Category: Ferrying the Buddha

Chapter 70

Time flew by.

Three days later, at the Sword Testing Grounds of the Sword Sect.

The first round of the mental fortitude test for Core Formation cultivators had concluded, and today was the second round.

Heng Yu sat on the steps, wearing an ink-wash dress. The hem of the skirt was wide, adorned with patterns resembling spreading ink blots. The color softened her usual coldness, giving her a scholarly air.

Liaowu approached from the other side, looking up at Heng Yu from below the steps.

She was sitting against the light, making it difficult for him to see her expression. He could only see her skirt spread out on the steps. Despite the simple black and white color scheme, the hem seemed to melt into the sunlight, and combined with her beauty, she painted a vivid picture against the backdrop of heaven and earth.

He reached out to her.

Heng Yu stood up from the steps. The sudden movement caused her wide sleeves to wrinkle.

She walked down the steps towards Liaowu. “Is the test about to start?”

Liaowu smoothed the wrinkles on her sleeves. “Yes. I couldn’t find you earlier, so I came out to look for you.”

Heng Yu replied, “You were giving your fellow disciples a pep talk. I was bored, so I came out to bask in the sun.”

The sun was just right, warm but not scorching. Sitting there, Heng Yu almost felt drowsy.

“Let’s go back,” Liaowu said after smoothing her sleeves and taking a step back.

Heng Yu yawned. “Alright.”

Back in the crowd, Heng Yu, a Hehuan Sect cultivator, stood calmly among the Undying Sect’s Buddhist cultivators. She had been studying demonic detection formations in her spare time recently and had some new ideas. She traced patterns in the air with her right index finger. If someone skilled in formations observed closely, they would realize she was sketching a corner of a formation.

Bored, Heng Yu walked behind Liaowu and traced patterns on his shoulder with her fingertip.

They were close, and as a breeze blew past, Liaowu could smell the fragrance on her. It was the Hehuan Sect’s signature scent, which could be cloying if too strong, but when used sparingly, it was sweet and pleasant.

Liaowu had a good physique. Although he looked slender in his robes, his muscles were firm and well-defined.

Heng Yu, who had been seriously sketching the formation, let her fingertip slide from his shoulder to the back of his neck.

“Lord Luo?” Liaowu turned his head, questioning.

Heng Yu quickly moved her finger back to his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“Are you still drawing the formation?”

Heng Yu replied matter-of-factly, “Yes.”

She drew two circles with her fingertip. “Can you feel it?”

“…You’re drawing circles?”

Heng Yu didn’t reply, tracing the character for “yes” on his shoulder.

Liaowu was speechless. He noticed his fellow disciples stealing glances at him, but seeing Heng Yu enjoying herself, he ignored them, silently indulging her playfulness.

Before Heng Yu got bored, the referee, who had been standing quietly by the gate with his eyes closed, announced the start of the test.

Liaowu spoke again. “Lord Luo.”

Heng Yu withdrew her hand, satisfied, and asked, “I suddenly realized something. Why don’t you just call me by my name?”

Liaowu was taken aback. He had never considered this. He had been calling her “Lord Luo” since they first met, and it had become a habit. He hadn’t thought about changing it.

“Just a random thought,” Heng Yu said. “You can call me whatever you’re used to. It’s all the same.”

Liaowu smiled. “Yu Er.”

He paused, then added, “Your master probably calls you that too.”

This way, it wouldn’t seem too abrupt or presumptuous.

Heng Yu raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Go and take the test.”

Liaowu didn’t waste any more time, walking towards the gate and quickly disappearing from sight.

“There’s no suspense about who will be first in the Core Formation mental fortitude test.”

“No suspense? It’s a certainty. In the Dharma Assembly ten years ago, that Buddha-son Liaowu of the Undying Sect only took less than half an hour. The second-place finisher took over an hour. The difference was huge.”

“Speaking of which… the relationship between that Buddha-son Liaowu and that Luo Heng Yu of the Hehuan Sect…”

“I heard the Hehuan Sect issued an SS-rank mission related to the Buddha-son.”

“What! The Hehuan Sect is too daring, even targeting a Buddha-son!” The cultivator was so shocked that his voice rose, attracting the attention of many around him.

Heng Yu hadn’t been paying much attention to their gossip, but this sentence, spoken loudly and not far from her, reached her ears clearly. She wasn’t surprised by such gossip. She and Liaowu were almost always together at the Sword Sect, and neither of them were unknown figures. It was normal for them to attract attention.

Fortunately, neither of them cared. What separated her and Liaowu wasn’t the judgment of others, but their respective paths.

Therefore, Heng Yu always followed her heart and wouldn’t be bothered by the opinions of others.

Liaonian was standing beside Heng Yu. Hearing the gossip, he stealthily glanced at Heng Yu, only to be caught. “Little Monk, why are you looking at me?”

Liaonian said embarrassedly, “Nothing.”

“Don’t mind them,” Heng Yu guessed his concerns. “Follow your heart, don’t live by the words of others.”

Liaonian, still a teenager with lingering baby fat, sighed like a little adult. “I can’t. I’m only at the Qi Refining stage; my mental state is naturally not as high as yours and Senior Brother’s.”

He couldn’t completely ignore it yet. His senior brother was such a noble and virtuous person, but now these people weren’t discussing his profound Buddhist teachings or his exceptional talent, but gossiping about his romantic affairs.

It made him uncomfortable.

Heng Yu was amused by his expression. “It’s rare to hear you praise me.”

Seeing Liaonian’s increasing embarrassment, Heng Yu stopped teasing him and looked towards the gate. Liaowu should have entered the Love Gate by now.

Inside the illusion, the surrounding darkness receded, and Liaowu found himself standing outside a courtyard. He was lost in thought, recalling that he had also entered the Love Gate in the previous Dharma Assembly.

At that time, women of various appearances had appeared in the illusion, posing seductively, their faces full of lust. He had looked at them as if they were nothing but skeletons, his heart unmoved.

He had cleared the Love Gate in less than fifteen minutes, setting an impressive record.

Snapping back to reality, Liaowu examined his surroundings. The courtyard was located on a mountainside, a lush parasol tree growing in the center. The mountain wasn’t steep but very tall, covered with Hehuan trees. It was the blooming season for Hehuan flowers, and the entire mountain was ablaze with their vibrant color.

Hehuan flowers. A parasol tree in the courtyard. Based on these two points, Liaowu knew exactly where this was.

Just then, a rustling sound came from the quiet courtyard. Someone was walking on the fallen parasol leaves.

The rustling grew louder as the person in the courtyard walked to the door and opened it, seemingly wanting some fresh air.

Liaowu’s gaze fell on her, his eyes deep and gentle.

“You—” Heng Yu, dressed in a green Daoist robe, stood inside the doorway. Seeing Liaowu outside, surprise filled her face, then quickly turned into joy. Her lips curved into a smile, her voice laced with happiness. “You came to the Hehuan Sect to see me? Why didn’t you tell me in advance?”

Without waiting for Liaowu to answer, she continued, “Oh, right, I heard you were going south to spread Buddhist teachings. Are you just passing by the Hehuan Sect and decided to visit me?” The smile reached her eyes and eyebrows, her whole being radiating joy. “What a coincidence! I just finished my closed-door cultivation and was planning to visit you at the Undying Sect in a few days. I didn’t expect you to come to the Hehuan Sect first.”

Sensing her joy, Liaowu’s hands clenched at his sides. He unconsciously licked his dry lips.

That last sentence… Lord Luo would never say that.

He knew this was an illusion, and he knew how to break it—simply attack the illusion and destroy the scene.

But he couldn’t bring himself to. This illusion was his deepest desire.

After completing her inner sect mission, they would still have a connection. He would visit her when passing by the Hehuan Sect, and she would occasionally visit the Undying Sect to play chess and have tea with him…

He longed for this.

But he knew Lord Luo too well. A person like her would definitely leave without hesitation after completing her mission, severing all ties with him, never to see him again.

If it couldn’t be realized in reality, at least let him indulge in this illusion.

Liaowu’s thoughts were in turmoil. After making up his mind, he looked at Heng Yu again and, despite knowing it was an illusion, still asked, “Would you really come to the Undying Sect to find me?”

Heng Yu tilted her head, amused. “Didn’t I already promise you? I would never go back on my word.”

“…”

You wouldn’t lie to me about other things, but about this… no matter how many times you promise, it will ultimately be a lie.

Liaowu looked at the woman standing before him and answered silently in his heart.

“Come in, why are you just standing there like a fool!” Heng Yu saw him standing motionless like a statue, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him into the courtyard. “What tea would you like? How about some Hehuan flower tea?”

Then she chuckled mischievously. “Actually, forget it. The sect’s Hehuan flowers have aphrodisiac properties. It wouldn’t be good for a Buddha-son to drink it.”

Liaowu’s gaze was filled with indulgence.

Heng Yu was baffled by his look. She didn’t say anything, simply taking out a tea set and brewing tea with practiced grace. Her movements weren’t fast, but they were pleasing to the eye.

“You’re not in a hurry, are you? If not, I can brew it slowly.”

“I’m not in a hurry,” Liaowu replied.

He sat quietly, watching her brew the tea. When the tea was ready, Heng Yu poured the steaming liquid into a flower-shaped cup and pushed it towards him.

Liaowu held the cup with both hands but didn’t drink. He couldn’t touch anything within the illusion.

Heng Yu didn’t seem to care whether he drank or not. After brewing the tea, she asked excitedly, “Did you find the Ice Soul Flower I asked you to look for? Did you bring it with you? Oh, and the Aurora of Dawn?” She tapped the table, waiting for his response.

Ice Soul Flower, a top-grade spiritual herb that, when consumed directly, increased the chance of breaking through to Nascent Soul by thirty percent.

Aurora of Dawn, a material used to refine life-extending pills. Anything related to life extension was extremely rare in the cultivation world.

Hearing her so brazenly ask him for things, Liaowu finally smiled for the first time since entering the illusion. “Not yet.”

“Then what are you smiling about?” Heng Yu was also amused.

“I’ll try my best to find them for you in the future,” he said, referring to the real world.

Heng Yu shook her head and changed the subject. “Then let’s play a game of chess. You were the one who taught me how to play. After all these decades, let’s see if my skills have improved.”

“Alright.”

Outside the Sword Testing Grounds.

Liaonian was getting anxious, pacing back and forth restlessly.

“What’s going on? It’s been over half an hour. Why hasn’t Senior Brother…” He saw ripples on the light curtain, a figure emerging from within, and his voice almost cracked with excitement. “Is that Senior Brother?!”

Everyone followed his gaze. Before they could celebrate, they saw that the person who walked out was wearing Black and White Academies robes.

“…Huh?”

Liaonian’s expression froze. How could the first person to pass the mental fortitude test not be Senior Brother Liaowu?

“It’s not your senior brother,” Heng Yu placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, he’ll be out soon.”

He was the Light of Buddhism; a small illusion couldn’t possibly trap him. He must be delayed by something.

“Yes!” Liaonian nodded vigorously.

Soon, another person emerged from the light curtain—a Sword Sect cultivator.

Liaonian became even more anxious.

Heng Yu also pursed her lips.

The ripples on the light curtain subsided, then surged again. Finally, that familiar figure walked out.

After confirming his ranking with the referee, Liaowu walked towards his fellow disciples, an apologetic look on his face. “I seem to be a bit slow this time.”

Liaonian quickly shook his head. “Senior Brother is already very impressive.”

The other disciples echoed his words. Even Liaoyuan, who usually didn’t get along with Liaowu, softened his voice. “You just broke through to mid-Core Formation. Isn’t it impressive enough to be the third to pass the mental fortitude test? Don’t compare yourself to the last Dharma Assembly. You were at peak Foundation Establishment back then.”

“Yes, yes,” Liaonian added. “Senior Brother, you’re also undergoing a tribulation now, so your mental state isn’t perfect. This is a special situation.” He said this as if he hadn’t been the anxious one earlier.

Comforted by his fellow disciples, Liaowu nodded silently. He didn’t care about his ranking; he just felt he had let them down.

But he didn’t explain, his gaze meeting Heng Yu’s across the crowd.

Heng Yu looked at him steadily, her eyes sparkling as if asking what he was looking at.

“The test is over. You can stay here if you want to watch, or you can disperse,” Liaowu announced.

After the crowd around him dispersed, Liaowu walked towards Heng Yu. He pointed to the spot where Heng Yu had been basking in the sun earlier. “Let’s go sit there and enjoy the sun for a while.”

They walked to a secluded corner and climbed the steps. Liaowu sat down first. “Wait a moment.” He took out a meditation cushion from his storage ring and placed it a short distance away. “The ground is cold.”

Heng Yu smoothed her skirt and sat down on the cushion, hugging her knees. This area was open, and the wind was strong and chilly. Liaowu rummaged through his storage ring and took out a clean robe, gently draping it over her shoulders. “Are you still cold?”

“Not anymore,” Heng Yu replied. “Did you bring me here to tell me something?”

“Lord Luo might not be curious, but this poor monk wants to tell you about the scene I encountered in the illusion,” Liaowu sat up straight. “I was in your courtyard in the illusion.”

“My courtyard?” Heng Yu was surprised.

Then she remembered she had described her courtyard to Liaowu before. He remembered it, so the courtyard constructed by the illusion based on his memory was naturally similar to her description.

“According to the timeline, it should be decades later. You said in the illusion—you were planning to visit me at the Undying Sect, but I came to the Hehuan Sect to see you first.”

Heng Yu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized why Liaowu had only placed third in the mental fortitude test—

The illusion had woven a dream. He knew it was a dream, yet he still lingered for that possibility.

Chapter 69

A tearing sensation filled the space. When Heng Yu opened her eyes again, she was in a different space. This space was strange. There was no life, not even a single blade of grass or a small stone, only an endless expanse of white.

Heng Yu looked around, finding nothing unusual.

Just as she finished surveying her surroundings, a golden light appeared in mid-air. The light gradually solidified, forming a line of golden text.

[Why cultivate?]

Heng Yu narrowed her eyes and answered calmly, “This world respects strength. If you don’t want to be controlled by the strong, you must become the strongest yourself.”

The golden text in the sky shattered and reformed into a new line.

[If you had a thousand years of life, what would you do?]

Heng Yu replied, “Steal the essence of heaven and earth, tread the path of immortality. If I had a thousand years of life, I would naturally pursue freedom.”

She was engrossed in studying formations and dedicated to cultivation, but not for the sake of dominating the world or possessing boundless power and wealth. Those were just fleeting clouds.

Whether it was a hundred years or a thousand, if she couldn’t live freely, then a long and boring life of a thousand years was not as good as a few decades of vibrant days. The path of immortality wasn’t about living forever, but about living freely.

