The Grandmaster’s Return and a Sect’s Reckoning

Zhao Qiubai’s figure was like a streak of ice, instantly landing in front of the towering Xuanbing Archway. Her face was filled with excitement and the joy of a long-awaited reunion. Her voice was clear and sincere: “Fairy Yang! Fellow Daoist Yang! How are you? We haven’t seen each other for thousands of years, and now—”

Before she finished speaking, her eyes were fixed on the hunched, aged figure beneath the archway. In an instant, all the prepared pleasantries froze on her lips, transforming into a silent gasp of astonishment.

The person before her…

Could this… could this truly be Yang Qingxuan, the Beast Taming Grandmaster of yesteryear, who, in her prime, controlled myriad beasts, commanded their submission with a mere word and smile, and shone with the vibrant spirit of a blazing sun?

The radiant face and formidable aura etched in her memory had long since been utterly eroded by the relentless passage of time.

In their place now lay a withered face crisscrossed with deep lines, a stooped figure frail as a flickering candle in the wind, and the profound weariness and ravages of time hidden within turbid eyes.

The once-powerful cultivation aura, surging like the sea and inspiring awe in spirit beasts, had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only the unsettling feebleness of a mortal old woman.

This immense disparity struck Zhao Qiubai’s heart like a colossal, icy hammer.

Though she had heard rumors of her old acquaintance’s misfortune—how her cultivation had been lost and she had fallen into the mortal realm—Zhao Qiubai had never imagined that the proud sun which once illuminated a corner of the heavens could have dimmed and decayed to such a degree.

An inexpressible desolation, mingled with profound pity and the vast melancholy of irreversible change, instantly overwhelmed her.

Thousands of words choked in her throat, yet not a single one could be uttered, leaving only unconcealed shock and sorrow in her eyes.

Yang Po Po—or rather, the former Yang Qingxuan—calmly endured the scrutiny of Zhao Qiubai’s gaze.

She had long grown accustomed to such looks.

The grinding torment of time and fate had inflicted wounds far deeper than the sting of others’ gazes.

She merely twitched her parched lips, forming a faint, almost imperceptible, weary curve, and her voice emerged hoarse and flat: “Fellow Daoist Qiubai, it has been a long time.”

There was no explanation, no lament, just a simple “it has been a long time,” yet it seemed to carry millennia of vicissitude and silence.

Zhao Qiubai abruptly snapped back to reality, forcefully suppressed her surging emotions, and realized her impropriety.

She took a deep breath, trying to regain her voice, which emerged with an extraordinary complexity, tinged with cautious probing: “Yes, yes indeed… Fellow Daoist Yang…” She paused. “Might Fellow Daoist Yang’s visit at this moment be… for old times’ sake? If so, please accompany me into the sect; I shall surely…”

“No.”

Yang Po Po’s voice was not loud, yet it cut her off with exceptional clarity and an undeniable sense of resolve.

“I wish to take up a position.”

“A… a position?” Zhao Qiubai was utterly stunned, wondering if she had misheard.

“Precisely.” Yang Po Po’s turbid eyes lifted, meeting Zhao Qiubai’s astonished gaze directly. Deep within those eyes, a long-dormant sharpness seemed to flash. “I imagine that the vast Xuan Nv Sect, with its profound heritage and myriad divine abilities, is nevertheless entirely lacking in the art of ‘Beast Taming’ to this day… is that not so?”

These words, like a clap of thunder from a clear sky, exploded within Zhao Qiubai’s mind!

Her eyes instantly widened, her pupils filled with unbelievable astonishment. Then, this astonishment melted away like ice and snow, swiftly replaced by a vast, inexpressible euphoria!

Beast Taming!

She had actually brought up Beast Taming herself!

Zhao Qiubai’s heart pounded wildly! How could she forget? This seemingly frail old woman before her, on the verge of death, was once Yang Qingxuan, the Beast Taming Grandmaster whose fame resonated across the Eight Desolations!

In an era when the Way of Beast Taming was considered a heterodox path, unworthy of serious study, it was she who, with astonishing talent and brilliance, carved out a magnificent and legitimate Dao!

