Chapter Seven: Ling Yun’er
Chapter Seven: Ling Yun’er
Chapter Two: A Perilous Encounter with Immortals, Heart Stirred by the Crimson Enchantress (Part Four)
At the beginning of the dance, one could still discern the outline of a human figure. But as the movements grew swifter, only a mass of emerald light remained, swirling and darting through the air like a wandering dragon. Amidst it all, faint rumblings of thunder seemed to echo. This was the “Nine Heavens Thunder Sword” from the “Compendium of the Way,” created by the Thunder-wielding Immortal, Master True Thunder, a sword immortal of the previous generation. It was his signature art, and when mastered, a single flying sword could transform into the thunder of the nine heavens—its might extraordinary.
Ye Hua had been practicing this sword technique for over half a year, but his previous command of the Dao was shallow; he possessed only the form and none of its true power. Only today, with his Dao essence surging, did he begin to reveal a hint of its true force.
After his practice, Ye Hua was drenched in sweat. Night had deepened, so he found a clean room in which to rest. At dawn, he ventured out to forage for food, then returned to the temple hall to sit cross-legged. He took out his supply of elixirs—“Jade Tiger Pill,” “Spirit Source Powder,” “Fat Qi Spiritual Essence” and the like—and consulted the Secret Codex of Ghost Valley. He learned they were all foundation-nourishing medicines of the Fire Cloud Sect. While not true immortal elixirs, for someone like Ye Hua, whose Dao foundation was weak, their effectiveness was remarkable; without thinking, he swallowed several of each.
If the Fire God Sovereign knew that Ye Hua was consuming, with such nonchalance, those precious pills acquired through great hardship, he would likely be driven to madness.
After eating, Ye Hua sat quietly to meditate and cultivate his energy. When he awoke, it was already dusk again, and he returned to his room to rest. In this manner, more than a month passed. Ye Hua found his Dao essence had deepened significantly compared to a month ago, though its recent increase was slight. He mused, “Could I have already reached the third bottleneck? How could it happen so quickly?”
Ordinarily, reaching the third bottleneck in cultivation would take at least five or six years—even prodigies would require a year or two, unless aided by miraculous treasures like the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus or the Netherworld Dark Lotus, which could save decades of effort. But such rare spiritual treasures require not only fate but also profound mastery of the Dao. If Ye Hua had not absorbed the Dao essence of the Fire God Sovereign by chance, nor consumed so many painstakingly acquired spirit medicines, reaching his current state would have taken him five or six years.
Still, Ye Hua resolved to meditate for some days longer, to stabilize his foundation.
A few more days passed. As Ye Hua was quietly meditating, a sudden unease stirred within him. He heard the rustle of footsteps—disordered, as if four or five people approached. Faintly, a few words blew in on the wind: “Senior Brother, the cunning rabbit has three burrows—might the Fire God Sovereign be hiding here? If we’re late… The time limit is up; if we fail, we’ll simply return and confess our defeat to Master!”
The voices and steps grew closer to the temple gates. “How could anyone come to this deep mountain forest? I haven’t seen a soul in over a month—could they be accomplices of that demon? What should I do now? It’s my fault for lingering here so long.”
Fear and regret welled up in Ye Hua’s heart. He rose quietly, hiding behind the stone idol in the temple hall, holding his breath. The footsteps drew near. Suddenly, a voice called at the door, “Fire Demon, the Twin Jade Swords of Mount Wutai have come to uphold justice! Show yourself at once!”
Hearing this, Ye Hua breathed a sigh of relief. “They are friends, not foes! Mount Wutai?”
He then recalled the curses the Fire God Sovereign had once uttered, having suffered a setback at the hands of several disciples from Mount Wutai—most notably, the abbot Zhi Ku of the Jade Mountain Temple on the Northern Terrace of Mount Wutai—leaving his Dao essence gravely diminished. Could these “Twin Jade Swords” be related to that abbot?
