Chapter 103.1: Return to the Big World pt. 1

“Yanzhi…”

Only after calling out this name did Jing Yue feel something was wrong. Now, he should be called Qin-zhenjun.

He recalled the final look in Qin Yanzhi’s eyes in the Void Sword Tomb. He understood that the other party had recovered his memory at the time, and felt a bit melancholic.

Qin Yanzhi's tone was still as indifferent as it was many years ago. “This place is an island near Schism Ocean. You and I fell into the Yuguang fragment deep in the eye of the sea. Now, the secret realm has been refined by me.”

Jing Yue, “Have you achieved Heavenly Grotto?”

Qin Yanzhi smiled faintly, “Mm.”

Jing Yue was startled. He couldn’t help but feel that this Qin Yanzhi was strange yet familiar. He collected his thoughts and looked at the sword on his waist. To his surprise, Qin Yanzhi untied it and handed it to him.

“… Thank you.”

The sword in his hand went without a sheath. Jing Yue stroked Taiqing sword with nostalgia. It looked like an ordinary sword but contained extremely powerful strength.

He remembered that ten thousand years ago, in order to refine this sword, he had traveled through the Bipolar World with Yi Wang to search for materials, and finally found a kind of cold iron from the outside world.

This sword was extremely cold and tough, most suitable for metal and water spiritual roots, and was indeed a wonderful choice for Qin Yanzhi.

However, he did not feel the sword soul of Taiqing.

Jing Yue cast a doubtful gaze at Qin Yanzhi, who seemed to have read his mind, and explained, “The sword soul has forcibly awakened and is still weak. It has entered my dantian to recuperate.”

“What about Daoyi?”

“When I became Heavenly Grotto, Daoyi has also condensed into a sword soul, but it was badly injured and also in my dantian.”

Jing Yue, “…”

One person with two sword souls? How amazing.

For an instant, Jing Yue felt that his Dao heart was unstable. Jealousy made him ugly!

“Do you recognize this sword?” Qin Yanzhi asked suddenly. His mind had been connected with the small world in the past 20 years, and he naturally knew that Jing Yue had many secrets.

Jing Yue didn’t conceal it either. His ‘other self’ had made him put full trust in Qin Yanzhi. “I recognize it. It's called Taiqing. You… Forget it, I know you’ll be good to him. I have nothing to worry about.”

He was about to return the sword to Qin Yanzhi when he found three more silver patterns on the body of the Taiqing sword. It looked like a mysterious rune that gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Jing Yue, “This is…”

Qin Yanzhi, “I don’t know. It’s already like this when I got Taiqing.”

Jing Yue turned to the blue phoenix again, hoping that its occasional dependability would turn on, but Ji-ji also just shook its head.

“Alas…” Jing Yue sighed. When he looked at Qin Yanzhi again, he remembered the speculation he had previously ignored, and his eyes gradually became complicated.

At this point, Qin Yanzhi took a step closer to him, still in the same indifferent tone. “I want to become Dao partners with you.”

Silence.

It was immediately followed by a gut-wrenching bout of coughing. Jing Yue clutched his chest—where did this evil specter come from? Am I still stuck in an illusion???!!!

…

Evernorth Lu region, cold winds swept…

Well, this opening remark sounded a bit familiar because the Evernorth Lu region had always been like that.

Frostcloud Sect also remained deeply hidden in the Lakhfrig Mountain, mysterious yet yearned by everyone.

Schism Ocean was still quite close to the Evernorth Lu region. Having fled in a hurry for almost 20 days, Jing Yue finally arrived at Frostcloud Sect. Looking at the fond and familiar scenery, he who was overly shocked by Qin Yanzhi finally found a little peace of mind.

But the blue phoenix in his arms was still indignant. “How shameless! Terrible beyond words! Is this human doing? How dare he dream of becoming Dao partners with you! Our Jing-jing is as straight as can be! Marry many fairies in the future! He’s fierce and mean and definitely won’t give you a harem! Once he sits firmly in the position as Lady Jing, maybe he might even find Ji-ji not pleasing to the eye and kick Ji-ji out too!”

Jing Yue, “After talking all the way, aren't you tired?”

Blue phoenix, “Hmph! Anyway, Ji-ji disagrees. To get Jing-jing, he must first step over Ji-ji’s body!”

