Chapter 23: Embarking on the Journey

In the Hall of Eternal Sky, after everyone had taken their seats, True Man Xuan Yu spoke, "Originally, this journey was planned for twelve days, but due to unforeseen circumstances, you returned in just ten days. It turns out to be advantageous. Utilize these two remaining days to practice and solidify the insights gained during this period. It will enhance your chances in the upcoming Martial Arts Conference. I've heard that each of you has made some gains. Now, let's share our experiences openly and discuss what achievements you've made."

Li Hongfei stepped forward from behind his Master Qian Yuan True Man, looking towards True Man Xuan Yu, and said, "Returning to Master Uncle, during my journey to the Absolute Yin Valley, I not only killed numerous demons but also gained insights into their habits. I learned how to analyze their psychology and track their movements. This will enable me to better understand opponents in future battles, increasing the chances of victory. All for the prosperity of Eternal Garden."

True Man Xuan Yu nodded with a slight smile and said, "Well done. Understanding and applying knowledge from different situations is a sign of progress. Keep working hard, and Eternal Garden's future will be in your hands. What about you, Aoxue? What gains have you made this time?"

Zhang Aoxue stood quietly beside her Master, looking at True Man Xuan Yu. She replied, "Returning to Master Uncle, Aoxue gained a lot of experience this time. I encountered many demons and supernatural beings that I had never seen before. The ten days of training significantly improved my swordsmanship and cultivation. The intensive practice from the past is fully realized now."

True Man Xuan Yu smiled, "Cultivators cannot rely solely on rigorous training. Throughout history, many accomplished predecessors grew through various experiences. Your youth is an advantage. Keep practicing, and your cultivation will naturally progress." He then shifted his gaze to Lin Yunfeng.

Lin Yunfeng's eyes sparkled, and he jumped in front of his Master, True Man Xuan Yin, saying, "Master Uncle, you won't believe the gains I've made this time. Firstly, I realized the gap between me and my senior brothers and sisters, motivating me to practice harder. Secondly, I gained a lot of valuable experience. Lastly, I obtained a handy weapon, a mysterious and extraordinary treasure sword. Look, Master Uncle!" Lin Yunfeng grinned and unsheathed the Zhanfeng Treasure Sword. A burst of silver light illuminated the surroundings as the sword danced in the air.

True Man Xuan Yin's face showed a mix of surprise and displeasure. "Kid, when did you get this sword? Why wasn't I informed? Are you trying to annoy me?" Despite scolding, the satisfaction in his eyes was evident.

Lin Yunfeng chuckled, "Master, you're always busy with important matters. I just got back, and I didn't want to bother you with trivial things. I didn't mean to make you angry. If you get sick from anger, it'll be even more trouble for the other senior uncles. Don't be mad, Master." Lin Yunfeng teased, earning a stern glare from True Man Xuan Yin.

True Man Xuan Yu, still smiling, intervened, "Alright, enough joking. This time, Yunfeng obtained a high-quality treasure sword, a fortuitous encounter. Let's hear about your gains too, Yun."

Lin Yunfeng shared the story of how he and the others discovered the sword, omitting the part about the female ghost. After listening, everyone's eyes shifted to Yunlu, and True Man Xuan Yu asked him to share his achievements.

Yunlu calmly raised his right hand, and the Wishful Heart and Soul Sword flew out, emitting a faint red glow. Everyone stared at the sword with various expressions, but the most surprised was True Man Xuan Yin.

True Man Xuan Yu, with a hint of admiration, said, "Among fellow disciples, mutual help and camaraderie are common, but maintaining it consistently is not easy. I hope you can preserve this purity and get along well with all fellow disciples. Yunfeng mentioned that you also obtained a sword. Let us see it."

With a calm smile, Yunlu shook his hand, and the Dragon Soul and Sword appeared, standing silently in mid-air, radiating a soft red light. Everyone's attention was drawn to the unique and mystical nature of the sword.

True Man Xuan Yin, holding the sword in his hand, carefully examined it. Attempting to infuse the sword with True Essence, he encountered an inexplicable resistance. Frowning, he handed the sword to True Man Ziyang, suggesting he give it a try.

True Man Ziyang took the sword, infused it with his True Essence, but was met with the same resistance. The sword remained calm and emitted a gentle red glow.

All present were astonished, and True Man Xuan Yu, with a smile, commented, "This sword seems extraordinary. Yunlu, share how you acquired it. We are all ears."

Yunlu recounted the story of finding the sword, leaving out the part about the female ghost. As he spoke, everyone couldn't help but marvel at the mysterious nature of the sword.

True Man Ziyang's expression fluctuated, indifferent, and he stopped. He looked at Yunlu and said, "Show us your skills, see if the sword recognizes its master. Why can neither of us infuse True Essence into the sword?"