The foundational texts and insights she left behind established the very roots of future Beast Taming lineages!

In that domain, if Yang Qingxuan claimed to be second, no one in the world would dare claim to be first!

She was a living legend, a walking compendium of Beast Taming knowledge!

Countless individuals had sought to invite her to establish the Way of Beast Taming for their sects! Yet, they either couldn’t find her or were met with refusal!

Even now, the cultivation world had achieved such splendor relying on merely a fraction of what she had left behind. If she were to impart her full knowledge…

Zhao Qiubai dared not even imagine it!

Even though her cultivation was now completely lost and her physical body decayed, that vast, star-sea-like, exquisitely detailed Beast Taming knowledge, that invaluable experience of discerning the instincts of myriad beasts, and that theoretical system revered as a golden rule by countless generations… all remained perfectly preserved within her weathered mind!

This, precisely, was the treasure the Xuan Nv Sect had yearned for in their dreams, yet had been unable to obtain!

The sect, renowned for its ice-element cultivation methods, boasted disciples who were aloof and proud. However, their mastery of commanding spirit beasts and communicating with all living things had always been weak, arguably the greatest deficiency in the sect’s heritage!

Countless generations of sect masters and elders had attempted to remedy this, but without the guidance of a true Grandmaster, their efforts had yielded minimal results.

And now… the pinnacle of the Way of Beast Taming, that legendary existence, had actually come to the gates of the Xuan Nv Sect, offering to… take up a position?!

This was far more than merely providing timely help in a crisis!

This was a veritable heaven-sent boon! A monumental opportunity capable of reshaping the sect’s future!

Zhao Qiubai felt her breathing quicken. Her gaze, fixed upon Yang Po Po, instantly filled with an unprecedented fervor, a light that held profound shock, boundless ecstasy, and the immense excitement of seeing hope for the sect’s soaring ascent!

“Fellow… Fellow Daoist Yang!” Zhao Qiubai’s voice trembled with uncontrollable emotion. She even instinctively used a respectful address that had long been relegated to memory. “Are… are your words true?!”

She could barely believe that such a profound gift had arrived so suddenly, so heavily!

“They are true. However, I have one question for you… Has anyone named ‘Lin Wan’er’ recently joined the Xuan Nv Sect?”

Lin Wan’er—this was the name Yang Qingxuan had given Lin Mo, serving as a secret code for her rendezvous with a friend back then.

‘Please be safe, please be safe! Please be safe, my boy!’

Zhao Qiubai, however, wore a look of utter astonishment. “Fellow Daoist Yang, you also want Lin Wan’er?”

‘Lin Wan’er!’

‘Seeing Zhao Qiubai’s expression, it seems my boy is still alive!’

Yet, amidst her relief, Yang Qingxuan still caught the unspoken implication—what did “also” mean?

“Fellow Daoist Yang, you probably don’t know this, but Lin Wan’er is currently highly sought after.”

“…?”

‘What does “highly sought after” mean?’

‘Isn’t Lin Mo just a man? How did he become so highly sought after in your Xuan Nv Sect?’

‘Have they taken a liking to him? Just because I gave him a secret manual on chamber arts? He’s become a popular commodity just like that?’

‘No, that’s not right. Lin Mo hasn’t cultivated. I didn’t even tell him the profound mysteries within that secret manual. How could someone who doesn’t understand cultivation possibly comprehend that book?’

‘Could it be that Lin Mo survived… because he’s truly “good in bed”?’

“Is Lin… Wan’er truly so ‘good’?”

‘But then again, thinking about it, that little fellow who could write such a book… his abilities… perhaps they truly hold unexpected wonders?’

‘All that talk of “upside-down phoenix and inverted dragon,” and “riding the horse and holding the reins”… it truly opened Yang Qingxuan’s eyes.’

“Good…?” Zhao Qiubai didn’t quite grasp the meaning, but upon careful thought, perhaps Yang Po Po was referring to Lin Wan’er’s innate talent.

After all, to a certain extent, Lin Wan’er’s abilities were indeed outstanding; there wasn’t a single person in the entire Xuan Nv Sect who didn’t desire her.

