Chapter 84: The Three Supreme Realms
The immense Buddha statue’s crown once again returned to calm. In the distance, spiritual energy began to stir gently, and the only sound left in the world was that of falling snow.
Shen Yu thought to himself that a grand, sweeping battle was about to unfold there, though it seemed to have little to do with him. The little monkey looked at Shen Yu, then pointed toward the horizon.
Its gesture meant: do you need any help?
Shen Yu shook his head and said, “The people I detest most in my life are those pedantic scholars, always so tiresome. But I must admit, when they commit to something, they truly are formidable.”
He paused, then continued, “You and your ancestors are devoted to the Buddha, so it’s better for you not to get involved.”
The little monkey scratched its head and grinned, seemingly pleased.
Man and monkey descended to the ground once more, then made their way toward the sect.
The ceremony had ended. Disciples of the Returning Cloud Immortal Sect gradually made their way back to their caves and courtyards, passing Shen Yu as they flowed by.
These were ordinary disciples who had never seen the mountain guardian beast. At this moment, they found the pair of man and monkey quite conspicuous and couldn’t help but glance at Shen Yu several times.
With each glance, a sense of familiarity dawned, prompting many disciples to furrow their brows and ask their companions.
When the figure in the green robe vanished completely into the distance, a young disciple in the crowd tentatively uttered a name. After a brief moment of astonishment, a wave of commotion broke out.
...
Shen Yu made his way to the summit of Fallen Immortal Peak.
The once lonely, shabby grave had changed; the sweating girl was busily carrying soil from afar, carefully piling it upon the mound. She worked tirelessly, repeating the task until her cheeks were smudged with dust.
Shen Yu watched the scene in silence.
Feelings in this world are not so easily understood, so he felt little emotion at this sight.
After an unknown interval, Lu Caiwei noticed Shen Yu and asked, “Is everything done?”
Shen Yu nodded, saying nothing, gazing into the distance.
After a while, he suddenly asked, “Have you ever thought about where you want to cultivate?”
Lu Caiwei was silent for a moment, then asked, “Even if I went to Kunlun, or Yaochi, you would help me, wouldn’t you?”
Shen Yu thought seriously, then answered, “Yes.”
For some reason, Lu Caiwei’s expression suddenly became uneasy. “Do you really just want to get rid of me?”
Shen Yu looked at her and replied coolly, “I have other matters to attend to; naturally, I can’t always bring you along.”
Lu Caiwei said nothing more.
---
Silence fell once again, broken only by the ceaseless churning of clouds overhead.
Suddenly, urgent footsteps sounded at the foot of the mountain. Several streaks of rainbow light flew toward the summit, as if many people were gathering—even Lu Caiwei sensed something was amiss.
She nervously asked, “Have we been discovered?”
Shen Yu replied, “Yes.”
“So what now?” Lu Caiwei saw his indifference, puzzled.
Shen Yu didn’t answer, simply standing quietly.
Lu Caiwei instinctively looked down the mountain. In the darkness, countless torches and glowing pearls merged to illuminate the entire peak.
As the rainbow lights and footsteps drew closer, Lu Caiwei frowned, for despite the passage of time, no one actually arrived—the advance seemed to stop abruptly.
...
At the mountainside, Xu Yanmo, the sect’s law enforcement elder, stood with many disciples, all exchanging uncertain glances.
The target of the sect’s recent kill order had brazenly entered their gates—an affront to their authority.
Yet the once fierce group now seemed stunned, halted in their tracks.
For a short monkey had blocked their path.
Earlier, many disciples and elders who didn’t know the monkey’s identity attempted to force their way to the summit, whether by land or air, only to be casually pulled back by the monkey.
Xu Yanmo and several high-ranking elders, upon seeing the monkey’s true form, were dumbfounded, unable to comprehend the situation.
Unlike the younger disciples, they knew the monkey’s true identity: the guardian beast that had protected the Immortal Sect for nearly three centuries.
The mystery was, why had it left the Buddha statue after centuries and appeared here, inexplicably barring their way?
While Xu Yanmo was at a loss, a young disciple hurried to his side and whispered a few words.
Xu Yanmo’s expression changed dramatically as he shouted, “What did you say?”
The young disciple, flustered and trembling, replied, “Elder Ximen... is dead.”
At these words, shocked gazes converged, and the once noisy crowd fell silent.
Second only to the sect master, Elder Ximen Guan, whose cultivation had nearly reached the upper three realms, was dead?
Xu Yanmo quickly recovered from his shock, his eyes flickering, his thoughts unsettled.
The first person who came to his mind was Ximen Guan’s disciple, Yun Qing.
Although the girl had clearly participated in the sect competition earlier, Xu Yanmo was certain her master’s death was connected to her.
As law enforcement elder, Xu Yanmo was well versed in the affairs of the sect.
---
That disciple named Yun Qing was indeed beautiful enough to topple kingdoms, and her talents were surprisingly exceptional, but there were unsavory secrets surrounding her.
For instance, Xu Yanmo knew her upright master had long coveted her, and even the sect master himself seemed to harbor ambiguous feelings toward the girl.
On several occasions, Xu Yanmo had caught the sect master gazing at her—not as one would at a disciple, but with the raw gaze of a man toward a woman.
He had always regarded it as a spectacle; Yun Qing was not well liked in the Returning Cloud Immortal Sect—disciples envied, elders coveted, and her haughty demeanor made her even less popular.
Xu Yanmo even thought that once the sect master tired of her and she fell from grace, as law enforcement elder, perhaps he too could indulge.
Xu Yanmo squinted, a smile creeping onto his face.
In his view, the girl was still too naive. So what if Ximen Guan was dead? As long as the sect master lived, no matter how great her powers, where could Yun Qing possibly go?
He sneered at the sky, thinking, If you have the skill, Yun Qing, then kill the sect master as well—then I, Xu Yanmo, will bow to you.
...
Elsewhere,
The little monkey blocking the crowd at the mountainside struck down several disciples who tried to fly overhead, then turned to gaze into the distance.
Shen Yu opened his eyes and said to the bewildered woman behind him, “You once said you’d never seen immortals battle. This time, watch closely and learn well.”
...
A fortune teller carrying a flag approached from afar, his beard white and his robe of blue cloth. With a few careless steps, he crossed thousands of feet and in moments arrived at the sect gate.
He paused, stomped his foot, and swore loudly, “Damn it, finally caught up to that kid, only to run into this unlucky mess! Fighting, fighting, what for? Are they full and bored? Rushing headlong to reincarnation, are they?”
...
Before the Returning Cloud Immortal Sect’s ancestral hall,
A colossal vortex hundreds of feet wide suddenly appeared in the sky, the sea of clouds inverted and surging, like Mount Tai pressing down.
Amidst this celestial phenomenon, a thunderous roar echoed from above.
“Jiang Zhouyao, for the sake of your past ties with our previous sect master and your contributions to the Immortal Sect, I have tolerated you time and again. But today, you dare commit rebellion—you court death!”
Then a clear voice responded, “By the previous sect master’s will, I am here to cleanse the sect of traitors. What crime is there?”
No sooner had the words been uttered than a brilliant pillar of light shot skyward from the ground. Around it, the nearby halls, ancient trees, and spiritual herbs were swept away, destroyed as easily as leaves or scraps of paper.
Within several thousand feet of the Returning Cloud Immortal Sect, all was instantly reduced to desolation.