Yunlu gently took the long sword, flipped his wrist, and a dazzling red light instantly burst forth, like a scorching sun. The red light was extremely powerful, causing everyone to slightly avert their gaze, unable to directly look at the long sword. Yunlu turned his hand, and a thunderous dragon roar suddenly echoed, making the red light disappear instantly.

Everyone stared at the faint red long sword in Yunlu's hand, their eyes showing traces of surprise. Among them, True Man Ziyang's joyful and proud eyes were clearly visible to everyone. True Man Xuan Yu spoke, "This sword is extraordinary; it seems to only recognize Yunlu. Others find it challenging to unleash its power. Yunlu, with this treasure sword, may add more strength to your cultivation. Remember to work hard; the hope of Eternal Garden lies on all of you. This training concludes here. Everyone has made good gains, especially Yun and Yunfeng. Now, let's discuss the matters of the Martial Arts Conference."

Glances swept across everyone, and True Man Xuan Yu whispered, "This time, as our sect has produced four outstanding talents, to show sincerity, I've decided that seven of us from Eternal Garden will go to Tianjian Academy. Besides the four of you and me, the remaining two, I was planning to discuss with everyone. Feel free to express your opinions; let's discuss it together." The last sentence was evidently directed at the leaders of the four academies.

The four leaders exchanged glances, and True Man Ziyang's eyes flickered with excitement, his face very serious. In the past, each competition involved True Man Qian Yuan from Qian Academy and Grandmaster Jingyue from Kun Academy, while True Man Xuan Yin and True Man Ziyang never participated. This was mainly because Yin and Yang Academies had not produced outstanding talents. True Man Xuan Yin, naturally indifferent, didn't care much about it, but True Man Ziyang had always been concerned about this matter. Finally, their sect had produced Yunlu, and this time, he was determined to participate, making it a point of contention.

True Man Xuan Yin glanced at Yunfeng, then turned to True Man Xuan Yu, saying, "Senior Brother, you probably already have a decision in your heart. Just tell us directly. This time, each academy has one representative, and we all want to go. However, that's not realistic. So, Senior Brother, please tell us directly to avoid unnecessary disputes and unpleasantness."

True Man Ziyang said in a deep voice, "Senior Brother, in the past, we understood your decisions, but this time, I must participate. After so many years, our Yang Academy has finally produced a genius. I must go and see. I hope Senior Brother understands my heart." He finished speaking, locking eyes firmly with True Man Xuan Yu, the determination evident in his clear eyes.

True Man Xuan Yu sighed softly, "This time is indeed a dilemma. Originally, it would have been best if everyone could go, but unfortunately, that's impossible. We must leave people to guard, especially considering the recent increase in the activity of monsters and ghosts. Therefore, this time, only half of you four can participate. Taking into account the situations in the past, my plan is for Grandmaster Jingyue and Junior Sister Ziyang to accompany me. True Man Qian Yuan and True Man Xuan Yin will stay here, paying close attention to the movements of those monsters and ghosts. I hope the two junior brothers can understand this decision."

After hearing this, True Man Ziyang was excited, his whole body slightly trembling, and joy evident in his eyes. On the other side, True Man Qian Yuan coldly snorted, turning his head away. True Man Xuan Yin just sighed lightly, shaking his head in silence. However, the faint sense of loss was clearly expressed. It seemed that they were still concerned about this Martial Arts Conference. Over the years, this was the most flourishing period for talents in Eternal Garden, so this time was destined to be of special significance.

Yunlu and the other three looked silently at them, each with different expressions in their eyes. Seeing True Man Ziyang's excited expression, Yunlu sighed slightly. Even at his level of cultivation, he was still attached to such matters. No wonder it was so challenging to become an immortal. Achieving immortality required a mind without distractions. But who could achieve a mind without distractions? It was probably challenging to find such a person.

Having observed everyone's expressions, True Man Xuan Yu sighed lightly, "This matter is settled. Two days from now, the seven of us will depart in the morning to participate in the Martial Arts Conference at Tianjian Academy. It is said that many outstanding individuals from the six academies will be present. We must give our best effort to stand out among numerous strong opponents. In the past, Eternal Garden has always been at the bottom of the six academies because we ranked last in each competition. So, this time, I hope everyone will exert their full potential and compete with them, letting them know that Eternal Garden is not inferior to them. The honor and disgrace of Eternal Garden are now in your hands. Remember it well. Alright, you can go down now, and make good use of these two days." Looking at the four, his eyes were full of anticipation and hope.

After leaving the Hall of Eternal Sky, Yunlu went straight back to his room, contemplating the matter alone. After closing the doors and windows, Yunlu lay on the bed, gently taking out the silk cloth from his chest. Looking at the silver-glowing silk cloth and the silver giant wolf howling at the sky, Yunlu's eyes revealed a touch of nostalgia. Gently caressing the silk cloth, Yunlu whispered, "Xiaotian, how are you now? You said we might meet again in the future, but where will that be? This brief friendship between us, I will forever keep it in my heart, and I believe you will too, right? In the future, when I rise above the nine heavens, will you bless me then?"

