Chapter 338 - Returning to the Human World

Qingluan and Ziyun’er immediately pushed the door open and entered the room when they heard the commotion inside. Qingluan saluted Xiao Chen and said, “I noticed you were exhausted day after day, so… Please name your punishment, Master!”

Xiao Chen rubbed his forehead. “Forget it.” How could he rebuke them when they were doing it out of concern for him? “Go settle the bill for the room,” he said. No matter what, he must return to the Human World today.

“Yes, Master!”

Once they settled the bill at the tavern, the group didn’t linger around and walked out of the town. They immediately climbed onto their flying swords and headed for the Jade Qing Sect in the Qing Province. After flying at top speed, they finally arrived at the province in the late afternoon.

Qing Province was filled with towering mountains that formed an endless range. Being back here again gave Xiao Chen a sense of amiable familiarity. No matter how flourishing the Middle Continent was, he still found that place strange and inferior to the East Continent. Perhaps it was because the Mystic Cyan Sect had always been here, making it his native land.

When they entered the vicinity of Qing Province, Xiao Chen turned around and said, “The Teleportation Formation can’t carry all of you. Wait for me in the city.”

Qingluan and Ziyun’er immediately stepped forward. “We’re going with you, Master!”

Xiao Chen nodded. The remaining ten stayed in the city of Qing Province on standby while the three went to the foot of Yuqing Mountain. The place was like paradise with birdsongs, fragrant flowers, and butterflies everywhere, covering all signs of the bloody battle it had witnessed in the past. Noticing their arrival, several disciples immediately walked up to stop them. One of them asked, “Who are three of you?!”

Xiao Chen was about to reply when another disciple recognized him. Surprised, he said, “It’s you, Junior Brother Xiao!”

The Jade Qing Sect disciples had long heard of how Xiao Chen helped their sect win the refinement competition and seized the championship, but they seemed in the dark about what had happened recently.

Xiao Chen nodded. “Are Senior Xiaoyao and Senior Qingfeng around?”

“Yes! Yes, they’re around! This way please, Junior Brother Xiao!” one of the disciples replied happily. “I’ll go and tell everyone that you’re back!” another said in excitement, about to rush up the mountain.

“Don’t!” Xiao Chen immediately reached out to stop the disciple. The disciple turned around in confusion. “What’s wrong, Junior Brother Xiao?”

Xiao Chen coughed. “I came back on urgent business. I need to leave immediately. It’s better if you keep my return a secret.”

Though the disciples were skeptical, they knew it wasn’t their place to ask questions. One of them laughed and said, “Of course! This way please, Junior Brother Xiao!”

The group walked up the mountain on a path paved with precious stones and lined with pine and cypress trees. In the distance, many isles were suspended in midair thanks to the use of mystic arts. Water streamed down the side of the isles, forming gorgeous rainbows under the brilliant sunlight. The background of clouds was only faintly discernible, with the occasional shadows of ash-gray cranes flitting past. It wasn’t as glorious or as magnificent as some large sects in the Middle Continent, but it was filled with an antiqued and immortal-like beauty.

Fifteen minutes later, the group arrived at the mountain gate square. The gleaming of the Heguang Hall and Tongchen Hall bounced off each other under the sunlight. Xiao Chen and the rest entered the Tongchen Hall while the disciples ran off to bring them tea. Within minutes, Elder Zi Mo and Elder Qingfeng walked into the hall.

One was dressed in purple and had a sparse, uneven beard that made him look comical. The other was in cyan, had his hair combed neatly, and wore a solemn expression. Xiao Chen could tell from their expressions that they had gotten wind of what had happened at the Immortals’ League. Zi Mo said in a panic, “Stinky brat, what’s going on?! It’s only been a few days and you’re already in trouble! All the old monsters in the five continents are all going over to the League to capture you! What exactly is going on?!”

Qingfeng said, “Calm down, Senior Brother. Let’s hear his explanation.”

Xiao Chen got to his feet the moment he saw the Elders come in. With a wry expression, he saluted them and replied, “The scum from Ling family framed me. It’s a long story. I hope you’ll open the Teleportation Formation, Seniors. I need to return to the Human World immediately.”

Qingfeng smoothed his beard with his hand and nodded. “It’s not a bad idea to hide in the Human World for now.”