The golden text shattered again and reformed into a new question.

The questions and answers continued at a rapid pace. After answering five questions in a row, the golden light in the sky suddenly froze, then slowly dissipated.

A strange, ancient voice echoed through the previously silent space. “Your words and actions are consistent, your mental state is clear. You have passed.”

Heng Yu didn’t know where the voice came from, but it was clear she had passed this stage.

She bowed towards the empty space and took two steps forward. It felt like she had passed through an invisible barrier. When Heng Yu regained her footing, she was back in the Sword Testing Grounds, surrounded by a crowd of cultivators.

Her gaze swept past the surprised referee and landed on the elegant figure in the distance. Whether intentionally or not, her gaze lingered on Liaowu’s lips before finally meeting his eyes, winking at him.

After a few moments, Heng Yu turned back to the referee and asked with a smile, “Senior, am I the first to pass the test?”

These softly spoken words seemed to break the surrounding silence, and the Sword Testing Grounds erupted in commotion.

“That’s too fast!”

“First place! My god, she’s Luo Heng Yu of the Hehuan Sect, right? When did the disciples of the Hehuan Sect become so strong in mental fortitude?”

“Too strong, the demonic path will finally have something to brag about.”

“First in the sparring tournament, and now first in the mental fortitude test, the Hehuan Sect must have produced an extraordinary figure.”

“Not only that, her formation skills are extremely high. She might even win first place in the formation battle…”

The referee, brought back to his senses by Heng Yu’s question, reached out to her. “Young friend, please hand over your soul token.”

After a series of procedures, Heng Yu received her soul token back along with the corresponding points.

Heng Yu put away her soul token. Just as she was about to walk towards Liaowu, ripples appeared on the quiet gate behind her, and Liaoyuan walked out. Seeing Heng Yu, Liaoyuan paused slightly. He had wanted to smile at her, but remembering that she had seen his cold and ruthless side, he suppressed the smile, his expression turning calm. “It seems you beat me to it.”

Heng Yu replied, “We were only a short time apart.”

Liaoyuan said, “Such a small difference decides victory and defeat. Lord Luo, I thought I had overestimated you, but it turns out I underestimated you.”

His tone carried an unconscious complexity. Recalling the illusion he had just experienced, Liaoyuan felt a pang of self-mockery. As a cultivator of the Joyful Buddha path, experiencing the Love Gate wasn’t strange. What truly shattered his self-deception was the person who appeared in that illusion.

He, a person like him, actually felt a sense of injustice and was moved by her gentleness towards another. That gentleness wasn’t directed at him. His emotional turmoil was… ironic.

The jade pendant at his waist warmed up, indicating someone had contributed admiration points to her again.

Heng Yu glanced down, her expression neutral, and said seriously, “You can overestimate me as much as you like.”

She didn’t understand why Liaoyuan kept giving her admiration points. Since they met, he had always been the one approaching her; she had barely done anything proactively. But Liaoyuan wasn’t undergoing a love tribulation, so why cause him emotional turmoil and damage his Buddhist path?

Liaoyuan finally smiled. “I will.”

This woman, who always appeared cold and aloof towards others, was actually quite gentle. At least, this kindness was directed at him. Liaoyuan sighed inwardly, suppressing his feelings of injustice.

An hour later, the second round of the mental fortitude test ended.

Heng Yu was first, Liaoyuan second, and Yu Xia third.

This result wasn’t surprising to most people, but it was to Heng Yu. He had almost failed the first round; how could his performance improve so drastically in the second?

Heng Yu felt there was something strange about him. However, they weren’t close, and she had no intention of prying into his secrets.

With Heng Yu winning first place in the mental fortitude test, the other Hehuan Sect cultivators were even more excited than she was. Even the core disciples from other demonic sects like the Netherworld Sect and Nine Refinement Sect would nod and greet her when they met her on the road. It had been a long time since the demonic path had performed so well in the mental fortitude test.

Finally managing to shake off the crowd, Heng Yu said to Liaowu, “Let’s go collect our winnings first.”

“Alright,” Liaowu nodded.

Heng Yu had bet on herself winning first place, and with the odds of one to five, her one thousand high-grade spirit stones had successfully quintupled.

After collecting their winnings, Heng Yu and Liaowu decided to explore the Sword Sect. They had been here for a while, but they mostly traveled between their residence and the Sword Testing Grounds, never really exploring other areas.

After walking around for half a day, Heng Yu felt tired and sat down under the shade of a parasol tree, beckoning to Liaowu. “Come and sit down.”

Liaowu sat beside her.

Heng Yu looked down at the dappled sunlight on the ground, filtering through the leaves. “Do you want to know what I encountered in the Love Gate?”

Liaowu turned his head, only seeing her profile.

Before he could sort out his thoughts, Heng Yu added, “Even if you do, it’s useless. I won’t tell you.”

Liaowu chuckled. “Alright. But in a few days, Lord Luo shouldn’t be curious about what I encountered either.”

Heng Yu smiled. “I’m not curious. No matter what scenario I encounter, the main character will always be me.”

Chapter 68

On the way back, Heng Yu was lost in thought. As they neared her residence, she suddenly asked Liaowu, her tone serious, “If I use a technique to detect demonic energy, can the target sense my probing?”

Liaowu was slightly taken aback. Was her unusual behavior today related to demonic energy? He glanced at Heng Yu, recalling her earlier mention of “secrets,” and suppressed his speculation. He knew she had good judgment and was capable of handling things. If it was convenient to tell him, she would. Since she didn’t mention it, it must be something she couldn’t talk about.

Liaowu replied, “If the difference in strength is significant, they might sense something unusual, but they wouldn’t know what you’re doing specifically.”

Heng Yu nodded thoughtfully. She understood.

“A peak Foundation Establishment cultivator like you wants to read the face of a Nascent Soul cultivator like me?” You Yun was shocked by her audacity. Did his disciple have any idea of the difference in their strength?

Heng Yu retorted, “What’s wrong with peak Foundation Establishment? You’re the one who taught me!”

You Yun: “…You win.” How did this become his fault?

Heng Yu said seriously, “Master, can you stop making those strange expressions? It ruins your handsome face. Don’t worry, I’m very accurate at face reading.”

While coaxing You Yun, Heng Yu activated the demonic energy detection technique she had learned from Liaowu out of boredom. To be honest, this was the first time she had used it, and she hadn’t expected to use it on her master.

You Yun: “…”

What was this brat up to? He suspected the face reading was just an excuse; she probably wanted to admire his beauty up close. Being handsome was truly troublesome.

Being stared at so intently, You Yun felt inexplicably uneasy, a chill running down his spine. After waiting for a long time, he couldn’t take it anymore. “Are you done yet?”

Having confirmed that You Yun wasn’t corrupted by demonic energy, Heng Yu smiled. “Yes.”

You Yun: “What did you see?”

“Master, you’re a good person.”

You Yun, inexplicably given a “good person” card: “…”

It wasn’t wrong, but it sounded strange.

“You’re acting very strangely today. Did something happen during the mental fortitude test?”

You Yun’s casual guess was met with a nod from Heng Yu. “Something did happen. I learned the reason why I suffered Qi deviation during my closed-door cultivation last year.”

You Yun’s eyes narrowed, his voice laced with anger. “Someone did it to you?”

“Before I answer that, Master, you have to promise me you won’t get angry.”

You Yun: “…”

This felt like a trap. But seeing Heng Yu’s “I won’t tell you unless you promise” expression, You Yun’s curiosity won. “Fine, I promise.” A master couldn’t really get angry at his disciple, could he?

Heng Yu smiled and briefly explained how she encountered demonic Qi during her breakthrough attempt, recounting the scenes she had seen. The person behind this was definitely not ordinary. She was only at the Foundation Establishment stage; it would take her at least a hundred years to reach Nascent Soul.

However, if that person truly was a demonic cultivator, they were an extremely dangerous time bomb that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. So, telling her master everything and letting him investigate was the best course of action.

After hearing Heng Yu’s account, You Yun’s languid demeanor vanished. He sat up straight, his expression grave.

“Are you sure?”

Heng Yu replied, “I can’t be certain if it’s true or not. I can only say that this is what I saw in the illusion. Every word is true; there’s no deception. As for the rest, it’s up to Master to investigate.”

You Yun nodded solemnly. “I’ll return to the sect as soon as the Dharma Assembly ends. Don’t mention this to anyone. Pretend you don’t know anything. I’ll inform you when the matter is resolved.”

After a moment of thought, he added, “In the past year or so, has any high-level cultivator tried to eliminate you?”

Heng Yu shook her head. “I guess the person behind this didn’t succeed and probably thinks I’m unaware of what happened.”

That person, seeing her alive and well, probably assumed the demonic Qi hadn’t succeeded in killing her. Since that person thought she didn’t know anything, they naturally wouldn’t bother eliminating her.

But… the original owner was indeed dead. It was just that Heng Yu had transmigrated into her body at that exact moment.

You Yun fell silent, lost in thought. Suddenly, he looked up, his gaze fixed on Heng Yu, a hint of danger in his eyes.

You Yun asked through gritted teeth, “Were you really reading my face just now?”

Heng Yu considered this, then sighed. She didn’t want to lie to her master anymore. In this world, besides Liaowu, her master was the only one who genuinely cared about her. She didn’t want him to misunderstand or feel hurt.

“No,” Heng Yu said with a wry smile, sitting up straight and apologizing sincerely, “I was using a technique to detect demonic energy. Master, I was wrong. I’m sorry. If you’re angry, punish me according to the sect rules. Just don’t expel me from the sect. I’ll accept any punishment.”

You Yun rolled his eyes, his tone dismissive, not angry at all. “No wonder I felt a chill down my spine. No need to apologize, you did well.” A smile appeared on his face. “With such cautiousness, I won’t have to worry too much about your safety when you’re traveling outside in the future.”

“And—” You Yun shrugged, “If our positions were reversed, even if I trusted your character, I would still do the same. So we’re even.”

Heng Yu’s heart warmed. She knew her master’s words were meant to comfort her. Before this, she hadn’t been particularly attached to You Yun as her master. They hadn’t spent much time together, and her impression of him was mostly based on the original owner’s memories.

But now, Heng Yu truly saw You Yun as her master. This seemingly carefree and frivolous master had shown her the greatest tolerance and understanding. It was incredibly precious.

A faint smile appeared on Heng Yu’s face.

“What are you smiling about?” You Yun was dissatisfied with something else. “Speaking of which, do you think I would be corrupted by demonic energy? Do I look like someone with such weak willpower?”

Heng Yu replied, “I didn’t suspect Master was that mysterious person. I only used the detection technique to reassure myself, to eliminate that 0.0001% possibility.”

“Oh?” You Yun was amused. “So you’ve seen through your master’s frivolous exterior and recognized my profound nature.”

Heng Yu: “…”

She looked out the window, speechless, considering whether to tell You Yun the truth. Their master-disciple relationship was already this superficial; making it a bit more so wouldn’t matter much.

So Heng Yu put on a serious face and voiced her speculation, “Actually, that mysterious person is clearly someone highly respected within the sect.”

You Yun’s face stiffened. “What do you mean?!”

He hadn’t been upset about being probed by Heng Yu earlier, but now he was truly heartbroken. Wasn’t she implying that he wasn’t highly respected?!

Where was the trust between master and disciple?!

Heng Yu coughed lightly. “Master, I’ll go back and rest now. I’m quite exhausted today, and I have the second round of the mental fortitude test tomorrow.”

With that, she quickly excused herself.

After Heng Yu left, You Yun’s expression turned serious. He sat on the couch, his hand clenching the cup in front of him. With a bang, the cup shattered into powder.

Looking at the white powder on his lap, You Yun casually brushed it onto the floor.

“It seems the deaths of those core disciples who died during their outside training weren’t so simple.”

“…Has demonic Qi infiltrated the sect’s upper echelons again? Is it only the Hehuan Sect, or are other major sects also affected?”

Inside the room, You Yun’s muttering voice echoed, unusually serious.

Nearly two thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators had participated in the Dharma Assembly. The first round of the mental fortitude test took two days to complete.

Not many cultivators made it to the second round, only a little over five hundred. They would all participate in the second round together, and the faster they cleared it, the stronger their mental fortitude was considered to be.

Time passed quickly, and soon it was the day of the second round. The Sword Testing Grounds were lively, with many eliminated cultivators coming to watch and see who would win the title of “Number One Foundation Establishment Mental Fortitude.”

“In the first round, that Buddha-son Liaoyuan from the Undying Sect demonstrated remarkable mental fortitude, coming out in just over half an hour.”

“I think Ban Mo from the Black and White Academies has a better chance. The Black and White Academies specialize in divination, understanding the past and future. His experience surpasses his peers.”

“Actually, I think we might have underestimated Luo Heng Yu of the Hehuan Sect. She completed the first round in only half an hour, which should be the fastest among everyone.”

“Speaking of which… Yu Xia of the Sword Sect performed rather poorly. He almost didn’t pass the first round.”

“What!? That’s impossible!”

The person who had first spoken had initially been hesitant, but hearing the others’ doubts, he immediately became anxious. “It’s true! I wasn’t the only one who saw it that day.”

“Yes, it’s true.”

“I was also surprised. I thought I had mistaken him for someone else.”

Heng Yu had been listening to the gossip. Hearing this, she was surprised. The Yu Xia she had seen was very different from the rumors. Whether it was the sparring tournament or the mental fortitude test, everyone had high expectations for him. Of course, Yu Xia’s performance wasn’t bad, but it didn’t quite live up to his reputation.

“What’s wrong?” Liaowu, who was fingering his prayer beads, noticed her strange expression and looked at her.

Heng Yu replied, “I just think there’s something odd about Yu Xia.”

Liaowu thought for a moment, but he didn’t find anything unusual. To him, Yu Xia was irrelevant. He was more concerned about other things.

“In the second round, there will be four gates: Life, Death, Love, and Resentment. You’ll randomly enter one of them,” Liaowu explained. The format of the mental fortitude test was the same every year.

Heng Yu nodded, indicating she knew.

Liaowu’s voice suddenly became hesitant. “Although I don’t know which gate Lord Luo will enter, but if…”

Meeting Heng Yu’s gaze, he subconsciously looked away, his voice unsteady with an inexplicable nervousness. “If Lord Luo enters the Love Gate, and if you encounter this poor monk’s illusion within…”

Having said the most difficult part, Liaowu regained his composure, or perhaps it was just a facade. He gripped his prayer beads so tightly that his knuckles turned white. “Shatter it, and you’ll pass.”

