavenly Dao Fragnts sotis give us tasks, ‘Plot Records,’ they call them. A year ago, we all received a new Plot Record… to et at Mount Buqi in Ziqing Province. It’s not far from here, so we decided to use this opportunity for a reunion.”
Chen Yin froze, his teacup halfway to his lips.
“What’s wrong?” Hua Yulian asked, seeing his sudden silence.
Chen Yin’s expression turned serious.
…So that was it.
He had been forgetting sothing important.
He hadn’t heard them ntion their Plot Records before.
And Plot Records were the most dangerous aspect of the Heavenly Dao Fragnts.
The stronger the Fragnt, the more dangerous and painful the Plot Record. Shen Shuanglian and Xiang’er’s Plot Records had been life-or-death situations, and Luo Qiaoqiao’s had even dictated her death. Even Luo Luo’s had required her to be sealed away for five hundred years.
Perhaps only weaker Fragnts, like Qingying’s, had less dangerous Plot Records.
And the Yu Alliance mbers had all received Fragnts at the sa ti.
It was strange. Too strange.
…As if soone had deliberately arranged it.
A sense of unease settled over him.
“Did the Plot Record say what you’re supposed to do at Mount Buqi?”
Hua Yulian, startled by his serious tone, hesitated. “It didn’t specify. I assud it was just a simple eting.”
“…Why do you ask?”
Chen Yin didn’t know how to explain. He quickly put on his robes.
“I’m going with you.”
“What?”
Hua Yulian was surprised. “But what about Little Ling’er?”
Chen Yin hesitated.
Then he sighed. “Let’s take her with us.”
…If she woke up and found him gone, she would throw a tantrum. And she would insist on coming anyway.
He went back to the bedroom and, ignoring Yu Ling’s sleepy protests, lifted her into his arms and carried her outside.
“Mmm… what are you doing…?” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes sleepily. “Let sleep…”
“We’ll talk later,” Chen Yin said, his voice low. “This trip to Mount Buqi might not be as peaceful as we think.”
—
Mount Buqi, located west of Ziqing Province, was a towering peak surrounded by a ring of mountains.
Its steep and treacherous slopes made it inaccessible to mortals, and even cultivators rarely ventured there.
On the narrow summit of Mount Buqi, Luo Xiaoxiao and Hu Li sat cross-legged, chatting with Si Qing.
“Why hasn’t the Plot Record been completed yet? We’re already here,” Luo Xiaoxiao said, puzzled.
“I don’t know… maybe we’re not all here yet? We’re still waiting for Sister Hua.”
“Why did the System give us such a strange task?”
“I don’t know,” Luo Xiaoxiao shook his head. “I asked my System, and it doesn’t know either.”
“My System is an idiot. It doesn’t know anything. All it does is whine and pretend to be dead,” Hu Li grumbled.
“Mine is incredibly aloof. We barely even talk,” Luo Xiaoxiao said.
“Mine is quite talkative,” Si Qing said thoughtfully, “but it also seems confused about this Plot Record.”
As they chatted, they didn’t notice
Feng Xiangling, sitting alone nearby, his eyes closed in ditation, suddenly opened his eyes and glanced at them.
“Look! Sister Hua is here!”
Luo Xiaoxiao jumped up, and they all saw Chen Yin, Yu Ling, and Hua Yulian approaching.
“Chen Yin, Big Sister? What are you doing here?”
“I have no idea,” Yu Ling grumbled. “I was sleeping soundly when he dragged out of bed. I didn’t even have ti to change my clothes!”
Chen Yin scanned the group, relieved to see that they were all unhard.
But then, a sudden unease gripped his heart, a heavy weight settling in his chest.
At the sa ti, Hu Li’s voice, filled with surprise, echoed through the air:
“Huh?”
“The sky…”
The sky suddenly darkened.
One mont, it was a clear, cloudless day, the next, it was as dark as night.
The Yu Alliance teenagers looked up at the sky, their voices filled with confusion.
“What’s going on?”