After murmuring to himself for a while, Yunlu put away the silk cloth and focused his gaze on his left hand. When Yunlu's mind moved, a dazzling silver light appeared at the center of his left hand. The two ancient tokens, Radiant and Soul-Subduing, emitted a bright silver light, clearly visible in front of Yunlu. With a thought, Yunlu's hand emitted a brilliant silver light, and the Radiant token suddenly shot out three feet, hovering quietly in the void, appearing mysterious and enchanting. Seeing this, Yunlu's eyes showed a hint of surprise, and he immersed himself in it slowly.

Suddenly, Yunlu thought of something and quickly picked up the Ruyi Heart and Soul Sword. Looking at the Ruyi Heart and Soul Sword, Yunlu's eyes revealed a playful expression. He aimed the jade token in the palm of his left hand at the sword and released it. In an instant, a silver light, containing the distinct silver ancient tokens of Radiant and Soul-Subduing, enveloped the sword. The red light burst forth, then dimmed again. Inside the sword, Dragon Soul roared loudly, "Yunlu, have you gone mad? What are you doing? Don't you know it can be fatal? Your Soul-Subduing token is extremely domineering, capable of imprisoning all souls and spirits. Are you intentionally trying to harm me?"

Yunlu smiled at the words, "Don't worry, I'm just trying it out. At the same time, I want you to know that you better behave in the future. Otherwise, who knows, someday I might accidentally imprint the Soul-Subduing token on you again. So, remember to remind me at any time."

Dragon Soul snorted in anger, unwillingly saying, "Yunlu, remember this. Hmph, despicable fellow, always threatening me." The disgruntled tone made Yunlu burst into laughter. Yunlu stayed in the room for a while before feeling a bit hungry; it was time to eat.

In the afternoon, Yunlu took the opportunity to practice swordsmanship in the courtyard, further deepening his cultivation. This practice session lasted for the entire afternoon. During the two days, Yunlu took the opportunity to practice all of his techniques. The trip to the Extinct Yin Valley had brought immense gains for Yunlu. Not only did he perfect the Confucian "Haoran Tiangang" taught by Master Guai Ren, but the other four techniques also made significant progress. The most substantial gains were the divine sword, Dragon Soul, and the mysterious Soul-Subduing token. All of these were rare in the world.

At this point, Yunlu's cultivation had reached the middle stage of "Immortality," a significant improvement compared to the lower stage before going to the Extinct Yin Valley. Moving upward, entering the upper stage of the Immortality realm, he would have the opportunity to reach the final layer—the realm of Returning to Immortality. At that time, he would have the chance to comprehend the Dao.

On the third day in the early morning, at the gate of Eternal Garden, everyone bid farewell to the participants. True Man Xuan Yu stood quietly outside the gate, watching True Man Qian Yuan and True Man Xuan Yin at the entrance. Behind him, the four participants and Grandmaster Jingyue and True Man Ziyang stood on both sides, gently bidding farewell to their fellow sect members.

True Man Qian Yuan didn't say anything, just encouraging Li Hongfei with a glance. Li Hongfei only nodded forcefully; his determined gaze didn't need further words. True Man Xuan Yin looked at Lin Yunfeng, and his eyes softened at this moment. Gently, True Man Xuan Yin said, "Yunfeng, remember to work hard on this journey. You must not disgrace our Yin Academy, understand? Although I cannot go with you this time, my heart goes with you. If you don't work hard, don't bother coming back to see me. Go, and don't forget."

Lin Yunfeng looked at his master, realizing at this moment that his master cherished him a lot, only not expressing it often. He nodded forcefully. Lin Yunfeng's eyes showed a firm expression as he said, "Rest assured, Master. I won't let you down. I will achieve good results and come back to tell you." The eyes of the two met, and the sincere feelings between master and disciple were sublimated at this moment.

No matter how many words are spoken, separation is inevitable, so saying too much only deepens the reluctance. True Man Xuan Yu didn't say anything; he just glanced at everyone and turned away. The other six people gently waved their goodbyes and quickly left.

In the cool breeze of the early morning, a faint chill accompanied True Man Xuan Yu and the six others as they departed. At the gate, the expectant eyes of the crowd carried blessings and concerns. The figures in the distance slowly disappeared, and the people at the gate withdrew their already tired hands and turned to go inside. In the air, faint whispers began, but unfortunately, who could hear them clearly?

Yunlu, this naturally incomplete youth, finally left Eternal Garden for the second time and began his legendary life. What experiences await him ahead? What is the destined fate of his life?