Chapter 83 – A Summer of Change

  Spring had quietly given way to summer in the Tranquil Mountain Sect. The gentle rains and blooming plum blossoms of the past season had vanished, replaced by golden sunlight that poured down over jade-tiled roofs and pine-covered peaks.

  The air was much warmer now, even on the mountain, and the hum of cicadas and the smell of herbs filled the paths throughout the Outer Sect. Disciples trained in the summer sun, their skin glistening with sweat, and the winds carried the dry heat of midsummer across the Sect grounds.

  In the center of the Outer Sect, where the most talented Disciples lived, Ren Qiu was standing in his courtyard, bathed in the bright sunlight that burned directly above him. The stone tiles beneath his feet were scorched and cracked from repeated impacts, a testament to the intensity of his training.

  His upper body was bare, revealing lean and honed muscle of a frame that was showing less signs of belonging to a spoiled young master, but that of a cultivator who was attempting to claw his way back from humiliation and defeat.

  Each breath he took was controlled, and each movement of his hands and feet were executed with purpose. Flames erupted from the ground and shot into the air as Ren Qiu suddenly struck out in a flurry of punches and kicks.

  His Qi ignited the air, a physical manifestation of the fury he felt deep in his heart.

  Boom!

  His fist struck a reinforced stone pillar that had been placed there to assist with his training. The hard rock cracked loudly under the force of the Ren Clan’s Blazing Ember Fist.

  A gout of fire exploded from the impact, momentarily obscuring the courtyard around the young man. When the smoke cleared, he was already in motion. He flowed seamlessly into the next stance, the Ren Clan’s Crescent Flame Kick that scorched an arc across the courtyard and shattered the pillar in half.

  Ren Qiu had reached the 4th Level of Qi Condensation. It was an achievement that would have made the elders of the Ren Clan whisper his name as a prodigy and placed him firmly at the peak of his peers.

  But that was before the rot in his Clan had been exposed. Before Ren Sihan, his half-brother, betrayed the Clan and fled with his grandfather, the former Patriarch, into the embrace of demonic cultivation.

  Ren Qiu ground his teeth in anger as he struck again and again, shattering the stone training pillar into dust.

  “Ren Sihan. The next time we cross paths, it will be your end.” Ren Qiu muttered, his voice a low growl.

  Enraged at the thought of his brother’s betrayal, Ren Qiu’s movement grew even sharper and fiercer. His Qi flared dangerously, flickering from red to a deep orange as he pushed his limits of control.

  Nothing else mattered to him but vengeance. Soon, he would leave the Sect to seek life and death battles. His duel with Ren Sihan had revealed his weaknesses to him clearly. He needed to become stronger, less hesitant to fight, and more ruthless.

  “I will be the one to cleanse our family’s name.” Ren Qiu promised.

  Meanwhile, on the Upper Ridge where the Outer Sect Elders resided, someone else was contemplating the future.

  Elder Shen sat quietly in his courtyard, the late summer sun casting shadows across the stone tiles. A porcelain cup of steaming tea rested in his hand, its delicate fragrance curling into the air.

  But Shen Weifeng barely tasted it. His gaze was distant, and while his eyes were fixed on the garden in front of him, his thoughts rested on the countless burdens that were stirring behind his calm expression.

  His thoughts circled around Jun De.

  The boy was enduring the Ninefold Refinement Array, a brutal method of tempering the body and the mind that even seasoned cultivators would dread to employ. It was also incredibly expensive to operate, which is why the Sect limited access to it.

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  But the results spoke for themselves. It was one of the most effective methods the Sect had for improving a cultivator’s body. It was aptly named, as it literally refined oneself.

  For Vice Sect Master Mu Yanyu to use it as ‘punishment,’ it was clear to everyone that she was favouring Jun De and giving him an opportunity. Six months inside would cost more in spirit stones than the entire Nine-Treasure Pagoda would earn in that time.

  Elder Shen had approved the ‘punishment,’ but still, a knot of unease lingered in his chest.

  ‘Jun De is pushing himself too hard.’

  And he wasn’t the only one.

  Beyond Elder Shen’s courtyard walls, the entire Outer Sect was buzzing with activity. The clang of weapons, the hiss of Qi techniques, and the steady training echoed throughout the mountain. Disciples who had once trained half-heartedly were now moving with purpose.

  The spectre of the demonic cultivators was looming over them all, and fear was driving the Sect.

