Chapter Twenty: Shouldering Important Responsibilities

  Qionghua Sect's front mountain is a huge square paved with Han white jade, in the center of which stands the statue of Jiutian Xuannü, also carved out of white jade, vivid and lifelike. The halls, pavilions, and houses around the square are arranged according to the Bagua diagram. The grass is lush and green everywhere, and under the square is a pool carved out of the ground, with water from the Kunlun Spring flowing gently. From afar, the entire Qionghua Sect looks like a celestial city floating on the water.

  At the end of the square, several marble bridges are lined up, and behind them stand three Taoist temples, all with glazed tiles on top, jade stones for bricks, very majestic and solemn. Behind the Taoist temples, the Kunlun Mountains rise into the sky, with clouds and mist swirling around, as if they were also vaguely shrouded in a layer of mystery, making the scene even more breathtaking. The sound of water flows continuously under the bridge, and the mountain light and shadow on the emerald green water are also slightly rippling, suddenly two white shadows appear in it, but only for an instant before passing by.

  In front of the three Taoist temples, there is a very wide jade step, layered upwards, nearly a hundred to a thousand. The main hall in the middle has a gate that is over ten feet high, with a golden plaque above it, inscribed with the three large characters "Qiong Hua Gong". This is where the Master Taiching True Person usually handles important matters of the sect.

  Su Xuan followed Xuán Zhèn to this place, although the gate was wide open, he didn't dare take another step forward. In the great hall were arranged four large chairs made of sandalwood, one in the center and three below on either side. Only the topmost chair and the lower left chair had people sitting on them, also wearing blue and white Taoist robes, but the style and pattern were completely different from those worn by Xuán Zhèn and his young fellow disciples.

  Xuan Zhen stepped across the threshold and sat down, and the old man in the middle immediately noticed him. The old man's hair was silver, neatly tied under his Daoist crown, and his three long white beards were also snow-white. His face was clear and thin, his eyes were deep and spirited, and there was no smile on his face, very majestic. He was the current leader of the Qionghua Sect and Xuan Zhen's master, Tai Qing True Man.

  Tai Qing spoke first, "Xuan Zhen, I ordered you to come here, why did you arrive so late?"

  Xuan Zhen bowed his head and said, "Please forgive me, Master. I was feeling uneasy in my heart just now, so I went to the back mountain to clear my mind under the shade of flowers. When I heard from Shifu that you and Qingyang Elder were looking for me, I rushed over, but it seems I'm still late."

  Another person sitting below smiled and said, "What's the hurry or not? You don't have to be too flustered, Xuan Zhen. The Master is just asking a question, come forward quickly." This person looked much younger than Qing Chen, with a more gentle expression, it was indeed the Elder Qing Yang. As a cultivator with deep powers, his face naturally looked youthful, twelve years ago he could still maintain a young appearance, but now although his face had not changed much, his hair was already streaked with white.

  Xuan Zhen hastily walked through the great hall and arrived at the foot of the stairs in front of Tai Qing True Man, where he stood still with his head bowed and his sleeves folded. He only listened as Tai Qing True Man said from above: "Xuan Zhen, it has been over ten years since you entered the sect, hasn't it?"

  Xuan Zhen nodded and said: "It has been twelve years already."

  "On that day, Qingyang and Chongguang, two of your junior brothers, brought you into the Qionghua Sect's mountain gate. You were just a young man with no cultivation at all. Now, after cultivating, you have already made some small achievements, and can be considered one of the leading young disciples of the sect."

  Xuan Zhen bowed and said, "It's all thanks to Master and the two uncles' careful teaching. If not for the two uncles saving me, I'm afraid I would have died in the mountains long ago. And if not for Master taking me in as a disciple, there wouldn't be today's disciple."

  Tai Qing's voice was soft and gentle, seemingly delighted by Xuan Zhen's words. He paused for a moment before continuing: "You have superior innate qualities, a rare and precious jade material. Your temperament is also extremely stable and mature. As your master, I am thrilled to have you as my disciple. Now that your cultivation has achieved success, if the Qinghua Sect has use for you, I wonder what you think in your heart?"

