Chapter 2: Borrowing a Touch of Fate

  Time flies, and another spring has arrived.

  In a long and narrow mountain valley of Lianhua Mountain, hundreds of flowers are in full bloom.

  The sky suddenly darkened, a strong wind rose from the ground, and petals were blown into the air.

  When heaven and earth returned to silence, a procession of celestial beings suddenly appeared on the tranquil mountain top.

  Xuan Yi, the Upper Immortal, stepped down from his celestial chariot with a slow and deliberate pace. His face, once warm and gentle, had transformed into an unprecedented somberness. He gazed at the mountain valley below, speechless, as the aura around him weighed heavily on everyone present, rendering them motionless and silent.

  The entourage was fully armed. He Yue and He Song stood at the front of the team, exchanged a glance, and shook their heads quietly.

  They knew that Zun Shang had received news of the reappearance of his long-lost beloved disciple, Dao Jing, and was leading a group of people to kill him, fearing that they would not rest until they turned Mount Su upside down.

  It's strange to say, the superior is obviously anxious, but doesn't allow asking for help from his immortal family. Qingxu Zhenren has come five or six times in a row, but not even seen him. Today, can we really find Daojing here? In fact, everyone is uncertain in their hearts.

  Xuan Yi stood silently, his left hand subconsciously reaching for his waist, but a moment later, he felt nothing.

  Originally, his sword should have been hanging there.

  Xuan Yi's face was as calm as water, and his gaze towards the mountain valley deepened a little more.

  The numerous creatures in the mountain valley are unaware of the great event that is about to occur, and the flowers continue to bloom with abandon.

  Apricot tree stretched a lazy waist, petals fluttered down, and fell on the peach tree that was one head shorter than her.

  "Apricot sister, please be careful, these petals falling on your body are really ugly."

  "Be less pretentious. You think I'm envious of your rosy cheeks? Who told you to be shorter than me?"

  The peach tree really wanted to put its hands on its waist and scold loudly, but unfortunately it had no hands.

  "Have you ever seen a peach tree taller than an apricot tree? You think I don't want to grow tall?"

  Apricot tree still waiting for mouth, but heard a young man's voice:

  "Idiot!"

  "Who?"

  "Who just spoke?"

  The apricot tree looked around and found no one. To think of it, it had been a long time since anyone came, these days in the mountain were really quite lonely.

  She glanced at the peach tree which had always been at odds with her and stretched out its branches to poke her.

  "What's wrong with you?"

  "Not much, how long has it been since we last saw an outsider?"

  The peach tree looked at a small wildflower on the empty land not far away: "It was when that guy moved here last time, wasn't it? That's been dozens of years ago."

  Apricot tree as usual sarcasm: "So many years have passed, how are you still so mediocre?"

  "Nonsense, you're also growing taller." The peach tree pointed at the small grass: "That guy is really depressed".

  "Right? Look at her when she first came, she was wearing that ugly flower bud, and it still hasn't bloomed till now, is she stupid or something?"

  "I don't know, the last time I sent her to that person was so annoying, he actually circled out such a large area for her, not allowing our roots to grow in that direction. Otherwise, I would have dug him up long ago."

  "What about you? You have the ability, last time when we had an earthquake here, several evil spirits ran out, why didn't you run?"

  "Come on, come here, don't stay there..."

  "SHUT UP!!!!!" The voice was twice as loud, and it was still that young man.

  "Who?"

  "Who is speaking?"

  "Hey, over here!"

  "Where?"

  "Where is it?"

  Two trees looked around, and finally the shorter peach tree was the first to spot a small tree standing at its feet. This tree grew in a strange way, resembling a pagoda tree but not quite, with several small yellow flowers blooming on it, yet its roots were all exposed above the ground.

  "Little monster tree, was it you who just spoke?"

  The little tree nodded slightly, as if saying "good!"

  Apricot tree heard the voice but was blocked by peach tree and couldn't see: "Where did you come from, wild tree? I haven't seen you before?"

  "What nonsense is going on in your head?"

  "How can you talk like that?"

  The little tree sighed: "Alas, I am indeed a rustic foolish woman."

  Apricot tree's whole body shuddered, petals fell down like rain.

  "Ah-choo!"

  A youth slowly walked out from under the peach tree, his skin slightly dark, with a pair of round big eyes that were quite pleasing to look at. His head was tied up in a loose ponytail, wearing a light yellow short shirt, with earthy yellow pants tied around his legs, and a small piece of celadon pendant hanging from his waist. As soon as he poked out half of his body, he frowned and let out a sneeze, rubbing his nose discontentedly at the apricot tree: "I say you're too fragrant, it's simply gaudy."