  The Sect Master and City Lord Han Zhengwu’s continued failure to find Xun Beiming sent a silent wave of dread throughout the Sect. If even two Nascent Soul experts couldn’t root out the danger, what chance did the younger generation have?

  Elder Shen sighed and set his cup down with a quiet clink.

  “A storm is coming, and the younger generation cannot weather it alone.” He said sadly, shaking his head.

  Elder Shen sat in silence for a long time. The sun arced across the sky, its light sliding slowly over the courtyard’s paving stones. First gold, then orange as the shadows stretched, lengthened, and began to merge as the day drew to a close.

  But still, Elder Shen remained still. His thoughts were caught in a cycle, weighed down by the burden of years and the uncertainty of what was to come.

  It was only when the first sliver of the sun dipped behind the mountain that gave the Sect its name, did he began to stir. With a sigh that seemed to come from the depths of his soul, Shen Weifeng stood up from his chair.

  His joints cracked faintly as he straightened his back. He was no longer the fierce young cultivator that he had once been; time had worn away his strength. But in the place of his vitality; wisdom, and willpower had come.

  Elder Shen turned and walked toward his immortal cave, which was nestled into the mountainside. He left his teapot and cup behind, something that would have been unthinkable for him to do if he had been in the proper state of mind.

  The moment he stepped across the threshold of his home, the spiritual energy within brushed against him like a breeze. It was gentle, but vibrant. It was one of the most potent spots in the entire Outer Sect, and yet he hadn’t truly cultivated in here in years.

  Passing through the entryway, he entered his cultivation chamber. It was a quiet, sacred place that was designed for clarity and solitude, while also drawing in the ambient spiritual energy. A faint light illuminated the room, casting soft reflections off polished stone and ancient scroll racks that contained the cultivation manuals and techniques he used.

  But it was a pedestal of carved, white jade that drew his attention now. More accurately, it was the small box that rested on it, a container that was no larger than the palm of his hand.

  Elder Shen approached it slowly, almost warily. His hand hovered above the lid for a moment, and he nearly withdrew it before lifting it open in a sudden, determined rush.

  A wave of medicinal fragrance poured into the chamber. It was sweet and earthy, while also feeling incredibly old. Inside the box, nestled on a layer of soft silk, was a single golden pill. It glowed brightly with barely restrained power.

  If Jun De were here, he would recognize it immediately.

  A Foundation Establishment Pill.

  Shen Weifeng stared at it in silence, and something deep inside him stirred at the sight of it. His Qi, normally sluggish in his old age, began to shift. It moved like a beast awakening from its hibernation, lethargic at first but quickly becoming eager.

  The warmth of the pill almost seemed to seep into his bones just from being in proximity to it. With the pill lying on the pedestal in front of him, Elder Shen remembered who he had used to be when he was a young Disciple.

  He had been a loud-mouthed, arrogant and prideful young man. His name had been spoken of in whispers amongst his fellow disciples, both in awe of his talent and resentment for the way he had treated others.

  He had cultivated faster than nearly everyone within his generation, breaking through the early stages of Qi Condensation with terrifying speed.

  Shen Weifeng had been brash and unrelenting, always eager for a challenge and to prove himself. And he had been a fighter. He had fought nearly everyone worth fighting amongst his fellow Disciples. He would duel in the courtyards, spar in the mountains, and even seek out the strongest in his generation to test his mettle.

  It had been the entire reason he had left Yunlai City and his Clan, choosing instead to join the Tranquil Mountain Sect in order to prove that he was better than everyone else his age. He didn’t care about alliances or politics.

  And he had lacked patience. Where others would reinforce their cultivation after breakthroughs, taking things one step at a time, Shen Weifeng charged ahead with certainty that his talent would carry him through any challenge.

  Until the first time he had tried to ascend to the Foundation Establishment stage. His cultivation base was too shallow, too rushed. The surge of energy from the pill he had taken tore through him like a storm. His meridians had cracked, his Dantian had frayed, and he barely survived.

  Since then, he had grown old and watched those that he had surpassed ascend to new heights while he remained in the Outer Sect.

  He had grown quiet, patient, and wise.

  Now, with the younger generation potentially fighting for their lives, Shen Weifeng, Elder of the Outer Sect of the Tranquil Mountain Sect, made his decision.

  “I can’t sit here, an old man filled with regret, while others fight on my behalf.” He whispered.

  With slow reverence, Elder Shen reached forward, and his fingers closed around the glowing pill.