A Master’s Reckoning

Zhuang Xun incessantly grumbled inwardly, yet he dared not even show his face. The aura he sensed belonged to none other than the disciple he had taken in his very first high-martial world.

Though she had skillfully concealed her cultivation aura, the essence of her cultivation technique could not be faked. He was intimately familiar with that particular cultivation technique. After all, it was his magnum opus.

It was the first cultivation technique he had ever conceived and compiled himself, drawing its origins from the Six Paths of Reincarnation and extending further with thousands of years of cultivation insights gleaned from the Heavenly Dao Space.

Moreover, he had continuously refined it based on his own combat experiences. This ensured the technique’s scope of encompassed Dao paths was no longer limited to the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Instead, it could carve out a unique path tailored for individual cultivation.

Provided one had ample time and decent innate talent, they would inevitably touch upon a sliver of the Grand Dao’s essence.

Yet, by a twist of fate, the disciple he had taught in that first high-martial world had chosen the Asura Path as her primary cultivation. How to describe this Grand Dao? Those who walked this path inherently possessed a warlike streak. They were the type to fight first and talk never, if possible.

Their combat talent was also exceptionally high. Therefore, if she were to discover him, she would likely resort to the most direct means to confirm his identity.

While Zhuang Xun was a seasoned veteran at challenging foes beyond his realm, with the Forbidden Curse still unresolved, how far could he truly push himself? One major realm was his absolute limit.

Considering his disciple’s cultivation duration and innate talent, her combat prowess was undoubtedly at the pinnacle of the cultivation world.

Moreover, the way he had ended their master-disciple relationship back then might have been somewhat cruel. It was difficult to ascertain whether she harbored resentment towards him because of it.

‘It’s best to avoid her if possible,’ he mused. ‘Otherwise, I’ll only stir up another tangled web of grievances and affections.’

‘But the timing and location are just too damn coincidental!’ he thought, exasperated. ‘How long has it even been since I left Kunlun Mountain? Fate truly works in mysterious ways, doesn’t it?’

As Zhuang Xun buried his head and closed his eyes, pretending nothing was amiss, a woman in a green Daoist robe, her face obscured by a black veil, slowly walked past him, a hundred meters behind.

She glanced cautiously from side to side, her willow-like brows furrowing in doubt. ‘This is indeed the location given by the Ancient Nether Realm of Oblivion,’ she thought. ‘But why can’t I sense even a trace of his aura? Could there be a slight deviation with the Dao artifact?’

She stood still, releasing her vast and formidable divine sense. In an instant, it enveloped Taiyang City and its surroundings, spanning hundreds of miles.

Behind her, two young men in purple robes, seeing the woman halt, also stopped in their tracks.

One of them inquired, standing beside her, “Great Elder, have you discovered something amiss?”

“Silence,” the woman replied coldly. A sharp glint flashed in her eyes as she reached out in a certain direction. A man in a black robe flew uncontrollably towards her, his neck instantly caught in her grasp.

The surrounding populace, strolling leisurely along the street, had their gazes immediately drawn by this sudden upheaval.

The two men beside her, witnessing the woman’s sudden use of magic, quickly reminded her: “Great Elder, according to the common agreements between sects, one cannot use magic in front of mortals!”

“Are you instructing me on how to conduct myself?” the woman retorted. Her crimson, blood-red eyes gleamed with sword-like sharpness, as if piercing through their very bodies. The two men immediately dared not speak another word.

“Uh…”

“Immortal… Immortal Maiden…”

“Do I… do I have some grievance with you?” Zhuang Xun stammered, mentally writing his own grim ending.

‘She seized my neck right away, and her tone and expression are utterly frigid,’ he thought. ‘This is probably going to be a difficult situation to resolve.’

The woman remained silent.

“Name.”

“Zhuang Xun.”

‘Good thing I didn’t use my real name in the lower realm, or I’d truly be doomed,’ he thought with a relieved sigh.

“Cultivation level.”

“A Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator…”

The woman, tall and curvaceous, pulled Zhuang Xun closer, seemingly sniffing at his neck. ‘It must be him,’ she mused. ‘However, judging by his reaction… it appears he no longer remembers me.’