Heng Yu hadn’t understood why he brought this up, but now, a smile appeared in her eyes. She teased, “Are you afraid I won’t be able to?”

Seeing him remain silent, Heng Yu tugged at his sleeve and followed his wandering gaze, forcing him to meet her eyes. She was being playful, and Liaowu couldn’t bring himself to scold her. He met her gaze and explained seriously, “This poor monk doesn’t want you to hesitate. If you want to win first place, you have to clear the test as quickly as possible.”

Liaowu’s fidgeting with his prayer beads was becoming obvious. Heng Yu glanced at his hand, then shifted her own, changing from tugging at his sleeve to holding his hand. “You’re right here, aren’t you?”

She said, “That’s just an illusion.”

She didn’t need an illusion as a substitute. The real Buddha-son was waiting for her outside.

Liaowu felt a tingling sensation in his heart. The tingling spread through his body, making his fingertips tremble. He subconsciously tightened his grip on her hand, letting her feel the real connection. “Yes, this poor monk is waiting for you outside.”

After a brief commotion, the referee finally appeared and announced the start of the second round.

Heng Yu said to Liaowu, “I’ll go in first. Wait for my good news,” and followed the crowd.

There were only six hundred contestants in the second round, and the gate was large, so they all passed through the light curtain at roughly the same time.

Heng Yu walked through the light curtain. When she opened her eyes again, she was in the familiar darkness. She chose a direction and, without wasting any time, walked forward quickly, just like in the first round.

As the darkness receded and light appeared once more, Heng Yu found herself standing before an ancient temple nestled in a forest.

A stone tablet beside the temple was engraved with the words “Qingyun Temple,” exuding an aura of age and tranquility.

Qingyun Temple. This temple was a place of significance for her and Liaowu. She had indeed entered the Love Gate. Since it was the Love Gate, she naturally had to find that familiar person.

Heng Yu entered the temple, finding it unusually quiet. She didn’t see a single novice monk along the way.

Where was Liaowu?

Suddenly, a clear bell chime echoed through the quiet temple.

Heng Yu stopped in her tracks, then changed direction. She knew where Liaowu was.

Following the stone path for a while, she saw a familiar figure beside the large bell at the end of the path.

Liaowu, dressed in simple gray robes, had a calm and reserved demeanor. He struck the bell with a steady rhythm. As if sensing something, he paused slightly and turned towards Heng Yu.

Seeing her, he smiled, his eyes filled with deep tenderness and affection.

“You’re here,” he said. “Wait a moment.”

That look…

Heng Yu froze, rooted to the spot by that gaze. Even though she knew he was just an illusion, that the real Liaowu would never express his emotions so openly, she still instinctively hesitated.

But in the next moment, she continued walking towards him, quickly closing the distance between them.

What’s wrong? Liaowu glanced at her while striking the bell, a questioning look on his face. Seeing her fiery red dress, his eyes widened slightly in surprise, and he even forgot to strike the bell.

“How could you forget to strike the bell?” Heng Yu chuckled.

Liaowu looked embarrassed and lowered his gaze. “I was distracted by you.” As if having prepared himself, he looked up at her again and said with mustered courage, “That dress suits you very well.”

“The second half of that sentence sounds like him, the first half doesn’t,” Heng Yu said calmly.

Liaowu looked confused.

“He would never stop striking the bell for anyone. That would be disrespectful to Buddha,” Heng Yu sighed. “Can’t this illusion be more realistic? It’s not convincing at all.”

“Lord Luo, what’s wrong?” Liaowu looked concerned, taking a step towards her, instinctively wanting to check on her.

“You look so much like him. At any other time, I might hesitate. But now, the real Buddha-son told me he’s waiting for me outside.”

Heng Yu also took a step forward, a smile appearing in her eyes as she looked at the familiar face.

Gazing at him for a long time, as if bewitched, she stood on tiptoe, stopped his movement, and gently kissed the corner of his lips. There was no lust in the kiss, it was more like a gesture of courtesy, light as a dragonfly skimming the water’s surface.

At the same time, Heng Yu closed her eyes, her hand accurately covering his heart. Spiritual energy surged, shattering the illusion before her.

The sensation on her palm was very real. The sensation on her lips was also incredibly real.

“Since it’s not convenient to collect interest from the real one, I’ll collect it from you,” Heng Yu murmured, then wondered playfully if he had shown any surprise or shock when she attacked the illusion.

Chapter 67

It seemed like she had been walking for a long time. The silent darkness dulled her senses, making it difficult to perceive the passage of time.

Suddenly, a light appeared ahead. Heng Yu instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes, averting her gaze to avoid the sudden brightness. After her eyes adjusted, she lowered her hand and continued walking.

As she approached the light, the darkness receded like a tide. In the next moment, Heng Yu found herself in a different environment.

She was standing in a small courtyard. A lush parasol tree grew in the center, its branches full of leaves. It was the season for falling leaves, and the ground was covered with yellow foliage. Several Hehuan trees also grew around the perimeter of the courtyard.

This place looked familiar.

Before Heng Yu could search her memory, a creaking sound came from behind her—the sound of a wooden door opening.

A woman in a goose-yellow dress walked out of the room. She had a cold demeanor, yet her movements carried a subtle charm. She seemed not to notice Heng Yu and walked directly past her, sitting on a swing in the middle of the courtyard. She swung gently, her skirt fluttering in the air.

Seeing this woman, whose face was identical to hers, Heng Yu immediately understood why this place looked familiar.

Wasn’t this her residence in the Hehuan Sect? And the woman before her was the original owner of her body.

With this realization, Heng Yu looked at the original owner again, noticing her cultivation was at the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

“Strange, I’ve been feeling restless lately. It must be my imagination,” the original owner frowned slightly, looking troubled. “I’ve been stuck at late Foundation Establishment for so long. Why can’t I find the opportunity to break through to peak Foundation Establishment? Master isn’t at the sect, so I can’t ask him for guidance. Should I ask Martial Uncle, the Sect Leader?… No, my cultivation probably hasn’t reached the required level yet. I’ll go into seclusion and cultivate for a while.”

After hearing the original owner’s mutterings, Heng Yu’s eyes lit up.

This timing! If she wasn’t mistaken, this was just before the original owner suffered Qi deviation. This illusion might be showing her the missing part of the original owner’s memories, the part from just before her death.

Heng Yu guessed that the formation must have detected her deepest memories, hence this illusion. This mental fortitude testing formation had existed for tens of thousands of years and was extremely profound; it wasn’t surprising that it could do this.

Heng Yu stood quietly, patiently waiting for the original owner’s next move. She watched as the original owner got up from the swing, returned to her room, activated a barrier, and entered seclusion to attempt a breakthrough.

It was difficult to estimate the passage of time within the illusion. Heng Yu didn’t know how long had passed, but she patiently waited for something to happen. However, even as the original owner was about to succeed in her breakthrough, nothing happened.

Bored, Heng Yu looked around. Just as her gaze was about to move away from a corner of the courtyard, she noticed something unusual and focused on it again. There, a strange black line was visible.

At first, the black line was barely noticeable, but as if sensing no threat, it gradually grew larger, expanding into a black mist that quickly spread and enveloped the original owner.

Heng Yu’s eyes narrowed. If she hadn’t recognized it at first, she certainly did now.

“How can there be demonic Qi in the Hehuan Sect?”

Before she could figure this out, seeing the demonic Qi about to invade the original owner’s body, Heng Yu quickly acted to stop it, lest she fail the mental fortitude test. But as soon as her spiritual energy touched the demonic Qi, it seemed to sense her presence. It abandoned the original owner, who was sitting in meditation, and lunged towards Heng Yu.

The change happened so fast that Heng Yu had no time to react before she was enveloped by the demonic Qi. A chilling aura seeped through her skin and into her bones, making her shiver involuntarily. Heng Yu tried to channel her spiritual energy to dispel the demonic Qi, but was shocked to find she couldn’t.

She remained calm, about to consider her next move, when unfamiliar images suddenly flooded her mind.

—In a clean room, a woman in seductive clothing knelt on the floor. Her face was blurry, but her eyes, fixed on someone beside her, shone with respect and admiration. In the next moment, her heart was devoured by black mist. Shock, fear, and confusion flashed in the woman’s eyes. Finally, she died in pain and despair.

—On a mountain peak, a young man in sturdy clothing practiced sword techniques. Seemingly having received praise from an elder, he radiated joy. In the next moment, he coughed up black blood, looking at the person opposite him with disbelief as he collapsed. He seemed to want to struggle, but more and more black blood spilled from his lips. He lay on the ground, slowly closing his eyes in despair.

…

In each scene, Heng Yu could clearly feel the person’s joy, followed by the shock and despair of a sudden attack. The despair clung to her, and Heng Yu frowned.

The scenes flashed by like a revolving lantern. Finally, the scene changed to a bedroom. The original owner, in a goose-yellow dress, sat cross-legged on the floor, gradually being enveloped by black mist. At a crucial moment in her breakthrough, the original owner was affected by the black mist, suffering Qi deviation. She clutched her chest, coughed up blood, collapsed unconscious, and her aura slowly faded.

The black mist hesitated for a long time, then receded like a tide without devouring the original owner. The images in her mind ended, but the lingering despair and fear intensified, so strong that Heng Yu couldn’t focus on who the people in those scenes were, or why there was demonic Qi in the Hehuan Sect.

Heng Yu closed her eyes tightly, forcibly suppressing these emotions that didn’t belong to her. Then, she sat cross-legged on the floor and, through gritted teeth, recited the demon-dispelling mantra Liaowu had taught her, one word at a time.

After reciting the first complete mantra, Heng Yu felt the negative emotions lessen slightly. The mantra was indeed effective against demonic Qi. Heng Yu calmed her mind, focusing entirely on reciting it.

When she finished reciting the entire mantra, the negative emotions completely subsided, leaving her pale and covered in cold sweat.

Taking a deep breath, Heng Yu pushed herself up from the ground with one hand. Her legs were numb.

After regaining feeling in her legs, Heng Yu looked around and found that the illusion of the original owner on the meditation cushion had disappeared.

She walked to the closed wooden door, pulled the bolt, and stepped outside. The illusion vanished, and she was back in the Sword Testing Grounds, surrounded by a crowd of cultivators.

“She cleared it so fast.”

“Yeah, it’s only been half an hour, right?”

“Which sect is she from? She’s not wearing sect robes. Could she be from an ordinary sect?”

“Are you blind? That’s Lord Luo of the Hehuan Sect.”

“I remember now! The winner of the sparring tournament! Her strength and mental fortitude truly match.”

The whispers around her drifted into Heng Yu’s ears. She was about to wipe the cold sweat from her face when a damp handkerchief was offered to her.

Heng Yu smiled and took the handkerchief. The cool cloth against her face calmed her racing heart. She smiled at Liaowu. “The mental fortitude test is quite interesting.”

It even managed to dredge up that sealed memory. Illusions couldn’t lie; they only brought out one’s deepest fears, so Heng Yu didn’t doubt its authenticity.

Since it was real, things became more interesting. The original owner had been in seclusion within the sect; how could she have been affected by demonic Qi? And who were the young men and women she saw in those images? Their clothing style resembled that of Hehuan Sect disciples.

If they were indeed Hehuan Sect disciples, who killed them?

“What are you thinking about?” Liaowu’s clear voice brought Heng Yu out of her thoughts.

Heng Yu shook her head, took a deep breath, and temporarily put those thoughts aside. Meeting Liaowu’s concerned gaze, she said after some thought, “I think I’ve discovered some secrets.”

Since it was a secret, she naturally couldn’t reveal it. Liaowu didn’t press further, pulling Heng Yu aside and handing her a water bottle.

As Heng Yu caught her breath, more people were spat out of the gate, all disciples who had failed the mental fortitude test.

Not paying much attention to them, Heng Yu pondered a serious question—should she tell You Yun the true cause of the original owner’s Qi deviation?

The presence of demonic Qi within the sect meant someone might be corrupted by it, and that person was hiding very well, holding a significant position within the sect.

However—

The original owner had been in seclusion right next to You Yun’s residence. Could demonic Qi really penetrate the territory of a late Nascent Soul cultivator so easily? Could that demonic Qi… have something to do with You Yun?

After a moment of thought, Heng Yu dismissed the suspicion against her master and decided to tell him part of what she had seen in the illusion later.

The person who had killed those young disciples was clearly someone highly respected. The expressions on the disciples’ faces as they died were all of disbelief and shock, clearly not expecting such an attack.

Therefore—that person couldn’t possibly be her master! Her master was so carefree and casual. Although he held the position of Elder, he wasn’t particularly influential within the sect and didn’t fit the description of “highly respected” at all!

Chapter 66

It wasn’t that she wouldn’t.

It was just that she couldn’t bring herself to.

From her time at the Time Management Bureau( Time and Space Administration) in her past life to now, her journey had been far from clean. While she hadn’t stained her hands with the blood of innocents, she wasn’t a good person either.

But Liaowu was special to her.

She, an outsider, had gradually developed a sense of belonging to this world, and this feeling was mainly due to Liaowu. Such a special person was bound to leave a deep mark on her memory, making it difficult not to consider him.

And considering him meant restraint, meant drawing a line she couldn’t cross.

Sitting across from You Yun, lost in thought, Heng Yu zoned out.

You Yun spoke several times, but seeing that Heng Yu wasn’t paying attention, he tapped his fingers on the table. “Are you even listening to me?”

The Sword Sect’s accommodations for Nascent Soul cultivators were excellent. The table was made of thousand-year-old Xuan wood, producing a clear, pleasant sound when struck.

Feeling the vibrations from the table, Heng Yu returned to her senses. “Master, what did you just say?”

A pang of jealousy struck You Yun. He felt his authority as a late Nascent Soul master was nonexistent. Even his coveted beauty seemed to have no effect on his disciple. He had just talked so much, and this foolish disciple hadn’t heard a word! She must have been thinking about that Buddha-son again!

It was infuriating. He had raised a disciple who was more interested in outsiders!

But meeting Heng Yu’s questioning gaze, You Yun suppressed his jealousy and said seriously, “I was asking what reward you want. Your performance in the tournament was excellent, bringing glory to the sect. The sect will definitely reward you. If you need anything in particular, I can help you request it. They can send it along with the Forget-Me-Not seeds.”

Mentioning rewards immediately piqued Heng Yu’s interest. She did have some needs right now. Having the sect as backing was great. Although there were obligations, as long as one had talent and strength, they would receive the sect’s full support, eliminating the need to search for rare treasures themselves.

“Master, I want to find materials to refine a natal spirit sword.”

She was about to break through to Core Formation; it was time to refine a sword that resonated perfectly with her.

“Do you have any materials in mind?”