Yu Ling, sensing sothing was wrong, also looked up, her brow furrowed. “What’s happening?”
Chen Yin didn’t answer.
His gaze was fixed on the sky, a sense of foreboding washing over him.
“My System…” Luo Xiaoxiao’s voice was filled with a strange unease.
Then, other voices echoed his concern.
“My System… it’s gone?”
“No, it feels like it’s lting…”
“I think my System was trying to tell sothing, but I couldn’t hear it clearly…” Si Qing bit her lip nervously.
Chen Yin’s eyes narrowed, his body tensing.
…Sothing was wrong.
He should have known. There was no such thing as a free lunch.
These Systems were definitely a trap.
And his scroll was useless now.
Without his trump card, he felt a flicker of unease.
A sense of anxiety spread through the teenagers.
“What’s… happening?” Even Luo Xiaoxiao was starting to panic.
“Calm down!”
Yu Ling’s voice was sharp, her expression stern. “You’re mbers of the Yu Alliance! You follow Yu Ling! Have you all beco cowards after just a year?! I’m here! I won’t let anything happen to you!”
Her words were a reassurance, and they gathered around her, their fear montarily forgotten.
“Yeah, Big Sister is here! We’re not afraid!”
“We’ve faced worse! Big Sister can handle anything!”
They tried to reassure each other, but Chen Yin remained silent, his eyes fixed on the sky.
Hua Yulian noticed his unusual quietness and whispered, “Little Brother, do you know what’s happening?”
Chen Yin shook his head.
He didn’t know.
But he had a hunch.
The Heavenly Dao Fragnts. The Systems. The Chosen Ones.
The truth that Master had been hiding from him…
…was about to be revealed.
—
As they whispered among themselves,
A powerful aura suddenly descended from the sky, like a waterfall of darkness, making their hearts tremble.
“What… what is that?!”
A giant figure, wielding a halberd, clad in armor, its face hidden behind a fanged mask, slowly materialized in the dark clouds above.
Its imnse size dwarfed the mountains, its presence radiating a terrifying, primordial aura.
“Ugh!”
The teenagers collapsed under the imnse pressure, only Chen Yin and Yu Ling, their Grand Clarity Realm cultivation and comprehension of the Dao giving them so resistance, managing to stay on their feet.
But even their combined strength was like a small boat in a raging storm,
Insignificant against the power of heaven and earth.
“…Who are you?”
Yu Ling’s face was pale, her eyes fixed on the giant figure, her voice trembling slightly.
She had never felt this before.
This… fear.
Even when she was at her weakest, facing Grand Clarity Realm experts, she had never felt such primal terror.
It was as if her very being was recoiling from that overwhelming presence.
But she couldn’t show fear.
Behind her were the teenagers who trusted her, who had placed their lives in her hands.
So she forced herself to stand tall, her gaze unwavering as she looked up at the giant and demanded,
“Who are you?! What do you want?!”
“Hmm…” the giant finally spoke, its voice deep and resonant, echoing through the mountains like an ancient bell.
“…Interesting.”
“High-quality bait this ti.”
Bait?!
Yu Ling’s eyes widened, and the teenagers behind her gasped.
Chen Yin stared at the giant, his eyes narrowed.
“The Dao Venerable was right. There are a few promising candidates among them.”
“This harvest is comparable to that of the last Triennial Heavenly Tribulation.”
The giant’s voice was filled with satisfaction, its eyes glowing with a golden light.
A scream suddenly echoed through the air.
“Aaaaagh!”
Yu Ling turned and saw one of the teenagers, his hand turning black and withered, as if decaying rapidly.
“What… what’s happening?!”
“No!”
The sa thing was happening to all the other teenagers.
Their arms, their legs, their hair…
…their bodies were decaying, like withered leaves.
“Wait… stop!”
Yu Ling’s desperate cries were drowned out by their screams of agony.
“I… I…”
Si Qing stared at her blackened hand, her eyes wide with terror.
