The Pavilion Master’s Confrontation

At the opening ceremony of the Hall of Clarity, Qing You stood in front of the stage, her eyes fixed on Lin Mo who was kneeling on the first step, a barely perceptible smile appearing on her face.

‘When the climbing is completed, Lin Wan’er, this pearl, will return to the embrace of the Xuan Nv Sect!’

“Grand Elder, what are you doing?” a cold reprimand resounded from behind them.

Qing You whirled around, her gaze locking directly with the Hall Master of the Hall of Clarity, Xian Chengyue.

As the Pavilion Master of the Scripture Pavilion, Xian Chengyue had seen through Qing You’s machinations in an instant.

“How you and the Sect Master choose to contend is your own affair—I’ve stated this explicitly before. Yet, I also issued a stern warning: never, under any circumstances, involve the disciples! Or do my words simply not register with you?”

Xian Chengyue’s imposing aura surged without warning, her cultivation erupting with a thunderous force that sent a crushing, immense pressure sweeping across the entire hall.

She advanced, closing the distance to Qing You, her gaze piercing, sharp as honed blades.

At such close quarters, Qing You knew with chilling certainty that any confrontation would lead to her undeniable defeat.

Yet, instead of yielding, Qing You stepped forward, her eyes fixed on the aged face before her—a visage where countless wrinkles had long since eroded its former splendor. The one once hailed as “beautiful as a celestial maiden,” Xian Chengyue, was now a white-haired old woman.

“Do you truly believe there’s still a future for ‘Bright Jade Profound Yin’?” Qing You didn’t respond to the accusation, instead posing her own question, her voice ringing with conviction, like a stone breaking the surface of a placid lake, sending concentric ripples across its expanse.

Xian Chengyue’s formidable aura abruptly faltered.

The surrounding elders held their breath, their gazes fixed intently, fearing the two might erupt into conflict right then and there.

“You are the esteemed Pavilion Master of the Scripture Pavilion,” Qing You’s voice pressed on, each word sharp as a needle. “Of the thirteen thousand eight hundred and sixty-two cultivation techniques housed within the Scripture Pavilion, you have personally tested every single one. You’ve used your own body as a crucible, ensuring each technique is utterly harmless and safe before allowing it into the pavilion’s sacred archives. For an ordinary cultivator, mastering even a single path proves arduous. Should they greedily attempt to cultivate multiple paths simultaneously, the minor repercussions could be conflicting spiritual energy and torn meridians. The severe consequences, however, range from a shattered dantian to the complete destruction of one’s foundational Dao. Only you, with your unique ‘Chaos Physique,’ possess the ability to devour the chaotic spiritual energy generated by myriad cultivation techniques, refining it into pure, primordial chaos true essence. It is precisely for this reason that you can thoroughly examine countless methods, personally identifying their inherent flaws and discerning their insidious, hidden dangers! You meticulously purge these hidden threats for the sect’s disciples, sifting out only the safe and righteous paths suitable for cultivation. And yet—” Qing You’s voice sharpened abruptly, her gaze like a stiletto piercing Xian Chengyue’s ancient visage, “Even endowed with such a heaven-defying physique, ever since you began cultivating ‘Bright Jade Profound Yin,’ you have been reduced to this withered, emaciated state! Is this not sufficient proof to unveil the terrifying truth of this cultivation technique?”

“I have told you countless times,” Xian Chengyue’s voice was tinged with both weariness and obstinacy. “These are merely hidden injuries accumulated from excessive cultivation! Even if I hadn’t practiced ‘Bright Jade Profound Yin,’ I would have eventually become like this, I—”

“Even with such accumulated injuries—” Qing You could no longer contain the surging torrent of her rage, her voice suddenly escalating into a sharp, tearing roar, “it would never relentlessly devour your vitality, gnawing at your life force and twisting you into this… this wretched state, neither human nor ghost!”

This sudden, thunderous outburst of rage and complete loss of composure caught every elder present utterly off guard. A stunned silence fell, everyone frozen in their tracks, their faces etched with shock.

Only Xian Chengyue remained motionless, rooted to her spot, her silence absolute. The expression in her cloudy, aged eyes shifted with an unsettling complexity, a turmoil too profound for words.

The customary composure and air of control that usually graced Qing You’s features had vanished without a trace.

The storage ring on her finger flashed, and an ancient bronze mirror materialized in her grasp. Without a moment’s hesitation or a single word, she thrust the mirror’s polished surface directly before Xian Chengyue’s eyes!

The mirror clearly reflected Xian Chengyue’s face, a landscape of deep furrows, withered and desolate as ancient, dead wood.

“Only a mere century has passed! With your cultivation realm,” Qing You’s voice trembled with raw indignation, “how could you… how could you have withered into such a state?!”

“…The mantle of Pavilion Master of the Scripture Pavilion demands clear discernment,” Xian Chengyue’s voice was low, imbued with a weary, stubborn persistence. “I cannot definitively declare that ‘Bright Jade Profound Yin’ is the true culprit.”