Heng Yu wasn’t very knowledgeable in this area. “Master, do you have any recommendations?”

“You have an ice spiritual root and cultivate the Profound Ice Manual. An ice-attribute natal spirit sword would definitely maximize your strength,” You Yun thought for a moment. “You could use Ice Marrow Stone as the main material.”

Ice Marrow Stone. This material, formed from the essence of ten-thousand-year-old snow spirits upon their death, was extremely rare and a top-grade refining material.

However, any material considered “top-grade” was incredibly rare, even for the Hehuan Sect.

Heng Yu was interested, but, “Does the sect have enough? Isn’t using Ice Marrow Stone as the main material too extravagant?”

“Among the ten young masters, you’re the only one with an ice spiritual root. There are no water spiritual roots at all. Without competition, there’s enough Ice Marrow Stone for you. However—” You Yun smiled slyly, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Ice Marrow Stone is very precious. It can even be used to refine magical treasures for Spirit Transformation cultivators. You only won the sparring tournament; that’s only enough to exchange for a fist-sized piece of Ice Marrow Stone. If you want a sufficient amount, try to win the formation battle and mental fortitude test as well. Especially the mental fortitude test. Work hard.”

Winning the sparring tournament was impressive. But winning all three would be truly remarkable.

Geniuses were rare, but the Hehuan Sect had existed for tens of thousands of years and had accumulated many talented disciples. Those worthy of the sect’s investment had to be truly exceptional, surpassing their peers.

Heng Yu twitched her lips. As her master, was it really appropriate to want to see his disciple struggle?

“I’ll do my best,” Heng Yu said calmly, determined not to give You Yun the satisfaction of watching her struggle.

You Yun pouted and leaned back against the cushions, looking listless.

After bathing, Heng Yu leaned against the couch and reviewed the rules for tomorrow’s competition.

Tomorrow was the mental fortitude test for Foundation Establishment cultivators. Unlike the one-on-one sparring matches, this test involved one hundred cultivators entering a formation simultaneously to have their mental fortitude tested.

After reviewing the rules, Heng Yu remembered she had gained a lot of admiration points and quickly took out her jade pendant to check.

—12500.

An increase of over five thousand admiration points. This was much higher than she expected. No wonder Wu Mei had gained nearly ten thousand admiration points after her impressive performance at the Sword Sect.

“The Dharma Assembly is only held every ten years. It seems I have to work hard in the next competitions. Opportunities to earn admiration points like this are rare.”

As long as she could earn enough admiration points this time, she could focus on breaking through to Core Formation and wouldn’t have to worry about admiration points until she reached Nascent Soul.

Early the next morning, Heng Yu woke up and practiced her swordsmanship. Seeing that the competition was about to begin, she sent a paper crane to Liaowu, and they agreed to meet at the crane riding area.

As the crane flew through the clouds, Heng Yu tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and told Liaowu about the Ice Marrow Stone.

Liaowu asked, “Have you decided to use Ice Marrow Stone as the main material?”

Heng Yu nodded. The rarer the main material, the more powerful the sword would be. “I have to do my best in the next two competitions.”

“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If there isn’t enough Ice Marrow Stone, this poor monk can find some for Lord Luo.”

Heng Yu chuckled. “The Undying Sect and the Hehuan Sect are on opposing sides. Wouldn’t this be considered aiding the enemy?”

Liaowu said slowly, “With this poor monk’s strength, a trip to the Thousand-Year Snow Mountain should yield quite a bit of Ice Marrow Stone. Even if I’m unlucky, I can exchange it with my sect contribution points from the sect’s treasury. Since it belongs to this poor monk, this poor monk can do as he pleases with it. Even the sect can’t interfere. What does it have to do with good and evil?”

Heng Yu sighed inwardly. She had become increasingly aware of Liaowu’s stubbornness hidden beneath his gentle exterior. Gentle people were generally divided into two types: those who were gentle to the point of being easily swayed and lacking principles, and those who were gentle but had their own set of rules.

Liaowu was undoubtedly the latter.

“So you’re always right.”

“Hm?” Liaowu didn’t quite understand what she meant.

Heng Yu shook her head. “I don’t need your Ice Marrow Stone.”

She blinked and feigned displeasure. “Do you think I can’t win first place in the formation battle and mental fortitude test? If I have a choice, of course I’ll take advantage of the sect’s resources first.”

She didn’t mind taking what the sect offered because she would repay them after she grew stronger. She also didn’t mind tricking her master into giving her various treasures because she was his direct disciple, and in this world, the master-disciple bond was even closer than that of parent and child. She was You Yun’s inheritor and successor.

But she didn’t want anything from Liaowu, even if he was willing to give it to her.

Liaowu seemed to sigh silently. “Alright.” He looked down at the parasol tree forest below. The wind rustled the leaves, creating a crisp, almost chaotic sound, just like his current mood. Liaowu felt that perhaps it was precisely Heng Yu’s attitude that made him want to do more for her.

Because she was so carefree, so composed, and so rational, even though she was always by his side, he always felt like he couldn’t quite grasp her, as if she might leave at any moment and sever all ties with him. This feeling was unsettling, making him feel a sense of panic even when he woke up in the middle of the night.

But keeping her by his side would be selfish.

So he hesitated, unsure what to do, unable to act. He could only follow her lead, one step at a time.

An apricot suddenly hit his forehead. Liaowu snapped out of his daze and looked at Heng Yu.

Heng Yu was munching on fresh Wu Huan Fruit. “We’re almost there. What were you thinking about?”

“A Buddhist scripture. This poor monk couldn’t quite grasp its meaning.” After saying this, Liaowu chuckled at himself.

Heng Yu looked at him curiously. “What’s so funny? Did you suddenly understand it?”

Liaowu shook his head. He was simply amused by his own analogy. Seeing that he didn’t want to elaborate, Heng Yu didn’t press further.

The crane flew over a mountain and landed at the edge of the Sword Testing Grounds. Heng Yu jumped off and fed it two pills. The crane chirped happily, nuzzled her cheek with its beak, and then swallowed the pills.

Being nuzzled by a beak wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience, and Heng Yu couldn’t help but smile wryly. But for a crane without sentience, this was probably its way of showing affection. Probably.

Heng Yu said, “Let’s go. The first batch of cultivators who entered the formation should be coming out soon.”

The layout of the Sword Testing Grounds had changed again. The one hundred and eight arenas had disappeared, replaced by a massive gate that seemed to reach the sky.

Having read the introduction last night, Heng Yu knew this gate led to another space where cultivators underwent the mental fortitude test. But the area around the gate was quiet; the first batch of cultivators hadn’t come out yet—

Just as she thought this, ripples appeared on the gate’s smooth surface, and a Foundation Establishment disciple in Netherworld Sect robes was spat out, collapsing to the ground, pale and sweating profusely. He seemed dazed for a long time.

“They’re coming out!”

“He looks quite disheveled. I wonder what kind of test it is.”

“Hmph, as expected of a demonic sect disciple, their mental fortitude is truly lacking.”

“You—who dares speak such arrogant words!”

Many demonic cultivators looked around angrily, trying to find the person who had spoken, but that person had disappeared after making the remark, clearly afraid of provoking the crowd’s anger.

Before the demonic cultivators could find the speaker, the gate spat out another pale-faced Sound Sect disciple.

“Oh, and are the righteous disciples’ mental fortitude any better? If you want to compare, compare the strongest, not the weakest. Using the performance of the bottom of the barrel to define the entire demonic path, pah, who gave you the right!” A male cultivator from the Netherworld Sect said openly, his expression arrogant and defiant. “Righteous cultivators are truly shameless.”

“You—” someone shouted angrily.

Some righteous disciples retorted eloquently, “In the past Dharma Assemblies, the righteous cultivators always performed better. The top spot in the Foundation Establishment mental fortitude test usually goes to someone from the Undying Sect or Sword Sect. Your Netherworld Sect, hmph.”

“Damn it! Do you dare to make a bet?”

“The bets are already open, we’re just afraid you’re too scared to wager!” A Sword Sect disciple said coldly, leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed.

Hearing about the betting, many cultivators who were waiting for the next match excitedly went to place their bets. Waiting around was boring; naturally, they wanted some entertainment.

Heng Yu watched the commotion for a while. Although the conflict between the righteous and demonic paths in the Canglan Continent wasn’t overt, there was still friction beneath the surface. It was normal for disciples to dislike each other. However, in the mental fortitude test, demonic cultivators did tend to perform worse. After all, demonic cultivation techniques didn’t place as much emphasis on mental fortitude.

Heng Yu said, “Should we place a bet too?”

“Alright,” Liaowu nodded. He wasn’t interested in betting, but he would accompany her.

“Let’s go have a look,” Heng Yu stretched and followed the crowd towards the depths of the Sword Testing Grounds.

This gambling operation seemed to be run by the Sword Sect. There were two main bets. The first was on whether the winner would be from the righteous or demonic path. Since the outcome of this bet was usually predictable, the odds were low.

Heng Yu glanced at the odds and immediately lost interest, turning her attention to the second bet.

The second bet was on which cultivator would win. Many core disciples from the eight righteous sects and five demonic sects were listed. Heng Yu saw her own name among the Foundation Establishment cultivators. Probably because she had won the sparring tournament, her name was quite high on the list, in seventh place, with odds of one to five. Besides her, there were no other demonic cultivators in the top twenty.

The top three were Liaoyuan of the Undying Sect, Yu Xia of the Sword Sect, and Ban Mo of the Black and White Academies.

“No one seems optimistic about the demonic sects,” Heng Yu remarked.

It was Liaowu’s first time witnessing such a gambling operation. He looked around curiously and, hearing Heng Yu’s words, asked, “Do you think your ranking is too low?”

Heng Yu commented calmly, “Of course it’s too low.”

Liaowu chuckled and explained, “The Hehuan Sect uses admiration points for advancement, so the requirements for mental fortitude are relatively low. This is common knowledge in the cultivation world. Besides you, the other disciples from your sect probably aren’t ranked very high.”

Heng Yu scanned the list and finally found Chi at seventy-fifth place. Since the list only included the top one hundred, only she and Chi from the Hehuan Sect were listed.

Heng Yu: “…”

She now understood why her master had told her to work hard in the mental fortitude test. If she could stand out in this event, the sect’s rewards would definitely be substantial. After all, winning would bring great honor to the sect.

“Your Undying Sect has many people on the list,” Heng Yu said.

She saw at least ten names at a glance. But it wasn’t surprising. Buddhist cultivators had firm beliefs and naturally possessed stronger mental fortitude than others at the same realm.

“Fairy, would you like to place a bet?” A male cultivator in charge of registering bets saw Heng Yu standing there for a long time and asked solicitously.

“Yes,” Heng Yu looked at him. The cultivator had a baby face and a friendly appearance. “Is there a limit on how much we can bet?”

“No,” the cultivator shook his head. Most Foundation Establishment cultivators were poor, only the core disciples were relatively wealthy.

“Then I’ll bet on Luo Heng Yu winning, one thousand high-grade spirit stones,” Heng Yu said casually.

Her master was very generous to beautiful female cultivators and even more so to his disciple. Taking out one thousand high-grade spirit stones wasn’t difficult for her.

“H-how much?” The cultivator gulped, looking stunned.

“One thousand high-grade spirit stones,” Heng Yu repeated, handing him a Qiankun bag. “It’s all in there. You can count it.”

Storage rings, as spatial artifacts, were quite valuable, but Qiankun bags were cheap, costing only fifty low-grade spirit stones.

The cultivator finally snapped out of his daze, his eyes lighting up as if he was looking at a fool. “Alright, alright, please wait a moment, Fairy.”

Heng Yu chuckled and transmitted her voice to Liaowu, “He must think he’s hit the jackpot.”

Liaowu smiled but didn’t reply.

When they returned to the gate after completing the betting process, many cultivators who had participated in the mental fortitude test had been spat out. They all looked disheveled. Some people tried to ask them what they had encountered, but they only shook their heads, unwilling to speak. The only thing certain was that each person faced different illusions and challenges.

After a while, ripples appeared on the quiet gate again. This time, a late Foundation Establishment cultivator in Black and White Academies robes walked out instead of being spat out. He looked slightly pale, but his overall demeanor was good.

The referee for this competition stood nearby, glanced at him, and said, “Please hand over your soul token.”

The cultivator took out his soul token and handed it to the referee. The referee stamped it and returned it to him. “Congratulations on passing the first round.”

Starting from this cultivator, all those who came out afterwards had passed the first round of the mental fortitude test.

After another half an hour, when everyone had come out, the referee announced loudly, “Contestants for the next round of the mental fortitude test, please prepare yourselves. You may enter now.” His voice, amplified by spiritual energy, quickly spread throughout the Sword Testing Grounds.

Heng Yu, who had been bored, perked up.

“I’ll go in first,” she waved to Liaowu and walked towards the gate.

The gate was massive, too large for her to take in completely as she approached. Sensing a faint pull from within, she didn’t hesitate and stepped through the light curtain calmly and resolutely.

As she entered, her figure disappeared. In the next moment, Heng Yu slowly opened her eyes, only to see complete darkness.

This darkness was utterly silent, amplifying the sound of her own breathing and heartbeat. She stood there for a moment, noticing nothing unusual, then chose a direction and walked forward without hesitation.

Chapter 65 p2

Without further ado, as soon as the appointed time arrived, the referee from the Sword Sect called the twelve contestants onto the arena.

Heng Yu stepped onto the arena, firmly taking a position in the northeast corner, and exchanged a glance with Liaoyuan on the west side.

Liaoyuan noticed her gaze and smiled slightly, then shifted his attention to the two disciples from the Sword Sect. The Sword Sect truly lived up to its reputation as the “Number One Sect,” with two disciples making it to the final round. One of them was Yu Xia, the Sword Sect’s chief disciple and Wu Mei’s target.

Heng Yu understood Liaoyuan’s silent message and nodded slightly—he meant to target the two Sword Sect disciples first.

This exchange only took a few breaths. The referee announced the start of the match, and Heng Yu raised her sword. Countless sharp ice pillars appeared across the arena. Using the ice pillars as cover, Heng Yu quickly closed the distance between herself and Yu Xia.

But soon, someone threw a few seeds onto the ground. The seeds quickly took root and sprouted vines, which spread like a net, hindering everyone’s movement. Even Heng Yu’s movement was blocked, and she had to cut through the vines with her sword to advance.

Taking advantage of this moment, Lu Fu, the Holy Maiden of the Ethereal Sect, who had thrown the seeds, and the chief disciple of the Sound Sect attacked the chief disciple of the Netherworld Sect.

This was the disadvantage of a free-for-all. Although everyone had their own target, many attacks were wide-ranging, causing interference between opponents.