As these thoughts crossed Ye Hua’s mind, a loud crash resounded. The newcomers had evidently broken down the temple door. “Fire God Sovereign, spare us your tricks! Remove your enchantments—we won’t fall for your deceptions. Today, you will not escape!” Suddenly, a melodious female voice rang out—soft and clear, as pleasing as an oriole’s song in spring, delightful to the ear.
Ye Hua’s heart quivered. “I never imagined such a beautiful voice existed in this world!” Just as the thought took hold, a chill ran through him; a swift sound sliced through the air toward him.
Alarmed, Ye Hua leapt aside. As he rolled across the ground, a tremendous crash sounded behind him. “Oh? It’s just a young man!” “Not the Fire Demon?” Several voices of surprise.
When Ye Hua’s tumble ceased and the dust had settled, he saw before him three young men and a maiden. The leading youth gripped a sword shining with radiant light. Glancing back, Ye Hua saw the temple idol had been cleaved in two—one half toppled to the ground, evidently by the youth’s flying sword.
All four appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. The three young men wore scholars’ robes—one, dressed in white, seemed especially mature, and regarded Ye Hua with surprise. The other two, attired in azure, were strikingly handsome but looked somewhat younger; they, too, eyed Ye Hua with curiosity.
When Ye Hua’s gaze fell upon the maiden, his mind buzzed. She wore robes of cloud-patterned brocade, her figure delicate and graceful, a faint smile playing about her lips. Her eyes shone like stars, her white teeth like rows of jade, and her vermilion lips parted gently. She stood tall and elegant, radiating beauty and poise, a vision of grace that eclipsed all the world.
It was early spring. In the courtyard, plum blossoms bloomed in profusion, their jeweled branches and snowy petals reflecting the maiden’s charm. Bathed in the morning sun, the flowers vied for beauty and smiled coyly at those who beheld them, making the maiden’s skin seem all the more lustrous and fair—like snow, purer than cream. Blossoms and face alike glowed with ethereal brilliance, her radiance dazzling, her beauty unmatched in the mortal realm.
As Ye Hua gazed in a slight daze, the maiden’s cheeks flushed with shyness; her heart raced as she rebuked softly, “Who are you? Are you the disciple of the Fire God Sovereign?”
The older youth smiled, “Junior sister, don’t be hasty! Brother, you must have been startled. Forgive us—may we know your name? Your Dao essence is shallow, but you are righteous, not one of the Ghost Dao. You are surely not the Fire God Sovereign’s ally.”
Ye Hua, captivated by the maiden’s every movement—her gentle smile, her fleeting anger—felt his heart pound, scarcely hearing the senior’s words.
The maiden laughed lightly, “Hey! You rascal! My senior brother is speaking to you—why don’t you answer? Is the ground so comfortable? Why aren’t you up yet?”
Startled, Ye Hua sprang to his feet. “Oh! Ah! What? Forgive me, I’m sorry!”
The maiden covered her mouth and giggled. “Why are you here? Do you know where the Fire God Sovereign has gone?”
Ye Hua scratched his head. “I was captured and brought here by the Fire God Sovereign some days ago. Two days ago, he disappeared, and I don’t know where he went.”
Hearing this, the white-robed youth frowned slightly. “Brother, since that demon is gone, why didn’t you escape?”
Ye Hua sighed, “Alas, that demon’s mastery of cloud-riding is profound. No matter how far I fled in these wild mountains, he could catch me with ease. I thought it best to remain and watch for an opportunity.”
The youth nodded. “Indeed. Brother, what is your name?”
“My name is Ye Hua, from Fuping.”
“Ye Hua? That sounds familiar… Ah, I remember! Senior Brother, do you recall a month ago, at the foot of Lesser Mount Wutai, when we searched for the Fire God Sovereign? Someone asked us about a child swept away by a great black wind—his name was Ye Hua!” said one of the younger, azure-robed youths.
The white-robed youth nodded, “Yes, I remember. At the time, I surmised he must have been abducted by the Fire God Sovereign. As it turns out, I was correct!”
He smiled at Ye Hua, “Brother Ye, you must have suffered greatly this past month. To have escaped the demon’s cruelty is a blessing.”