  "Pshaw! I'm enjoying myself, mind your own business!"

  "How...how did you become human?"

  "Alas! Foolish woman, foolish woman." The young man turned his back on them and no longer paid attention to them.

  He walked over and sat down beside the lonely little wildflower: "Luojian, they bullied you, why didn't you say anything?"

  “……”

  "I'm saying, when can you finally open your spiritual aperture?"

  “……”

  The young man didn't get an answer, so he simply rested his arm and lay down on the ground covered with fallen petals, sleeping peacefully accompanied by the warm spring breeze.

  Actually, Luo Jian's heart was very clear, and she had been listening to what others said all along. Unfortunately, after more than a decade, she still couldn't grasp the knack of speaking up, so she remained silent.

  She looked at the young man beside her, trying hard to recall his name. Wasn't it Mengmu? She had met him once ten years ago when she was first aware of her ability to sense all things. What had he said to her back then?

  Lu Jing thought and thought, thinking that the leaves were a bit wilted, but he really couldn't remember.

  But it's pretty good this way. Luojian thought to himself, he was originally just a wildflower, and the climate here was great, apart from not letting mice and insects get close, there really weren't any other demands.

  The young man was having a good dream and murmured a few sentences unconsciously.

  Lu Jian really wanted to yawn and was a bit sleepy.

  In a daze, she seemed to hear the sound of speech again.

  A man's voice, loud enough to almost shock her into flight, startled Lu Jing into wakefulness, only to find that the young man was nowhere to be seen.

  "Gibberish, mumbo-jumbo, blah blah blah..."

  Alright, I don't understand a single word, what is this saying? It's definitely not the standard common language of the Elves.

  The man was tall and majestic, with deep facial features, wearing a red robe, holding a red staff in his hand. He stood not far in front of him, speaking towards the direction behind himself.

  As soon as the man finished speaking, a woman's voice suddenly came from behind him.

  Although I still don't understand, it sounds really good. Lu Jing had heard many female voices, but this voice was even more pleasant than the ones she had heard before. Listening to it made her feel comfortable in her heart, just like the warm stream flowing over her hand under the sunset.

  Of course, if she has a backhand.

  The conversation between the two people continued for a while, and then she heard a rustling sound, which was the woman behind her leaving.

  The man in red robes was still standing there, as if he was thinking.

  "Hey, hey, why aren't you leaving yet?" Lu Jian shouted in his heart. This man was terrifying, and he felt like he would fly over and snatch away your most precious things at any moment.

  Just as she was indulging in her wild thoughts, the man in red suddenly lowered his head and looked at Lu Jing, as if he had heard her inner voice.

  Lu Jing felt a strong gaze and was so scared that she immediately pretended to be dead.

  Although she was pretending to be dead, after the red-robed man left, she found that she really couldn't move anymore. Although she had always been unable to move, this time Yezi couldn't even stand up. Looking around at her grass and wood friends, they were all limp and lifeless.

  I'm dead, I'm really dead this time!

  The mountain valley was like an autumn wind passing through, with withered flowers and leaves, a deathly silence, without even the sounds of birds or beasts, and even the usually noisy peach and plum trees were silent.

  Lu Jing felt a chill run down his spine, as if his anger had been sucked out of him. His consciousness began to blur.

  After a while, a warm feeling emerged from the ground and filled his entire body along the roots, and Luojian found himself standing upright again. Not only himself, but all the flowers, grasses, and trees in the valley were gradually reviving, and a warm and auspicious aura drove away the deathly atmosphere that had pervaded before.

  There was a flowing light in the air, accompanied by invisible ripples, wave after wave shook open. Lu Jian stretched out the flower buds and finally saw that at the end of the valley, at the end of the flowing light, an immortal was walking slowly towards him.

  The tall figure of the immortal gradually became clear, and Lu Jian only felt that he had grown eyes at this moment.

  He wore a blue nine-chapter coronet, with colorful clouds flowing on his large sleeves, and a complex set of pendants hanging from his waist. He looked majestic and dignified, and it was hard to describe how noble he was, which made him stand out in this mountain village. The spring breeze blew away the flower petals, and his beautiful cloak and sash also fluttered lightly. Every step he took, the small grass and flowers on the ground became more vibrant.

  As he drew closer, Lu Jing could see his features clearly. His skin was even whiter than the white jade crown on his head, and his lips were as bright red as the dragon-patterned ruby hairpin. Two long eyebrows entered his temples, and his warm eyes seemed like stars at the edge of the sky that couldn't be reached. His gaze contained sorrow.