Chen Yin grabbed her hand and checked her pulse, his brow furrowed deeply.
…Damn it.
It wasn’t spiritual energy, or poison.
Her spiritual energy, her flesh, her life force…
…everything was vanishing, as if evaporating into thin air.
Chen Yin rembered the missing Heavenly Dao Fragnts.
He rembered Master’s hesitant words, her unspoken warnings.
…Our enemy isn’t here.
…It’s above.
He finally understood.
“Bastard!”
Yu Ling turned towards the giant, her eyes blazing with fury, her small body radiating a powerful aura as she charged towards it.
But to her shock and disbelief,
Her attack passed right through it.
As if it wasn’t even there.
“…Futile… insignificant ants.”
“We cannot descend to your realm. This is just a projection.”
The giant’s voice was deep and condescending.
“You’re quite impressive, little ant. Probably one of the strongest in this Lower Realm. A pity you’ve already comprehended the Dao. Otherwise, you would have made excellent bait.”
Yu Ling didn’t understand what it was talking about.
She attacked again, her sword slashing through the air, but it was useless. Her attacks couldn’t touch the spectral figure.
Luo Xiaoxiao’s desperate scream echoed from the summit.
“No! Stop it!”
His entire arm was blackened and withered, like a dead branch.
Yu Ling rushed to his side and channeled her healing energy into his arm, the power of the “Forgotten Everlasting Heart Sutra” flowing through her fingertips.
But it was useless.
Like pouring water into a bottomless pit. His arm remained unchanged.
“No…”
Luo Xiaoxiao’s eyes filled with despair, his voice trembling.
“Big Sister… I don’t want to die…”
Yu Ling’s hand trembled as she held his withered arm, her heart aching.
Screams of agony echoed around her.
They were all crying out for help, calling her na.
“Big Sister! Save !”
“No… I don’t want to die… I don’t want to die!”
“Aaaaagh! Make it stop!”
Yu Ling could barely hear them anymore.
She clung to Luo Xiaoxiao’s arm, her hands shaking.
…No.
You’ll be fine.
You have to be.
I’m your Big Sister. I’ll save you.
I promised I wouldn’t let you get hurt…
Her promises echoed in her ears,
But they were drowned out by their screams of agony.
Luo Xiaoxiao’s body was withered and blackened, his lips moving silently.
Yu Ling could hear his whispered plea: Run, Big Sister. Avenge us.
Chen Yin was also trying desperately to save them, channeling his spiritual energy into Si Qing’s body, trying to stop the decay, while ntally calling out to the scroll.
But the scroll remained dormant and unresponsive.
Half of Si Qing’s face had already rotted away, the flesh peeling from her bones, her remaining eye filled with tears.
“Chen Yin…” she whispered.
“I’m here,” he said, his voice steady, trying to reassure her. “Don’t worry, I’ll save you.”
“Am I… going to die…?” her voice trembled.
“No, you’ll be fine, I promise—”
“…Save ,” she pleaded, her voice barely a whisper.
Chen Yin’s words died in his throat.
He felt a chill run down his spine.
He didn’t give up.
But he couldn’t save them.
Hua Yulian, her body withered and decayed, only her head remaining, looked at him, tears streaming down her face.
She couldn’t speak, only whisper with her lips:
…Take care of Little Ling’er…
…Live…
Silence fell over the summit of Mount Buqi.
A silence so profound that it felt like everyone was already dead.
Yu Ling stared at the scattered bones, her eyes wide with horror and disbelief, unable to speak, unable to even scream.
She just knelt there, her body trembling.
Si Qing was the last to die.
Her remaining eye, fixed on Chen Yin until the very end,
As if she wanted to morize his face.
Chen Yin lowered his head and whispered,
“…I’m sorry.”
I’m sorry.
I couldn’t save you.
I’m so sorry.
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
Yu Ling’s choked sobs echoed through the air.
As Si Qing’s body turned to dust, Chen Yin fell silent, his eyes downcast,
…as if he had fallen into a bottomless abyss.
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