Chapter 61: Suspected of Living Off a Woman

Xu Xuan could not help but gaze down at the bottomless chasm known as the “Abyss of Infinity,” beside the northern cliff’s small pavilion.

Just now, the thunderous aura emanating from that abyss had left him trembling with fear. Fortunately, it lasted but a fleeting moment—otherwise, how could the disciples atop Starfeather Mountain ever cultivate in peace?

At this time, the highest elders of the Starmeteor Sword Sect and Windfeather Sect were communicating in secret, their spiritual senses weaving a silent discussion.

“Starkindler Sword King… It seems you too are aware of that secret,” murmured the Windfeather Master, his eyes half-closed, flashes of brilliance within, while his robe fluttered soundlessly as if stirred by an unseen wind.

“In the depths of the Abyss of Infinity lie the sealed secrets of how Windfeather Sect rose to glory centuries past, only to fall and split apart in tragedy. This secret has been passed down from one generation to the next among the Starmeteor Sword Sect’s leaders,” replied the Starkindler Sword King, a fleeting glimmer like starlight passing through his otherwise dark, clouded eyes. Where he stood, the faintest sword hum could be heard, enough to make spirits and ghosts draw back.

Moments later, other high-ranking elders of the Starmeteor Sword Sect arrived to join them.

One after another, several cultivators from both sects at the Spirit Refinement stage soared into the abyss to investigate. Afterward, all was silent.

As dusk approached, the Windfeather Master’s clear and solemn voice rang out among the assembled disciples and stewards: “Pass this order: from today forth, the ‘Abyss of Infinity’ is designated a forbidden area of our sect. Post additional guards. Apart from our elders, no one may approach.”

Only then did those Spirit Refinement cultivators take their leave one by one.

Xu Xuan watched the elders depart, a keen light flickering in his eyes as he noticed something amiss: two were missing!

Indeed, earlier there had been as many as five or six senior figures from both sects together, but only four left in the end. That meant one elder from each sect had entered the abyss and not yet returned.

Something strange was afoot!

Xu Xuan’s gaze was uncertain, and after pondering for long, he could only shake his head with a wry smile: how could a mere nobody like himself hope to fathom such grave secrets of the immortal sects?

Still, curiosity about the mysteries hidden in the Abyss of Infinity took root in his heart, and he resolved to keep a discreet watch.

That night, sitting cross-legged, he attempted to practice the ninth level of the Breathing Technique, but encountered great resistance. It seemed that unless he mastered and perfected the eighth transformation, even advancing to the next level of the Breathing Technique would be extraordinarily difficult.

At dawn the next day, as the first light crept over the horizon, two figures flew out from the abyss—it was Elder Lu and a senior from the Starmeteor Sword Sect. Both looked pale and weakened as they returned to their respective sects.

Soon after, yet another elder from each sect arrived and descended into the abyss. Xu Xuan found this remarkable but showed nothing on his face.

That morning, a sudden idea brought a smile to his lips. After hastily gathering a few items, he went to report to the inner sect steward, then made his way down the mountain alone.

He had already spent two months in the sect, and by custom, was permitted a brief trip down the mountain. Outer sect disciples had three days of leave, while inner sect disciples could be away for four or five. Whether to go or stay was up to each individual. Some disciples, wholly devoted to cultivation, cut off all worldly ties, cold and indifferent, caring not if their kin lived or died.

Xu Xuan was no such cold-blooded soul. From his past life’s memories, he knew that the path of cultivation was intricately linked to the joys and sorrows of the mundane world. Those who entirely abandoned emotion to become mere machines were simply walking a more extreme road.

Just outside the mountain gate, he spotted several familiar faces—Xu Yuan and Yu Qin among them—waiting on the steps. Their eyes lit up when they saw him.

“Junior Brother Xu, I’ve been waiting for you a long time,” said Xu Yuan affably, coming over with a generous smile.