Now, even a figure like Yang Qingxuan had been drawn here, making Lin Wan’er feel like a beckoning cat.

Just as countless absurd thoughts clashed violently within Yang Qingxuan’s mind, threatening to overwhelm her sanity—

Boom!!!

An indescribable, golden-red blaze, as if tearing through the very firmament, shot skyward without warning from somewhere deep within the Xuan Nv Sect!

The light was so fervent, so pure, that it instantly ripped through the heavy night curtain shrouding the mountains, illuminating the world as brightly as day!

Yang Qingxuan asked, “Fellow Daoist Qiubai! This… what is this?”

Under the fierce glow, Zhao Qiubai’s expression subtly, almost imperceptibly, shifted, a flicker of extreme doubt and solemnity passing through the depths of her eyes.

Yet, her face swiftly regained its composure, and she even offered a helpless smile, waving her hand dismissively: “Oh, no matter, no matter. Perhaps the ‘Molten Earth Furnace’ in Danxia Valley has become unstable again and exploded. It’s a common occurrence; the disciples will handle it.”

Her tone was light, as if she were discussing a trivial inconvenience.

As she spoke, with a slight shift of her thoughts, a broad and steady flying sword, entirely suffused with icy blue radiance, silently materialized in the void before them, emitting a gentle yet resilient spiritual energy barrier that isolated the distant scorching aftershocks and violent spiritual pressure.

“Fellow Daoist Qingxuan,” Zhao Qiubai’s tone carried an undeniable concern, “your cultivation now… is not what it once was. Having journeyed so far and stood for so long in the mountain gate’s chill, you must be at the end of your tether, weary from travel, both physically and mentally exhausted. Listen to me: let us set all matters aside for now. First, come with me to the guest quarters to settle and rest. All other affairs can wait until tomorrow, once you’ve recuperated your strength.”

She extended a hand, gesturing for Yang Qingxuan to step onto the flying sword.

“No… there’s no need…” Yang Qingxuan, however, shook her head stubbornly. More than any of that, she wished to first confirm Lin Mo’s safety. “First… first take me to find… find…”

However, before the name “Lin Wan’er” could fully escape her lips, her body, long pushed past its limits, finally made its last protest.

How could that thin, tattered garment possibly withstand the corrosive, biting cold emanating from the Xuan Nv Sect’s ancient profound ice at its mountain gate?

Her voice abruptly cut off.

Yang Qingxuan felt her vision suddenly darken, as if all light and sound had been instantly withdrawn, and her remaining consciousness flickered out like a candle in the wind.

Her emaciated body, like a puppet with severed strings, slumped forward, losing all sensation.

“Fellow Daoist Qingxuan!” Zhao Qiubai exclaimed, her figure swift as lightning, instantly moving forward to steadily support Yang Qingxuan’s feather-light, cold, and rigid form.

To her touch, there was only an icy chill that pierced to the bone and an astonishing frailty, as if nothing remained but a bundle of withered bones.

She lowered her head, looking at the weathered, haggard face in her arms, now an ashen gray. Feeling the pulse, almost imperceptible in its weakness, and the cold breath, the ripples in her heart—stirred by the reunion with an old friend and the reappearance of the “Beast Taming Grandmaster”—were instantly replaced by a profound, inexpressible sorrow and sigh.

The peerless Grandmaster who once commanded myriad beasts and dominated the world…

Now a dying old woman, collapsing at the mountain gate, her life force utterly depleted…

“Alas…”

A long, heavy sigh escaped Zhao Qiubai’s lips, dissipating into the mountain wind, which still carried a lingering mix of scorching heat and icy chill.

“Life… is truly unpredictable.”

Without further hesitation, she carefully cradled Yang Qingxuan’s weightless body and stepped onto the ice-blue flying sword.

The flying sword transformed into a streak of light, silently disappearing into the layered halls and pavilions deep within the Xuan Nv Sect, leaving behind only the cold profound ice archway and the not-yet-fully-dispersed, scorching air, which seemed to carry a faint echo of a phoenix’s clear cry.