  Xuan Zhen didn't hesitate and said straightforwardly: "I will certainly do my best, no matter what."

  Tai Qing was even more pleased and said, "Very good. The Qionghua Sect has always had a rule that once the disciples who enter the door reach a certain level of cultivation, they can go out into the world to travel. Now you can go down the mountain!"

  Xuan Zhen was taken aback, and before he knew it, he had lifted his head and exclaimed: "Going down the mountain?"

  "Not bad," said the Taoist, stroking his beard. "Three days later, some disciples will go down the mountain to buy things, you can follow them and leave with them. After going down the mountain, there's no need for you to return with them."

  Xuan Zhen was even more astonished, and in his heart, a thread of longing quietly rose. Before he entered the sect, he had encountered misfortune and lost all his memories. His impression of the mountain below was only a vague shadow seen from above when he flew over with Qing Yang and Chong Guang, two elder swordsmen. He had also heard many interesting stories about the mountain below from his junior brothers and sisters, and he had been curious for some time. As for those unknown things in the mortal world, now that he had an opportunity to experience them personally, his face remained very calm, but his heart was already stirring with excitement.

  Tai Qing Zhen Ren continued, "Xuan Zhen, listen carefully. Descending the mountain to travel is just a facade; in reality, there is another important task that I must entrust to you. Here, I have an ancient jade called 'Ling Guang Mo Yu'. You will carry it with you at all times. This Ling Guang Mo Yu is extremely precious, and even with the power of the Qing Hua Sect, we were only able to obtain two pieces. You absolutely cannot lose it!" As he spoke, he took out a round, flat piece of white jade from his sleeve, and with a light flick of his finger, the jade flew over to him.

  Xuan Zhen took it in his hand, and as soon as he touched it, he felt a cool sensation. The white jade had moss-like patterns carved on it, but otherwise looked ordinary.

  Qingyang Elder smiled and said, "This piece of Lingguang Jade is not ordinary. It has a strong affinity for the power of yin and yang. If it's close to something with extreme yin or yang properties, it will emit a soft white glow."

  Xuan Zhen lowered his head and looked at the Ling Guang Miao Yu in his hand, slightly surprised.

  Tai Qing Zhen Ren stood up from his chair and stood on the steps, saying: "What Elder Qing Yang said is correct. You take this piece of Ling Guang Mo Yu, after going down the mountain, you will have to search everywhere to find people with extremely strong yin and yang in their fate. If someone's fate has extremely strong yin or yang, this piece of Ling Guang Mo Yu will remind you. In any case, you must bring that person back to the Qiong Hua Sect."

  Xuan Zhen sensed that something was off and asked suspiciously, "Why must we go find the person with extremely strong yin-yang aura? What if he doesn't want to return to Kunlun Mountain with me?"

  Tai Qing Zhen Ren solemnly said: "This concerns a major matter of our sect, no matter what, regardless of whether the person is willing or not, he must be brought back to Qiong Hua!"

  Xuan Zhen was silent and did not speak.

  Taiqing True Man said, "If this piece of spiritual light jade is with someone who has extremely strong yin and yang energy for a long time, the white light on it will gradually weaken. This is because it adapts to that person's breath, so don't worry about it. However, if you encounter that person in a crowded place, it might be a bit troublesome. You absolutely cannot mistake them, otherwise, it would be a big mistake!"

  Elder Qingyang saw that Taiching Zhenren was becoming increasingly stern, so he intervened to ease the tension: "Xuanzhen, you don't have to be too anxious. People with extremely strong yin and yang energies are rare in the world, and it's not necessary to blame yourself if you can't find them. Moreover, the process of searching is also a form of travel. If there's nowhere else to go, why not start from Huangshan? That's where I met you and Chongguang Shidi back then. The memories you lost that day still haven't been recovered, and as the Dragon Egg Elder, I often feel guilty about it. Taking this opportunity to search for them in Huangshan might just help you recall the past, which would be a joyful event."