However, the vines posed little threat. After a brief delay, Heng Yu successfully closed in on Yu Xia.

Yu Xia was prepared. With a flash of his sword, he met Heng Yu’s attack head-on. Her attack was unsuccessful. Seeing another opponent activating a silver binding rope, intending to restrain her, Heng Yu quickly jumped back. In the next moment, she used her teleportation technique and appeared like a ghost in front of the other opponent.

Liaoyuan was also experienced in combat. As she moved, he moved as well, smoothly switching opponents with Heng Yu. His golden palm print struck Yu Xia, who had been a moment too slow to react.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. The massive arena was quickly divided into three battlefields, each a 2v2, with no side having a clear advantage.

Heng Yu was still entangled with her opponent. Although a Sword Sect disciple, her opponent wielded the binding rope with great skill, creating an impenetrable defense. Heng Yu tried several times to get close but couldn’t find an opening and almost got entangled herself.

Being bound by the Immortal Binding Rope meant almost certain defeat. Heng Yu could only rely on her movement technique to dodge continuously, circling around her opponent, trying to find an opening.

Just as she was thinking this, an opening appeared! She instinctively took two steps forward, then stopped.

No, it wasn’t an opening. Or rather, it was a trap. But it could be used.

Heng Yu raised her sword horizontally, as if preparing to attack. Her left hand, hidden in her sleeve, quickly formed seals.

“Dodge!” Yu Xia, who was fighting Liaoyuan, sensed something was wrong and shouted to his fellow disciple. This distraction caused him to be hit by Liaoyuan’s demon-subduing staff and sent flying backwards.

Yu Xia’s warning came too late. Heng Yu quickly finished forming her ice seals, and an ice cage completely enveloped her opponent. The cage not only neutralized the opponent’s attacks but also increased their spiritual energy consumption—this was an inherent ability of Heng Yu’s cultivation technique, the Profound Ice Manual.

With the cage blocking her opponent, Heng Yu no longer worried about the binding rope. She attacked from a distance, and after sensing her opponent’s spiritual energy was depleted, she formed a hand seal and uttered “Break.” The ice cage shattered, shards of ice flying towards her opponent from all directions.

At the same time, Heng Yu quickly closed in, kicking her opponent’s shoulder and sending them flying off the arena. Before her opponent even landed, Heng Yu and Liaoyuan had already flanked Yu Xia.

“Let’s attack together,” Heng Yu shouted to Liaoyuan.

When skill levels were similar, a two-on-one fight almost always meant defeat. Even though Yu Xia’s counterattacks were impressive, he couldn’t turn the tide. Freaks of nature like Liaowu, who completely dominated their peers, were extremely rare.

After Yu Xia also fell off the arena, Heng Yu and Liaoyuan exchanged glances and joined the other two battle circles. It was time to clear the field. The fewer people on the arena, the better.

Fifteen minutes later, only four people remained—Heng Yu, Liaoyuan, Lu Fu the Holy Maiden of the Ethereal Sect, and Mu Xiao of the Netherworld Sect.

“Shall we continue our alliance?” Liaoyuan looked at Heng Yu.

“Of course,” Heng Yu replied firmly.

However, her positioning clearly indicated she was also wary of Liaoyuan. She had consumed a considerable amount of spiritual energy and had taken several heavy blows, no longer in peak condition.

Lu Fu gritted her teeth and launched a preemptive strike before Heng Yu could finish speaking. Countless vines entangled Heng Yu, thorns growing on them and piercing towards her.

Heng Yu spun her sword, freezing the thorns before slicing through them, shattering them instantly. However, she didn’t rush to close the distance with Lu Fu. She dodged Lu Fu’s attacks while moving around the arena, seemingly trying to conserve her spiritual energy.

Above the clouds, You Yun, who had been lounging lazily, sat up straight. His disciple was clever; she was using the opportunity to dodge Lu Fu’s attacks to set up her sword formation.

Heng Yu’s movements were subtle. Apart from You Yun and Liaowu, who were aware of the situation, no one else noticed anything unusual. Once the sword formation was fully set up, Heng Yu leaped back, occupying a corner by herself.

She raised her sword with both hands, continuously channeling spiritual energy. The sword formation buried beneath the arena was activated, completely enveloping Liaoyuan, Lu Fu, and Mu Xiao.

Realizing he was trapped, Liaoyuan’s expression changed. He stopped attacking Mu Xiao, turned to Heng Yu, and said with a wronged expression, “Lord Luo, aren’t we allies?”

Heng Yu replied coldly, “All’s fair in war. I know you’ve been wary of me, planning to attack me as soon as Mu Xiao is defeated.”

Among the three opponents, she was most wary of Liaoyuan. She knew his formation skills were very high. However, Liaoyuan didn’t specialize in sword formations, and she had incorporated many deceptive elements into hers. He shouldn’t be able to find its weakness in a short time.

Thinking this, Heng Yu shifted slightly, focusing half of the sword formation’s pressure on Liaoyuan, hoping to eliminate him quickly to avoid future trouble.

“How could I do such a thing?” Liaoyuan said with a “You misunderstand me” expression.

But even as he spoke, he hadn’t stopped moving, constantly trying to break Heng Yu’s sword formation. He had been careless earlier, not noticing her subtle movements, or he would never have allowed her to set up the formation.

“Stop talking nonsense,” Mu Xiao gritted his teeth, looking gravely at the still incompletely activated sword formation. He sensed a dangerous threat from it. “Let’s join forces.”

Lu Fu didn’t speak, simply channeling her energy to attack the sword formation. Heng Yu quickly completed her hand seals, fully activating the formation.

In that instant, countless swords appeared within the formation, attacking the three from all directions. Some of these swords were illusions, while others were formed from condensed sword Qi.

They had too little time to think and distinguish. Even Liaoyuan, who was skilled in formations, couldn’t quickly tell which swords were real and which were fake, so he could only dodge based on luck.

Several swords grazed his hands, feet, and cheeks, drawing blood. Liaoyuan wiped the blood from his face, his expression turning serious.

But just as he caught his breath, another wave of swords surged towards him.

“If you can’t break the formation, just admit defeat,” Heng Yu suggested calmly.

No one responded. They tried and tried again. Finally, Mu Xiao, his spiritual energy depleted, turned pale. “I admit defeat.”

“I admit defeat too,” Lu Fu said through gritted teeth, collapsing to the ground from exhaustion.

Liaoyuan pursed his lips tightly, remaining silent. His gaze met Heng Yu’s across the arena, his expression so complex that she couldn’t decipher his thoughts. But she could feel the burning heat from the jade pendant at her waist.

“I admit defeat,” Liaoyuan said coldly.

At this moment, Heng Yu felt that perhaps this Liaoyuan, compared to his usual frivolous and flirtatious self, was more genuine. A Buddha-son nurtured by greed and desire might be the most cold and ruthless. A Buddha-son cultivating the path of compassion was the one who truly loved all beings equally.

Heng Yu looked away, subconsciously searching for Liaowu. Seeing him, she snapped her fingers, dispelling the dangerous sword formation, and calmly landed on the arena, waiting for the referee to announce the result.

The referee looked at them, coughed, and announced calmly, “Luo Heng Yu of the Hehuan Sect wins.”

After these words, Heng Yu noticed the jade pendant at her waist warming up again, and the heat persisted for a long time. She quickly understood; these admiration points must be from the spectators below. Her performance on the arena had been excellent, and she had won the title of “Number One Foundation Establishment Cultivator.” Plus, she was quite attractive. In the cultivation world, strength was always admired.

Letting out a breath, Heng Yu thought to herself: It was worth the effort. She should gain a lot of admiration points today.

“Do you need me to help you down?” Liaoyuan walked up to her.

Looking at his calm face, Heng Yu shook her head. “No need.” She took a healing pill and said, “Let’s go down together.”

Liaoyuan nodded and walked beside her at a slower pace. Seeing Liaowu approaching as they stepped off the arena, Liaoyuan smiled faintly and said calmly, “Senior Brother Liaowu is here. I’ll go back and heal my injuries.” With that, he turned and left.

“Are you alright?” Liaowu asked gently, reaching out to support her.

Heng Yu was indeed exhausted. The healing pill could only soothe her injuries, not restore her energy quickly. But there were too many people around, and she couldn’t just lean on Liaowu, so she waved her hand. “I’m fine.”

Liaowu supported her as they walked a few steps, noticing her unsteady gait. He hesitated slightly, then said, “Lord Luo, lean on this poor monk. Put your weight on me.”

He seemed to have guessed her concerns and added, “Don’t restrain yourself because of what others might think.”

He knew he shouldn’t let her develop feelings for him and could sense her hesitation, but… it was hard for him not to be gentle with her. Buddha saved all beings, loving everyone equally. He just wanted to treat her a little better. Could that be wrong?

Perhaps even Buddha couldn’t answer this question.

After hearing his words, Heng Yu thought for a moment and decided to follow her heart. She leaned on Liaowu, putting most of her weight on him, letting him half-carry, half-support her as they left the arena.

This gesture caused a commotion among the lingering crowd. Walking out of the crowd, leaving the surprised and curious gazes behind, Heng Yu closed her eyes for a moment, then leaned close to Liaowu’s ear and whispered, “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll ask for more and more? You told me not to restrain myself. What if I want more? What will you do?”

She looked directly into his eyes, her question a mixture of teasing and seriousness. His indulgence and accommodation were precisely what worried her. Because he was so indulgent and accommodating, she couldn’t guarantee she would never make a mistake. Frankly, he always looked so willing to let her “sin.” She was only rational, not a saint.

Liaowu replied gently but firmly, “Lord Luo wouldn’t.”

She wouldn’t put him in a difficult position.

Heng Yu almost laughed. “You have so much faith in my character that it makes things difficult for me.”

Hearing the word “difficult,” Liaowu felt a pang of guilt. “This poor monk didn’t mean that.”

Heng Yu waved her sleeve, conjuring a cloud of mist that obscured her and Liaowu, making it impossible for others to see their actions. After doing this, she buried her head in his chest, wrapping her arms around him. His body stiffened noticeably, her breathing quickening, gradually synchronizing with his heartbeat.

“See? I might.”

Heng Yu felt her rationality burning away. This was a bit too much. How could he be so perfect, his appearance and personality exactly to her liking, always looking so willing to be “plucked”?

“…”

A soft sigh brushed against her ear.

Liaowu said again, gently but firmly, “You won’t.”

Chapter 65 p1

With the Core Formation tournament concluded, it was the Foundation Establishment cultivators’ turn. Heng Yu focused on familiarizing herself with the sword formation, trying to shorten the time it took to set it up.

Hearing a knock on the door, Heng Yu, who was at a crucial point in drawing the formation, didn’t look up. She sent a wave of spiritual energy towards the door, causing it to open automatically, silently inviting the visitor in.

As the person entered, smelling the sandalwood in the air, Heng Yu immediately guessed their identity. Liaowu stood beside her, patiently waiting for her to finish.

“Alright,” Heng Yu said after fifteen minutes. “Why didn’t you sit down and wait?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Liaowu replied. “This poor monk came to ask how your preparations for tomorrow’s match are going.”

Heng Yu nodded. “I’m ready. Didn’t I tell you today that I’m aiming for first place in the Foundation Establishment stage?”

Hearing her confidence, Liaowu asked curiously, “Does Lord Luo have a trump card?”

Heng Yu suddenly remembered—she seemed to have forgotten to tell Liaowu about the sword formation. “I developed a highly destructive sword formation yesterday. Even early Core Formation cultivators wouldn’t fare well against it. With this surprise attack, I should have a good chance of winning.”

Yesterday? Catching this key detail, Liaowu unconsciously pursed his lips. He found himself becoming more and more accustomed to sharing his joy with her immediately.

But Lord Luo wasn’t the same.

This thought surfaced almost subconsciously. Realizing what he was thinking, Liaowu’s expression changed slightly.

Heng Yu asked, “What’s wrong?”

It was easy to see when a usually quiet person experienced strong emotions, especially for Heng Yu, who was observant and familiar with him.

She casually explained, “I originally wanted to tell you right away, but when I found you, you were breaking through to mid-Core Formation. I was so focused on congratulating you that I forgot to mention it.”

Liaowu barely heard her voice. He only felt shame welling up inside him, fueled by his earlier selfish thoughts, spreading and threatening to engulf him.

After waiting for a while without hearing a response from Liaowu, Heng Yu sensed something was wrong and shifted her gaze from the completed sword formation to him.

Meeting her gaze, Liaowu snapped out of his daze and said with forced calmness, “Such an important matter as a trump card should be kept secret.”

Under the cover of his sleeves, he tightly gripped his prayer beads, his knuckles turning white. The surging malice within the beads emerged, transforming into a chilling coldness that helped him maintain a clear mind. He bowed slightly and gave her a reassuring smile. “This poor monk just remembered that there are some matters to attend to at the sect. Since Lord Luo is confident about tomorrow’s match, this poor monk will take his leave.”

Watching Liaowu’s retreating figure through the window, Heng Yu frowned slightly. Was it her imagination, or did Liaowu seem to be fleeing? She replayed their conversation in her mind, still unsure what she had said wrong.

Based on her understanding of Liaowu, even if she had made a mistake, he should have just brushed it off with a smile.

Just as Heng Yu was considering whether to go after him, a transmission talisman suddenly appeared before her. She took the talisman and crushed it with spiritual energy. You Yun’s roaring voice immediately filled her room.

“You stupid disciple! Where are you! Come find me!!!”

His outburst was laced with an underlying “Come and appease your master” tone.

Heng Yu: “…”

Oh, she wondered who had angered her master so much. Could it be that her master’s romantic pursuit had failed, and he was trying to regain his composure by assigning his disciple tasks?

But he had called her “stupid disciple,” so the person who angered him couldn’t be her, right?

After some thought, Heng Yu shook her head, dismissing this unlikely possibility. She was such a respectful disciple; how could she possibly provoke her master’s wrath?

As she was pondering, another transmission talisman carrying You Yun’s aura arrived.

“Hurry, hurry, hurry! I’m about to open a spatial passage! Are you ready!!!”

You Yun’s shout temporarily pushed Liaowu’s strange behavior to the back of her mind. She decided to see what kind of trouble her master had encountered. After all, he was her future benefactor… No, wait, she was a respectful disciple; it wouldn’t be good to neglect him.

In the bamboo hut, Liaowu sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion. Before him sat an ancient and elegant incense burner. Incense sticks burned within, the smoke curling upwards and shrouding his figure.

The two-hour time limit had passed, and the indestructible Golden Buddha Body receded like a tide. Now he was just an ordinary mortal, no longer immune to Heng Yu’s pokes.