Jing Yue, “…” Wouldn’t this condition be a little too easy?

When he arrived at the mountain gate, he found that the Frostcloud Sect seemed to be holding a joyous event. The outside of the mountain gate was covered with flowers of red silk and red satin as decoration.

Strange, did they know he was going to return? Jing Yue was so distracted on the way that he forgot to even send a transmission message.

He stepped forward and asked the receiving disciples, “What is the joyous occasion in the sect?”

The face of the receiving disciple was filled with pride. “Liu Feng-laozu has made a breakthrough during seclusion and reached Tribulation Passage. Today is the grand ceremony to congratulate Liu Feng-laozu.”

Jing Yue was delighted. “Liu Feng has done well! I must give her a big gift then!”

Just then, the receiving disciple felt that something was amiss. The news about Liu Feng-laozu had spread throughout the cultivation world. Since this person could enter the mountain gate of Frostcloud Sect, why did he know nothing?

The receiving disciple was newly acquired when Frostcloud Sect recently opened the mountain so he didn’t recognize Jing-laozu, but the other disciples beside him were not so sweet and innocent. As soon as Jing Yue appeared, they had frozen into stones.

This person… why did he look so similar to Laozu? Did I see it wrongly? Disciple A trembled and looked at Disciple B.

Disciple B stared at Jing Yue unwaveringly. This person’s aura was comparable to a Golden Core cultivator. Jing-laozu was only in the mid-level of Foundation Establishment when he disappeared. In less than 20 years, how could he have reached Golden Core? So, he just looked similar, right?

Disciple B then looked at Disciple C. Disciple C's eyes were straight and dumbfounded, and obviously could not be counted on.

“Who are you?” The first receiving disciple asked Jing Yue.

A, B, and C looked at this ‘ignorant’ companion in horror and saw the cultivator who was suspected of being Laozu taking out a sect token. “I’m Jing Yue.”

Then he walked past them and entered the mountain gate directly.

After a long time.

“Who did he just say he was?” The ignorant companion asked woodenly.

Disciple A, “Jing Yue.”

Disciple B, “Laozu.”

Disciple C, “Jing-laozu.”

Ignorant companion, “…”

After another long while, four loud yells at the mountain gate caused the birds to fly away in fright.

“!!! Laozu is back?!!!”

…

19 years ago, members of the Nine Heaven Academy were attacked by demonic cultivators at the Schism Ocean. In order to protect the other teachers and students, Qin Yanzhi of Sword Inscription Sect and the head of the academy at that time, and the patriarch of Frostcloud Sect Jing Yue, both fell into the Nine Heaven Rift and had not been heard of since then.

That battle left countless practitioners of the righteous Dao with aching hearts. The only fortunate thing was that Qin Yanzhi's soul lamp was still there, and Jing-laozu’s name was still on the pillar of Frostcloud Sect’s Communication Hall, which meant that both were still alive.

But everyone wondered how long they could survive once they fell into the Nine Heaven Rift. Besides, Qin-zhenjun was seriously injured.

As the days passed, however, no bad news came along, and everyone began to pray secretly. Was it really true as Jing-laozu said that there was a way to save Qin-zhenjun?

For more than ten years, the major sects had turned the Buried Star Ocean almost upside down, but still nothing.

They could only wait for the day when a miracle happened.

Ancestral Hall.

Liu Feng paid homage to the tablets of Jing Yuan, Yi Nian, and Yi Wang in turn. Not far away, Yi Ye and Liu Yun smiled at her. Yi Ye said, “I really didn't expect you to step into the Tribulation Passage first. Now you are the first female Tribulation Passage cultivator in this realm.”

Liu Feng, “It’s all thanks Zushi’s guidance back then that Liu Feng was able to break through the shackles.”

Speaking of the Zushi, all the people in the hall looked gloomy.

Sect Leader Wei Tianli didn't want the ancestors to be sad on this happy day so he hurriedly said, “The guests are already here. Liu Feng-laozu, please go ahead.”

Suddenly, his eyes went straight and he stared blankly at Jing Yuan-zushi's tablet.

“What…” Yi Ye followed his gaze and saw smoke curling up to the blue sky. The painting hidden behind the smoke seemed to have come alive.

Twang…

The Jadecloud Bell tolled. Several people jolted violently and blurted, “It’s Zushi!”