  Xuan Zhen just bowed his head and said: "Yes." In his heart, he already knew that no matter what, he would have to make this trip down the mountain.

  Tai Qing Zhenren said, "After going down the mountain, be cautious in all things. Three days later, I will have Su Yao and Su Xiang accompany you to cover up for others' ears and eyes. After leaving the sect, you can search alone. This matter must not be told to anyone else, remember!" Having said that, he ordered Xuán Zhèn to withdraw and pack his bags.

  Three days later, Xuan Zhen, Su Yao and Su Ying got up early in the morning, bid farewell to their fellow disciples at the gate, and set off from the mountain gate. The young disciples of the sect had already learned that the three of them had obtained the permission of the master to go down the mountain and travel around, and they were all envious.

  Upon arriving at the mountain gate, the disciples who had gone down the mountain to make purchases were already waiting there. However, each of them was carrying a large bundle on their back that looked swollen and full, which didn't seem like they were for buying things but rather for sending things down the mountain.

  "Hey, a few of you junior brothers, what are you carrying on your backs?"

  One of the disciples saw him ask, and replied: "This is food sent to those who live on the mountain waist. Qingyang Elder has an order that although they are not qualified to enter our Qionghua Sect, their perseverance and determination are commendable. So when we go down the mountain to buy things, we take some clean water and vegetables along the way to give them, which is better than gnawing on those hard dry rations all day."

  Although the Qionghua Sect is hidden in the Kunlun Mountains, there are still disciples who can come and go with their swords. As a result, the villagers at the foot of the mountain all know that they have the support of the immortal mountains, and many seekers of immortality also come to pay homage. To get to Qionghua, apart from flying swords, there is only one mountain road that can be walked. However, there are many array formations set up along the way, and due to the dense spiritual energy in the mountains, many spirits and monsters have emerged. Therefore, this road has also been given a very elegant name called "Taiyi Xianjing".

  In the Taiyi Immortal Path, all the layers of danger are set up by people from the Qionghua Sect. There is a hidden meaning to avoid harassment from petty thieves, and also to test those who want to enter the mountain gate. However, if one wants to join the sect and cultivate, besides passing through the Taiyi Immortal Path to reach the mountain gate, they must also pass a trial set by the sect. Those who pass become Qionghua disciples, while those who fail have many who are unwilling to leave the mountain. These people settle in the mountainside, cultivating bitterly as they wait for the next trial. The Qingyang Elder and the young disciples he mentioned refer to them.

  Several people set off immediately and went down the mountain. The Ta Yi Xian Jing is divided into three parts from top to bottom: the Xuan Ji Dao, the Bai He Dao, and the Zi Wei Dao. Each part has different checkpoints due to the different environment. Those who were not willing to go down the mountain and were eliminated built thatched cottages on the Bai He Dao in the middle of the mountain. Here, whether going up or down the mountain, you can return within a day, and it is relatively cheap to go for trials or buy dry food.

  Xuan Zhen and the three of them arrived at the mountain waist with their disciples, and indeed saw a dozen or so low thatched cottages. In front of and behind the houses, there were more than ten men and women practicing on their own, some practicing sword fighting and boxing, others meditating and breathing exercises. Seeing the Qiong Hua disciples coming down from the mountain, they all gathered around. The young disciples handed over the packages to them, and those people thanked them repeatedly.

  At the sight of this, Su Xuan found it interesting and stepped forward to grab a young woman and ask her questions. Su Yao was cold and proud by nature, silently standing at the crossroads without saying a word. Xuan Zhen stood beside her, looking towards the crowd, just then, someone suddenly pushed through the crowd from under the eaves of the house and rushed in front of him, knocking his head repeatedly and shouting: "Immortal save me, immortal save me!"

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