Thinking of this, Liaowu’s closed eyelashes trembled slightly. No, the Golden Buddha Body wasn’t truly indestructible. It could protect his physical body and deflect countless attacks, but his heart, shielded by layers of bone and skin, was his most vulnerable, softest, and most fatal point.

Silence filled the room for a long time. Liaowu slowly raised his hands and pressed them together in front of him.

“Buddha, please forgive this disciple for his greed.”

Liaowu frowned slightly, fingering his prayer beads. He could clearly feel his voice trembling.

Without desires, there are no fears. Without desires, there is emptiness.

As a Buddhist cultivator, he shouldn’t desire anything unrelated to the Buddhist path. He had become accustomed to sharing his joys and sorrows with her immediately. This was the tribulation he had to overcome. But he couldn’t demand the same from her.

He was flustered and conflicted because of this, realizing only now that he had committed the sin of greed.

Liaowu slowly opened his eyes and looked at the cabinet by his bed, where the paper cat and grass dragonfly sat. A faint smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

But he quickly suppressed it. He was highly perceptive and clear-minded, able to see the pros and cons. For instance, he knew that the best outcome for him and Heng Yu was for her to never develop feelings for him. After completing her inner sect mission, she should return to her carefree life, pursue her own path, and if possible, find a suitable partner.

He should always remember this.

“Disciple, we are a demonic sect, not a righteous sect! It’s only right to damage the Dao hearts of righteous disciples, don’t you agree?” You Yun gripped Heng Yu’s shoulders, looking earnest.

Heng Yu tried to move, but You Yun used his spiritual energy to restrain her, forcing her to listen to his complaints.

Heng Yu had no choice but to reply perfunctorily, “Yes, yes, yes.”

You Yun beamed. “Since you agree, then I won’t give you the Forget-Me-Not seeds.”

“Master—” Heng Yu drawled, “What I actually meant was, yes, yes, my foot! Try not giving me the Forget-Me-Not seeds you promised!”

You Yun gritted his teeth. He must have been too good to his disciple. She hadn’t learned to respect her master and even dared to threaten him!

“Think about it, after that Buddha-son achieves Buddhahood, he will be extremely powerful. What good will it do us if the righteous sects’ strength increases greatly?”

Heng Yu: “…”

What had gotten into her master? Had he forgotten the mission of the Innate Buddha Bone?

“Master, although you are at late Nascent Soul, I must say, if we dare to ruin Liaowu’s Buddhist path, the Spirit Transformation cultivators of the Undying Sect will definitely come and take you down.”

You Yun leaned back, putting his feet up on the table, and said nonchalantly, “Don’t be ridiculous. Your master has no intention of ruining his Buddhist path, I just don’t want you to cultivate Forget-Me-Not grass.”

Forget-Me-Not grass was a rare spiritual plant. The plant itself wasn’t valuable, but the Forget-Me-Not Fruit it produced was extremely precious because it could help people quickly forget their emotions. However, cultivating Forget-Me-Not grass required blood as a catalyst.

To be precise, to make Liaowu forget his feelings for someone, that person’s blood was required as the catalyst.

“You’re being unreasonable.”

“Your master is never unreasonable. I’m a late Nascent Soul cultivator; my word is law.”

Heng Yu: “…”

This was the definition of unreasonable.

She spent a whole hour appeasing him. If she could have, Heng Yu would have given him a good beating.

By the time Heng Yu finally escaped You Yun’s nagging, it was completely dark. Looking at the sky, she figured Liaowu must have already gone to bed. Plus, she had a tough battle tomorrow, so she simply took a quick bath and went to sleep.

When she woke up again, it was already quite late. Heng Yu opened the door and bumped into Wu Mei.

Wu Mei looked up at the sky. “The tournament is about to start, right? Shall we go together?”

The contestants who had made it to the final round were all the best of the best. She wanted to watch the excitement and assess the competition.

Heng Yu: “Sure.”

When they arrived at the Sword Testing Grounds, the place was already packed. Liaowu, as he had done yesterday, was waiting for her not far away. As soon as he saw her, he walked over to meet her.

Heng Yu’s inquisitive gaze fell on him. Liaowu tilted his head slightly, a questioning look on his face, as if asking what she was looking at. He seemed no different from usual.

Heng Yu almost thought yesterday had been a figment of her imagination.

She looked away and pointed towards the arena. “Let’s go over there. It seems like it’s about to start.”

Above the clouds, the Nascent Soul cultivators from various sects were still seated. However, due to the clouds, they could clearly see the arena below, but those near the arena couldn’t see them.

You Yun saw his unfilial disciple and the monk beside her and scoffed.

….

Chapter 64

After the referee announced the result, Heng Yu took a healing pill from her storage ring. The pill melted in her throat, transforming into a refreshing spiritual energy that quickly spread through her body, soothing her aching meridians.

Heng Yu jumped off the arena and waved to Liaowu. “It’s over, let’s go back.”

Liaowu took out a clean handkerchief, condensed the surrounding spiritual energy into water droplets to dampen it, and then offered it to her. “You haven’t wiped the blood off your lips.”

This gesture was somewhat intimate. There were many onlookers, and some cultivators from other sects cast curious glances at them, seemingly speculating about their relationship.

Heng Yu took the handkerchief and casually wiped the corner of her lips. A smear of red appeared on the pristine white cloth. She wiped again, making sure she had cleaned the blood, then put the handkerchief away and quickly left the crowd.

Liaowu silently followed behind her, reaching out and lightly grasping her wrist.

“It’s just a small injury,” Heng Yu said, knowing why he had suddenly grabbed her wrist.

“It’s better to be sure,” Liaowu said, sensing her internal injuries. After confirming that the pill she had taken was of high quality, he silently put away the bottle of sixth-grade Bodhi Pills in his sleeve.

Back at her residence, Heng Yu activated a barrier to ensure no one would disturb her healing. She sat down cross-legged and fully refined the healing pill she had taken earlier.

An hour later, Heng Yu examined her meridians and confirmed that her injuries had completely healed, then resumed her study of sword formations.

Sword formations, as a supplementary offensive method, could greatly amplify her strength. The cultivators who had made it this far in the tournament were all at peak Foundation Establishment. Their cultivation levels were similar, so victory depended on who had stronger trump cards.

Heng Yu didn’t have many trump cards. She had only been in this world for a little over a year, half of which was spent adapting to her new body, and the rest was devoted to studying formations. If she could successfully create a powerful sword formation, it would become her strongest trump card, and she would be more confident in winning the title of ‘Number One Foundation Establishment Cultivator.’

“Qin Jingfeng’s approach to creating sword formations isn’t entirely correct, but it can be used to verify my conjectures.”

Heng Yu cleared her mind and immersed herself in thought.

When the sun outside had set and the moon hung high in the sky, Heng Yu finally stood up from her meditation cushion and sent a transmission talisman to her nominal master, You Yun.

A short while later, a black hole suddenly appeared in front of Heng Yu. She stepped forward and entered. Her vision darkened, and when the surroundings brightened again, she was in You Yun’s residence.

You Yun was lounging on a soft couch, his long black hair cascading down his back. In the candlelight, he looked alluring and captivating.

“It’s late. Is there something urgent?”

Heng Yu sat down opposite him. “Master, I’ve designed a sword formation and want you to help me test its power.”

“Is that all?”

“The sword formation I designed is a combination formation, which can incorporate an illusion formation. I know Master is quite knowledgeable about illusion formations, so I came to discuss it with you.”

You Yun lazily sat up. With a casual wave of his sleeve, a clear space appeared around them. “Set up your formation.”

Heng Yu bowed, then drew her sword, concentrating her spiritual energy at the tip. She used the tip of her sword as a brush, drawing the sword formation in mid-air.

At first, the tip of her sword moved slowly, but soon the sluggishness disappeared, and her movements became increasingly fluid. When the formation was mostly complete, You Yun narrowed his eyes slightly.

Although the sword formation wasn’t fully formed, its chilling killing intent was already apparent. This killing intent posed no threat to him, but an ordinary peak Foundation Establishment cultivator would have no chance against it.

After Heng Yu finished constructing the sword formation, You Yun raised his hand towards it, slightly curling his fingers. The sword formation was suppressed, emitting a clang as the intense sword Qi surged towards You Yun.

You Yun curled his fingers further. The sword Qi froze in front of him, then slowly dissipated into nothingness. When You Yun made a fist, the sword formation in mid-air was completely suppressed, unable to release any more attacks.

“Master, how is its power?” Heng Yu asked.

“At peak Foundation Establishment, I wouldn’t be able to withstand the sword Qi’s attack. At early Core Formation, I could completely block it. At late Core Formation, I could break it.”

Heng Yu nodded, neither disappointed nor particularly pleased. The result was as she expected. Her current opponents were all at peak Foundation Establishment, so the power of this sword formation was sufficient for now.

Even if her opponent was strong enough to break the sword formation, so what? Breaking the formation only meant they had neutralized one of her attacks. She would still be unharmed.

Seeing Heng Yu’s calm demeanor, You Yun raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t spent much time with his disciple, but he had watched her grow up, so he understood her temperament relatively well. Before, she was arrogant and aloof, but now she was calm, composed, and knew how to advance and retreat.

It was a good change.

“There are two aspects of your sword formation that can be improved,” You Yun said.

Heng Yu straightened up. “Please tell me, Master.”

This was why she had come to You Yun. Her master wasn’t a formation specialist, but as a Nascent Soul cultivator with thousands of years of experience, he had dabbled in many things and had a keen eye. You Yun had some understanding of formations, and with his experience, he could point out the flaws in her sword formation.

Knowing the flaws, Heng Yu could find ways to improve it.

Master and disciple, one speaking and one listening, then discussing and verifying each other’s ideas. By the time dawn broke, the sword formation was finally perfected.

You Yun, having been kept up all night by his unfilial disciple, looked somewhat dazed. He rubbed his forehead. “There are only two rounds left in the tournament, right? If you don’t win, don’t even think about getting anything else from me.”

Heng Yu patted You Yun’s shoulder and said earnestly, “Master, our bond as master and disciple is deep. Those things are gifts from you to me. How can you say I’m taking advantage of you?”

You Yun glanced at the hand on his shoulder: With this gesture and tone, who was the master and who was the disciple?!

“Just go,” You Yun shooed her away.

Having achieved her goal, Heng Yu promptly left.

After bathing, Heng Yu changed into a black dress and went next door to the bamboo grove to find Liaowu. As she approached, the spiritual energy in the air surged, converging and flowing towards a particular bamboo hut.

Heng Yu looked up, her gaze landing on the hut. Recognizing it, a smile unconsciously appeared on her face, and she quickened her pace. Just as she arrived, the closed door of the hut opened from the inside. Liaowu, dressed in clean blue robes, leaned against the doorframe, his eyes meeting hers. He said gently, “I’ve broken through to mid-Core Formation.”

“Congratulations,” Heng Yu bowed.

A smile spread across Liaowu’s face. He had sensed the opportunity for a breakthrough last night and had immediately entered meditation, successfully reaching mid-Core Formation this morning.

Although breaking through wasn’t an everyday occurrence for him, it wasn’t particularly exciting either. But when he opened his eyes, he inexplicably wanted to share this with Heng Yu. And as soon as he opened the door, her figure appeared before him.

Therefore, Liaowu felt a surge of genuine joy. He was becoming increasingly accustomed to sharing things with her first, even trivial matters that he wouldn’t have cared about before.

After the fifth round, Wu Mei was eliminated, leaving only Heng Yu and Chi representing the Hehuan Sect in the Foundation Establishment stage. The situation was similar for other sects. The Sword Sect and Undying Sect had the most remaining disciples, with four each, while the Sound Sect had the fewest, with only one. A total of twenty-four disciples remained across all sects.

The number of remaining disciples from each sect reflected their overall strength.

Heng Yu’s opponent in the sixth round was Xiao Mo, the number one Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Netherworld Sect. They fought fiercely for half an hour. In the end, due to Xiao Mo’s overly aggressive and wide-sweeping attacks, he exhausted his spiritual energy and made a crucial mistake, allowing Heng Yu to win without revealing her trump card.

Stepping down from the arena, Heng Yu looked up at the stone pillar nearby. The results of the other matches were mostly out. Chi had unfortunately lost, leaving Heng Yu as the only remaining representative of the Hehuan Sect.

The next round would be a free-for-all, with twelve opponents on the arena at the same time, fighting each other until only one remained.

“A free-for-all…” Heng Yu pondered. “In this type of match, it’s best to team up and eliminate the biggest threats first, then turn on each other. It seems I need to find an ally.”

She wasn’t foolish. In this format, it was either find allies or be isolated and fight alone. Naturally, she chose to find an ally.

Heng Yu scanned the names of the other eleven opponents, her gaze settling on the name ‘Liaoyuan.’

In the bamboo hut, upon hearing Heng Yu’s proposal for an alliance, Liaoyuan winked at her. “Lord Luo, you thought of cooperating with me first. It seems you have me in your heart.”

His voice softened towards the end, his ears turning slightly red, as if he was embarrassed. But he suppressed his embarrassment and looked at Heng Yu intently, seemingly wanting a positive response.

Heng Yu clicked her tongue. This Buddha-son’s acting skills were no less than Chi’s.

“Yes, you’re in my heart,” Heng Yu tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled faintly. “Out of the twelve names on the stone pillar, besides my own, yours is the only one I recognize.”

The implication was: Don’t misunderstand, you’re the only one I know among those people.

Liaoyuan seemed oblivious to her implication, his ears burning. Embarrassed, he coughed lightly, covering his mouth with his fist. “To hear such words from Lord Luo, not only would I cooperate with you, but I would even willingly be your stepping stone to victory in this tournament.”

Heng Yu remained unfazed. “Then our cooperation is settled.” She turned to leave.

Liaoyuan reached out to take her hand, but grasped only air. Looking at his empty hand, he chuckled and casually flicked his sleeve. Casting pearls before swine, it seemed Buddha truly favored those with Innate Buddha Bones. Giving him the most difficult love tribulation to overcome, yet choosing such a resolute destined partner for him.

It was… rather enviable.

Just as Heng Yu left Liaoyuan’s hut, she felt the jade pendant at her waist warming up. She paused, subconsciously turning to look back at the hut, but she couldn’t see Liaoyuan through the closed door. The warming jade pendant meant someone had contributed a significant amount of admiration points to her. This admiration… should probably be from Liaoyuan?

Heng Yu took out the jade pendant and injected spiritual energy into it. The admiration points had increased from 7200 to 7400. After staring at the jade pendant for a few seconds, she put it away again.