Zi Mo’s mind was sharper. He narrowed his eyes and said, “That’s wrong! Hiding in the Human World? That’s not your style, kid! Explain yourself. Why are you in a hurry to return to the Human World?”

Xiao Chen looked conflicted. He wasn’t fully sure that the Three Pure Sect was in trouble, so he didn’t want the two Elders to worry. Qingfeng said, “Forget it, Senior Brother. The League must have noticed that he has escaped by now. It won’t do any harm to have him hide in the Human World for now.”

Zi Mo heaved a deep sigh. He flicked his sleeves and said, “Come with me!”

The five of them made their way to a cave in the mountain behind Yuqing Mountain. Zi Mo and Qingfeng unsealed the mystic arts on the cave opening and primal chaos immediately appeared in their sight. Qingfeng said, “Xiao Chen, stay a little longer in the Human World and don’t come back to the Violet Manor for the time being. You have us here, so you can leave without worry.”

Xiao Chen once again bowed in respect. “I’ll engrave your favor in my heart.” There weren’t many people he could truly trust in the Violet Manor, but Elders Zi Mo and Qingfeng were the exceptions.

Zi Mo shook his hand. “Stop dawdling and leave now! Who knows if the Immortals’ League will send their men after you in just a while!”

Xiao Chen didn’t try to continue the conversation either. He immediately walked up to the primal chaos in the cave opening but hesitated when he was about to step in. He stopped walking and turned around. “You won’t send me to the wrong place this time, will you? If you send me to the lands of the non-Hans outside the Nine Provinces…”

“Oy, you stinky brat!” Zi Mo raised a fist at him. “It was an accident last time, an accident! Don’t go around holding a grudge, kid! Are you going or not?”

Xiao Chen nodded and said no more. He turned around and entered the primal chaos in the cave opening. Qingluan and Ziyun’er immediately followed him.

Moments later, the opening of the primal chaos closed. Qingfeng heaved a deep sigh. “This child is destined for a difficult life. I hope he won’t ever return to Violet Manor again and stay in the hiding in the Human World. He’ll be fulfilling the name ‘Chen’ that I bestowed on him back then.”

Zi Mo put on a wry smile. “Do you think that’s possible? Forget it. Let’s figure out how we’ll deal with the League. If they find out that we let him go, they’ll punish us with at least eighty years of punishment if not one hundred years… Tsk, tsk, tsk…”

…

Sometime later, Xiao Chen’s vision gradually filled up with light as if he finally witnessed sunlight after an everlasting night. His surroundings became bright and clear shortly after and a distant sound of running water entered his ears. The three of them looked up and around them and saw orioles flying above the tall grass, butterflies fluttering in the air, as well as green hills and clear waters in the distance. It was a tranquil and auspicious land.

Xiao Chen spotted a stone bridge nearby and remembered that this was ten kilometers away from Lingtai Town. This was where he first met Li Muxue.

Being here, he couldn’t help recalling how he had come here to enter the Three Pure Sect. Thousands signed up but only a dozen or so remained. It had just been two years, but the sect must have undergone tremendous changes since.

“Is this your hometown, Master? Though the Spiritual Qi here is much thinner, it’s on par with Violet Manor! Hehe! Why don’t we just stay here forever?”

Ziyun’er looked rather cheerful with a butterfly resting on her cupped hand. Qingluan immediately shot her a glare. “Watch your manners when you’re in front of our Master!”

Ziyun’er stuck out her tongue and said nothing more. Xiao Chen looked up and saw the color yellow gradually tainting the clouds as the evening crept into the night. It must be almost six. He said, “Let’s go!”

He led the ladies toward Lingtai Mountain and reached the canyon where he took his first examination. There seemed to be no end to the clouds and mist that filled the air. Even the iron ropes that connected both sides disappeared out of view.

But he could come and go as he pleased even when he didn’t have any cultivation, much less when he was now a true Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. With a leap, he left behind a shadow and landed on the other end of the canyon before the shadow even dissipated. Qingluan and Ziyun’er caught up to him, though a little slower.

Xiao Chen’s expression gradually turned solemn. Why couldn’t he feel the spirit energy fluctuation in the Grand Defensive Formation of Lingtai Mountain? Why weren’t there any disciples guarding the mountain…?