“Is Mu Qingli’s current plight not explanation enough?!” Qing You’s voice sharpened into a fierce question, almost a raw roar. “What extraordinary talent does she possess? A Profound Yin Physique! Yet, what has become of her now?! She can’t even defeat me, who, in my youth, possessed only a blue aptitude!”

Each time Qing You gazed upon that withered, ancient face, her emotions would spiral beyond her control, stripping her words of their usual elegance. In that moment, she had no patience for flowery prose or rhetoric; all she desired was to articulate the raw truth of her heart in the simplest, most unadorned language.

‘But… but… Master wasn’t like this before. She used to be so beautiful, like a celestial maiden. Then ‘Bright Jade Profound Yin’ emerged, and nothing was ever the same.’

“Enough,” Xian Chengyue interjected, reprimanding Qing You as she closed her eyes. “None of this pertains to the matter I wish to discuss with you at present. My only concern is why you forced Lin Wan’er to endure additional pressure during the Stairway Ascent.”

Qing You, too, regained a measure of her composure, her expression reverting to its usual placid state.

‘Master, I don’t comprehend the significance of the cultivation technique bequeathed by the former Sect Master to you, nor do I grasp the importance of the former Sect Master herself in your eyes. But what about these newly admitted disciples? The Xuan Nv Sect has no need for ‘Bright Jade Profound Yin,’ and even less for the former Sect Master. The Xuan Nv Sect needs a new direction. If you are unwilling to lead, then I shall.’

Qing You then stepped forward, her hand gesturing towards Qiu Yue, who was far in the lead, and Liu Ruyan, who trailed closely behind her. “Pavilion Master Xian, I urge you to observe.”

Xian Chengyue’s gaze followed the young woman leading the ascent—Qiu Yue, whose long, straight hair, dark as the night, swayed with the breeze, her posture erect, her movements seemingly effortless.

And behind her, Liu Ruyan, gritting her teeth in determination as she strained to keep pace.

Xian Chengyue could sense the identical mark on both Qiu Yue and Liu Ruyan, the very same as that borne by Lin Wan’er. What astonished Xian Chengyue most was that both girls… were already at the ninth stage of Qi Condensation!

Could they truly have attained such a profound level in a mere month’s time?

“You see, you have been in seclusion for far too long, and there are many matters you are no longer privy to. Observe, it is the same mark, yet why are my disciples progressing faster than her? Their aptitudes are clearly inferior to hers.”

Xian Chengyue narrowed her eyes, her gaze scrutinizing the two figures.

It was, without a doubt, the identical mark as on Lin Wan’er. Yet, a subtle sense of discord nagged at her, though she could not pinpoint its source.

At that moment, Qing You leaned closer, her voice dropping to a soft murmur. “You’ve witnessed it yourself: the celestial phenomenon, the dragon’s roar echoing across the heavens! Such a truly chosen child of heaven! Yet, cultivating that incomplete technique, she cannot even keep pace with my two disciples. Rather than allowing her to waste precious time cultivating such a ‘crippled’ technique, holding out hope that she might one day complete it, wouldn’t it be far more beneficial for her to cultivate a complete divine art instead? Is that not so?

Furthermore, you need not fret about damaging Lin Wan’er’s self-esteem. Once the deadline for the Stairway Ascent arrives, I will personally announce the reasons. By then, you will not have to fear wounding Lin Wan’er’s pride, and it will also serve to shake her conviction, leading her to further comprehend the detriments that ‘Bright Jade Profound Yin’ inflicts upon her. Pavilion Master Xian, surely you wouldn’t wish for Lin Wan’er’s entire future to be irrevocably shattered by ‘Bright Jade Profound Yin,’ would you? Naturally, I will not announce its abolishment immediately. I shall adhere to your rules, waiting until the Hall of Clarity trials conclude, until your assessment is complete.”

Qing You’s words unfurled slowly, like sweet, candied fruit, each phrase precisely aimed, one by one, hitting the very core of Xian Chengyue’s sentiments.

Qing You’s actions were flawless, executed with perfect equilibrium, as if balancing two bowls of water.

All Xian Chengyue desired was impartiality.

Then Qing You would grant her that impartiality!

Whether it was truth or falsehood became irrelevant.

As long as it appeared impartial, that would suffice.

Xian Chengyue was old, and her prolonged seclusion had left her ignorant of many emerging developments.

The Stairway Ascent had long been thoroughly deciphered by Qing You. This ancient formation, to put it plainly, held no profound mystery. After dismantling and subtly altering certain elements of the formation, it outwardly appeared as though all three participants were treated equally. In reality, however, only Lin Wan’er was subjected to ten times the normal pressure!

While her own disciples, in contrast, endured only the standard single fold of pressure.

Hmph.

Lin Wan’er, she was absolutely determined to bring her into her own fold!

Just as Qing You basked in her moment of quiet triumph, she suddenly noticed something startling… Lin Wan’er had actually—

Stood up?!

The immense pressure that even Foundation Establishment cultivators found unbearable… she… had stood up?