There weren’t as many Core Formation cultivators as Foundation Establishment cultivators, so the final winner would be decided this afternoon. Liaowu was already at the Sword Testing Grounds, waiting for the finals to begin. Heng Yu looked up at the sky and estimated the time. It was past noon, approaching late afternoon.

It was just the right time to go. With that thought, Heng Yu went to find a crane and rode it to the Sword Testing Grounds.

As soon as the crane landed, Heng Yu saw Liaowu standing not far away. She was slightly startled, then jumped off the crane and asked as she walked towards him, “Why aren’t you waiting at the arena?”

Liaowu walked towards her as well. “This poor monk calculated the time and figured Lord Luo would be arriving soon. It’s better to come and meet you than to stand there idly.”

Heng Yu sighed inwardly but smiled on the surface. “Then let’s go over now. The match should be about to begin.”

The final match of the Core Formation stage was also a free-for-all. All the other arenas had been removed, leaving only one massive arena for the final competition.

Around this arena stood disciples from various sects, all here to watch the excitement. When Heng Yu reached the arena, she saw Little Monk Liaonian, Liaohe, and the others, who had presumably come to watch the fun and cheer for Liaowu.

“Lord Luo,” Little Monk Liaonian saw her, put his hands together, and bowed respectfully.

Heng Yu ruffled the little monk’s head and, seeing him glare at her, smiled, let go, and returned the greeting.

“The match is starting,” Liaohe said.

Following Liaohe’s gaze, Heng Yu saw a Nascent Soul cultivator appear on the previously empty arena. He was presumably the referee for this match.

As expected, the Nascent Soul cultivator said coldly, “Contestants, please enter the arena!”

His voice, amplified by spiritual energy, quickly spread in all directions.

Before Liaowu went up, Heng Yu asked him, “Have you formed any alliances?”

Liaowu shook his head. “No one will ally with this poor monk. They’ll team up to eliminate me first.”

Heng Yu was taken aback, then couldn’t help but laugh. This sentence contained a sense of powerful confidence. As a mid-Core Formation cultivator, being seen as a formidable opponent by nine late-Core Formation cultivators, to the point that they would team up to eliminate him first… Heng Yu realized that Liaowu’s strength might be even greater than she had imagined. His apparent cultivation level didn’t reflect his true abilities at all.

After all, these nine late-Core Formation cultivators were not ordinary. They were the elites of their respective sects, the most talented and outstanding disciples. Yet, facing the pressure from Liaowu, they put aside their pride and joined forces against him!

“You have to win first place,” Heng Yu said matter-of-factly. “Because I will be the number one Foundation Establishment cultivator.”

Liaowu’s expression turned serious. This usually humble person said with unusual confidence, “I will.”

If he couldn’t achieve invincibility within his own realm, how could he claim to protect her in the future?

“I’m going,” Liaowu said softly. The other nine opponents were already on the arena.

“Go, go,” Heng Yu waved, urging him to go up.

In the next moment, Liaowu appeared on the arena. Without making them wait long, the referee verified the identities of the ten contestants and announced the start of the match.

As soon as the match began, Liaowu took a few steps back, retreating to the edge of the arena, and summoned his Golden Buddha Body. On the other side, the nine opponents, while wary of each other, tacitly focused their attacks on Liaowu!

The techniques of late-Core Formation cultivators were far more dazzling and dangerous than those of Foundation Establishment cultivators. Attacks of various colors rained down on Liaowu, but he stood firm amidst the onslaught, unmoving as a mountain.

“He’s doing it again!” Liaohe scratched his head.

“Again?” Heng Yu’s gaze was fixed on the arena, but this didn’t stop her curiosity.

“In the Dharma Assembly ten years ago, Senior Brother Liaowu was also besieged like this,” Liaohe said. He had been at the Qi Refining stage ten years ago and had also participated in the Dharma Assembly with the sect.

Heng Yu’s gaze fell on Liaowu. Even surrounded by so many people, he remained calm and composed, as if nothing could shake him.

Such a person, even with his reserved and quiet nature, was still incredibly talented and destined to be the center of attention.

While Heng Yu was distracted, Liaowu formed a hand seal and struck forward. The hand seal emitted a dazzling golden light, rapidly expanding in mid-air and transforming into the character ‘Suppress,’ pinning down a Sword Sect cultivator.

He formed another seal, the character transforming into ‘Demon,’ forcing a cultivator from the Abyss Sect to retreat from the attack.

Then, he put his hands together and chanted a complete demon-suppressing mantra. The mantra transformed into golden light, annihilating the incoming attacks and striking the remaining seven opponents with lightning speed.

With his opponents unable to retaliate, Liaowu slowly unwrapped the black prayer beads from his wrist. He quickly formed seals, partially undoing the seal on the beads, and a vast and dangerous aura merged with the golden light, amplifying his attack’s power.

The previous attack had already put his opponents in a difficult position. With the increased power, they became even more disheveled.

Normally, Nascent Soul cultivators weren’t interested in such matches. But now that it was the finals, the Nascent Soul cultivators from various sects sat on clouds above, silently observing the fight.

Seeing this, experienced Nascent Soul cultivators like You Yun knew that although there might be some twists and turns, the outcome was almost certain.

You Yun picked up a sixth-grade spiritual fruit and munched on it like an apple. Swallowing the fruit, You Yun still felt rather annoyed. Glancing at Yuanxin, who was sitting not far from him, he said with a fake smile, “As expected of the Undying Sect’s Innate Buddha Bone. After he achieves Buddhahood, he’ll probably be invincible in the Canglan Continent.”

The Nascent Soul cultivators present were all shrewd and could hear the displeasure in You Yun’s words. They were mostly aware of the situation and listened attentively while pretending to mind their own business.

Yuanxin, the other person involved, replied calmly, “Venerable You Yun is joking. Buddhahood is not so easily achieved.”

You Yun scoffed inwardly. Buddhahood was indeed not easily achieved. But his foolish disciple actually wanted to cultivate Forget-Me-Not Fruit to help Liaowu achieve Buddhahood! This thought made him even angrier.

As his disciple, she didn’t even learn his best trait of navigating romantic relationships without getting attached. If others loved him, that was their business. Why should he care if their Dao was damaged as a result?

That foolish disciple!

The people below the arena were unaware of the drama unfolding above the clouds. But as time went on, one thing became clear to most people—the final winner would undoubtedly be Liaowu.

When all his opponents had been knocked off the arena, and the referee announced the final result, Liaowu put his hands together and said calmly, “Amitabha, you have all done well.”

Below the arena, the faces of his nine opponents turned various shades of pale. They had swallowed their pride and joined forces, yet they still couldn’t defeat him. With such a peer, their brilliance was completely overshadowed.

But they were all graceful losers, maintaining their composure and returning the greeting.

As soon as Liaowu stepped off the arena, he was surrounded by his fellow monks, their eyes shining as they praised him. “Senior Brother, you’re so amazing!” “Senior Brother, you’re too strong!”

Liaowu patiently responded to their words. Midway through, he glanced to the side and saw Heng Yu still waiting for him. The corners of his lips curled up slightly, a smile like a pebble dropping into a calm lake, creating ripples.

After his fellow disciples dispersed, Liaowu walked up to Heng Yu. “Have you been waiting long?”

Heng Yu shook her head. “Not really.” She poked his arm—it didn’t budge. “Is this the Golden Buddha Body?”

Liaowu lowered his gaze, watching her poke him. “After summoning the Golden Buddha Body, it takes two hours to dissipate.”

“With the Golden Buddha Body, wouldn’t all attacks below Nascent Soul be ineffective against you?” Seeing Liaowu nod, Heng Yu casually remarked, “Wouldn’t that make you invincible?”

It was a casual question, but Liaowu quickly replied, “No.”

Heng Yu didn’t think much of it and nodded. “That’s true. The Golden Buddha Body makes you immune to spells, but if the spell’s power reaches a certain level, it can still affect you.”

Liaowu remained silent, changing the subject.

Chapter 63

With her opponent admitting defeat, the referee immediately announced the result. Hearing the announcement, Heng Yu sheathed her sword and helped Ji Zixian up from the ground.

Ji Zixian steadied herself, thanked Heng Yu with a smile, picked up her fallen zither, put it in her storage ring, and then walked down from the arena with Heng Yu.

“Fellow Daoist Luo’s soul is very strong,” Ji Zixian said with admiration. “That ‘Soul-Suppressing Melody’ mainly targets the opponent’s soul. Even my senior sister has difficulty breaking free from its control in a short time. I didn’t expect Fellow Daoist Luo to recover so quickly. I underestimated my opponent in this match.”

With Ji Zixian’s strength, she wouldn’t normally lose so quickly. It was just that she misjudged Heng Yu’s strength. When she played the “Soul-Suppressing Melody” and launched her sound wave attack, she didn’t set up any follow-up moves in time. When Heng Yu attacked her within a few breaths, there was a large gap in Ji Zixian’s defenses, allowing Heng Yu to easily gain control.

Heng Yu nodded, understanding the surprise in Ji Zixian’s words. After all, the “senior sister” Ji Zixian mentioned was the number one among the younger generation of the Sound Sect, a cultivator who had already reached the mid-stage of Core Formation. Moreover, that senior sister specialized in soul cultivation, her soul much stronger than others at the same realm.

Even she couldn’t break free from the “Soul-Suppressing Melody” in just a few breaths, so Ji Zixian naturally never thought her opponent could be stronger than her mid-Core Formation senior sister.

“My situation is a bit special,” Heng Yu said.

Ji Zixian chuckled playfully. “If there’s a chance in the future, I’d like to spar with Fellow Daoist Luo again. I’m not reconciled without showing my true strength.”

Heng Yu smiled. “No problem. Once the free sparring arena opens, Fellow Daoist Ji can find me anytime.”

They had reached the bottom of the arena. Seeing Liaowu approaching through the crowd, Heng Yu nodded at Ji Zixian and turned to greet him.

Liaowu’s next match was equally swift. His attacks were as monotonous as ever, but his overwhelming strength crushed all resistance.

After two rounds, three-quarters of the cultivators had been eliminated. Those who remained were generally not weak.

Starting from the third round, the opponents became increasingly powerful. In this round, He Ru Mo, the lowest-ranked among the Hehuan Sect’s young masters, was defeated by a strong opponent and sadly withdrew from the competition.

By the fourth round, four more young masters were eliminated, including Mu Huan. This result infuriated her—not only was she behind Wu Mei and Heng Yu in her inner sect mission progress, but now her performance in the Dharma Assembly was also worse.

The only thing that consoled Mu Huan was that Dao Zhuo, that fool, at least knew to comfort her, buying her many beautiful trinkets to cheer her up.

Heng Yu returned from her victorious match and, seeing that Mu Huan was actually happy about this, clicked her tongue. “Just some trinkets, and you’re this happy? Have you fallen?”

Wu Mei, who had also just returned, winked. “Lord Luo, you’re being unkind. You should understand the difficulties of Mu Zhu’s mission.”

Chi’s residence was next door, and since Heng Yu and the others weren’t being quiet, he naturally overheard their conversation while sitting by the window. He coughed and commented objectively, “You two are being a bit harsh.” But after only two seconds of objectivity, Chi, whose mission was ranked S, added, “But A-rank missions are indeed very difficult. It’s understandable.”

Mu Huan: “…”

She gritted her teeth. “All three of you, shut up!”

“Are you getting angry from embarrassment?” Heng Yu laughed. “Alright, I’m currently studying sword formations, so I won’t chat with you and comfort you.”

Mu Huan laughed in exasperation. “Is that your way of comforting me?”

Heng Yu replied matter-of-factly, “I’m urging you not to lose yourself over a small setback and a few sweet nothings.”

Wu Mei put on an exaggerated expression of being touched. “I never thought I’d see such heartwarming camaraderie in our Hehuan Sect.”

Chi, inside his room, chuckled softly, amused by Mu Huan’s frustration, but kindly refrained from adding fuel to the fire. To be fair, Mu Huan wasn’t eliminated in the fourth round because she was weak, but because her opponent was too strong. There were no weaklings who had made it to this round, but unfortunately, every match had a winner and a loser.

After teasing Mu Huan a bit, Heng Yu stopped provoking her and returned to her room, immersing herself in the study of sword formations.

Sword formations were a powerful offensive tool. Heng Yu, a sword cultivator skilled in formations, had been wanting to develop some powerful sword formations ever since she saw Chang Xiyi’s Azure Sea Billowing Sword Formation in the first round.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t made much progress in such a short time.

Just as Heng Yu was deep in thought, someone knocked on the door. She got up to open it and found a junior sister at the Qi Refining stage standing outside. The junior sister, dressed in a purple dress typical of the Hehuan Sect, saluted Heng Yu cheerfully and handed her a jade slip. “Lord Luo, I’ve been instructed to deliver the information on your next opponent.”

“Thank you,” Heng Yu took the jade slip.

After the junior sister left, Heng Yu returned to her room and examined the jade slip, then smiled. Her next opponent was Qin Jingfeng of the Black and White Academies.

The information stated that he was highly skilled in sword formations, particularly adept at transforming sword Qi into formations.

This was exactly what she needed.

In the blink of an eye, the fifth round began. On a certain arena, a match had been going on for fifteen minutes, attracting a large crowd.

A fifteen-minute match wasn’t unusual, but what was unusual about this match was that—in those fifteen minutes, the two opponents had never directly engaged.

The competitors were, of course, Heng Yu and Qin Jingfeng. From the moment the referee called “begin,” Qin Jingfeng had taken control of the match’s tempo by quickly setting up a formation. The sword formation enveloped Heng Yu, but before the audience could worry about her, she quickly broke it.

For the next fifteen minutes, this process repeated itself.

Breaking another formation with her sword, Heng Yu took two steps forward, stepping directly into another formation.

Heng Yu raised her sword again and calmly broke the formation. Then she shifted her footing, took three steps to the left, and triggered yet another formation.

After such a long time, even a fool would have realized something was wrong. “Fellow Daoist Luo, are you doing this on purpose?”

Heng Yu stood within the sword formation, being attacked by sword Qi from all directions. Since she had been discovered, Heng Yu blocked the potentially fatal attacks while admitting frankly, “I happen to be studying sword formations recently, hoping to create some powerful ones for myself. Seeing that Fellow Daoist Qin is so skilled in sword formations, I couldn’t resist the temptation. Please bear with me.”

She still hoped to gain inspiration from Qin Jingfeng, so she didn’t want to end the match quickly. Instead, she observed his sword formations bit by bit, studying his thought process.

“…” After a moment of silence, Qin Jingfeng quickly adjusted his mentality. “Fellow Daoist Luo is skilled in formations. It’s indeed too difficult for my sword formations to trap you.” Then his expression turned serious, and he held his sword horizontally.