Xu Xuan still felt little fondness for this scion of the Xu family, and gave only perfunctory replies. Yu Qin, on the other hand, approached shyly, her eyes bright as gemstones, darting away nervously.

“Junior Sister Yu, do you need something?” Xu Xuan asked in mild surprise.

“Senior Brother Xu, you saved me that day… Thank you,” Yu Qin managed, cheeks turning rosy as if she’d mustered all her courage.

So that was it. Xu Xuan shook his head with a small smile. “We’re fellow disciples—it’s only right to help each other.”

He did feel some affection for this timid, kind-hearted girl. Even after becoming a personal disciple, she remained bashful and sincere, untainted by calculation or guile.

But was such a gentle soul truly suited to surviving in the world of immortal sects?

“This is for you!” Yu Qin handed him a small bottle, then turned and hurried down the mountain, escorted by two other inner sect disciples.

Xu Xuan paused, reading the label: Spiritual Qi Pill.

His brows knitted. Such a pill could greatly boost a cultivator’s progress, and even help break through bottlenecks in critical moments. Its value was extraordinary, nearly a thousand low-grade spirit stones or a hundred thousand spirit yuan coins.

As a personal disciple, Yu Qin had access to such elixirs under her master’s tutelage, and yet she’d given one to Xu Xuan.

He was about to call after her when Yu Qin suddenly turned, her smile bright as morning clouds, pure and delighted.

He understood at once—she was repaying a life-saving debt with this precious gift.

Xu Xuan’s heart felt a twinge of guilt, but refusing her kindness would only cause embarrassment. He stowed the bottle away carefully.

At that moment, two more familiar figures appeared on the mountain path.

“Senior Brother Le, you still have duties to attend to. No need to see me off,” said Yang Xiaoqian, her striking figure turned away from Xu Xuan and the others.

Xu Xuan looked over in mild surprise to see Le Feng accompanying Yang Xiaoqian to the gate, their words tinged with intimacy.

Xu Yuan, unbothered, whispered, “Since the bandit hunt, Senior Brother Le has always looked after Junior Sister Yang.”

“Ah, Junior Brother Xu, you’re here as well,” Le Feng greeted Xu Xuan with a smile, exchanged a few words, and departed.

Xu Xuan bore him no ill will and responded in kind.

The three of them descended the mountain together, Yang Xiaoqian glancing from time to time at Xu Xuan with a trace of unease.

“Junior Sister Yang, your friendship with Senior Brother Le seems quite close. It won’t be long before you join the inner sect. Don’t forget your old village friend,” Xu Yuan teased with a flattering smile.

Yang Xiaoqian’s cheeks colored. Over the past fortnight, her interactions with Le Feng had indeed grown frequent; that refined and handsome rising star was the secret admiration of many female disciples.

Her bright eyes flicked toward Xu Xuan, searching for a reaction on his face.

Yet to her disappointment, Xu Xuan seemed entirely unmoved, almost absentminded.

“Heh, you don’t know—our Junior Brother Xu is quite the charmer. Just now, Junior Sister Yu Qin gave him a bottle of Spiritual Qi Pills. She must have her eye on him—imagine, catching the attention of a personal disciple, and being gifted such a rare elixir! Junior Brother Xu’s allure is something to envy,” Xu Yuan said, half-jealous, half-mocking. In his view, Xu Xuan was living off others’ generosity.

“A personal disciple? Spiritual Qi Pills?” Yang Xiaoqian’s eyes widened with surprise and curiosity as she looked Xu Xuan up and down, and for some reason, her mood soured.

Even Xu Xuan, usually so composed, felt a little embarrassed by their banter. He’d already felt uneasy accepting Yu Qin’s gift; now, with their teasing, he couldn’t help but feel like a freeloader, which irked him. He shot Xu Yuan a glare.

“Ah—forget I said anything!” Xu Yuan started and dared not continue, for if word got out, Xu Xuan might well resent him for life.