  He walked up to Lu Jian's front, with his hands behind his back. He seemed to be scrutinizing the surroundings, yet appeared to be thinking of something, and all the spirits of the grass and trees held their breath in anticipation.

  Suddenly, he smiled, and although that faint smile was as fleeting as a flower petal falling into the water and rippling outwards, in that instant, all the plants in front of him burst forth with flowers, the sound of blossoming flowers filling his ears.

  Looking at the scene in front of him, he slightly furrowed his brow, seemingly somewhat distressed by such enthusiasm. This was getting out of hand, and in an instant, all the petals were like they had gotten drunk, dyed with a touch of crimson red.

  Lu Jing gazed at the hem of his robe, which was near at hand. The silver thread embroidery on the icy blue silk fabric, with patterns such as sun, moon, stars, tiger and crane blades, etc., seemed to be flashing with a flowing light, as if the tiger was about to jump down, and the crane could fly up at any time.

  "Immortal brother, take a look at me, I have flower buds too. Take a look at me, and maybe I'll bloom, take a look at me!"

  Lu Jing's anxious cry in her heart, wondering if the flower would burst today. The immortal seemed to have heard her inner voice too, and surprisingly withdrew his gaze from afar, seriously sizing her up.

  ... saw Xianren's straight face, and Luojian completely forgot about opening flowers.

  The immortal slightly pondered, stretched out his hand to smooth his long hair behind his head, and untied a red hairband. This hairband was about an inch wide and three feet long, with fine red silk satin shining brightly, and auspicious cloud patterns at the end were adorned with teardrop-shaped blue jade stones, extremely beautiful and luxurious.

  Lu Jing stared blankly at his elegant hanging hands and actually tied the hairband around himself!

  His raven-black and glossy long hair fell on the flower leaves.

  Lu Jing tried her best to lift the flower leaves, and in this instant, she seemed to have a sense of touch. The hair was so soft and fine that if she had a nose, it would be bleeding profusely at this moment.

  "So beautiful..."

  Luoyi fainted.

  Rumble!!!

  A loud thunderbolt struck down, and the entire mountain valley shook.

  The deer arrow suddenly woke up, and the scene in front of her was stunned!

  The hurricane swept across the land, uprooting towering ancient trees, shattering all vegetation into fragments, and scorching the earth black. Flying birds and running beasts wailed and fled in terror.

  Dark clouds pressed down on the mountain peaks, and without the shelter of trees, Lu Jian saw two clusters of light, one blue and one red, entwining and leaping about on a distant summit.

  The two clusters of light and shadow were wrapped in a stormy wind and rain, flying closer and closer.

  Suddenly a red light landed first, Lu Jian saw clearly that it was the red-robed man he had seen before.

  This man had an injury on his left shoulder, with his arm hanging weakly down, and his right hand grasping a staff, his entire body filled with brutal energy.

  He had just stood firm when he suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood, carelessly wiping it off with the tattered sleeve of his robe, and shouted loudly at the distant sky:

  "Where is your sword?"

  "Why kill you with a sword?" The voice was calm and cold as frost.

  The man in red robe smiled instead: "I think you're reluctant to kill me, I admit defeat, you win, Xuan Yi!"

  "Xuanyi?" Lu Jian unknowingly understood their conversation, she silently muttered these two words in her heart.

  "Sounds really good, whose name is it?"

  The rain has stopped, but the wind has not ceased, and the dark clouds above seem to be pressing down even lower.

  The man in red robe had a resentful look on his face. "I've been beaten by you so badly, isn't that enough?"

  The wind subsided, and a cold, ethereal voice drifted in from afar: "Demon King, you have let loose the demonic beasts to wreak havoc on humanity, and destroyed my immortal realm's treasure trove. You should know that I, an immortal, have come today to take your life."

  The man in red robes sneered and waved his staff: "Those trashy broken things, I don't care about them at all. If you're willing..."

  "You should know, I don't want to!"

  "Roar!" The red-robed man smiled bitterly: "That's right, you are now a superior immortal, no longer the Xiao Qiao who played the flute to summon white cranes on Mount Songgao back then. I'm afraid you wouldn't look down on me, an old friend from humble beginnings. Now that we're immortals and demons with different paths, it's better to sever our ties, isn't that what you mean, Superior Immortal?"

  A blue figure descended from the sky, Lu Jian's attention was fully focused on it. When the light dissipated, it turned out to be that immortal in blue robes.