“But before the match started, I also investigated Fellow Daoist Luo.”

As his voice fell, Heng Yu noticed that the sword formations she had just broken reappeared. Then, all the formations began to rotate rapidly, merging and transforming into a large formation that enveloped the entire arena in the blink of an eye.

“Fellow Daoist Luo wants to use me to study sword formations, and I’m also using your mentality to showcase my recent achievements.”

The large formation covered such a wide area that Heng Yu couldn’t avoid it. She looked up at Qin Jingfeng, knowing that the formation’s core was located on him.

Without any panic, she said calmly, “So this is Fellow Daoist Qin’s true skill.”

With that said, Heng Yu leaped back, avoiding the formation-enhanced attack, preventing her movements from being restricted. Inside an opponent’s formation, being restricted meant certain defeat.

Next, Heng Yu focused on dodging the attacks while observing the formation’s trajectory. Only when she couldn’t avoid an attack did she use her sword to deflect it. This made her appear somewhat disheveled. Her left shoulder was hit hard by an attack, causing her to cough up blood.

Before she could even wipe the blood from her lips, she rolled twice on the arena, narrowly avoiding another powerful attack. But this time, as Heng Yu stood up, she used her sword to draw a half-arc on the ground.

This seemingly insignificant action caused Qin Jingfeng, who had been calm and composed, to change his expression. He formed seals, accelerating the formation’s attack, attempting to restrict Heng Yu’s movement.

Heng Yu continued to dodge, but with each dodge, she would casually draw a few sword strokes on the ground or in the air.

The spectators below couldn’t understand what she was doing, but Qin Jingfeng, the creator of the formation, knew very well that those were the formation’s minor cores. Every sword strike of Luo Heng Yu’s was destroying a minor core.

When enough of these minor cores were destroyed, he, the true core of the formation, would inevitably be affected. As expected, the power of the formation began to weaken. Qin Jingfeng gritted his teeth, knowing he couldn’t waste any more time. He abandoned his advantage and charged towards Heng Yu.

After nearly half an hour, the two finally engaged in close combat. As their swords clashed, Heng Yu didn’t forget to continue destroying the formation. With her final sword strike, the formation crumbled, and Qin Jingfeng was struck by the backlash, coughing up blood.

In that instant, Heng Yu closed in, her attacks raining down on Qin Jingfeng, sending him flying off the arena. His back slammed against the ground, his face paling as he lost consciousness.

Seeing her opponent out of bounds, Heng Yu relaxed, only to feel her body go limp. She used her sword as a crutch, barely managing to stay on her feet.

Chapter 62

After his outburst, You Yun reached for his wine cup, intending to take a few sips. The cool cup touched his lips, only for him to realize it was empty. Annoyed, he slammed the cup onto the table. The stone table in the courtyard was very sturdy, and the cup made a dull thud upon impact.

Heng Yu bent down slightly and refilled his cup.

You Yun waited and waited, but Heng Yu remained silent. He raised a hand and rubbed his temple with a slender finger. “Speak up. When did my disciple become mute?”

Heng Yu chuckled and asked calmly, “What does Master want to hear?”

Seeing her like this irritated You Yun. “Isn’t that stool there for sitting? You’re blocking my view standing there. Sit down.”

Heng Yu obediently sat down.

You Yun shook his head helplessly and asked, “What are your current thoughts on that Buddha-son?”

“No thoughts,” Heng Yu replied calmly.

She was a very rational person. Although she knew that love didn’t necessarily mean being together forever, once feelings were involved, it was easy to become unsatisfied and want more.

So, even though Liaowu was someone she admired and liked, she kept it at that, forcibly suppressing the stirrings in her heart, preventing those feelings from developing into romantic love.

You Yun thought for a moment and nodded. “That’s good. You asking for that item means you’re confident about completing your inner sect mission. What are your plans after that?”

Heng Yu lowered her gaze. She saw the bell bracelet on her left wrist and the wooden bracelet on her right, both made by Liaowu. Touching the wooden bracelet on her right hand, Heng Yu sighed inwardly.

Because overcoming his love tribulation required Liaowu to develop feelings for her, she had teased him, gotten close to him, charmed him, and flirted with him…

But from the beginning, being Liaowu’s destined partner to help him through his tribulation was something she willingly chose, so she didn’t feel like she was at a disadvantage.

But Liaowu always felt she was.

Heng Yu’s original plan was to return to the Hehuan Sect after completing her mission, focus on her cultivation, pursue her own path, and never see Liaowu again.

But after testing him twice recently, she discovered that Liaowu was even more stubborn than she had imagined. He didn’t want to let down the Buddhist sect, nor did he want to let her down. The compromise he had come up with was likely to protect her for the rest of her life.

But… it wasn’t necessary.

When he truly achieved Buddhahood, he would be free from emotions and desires. By then, she would be no different from any other being in his eyes.

That item could help him forget his feelings quickly, which would only help him achieve Buddhahood more smoothly.

You Yun waited for a while, noticing that Heng Yu was lost in thought. “Why aren’t you speaking?”

Heng Yu returned to her senses and smiled casually. “Master asked for my thoughts, so I was thinking.”

You Yun shifted into a more comfortable position. The movement caused his collar to slip slightly, revealing his delicate collarbone. He casually adjusted his collar and rested his chin in his hand, looking like a wise elder. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Heng Yu raised an eyebrow and told him her thoughts without hiding anything. After she finished, You Yun didn’t speak immediately. He slowly picked up his wine cup, drained it in one gulp, and casually tossed it behind him. The cup landed on the grass. You Yun stood up, walked over to Heng Yu, and placed a hand casually on her shoulder.

“Disciple, you asked me for that item. Are you trying to help him achieve Buddhahood more smoothly, or… are you trying to remind yourself day and night not to fall for him?”

Heng Yu moved, wanting to turn and look at You Yun. You Yun tightened his grip on her shoulder, stopping her movement. He chuckled softly, his laughter more intoxicating than aged wine. “No need to tell me the answer. It’s enough that you know it yourself.”

“Don’t worry, it’s rare for you to ask me for something. How could I not fulfill your request? I’ll send a message to the sect later and have them send you the seed of that item.”

With that, You Yun patted her shoulder, whispered in her ear, “Take care of yourself,” and strolled back into his room. The empty courtyard became quiet again, only the rustling of the parasol tree leaves in the breeze breaking the silence.

After sitting quietly for a long time, Heng Yu raised a hand to her forehead and then started laughing. After she had laughed enough, she stood up. She smoothed the wrinkles on her dress and bowed towards the room. “Master truly is the person with the most admiration points in the sect. I was deceiving myself before.”

“I consider myself a rational person, but feelings are sometimes extremely irrational. I admit, I do want to use caring for that item to constantly remind myself not to fall for him.”

Her rationality alone didn’t seem to be enough. She needed something external to urge and remind her.

“Thank you for the trouble, Master.”

Inside the bamboo hut, Liaowu sat quietly by the window, polishing the wooden hairpin. He polished it meticulously, smoothing the surface before picking up a tiny carving knife to refine the details.

He worked until sunset, the afterglow streaming in through the window and bathing him in warm light. Only then did he put down his tools, brush the wood shavings off his lap, take out an elegant wooden box from his storage ring, and carefully place the hairpin inside.

He stood up, tidied the table and floor, closed the window, changed into fresh robes, and then left the hut with the box in hand.

A short while later, Liaowu walked through the sea of irises and arrived outside Heng Yu’s wooden cabin.

The window of the cabin was wide open. From Liaowu’s angle, he could see Heng Yu sitting at the table, reading the “Formless Formation.” She seemed to be tired, her head resting on her arm, lazily turning a page every now and then. The clivia plant he had given her sat on the windowsill, its petals unfurling languidly.

Liaowu deliberately made his footsteps heavier.

Heng Yu sat up and looked towards the window. Seeing him, she turned, leaned against the windowsill, and beckoned him with her left hand.

The movement caused the bells on her bracelet to jingle.

“Come here,” Heng Yu called.

Liaowu subconsciously quickened his pace and soon arrived in front of her, their eyes meeting across the window.

“The hairpin is finished. Do you like it? If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, tell me, and I’ll go back and fix it,” Liaowu said, bending slightly and offering her the wooden box. Seeing that her posture made it inconvenient for her to take it, he opened the lid, allowing her to see the hairpin inside clearly.

After being polished, the hairpin had a color between black and purple. It was the perfect length, with intricate carvings on the shaft and a half-opened clivia flower at the end.

After examining it, Heng Yu sat up straight, took the box, and placed it on the table. Before Liaowu could retract his hand, she grasped his right hand and gestured for him to open his palm.

Their palms touched. Liaowu’s palm was warm, while Heng Yu’s was cool.

As she traced his palm, Heng Yu noticed thin calluses on his fingertips, likely from years of fingering his prayer beads. But now, besides the calluses, there were also faint cuts and wood shavings embedded in his closely trimmed fingernails.

“Senior Brother Liaowu’s woodworking skills don’t seem to be very proficient,” Heng Yu said, looking up at him with a smile after examining his palm.

The setting sun was blocked by his figure, and Liaowu lowered his head, unable to see her face clearly.

He said, “I do woodworking in my spare time. Those faint cuts are accidental.”

Buddhist cultivators in the Undying Sect practiced asceticism, and many small items in the sect were made by themselves. Therefore, Liaowu had learned to carve at a young age. He was already skilled with a carving knife. He didn’t know why, but after Heng Yu left, he became inexplicably distracted and accidentally cut himself. However, he had a golden Buddha body, so the sharp carving knife only left faint marks that would disappear soon.

Heng Yu released his hand and said with a smile, “I really like this hairpin. Thank you, Senior Brother.”

Liaowu shook his head without saying anything. He stood there for a moment, wanting to ask her to join him for dinner. But seeing the “Formless Formation” spread out on her table, he swallowed the question. It didn’t matter; with her cultivation, she wouldn’t get hungry even if she skipped dinner. She had probably forgotten their earlier agreement to have dinner together.

“Then this poor monk will take his leave. Lord Luo, please continue with your work, and rest well after you’re finished.”

Liaowu’s voice was soft, like the gentle clinking of jade against a stream, clear and gentle.

After this reminder, he turned and left, his robes swaying slightly with his movement.

Heng Yu watched him leave, then pressed her forehead with a sigh, opening her mouth slightly before finally calling out, “Senior Brother Liaowu.”

Liaowu stopped, turned to look at her, a gentle smile in his eyes, as if asking what was wrong.

“I’ll have dinner with you.”

Heng Yu closed the “Formless Formation.” Before leaving the cabin, she remembered to take the clivia hairpin out of the box. Walking over to Liaowu, she handed him the hairpin. “Help me put this on.”

“Alright.”

Qi Refining disciples hadn’t achieved fasting yet and still needed to eat. Heng Yu and Liaowu didn’t go far; they had dinner at the Hehuan Sect’s lodgings.

The two sat in a corner, surrounded by curious Qi Refining disciples. However, neither Heng Yu nor Liaowu were easily affected. After calmly finishing their meal, they left the dining hall.

Back in the sea of irises, Heng Yu stopped in front of her cabin. She waved to Liaowu. “You should go back now. Don’t you still have evening prayers?”

Liaowu stood under the moonlight, looking as if he had gathered all the frost in the world.

He nodded at Heng Yu and strode away.

Heng Yu stretched and muttered to herself, “Alright, I’ll spend the next two days studying the ‘Formless Formation.’”

For the next two days, Heng Yu stayed in her cabin, immersed in the study of formations. Only when Liaowu came to find her on the day of the second round of matches did she stop and head to the Sword Testing Grounds.

After the first round, many weaker cultivators had been eliminated. Those who had advanced to the second round were generally quite capable.

Heng Yu’s opponent this time was Ji Zixian, a renowned cultivator among the younger generation of the Sound Sect. According to the information gathered, Ji Zixian was also at peak Foundation Establishment, with a mastery of sound wave attacks through her zither playing.

Shortly after Heng Yu and Liaowu arrived at the Sword Testing Grounds, a referee on a nearby arena announced, “Ji Zixian of the Sound Sect versus Luo Heng Yu of the Hehuan Sect. Please both come to the arena quickly.”

Heng Yu exchanged a glance with Liaowu, nodded at him, and then flashed onto the arena.

Ji Zixian followed closely behind, landing on the other side. She was beautiful, dressed in a flowing white dress, and held a large seven-stringed zither in her arms, which was clearly her weapon.

Heng Yu and Ji Zixian exchanged glances and nodded in greeting before handing their soul tokens to the referee for verification.

After verifying their identities, the referee left the arena. The moment he left, Ji Zixian raised her slender right hand and quickly plucked the strings.

The zither sounds were chaotic and discordant, but Heng Yu could sense a powerful sound wave attack heading straight for her.

Heng Yu quickly retreated, drawing her sword. Channeling her spiritual energy and releasing her aura, she imbued her sword with power, planted her feet firmly, and slashed forward.

With a series of strikes, Heng Yu executed a complete sword technique.

Ji Zixian’s plucking speed increased, her hands a blur. A complete sword technique had maximum power, but it also meant a lack of variation in attack. Heng Yu didn’t insist on completing the sword technique. She abruptly stopped her last strike and quickly moved to the side. In the next instant, she appeared behind Ji Zixian, forcing her back with a sword strike and then cutting off her escape route with two more.

Caught by these three sword strikes, Ji Zixian grunted, a trace of blood appearing at the corner of her lips.

However, even though she was injured, Ji Zixian didn’t lose focus. She slowed her plucking, and the zither sounds gradually became melodious, forming a soothing tune.

The audience below would have found this tune incredibly pleasant, like celestial music.

But to Heng Yu, it was torture. The sound waves directly attacked her soul, causing her figure in mid-air to freeze momentarily. However, due to her past life experiences, Heng Yu’s soul was much stronger than others at her cultivation level. The sound wave attack only stunned her briefly. She quickly broke free from its hold, landed in front of Ji Zixian, and thrust her sword forward.

This sound wave attack was Ji Zixian’s strongest move, yet it only managed to control Heng Yu for a few seconds. This surprised Ji Zixian, and she didn’t even have time to dodge Heng Yu’s sword strike.

In the next moment, Heng Yu’s sword sent Ji Zixian’s zither flying. Ji Zixian was hit by her own zither and stumbled backwards.

As Ji Zixian quickly formed seals to steady herself, Heng Yu, who had been prepared, completed her own seals first and closed in on her. A sound cultivator without a weapon, cornered by a sword cultivator specializing in close combat—the outcome of the match was obvious.

“I admit defeat!” Looking at the gleaming sword, Ji Zixian bit her lip and conceded.