Spring turned to winter, and soon snow was falling heavily. Xuantian Sect was covered in white, making the world seem especially desolate. Beside the high mountain's clear hall, a few green pines, a few bell tolls.
Yuyi lifted his spirit sword and descended Xuantian Sect alone. Half a year had passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Yuyi had returned to Xuantian Sect three times, and now his Hunyuan Mental Method, Quick Sword Art, and Xuantian Sword Art First Form had all been cultivated to perfection within the sect.
Looking back on these six months, for the sake of a single conviction, Yuyi had fallen and re-cultivated, synchronously improving his mental methods and techniques in a balanced manner, never letting them differ by more than a small realm. When both the Hunyuan Mental Method and Quick Sword Art reached early Foundation Building, Yuyi knew he had been right—the Quick Sword Art's killing power in this balanced state was equivalent to mid-Foundation Building before his fall. These six months, Yuyi had been very lonely, but not solitary. He had to thank Shaying, who cultivated alongside him at Emerald Spirit Lake. Though they rarely exchanged words, having someone beside you doing the same thing was a psychological comfort.
Recognition...
Yuyi sighed. The conditions for learning the Yin-Yang Sword Art were too difficult—he would need to earn a reputation for chivalry and gain the approval of several elders within the sect before he could receive instruction in the Yin-Yang Sword Art and This made Yuyi deeply uncomfortable. Must he engage in hypocritical dealings with hypocritical people in the cultivation world, doing hypocritical chivalrous deeds in the name of justice to earn a hypocritical reputation?
Turning onto the snow-covered mountain path, Yuyi stepped into Emerald Spirit Lake. As expected, he saw Shaying cultivating diligently as always. She gave Yuyi a slight smile, then returned to her practice.
"Shaying, if it were you, would you travel the cultivation world for a reputation of chivalry to learn more profound techniques?"
Shaying spoke without turning her head: "No. That's why I entered Tianyin Pavilion."
Yuyi slowly sat by the lake, retrieving a pot of spirit tea from his storage ring, speaking somewhat dejectedly: "I don't like Xuantian Sect, but I won't leave it either. I'm not willing to travel the cultivation world doing meaningless things for techniques. It's frustrating."
"I don't understand your cultivation method, but I know that over these six months you've clearly improved three times slower than others. After all that effort to nearly complete your training, how could you fall again to choose another sect? Why must you learn the Yin-Yang Sword Art? Why not self-cultivate your current techniques? If there's an opportunity later, learning ultimate arts would be better, wouldn't it?"
Shaying spoke the longest passage Yuyi had heard since knowing her—words that had a profound impact on him.
Yuyi was stunned for a moment, then after some contemplation said: "Shaying, what you say makes sense. I've thought about it too—since I'm unwilling to do things I dislike, I'll walk my own path. The Quick Sword Art's power is only about two small realms behind the Yin-Yang Sword Art, but it's far faster. Self-cultivation is much easier than the Yin-Yang Sword Art, and the starting point is two small realms higher."
Shaying said nothing more. Yuyi put away the spirit tea, drew his sword, and charged at the spirit puppets outside the wooden hut. Both had refined their techniques to the point where they could easily end a spirit puppet with a single strike, as easily as cutting vegetables.
"I won't be coming here much longer. I've completed all the sect's techniques. I'll gather comprehension points for a few more months, then it will be self-cultivation." Shaying spoke softly to Yuyi after returning from the sect where she had added comprehension points.
Yuyi's heart tightened. "I understand. I won't be more than two months behind you. Honestly, I'll miss you, but I believe we'll meet again in the cultivation world."
Three months later, at Emerald Spirit Lake, Shaying stopped her movements.
"I'm leaving. I've saved over thirty million comprehension points, enough for self-cultivation for a long time."
Yuyi felt as if a great stone pressed against his heart. After a long silence, he finally spoke: "Then, see you in the cultivation world."
Shaying smiled slightly, walked a few steps, then stopped and said: "If you have time later, you can find me at Tianyin Pavilion. Just tell the guarding senior sister my name."
"Mm, I will."
Yuyi watched Shaying's figure disappear from view, a surge of unspeakable loss rising in his heart. Over these six months, though Shaying spoke little, her presence was like the water of Emerald Spirit Lake—silently accompanying him. Now that she was gone, this world seemed much emptier.
Unknowingly, he had come to rely on Shaying as spiritual support. The taste of parting was always so painful.
Yuyi felt his cultivation lacked spirit after Shaying left. Suddenly, the image of Daozun sitting quietly in a pavilion appeared in his mind, and he jolted—how could he be like this? Partings and reunions were inevitable. Though people might be separated by vast distances, how could friendship change because of that!
Yuyi put away his sorrow and devoted himself entirely to cultivation. Experts are built from loneliness and solitude...
Daozun had fallen.
Never before had such sensational news swept through the cultivation world, and never had anyone been as legendary as Daozun. The secret agents planted by the Anti-Firmament Alliance transmitted this absolutely reliable message: Daozun had sought a high mountain peak half a year ago and voluntarily triggered heavenly lightning to fall. The Firmament Alliance had tightly sealed the news, and only through the spies' tireless efforts was this shocking information finally obtained.
"I never expected this. No wonder his name disappeared from the combat experience roster of experts from various sects half a year ago. I initially thought he had defeated the Xuesha Sect leader and left the sect without punishment. I never imagined he would fall by his own hand!"