He then came forward apologetically. “We were too rash and frightened you—please forgive us. Let me introduce my junior brothers and sister.” He led Ye Hua to the others.
“I was hiding behind the idol—no blame to you all for mistaking me for the demon,” Ye Hua said, steadying himself and following the youth.
“We are disciples of the Jade Mountain Temple, Ye Dou Peak, Northern Terrace of Mount Wutai. These are my fourth and fifth junior brothers, Qing Xia and Qing Yu, known as the Twin Jade Swords.” He gestured to the azure-robed youths, then to the maiden. “This is our youngest junior sister, ‘Fairy Qingyao,’ Ling Xueyun.”
The white-robed youth paused, then said, “My name is Bai Shisong, their senior brother.”
“It’s a great honor to meet such heroes of the sword,” Ye Hua replied, his eyes shining with admiration and his heart swelling with delight. Though he knew little of sword immortals, the title “hero” alone marked them as righteous. To hear that they hailed from so renowned a sect as Jade Mountain Temple, Ye Dou Peak, Northern Terrace of Mount Wutai, was even more impressive. If he could befriend them, would it not be a stroke of great fortune?
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Bai Shisong asked, “Brother Ye, do you know the recent whereabouts of the Fire God Sovereign? We have sought him for a long time. Last time, near Lesser Mount Wutai, we managed to corner and wound him, but he used a secret art to self-detonate his treasure and escape. Now, after much effort, we have found his lair, only to discover he is not here.”
Ye Hua considered carefully. “I cannot tell them I slew the Fire God Sovereign; even if I did, they would likely doubt me.” So he replied, “Indeed, during my time here, the demon meditated constantly, his face golden as if practicing some wondrous art. Only when he coughed blood did I realize he was wounded within. Recently he seemed to recover, but two days ago he went out and has not returned.”
Bai Shisong pondered, “Has he ever behaved this way before?”
Ye Hua replied, “A few times recently he went out, but always returned quickly—never like this.”
Qing Yu said, “Senior brother, I think he must have gone to seek medicine. As Brother Ye says, he will surely return. Let us lie in wait and see what happens.”
Bai Shisong agreed, “That’s our only choice; otherwise, this journey will be in vain. Junior sister Ling, junior brothers, what do you think?”
Ling Xueyun and Qing Xia nodded. “We will follow your lead, senior brother.”
Bai Shisong said, “Then let us act at once. I will set the Golden Light Demon-Subduing Formation in the courtyard. You two, prepare your Twin Jade Swords. Junior sister, lay out your Celestial Red Silk. Once the demon enters the courtyard, we’ll strike and catch him off guard!”
“Very well, senior brother!” Ling Xueyun replied.
“Brother Ye, stay inside and act as though nothing is amiss. When we strike, do not come out—you will not be harmed,” Bai Shisong instructed with a smile.
Ye Hua thought, “They may wait forever for the demon who will never return.” Aloud, he said, “Excellent. Please be careful. I will remain in the temple while you conceal yourselves.”
Bai Shisong nodded. “Let’s begin, everyone.” With a gesture, a crystalline lotus appeared before him, radiating Buddha’s light and dazzling brilliance—clearly no ordinary object. The lotus floated to the center of the courtyard and vanished.
Qing Xia and Qing Yu also made gestures, each summoning a sword—one with a dragon-shaped hilt, the other a phoenix. Their blades gleamed cold and sharp, so much so that Ye Hua felt a chill pierce his heart. “What are these swords forged from, to be so formidable?”
The swords soared into the sky and disappeared. Before Ye Hua’s chill had faded, a wave of heat rose in his chest. He turned to see a red silk ribbon, glowing like flickering flames, weaving through the air before vanishing.
“That must be Senior Sister Ling’s Celestial Red Silk—what power! It must be a supreme treasure.”
As Ye Hua pondered, Bai Shisong smiled, “Brother Ye, we’ll conceal ourselves in the side hall. You stay here.” Without another word, the four transformed into four streaks of light and vanished into the adjoining chamber.