“Keep an eye on him. Bring him to me.”

She released Zhuang Xun, then walked ahead, her tone still frigid.

Watching the woman depart, the two purple-robed men exchanged glances and shook their heads.

One of the men cupped his hands in apology towards Zhuang Xun. “Our Great Elder has a rather peculiar temperament, fellow Daoist. Please bear with her later.”

With that, the other purple-robed man produced a storage ring and placed it into Zhuang Xun’s hand. “Just a small token of goodwill. Please don’t take offense.”

Zhuang Xun gently touched his neck, where red marks had begun to appear. He did not refuse the ring. “No matter,” he said.

“Then, fellow Daoist, please come with us,” the first man urged. “Otherwise, our Great Elder might lose her temper again. If you’re in distress, it makes things rather difficult for us brothers too.”

“Very well.”

Seeing that both purple-robed men were speaking kindly, Zhuang Xun willingly followed them to an inn.

Along the way, Zhuang Xun gleaned a rough understanding of the situation.

His first disciple, Xuanyuan Luoshui, had broken through the realm barrier and ascended to the Azure Domain a century ago. From then on, she had risen through battles, taking a mere ten years to forcefully secure the second position on the Azure Domain’s Startling Swan Ranking. She was truly a legendary figure of her generation.

Subsequently, she was courted by various top sects within the Azure Domain. Ultimately, she chose the Grand Profound Dao Sect, one of the two great Daoist sects. As for the reason, no one knew.

According to whispers and rumors, it seemed to be due to a supreme treasure. To this day, she held the esteemed position of Great Elder.

Furthermore, she had never again sought a master, standing as the only heaven-defying individual within the Grand Profound Dao Sect who had achieved success through self-study alone.

Across hundreds of sparring matches and battles both within and outside the Dao Sect, and in fending off enemies within secret realms, she had never once suffered a defeat. In short, the tales of her defying the heavens were simply too numerous to count.

The two men, exchanging words back and forth, had arrived at the inn before they knew it.

“Brother,” one of them advised, “if the Great Elder asks anything later, just answer truthfully. As long as you’re not some heinous evil cultivator or villain, the Great Elder shouldn’t make things too difficult for you.”

“By the way, you mentioned earlier that the mortal world isn’t quite peaceful. What’s that about?” Zhuang Xun inquired.

“Oh, that’s just a group of evil cultivators causing chaos and committing murders in the mortal realm,” the man replied casually. “Many sects have already dispatched disciples to suppress them. We believe it will be resolved soon; it’s nothing major.”

“Then I thank you both.”

Zhuang Xun’s impression of these two Grand Profound Dao Sect disciples was quite favorable. They clearly seemed like the type of minor characters who would easily make their way through life.

However, facing her alone… The sudden turn of events had come too quickly; he could only take things one step at a time.

****

The moment Zhuang Xun stepped into the guest room, the door clicked shut automatically.

Silence filled the air.

“Sit,” Xuanyuan Luoshui stated indifferently, gesturing for him to take the seat opposite her.

Zhuang Xun calmed his mind, then clasped his right hand over his left, bowed slightly, and said, “Immortal Maiden, if there is something you wish to discuss, please speak frankly.”

“I will certainly tell you everything I know.”

“I wish to see the entirety of your divine soul.”

Within her crimson, blood-red eyes, the Six Paths of Reincarnation seemed to revolve. Her gaze felt as though it could pierce straight through Zhuang Xun.

However, the very next instant, as she caught sight of a rune flashing across his divine soul, her sea of consciousness felt as if it had been struck by a heavy blow. It was as if she had plunged into some profound abyss.

“Ugh…” She clutched her head. Yet, Zhuang Xun appeared completely unaffected, stepping forward to inquire, “Immortal Maiden, what troubles you?”

She remained silent.

‘How could this be?’ she thought. ‘How could such a forbidden Heavenly Dao Curse manifest on him? Could it be… that he violated some cosmic order?’ Countless possibilities flashed through Xuanyuan Luoshui’s mind.

She shook her head, her gaze upon Zhuang Xun no longer as serene as before.

****

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