Duan Changjian could not express his feelings. Though he stood on the opposing side from Daozun, Duan Changjian still felt deep admiration, even worship. Duan Changjian respected the strong, especially someone like Daozun whose strength was beyond anyone's reach.
Duan Changjian swept his gaze across the meeting hall of Anti-Firmament Alliance members and proclaimed loudly: "Daozun is the person I, Duan Changjian, admire most. For his fall, I break my vow and drink a cup in respect!"
Duan Changjian had someone bring a jar of spirit wine, personally broke the seal, and poured it directly into his mouth. This one drink emptied the entire jar. Duan Changjian forcefully smashed the wine jar to pieces and declared: "The Firmament Alliance's end has come! Without Daozun, how can the Firmament Alliance stand against our Anti-Firmament Alliance!"
Immediately, loud cheers rose inside and outside the hall.
"We must find the traitor! Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty escape!"
Zixiao angrily addressed the alliance's core members. Xuesha Ren's eyes flashed with cold light, wishing he could capture the traitor and subject him to a thousand cuts. The news of Daozun's fall had now spread throughout the cultivation world. The Anti-Firmament Alliance would hold nothing back and would certainly launch fierce attacks against the Firmament Alliance's strength. Even if they could still achieve victory, the losses would be severe, and recovery would be impossible to match the Anti-Firmament Alliance's pace. With the Firmament Alliance currently powerful, once heavily damaged, more cultivators would kick them while they were down and join the Anti-Firmament Alliance. This was the greatest crisis the Firmament Alliance had faced since its founding!
Soon after, disciples of both factions engaged in even more brutal slaughter than before. Wherever they encountered each other, they would call for allies from their alliance to help kill the enemy. In just two months, the casualties from both sides exceeded ten thousand! Hundreds of cultivators from neutral sects and rogue cultivators were caught in the crossfire. A bloody storm swept through the cultivation world. Neutral sects of all sizes publicly declared their positions, desperately trying to stay out of the chaos.
The hatred between the two factions deepened. The Firmament Alliance, in its hatred for the Anti-Firmament Alliance, became increasingly extreme—disciples would raise their swords against any cultivator not from their own alliance. Eventually, the Firmament Alliance completely provoked public outrage in the cultivation world. Countless neutral sects and rogue cultivators joined the Anti-Firmament Alliance. Later, both sides agreed to battle at Zhongzhou City Square. The Firmament Alliance retreated in heavy defeat—this was their first defeat since the alliance's founding. The chain reaction caught Zixiao off guard. Alliance morale plummeted, and countless opportunists defected.
The Anti-Firmament Alliance pressed their advantage and finally launched a fierce assault on the Firmament Alliance's main altar. However, with the Firmament Alliance's deep foundations and extremely powerful defensive formations at their main altar, the Anti-Firmament Alliance was severely weakened after losing two altars. They were finally repelled at Azure Dragon Altar, unable to deal any further blows to the Firmament Alliance for the time being.
Soon after, the sects within the Anti-Firmament Alliance fiercely contested the ownership of the captured altars, and the alliance dissolved. Duan Changjian used his personal prestige to form the Heartless Alliance and seized Black Tortoise Altar. Xianling Valley, with the full support of Emei Sect's Bingxin, occupied Kunshan Altar. The cultivation world settled into a three-way standoff. The Firmament Alliance was unable to attack either the Heartless Alliance or Xianling Valley, but no one dared to attack the two main altars the Firmament Alliance still held.
Inside Emerald Spirit Lake, autumn leaves covered the ground. Occasionally falling withered leaves announced that it was now autumn. Yuyi sat alone by the lake, his body faintly glowing with red spiritual light. Yuyi had long forgotten the concept of time—for him, there was no need to remember it, nor any time to do so. During self-cultivation, speaking or being distracted would halve the effectiveness. It was already over forty times slower than gaining comprehension points to improve technique realms—wasting more time to further reduce speed would be sinful.
Muxue entered Emerald Spirit Lake as usual, looked at the meditating Yuyi with a sigh, gently placed the wine and food she had brought, pressed a shadow-recording jade talisman under the wine jar, then turned and left.
Yuyi was completely immersed in comprehending his techniques. This was a critical moment—after the next realm, his Quick Sword Art would reach the terrifying Nascent Soul early stage, and his Hunyuan Mental Method was already at Nascent Soul mid-stage. Sword arts changed with every small realm improvement. When fully cultivated within the sect to late Foundation Building, sword qi attacked in four directions with a range of about fifteen zhang. At Golden Core, it became seven directions with a range of about thirty zhang. Yuyi knew that higher realms would bring greater changes, so he eagerly anticipated what would happen at Nascent Soul early stage.
Yuyi forgot to eat or drink, immersed in his meditative state. The wine and food Muxue had brought remained half-finished. The shadow-recording jade talisman under the wine jar, after being weathered by wind and rain, had become illegible.
Inside Emerald Spirit Lake, a solitary figure. Experts are built from loneliness and solitude—this process has no brilliance or joy to speak of. But Yuyi understood in his heart that it was precisely this loneliness and solitude that would allow him to travel further on the path of cultivation. Shaying's departure, Daozun's fall, the turmoil in the cultivation world—none of this concerned him at Emerald Spirit Lake. He only needed to focus on his cultivation, waiting for that day to arrive.
This day was the 700th since Yuyi had entered Emerald Spirit Lake.