Jiuzhou Continent, Storm Sea.
Endless waves roared, massive surges crashing against a thousand-metre cliff, as if determined to shatter it after centuries of relentless assault. The cliff belonged to a vast island, above which floated a peculiar mountain. Shaped like an inverted peak, its broad, flat summit contrasted with its narrow, pointed base. The inverted mountain was shrouded in a sea of clouds, drifting for countless years, as if observing the rise and fall of the ocean tides.
Atop the inverted mountain stood a single Taoist temple, modest in size, spanning just over ten metres. It appeared ancient, weathered by countless years of wind, frost, and rain. The temple bore no name, its entrance marked by a blank, tattered plaque hanging above the gate.
Before this nameless temple knelt a woman in white. If Mo Fan were present, he would have been shocked, for this was none other than the female devil he despised, Fang Yunxian, known as the Bixiao Fairy.
“Fang Yunxian, acting sect leader of the Bixiao Sect, humbly requests an audience with the seniors of Inverted Mountain. I beseech you to intervene, to save my sect and the tens of millions of human souls in the southern borders of the Hundred Thousand Mountains!” Her voice was filled with anguish as she kowtowed toward the temple, her forehead already red from countless bows.
Yet, no response came from within the temple, not even a whisper, as if it had been abandoned for eons.
“Fang Yunxian, acting sect leader of the Bixiao Sect, humbly requests an audience with the seniors of Inverted Mountain. I beseech you to intervene, to save my sect and the tens of millions of human souls in the southern borders of the Hundred Thousand Mountains!” Seeing no answer, she pleaded again, kowtowing once more. A soft thud echoed as blood splattered from her forehead. When she raised her head, half her face was stained with blood.
“Alas, foolish child, why do you persist?” A sigh finally emerged from the temple, bringing a flicker of light to Fang Yunxian’s dim eyes.
“Seniors, my Bixiao Sect has guarded the Hundred Thousand Mountains for a thousand years to ensure peace for the human race. Now, we face annihilation. Only you seniors can save our sect and the tens of millions of innocent humans in the southern borders! I implore you to show mercy and rescue my Bixiao Sect and the people of the southern borders!” she said urgently.
“Foolish child, you still don’t understand. This is a struggle of clan destinies. Inverted Mountain cannot interfere, for even if we save your Bixiao Sect and the southern borders, it would lead to the deaths of even more cultivators and innocents. The flames of war would not be confined to the southern borders but would engulf the entire Divine Realm. Such a cost and karma are beyond what we old relics can bear, let alone celestial beings descended from the heavens!” The voice from the temple spoke slowly, then sighed again. “Besides, it’s already too late…”
“What?!” Fang Yunxian’s pupils constricted sharply.
“You arrived here via the Inverted Sword Talisman, unaware of the shifting tides of the world. Your Bixiao Sect has already fallen, and Ancestor Yuming has perished. Your journey here was in vain.”
At these words, Fang Yunxian’s body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground, tears streaming from her beautiful eyes as she murmured, “The sect… the ancestor…”
“Foolish child, since you came bearing the sword talisman and possess a rare sword bone, you are a prodigy of sword cultivation. Would you be willing to join Inverted Mountain’s Sword Peak?”
…
Great River Academy.
“Dang! Dang! Dang…!” Nine bell tolls echoed, and every disciple in the academy looked toward the back mountain, as if understanding something. They all hurried toward it.
In the inner courtyard of the back mountain, with a creak, the gates opened, and Qin Changsheng, dressed in a white robe, stepped out, looking lost and desolate.
“Master, how did it go? Were you taken as the dean’s personal disciple?” Poison Fang rushed forward, brimming with excitement.
“Yes, Senior Brother Qin, with such great achievements, no one in the academy can rival you. The dean summoned you for a private meeting. Surely you’ve been accepted as his personal disciple!” A group of Foundation Establishment scholars from the academy crowded around.
“Congratulations, Senior Brother, on becoming a personal disciple!”
“Congratulations, Senior Brother!”
The scholars offered their enthusiastic praises, treating Qin Changsheng like the moon surrounded by stars. Yet, he merely cast a cold glance at those flattering him and gritted his teeth. “Get lost! All of you, get lost!”
The scholars’ faces shifted, but seeing his grim expression, none dared to speak further. After exchanging glances, they dispersed.
“Master…” Poison Fang, startled, didn’t dare approach.
“Why!” Qin Changsheng roared toward the inner courtyard, his face full of anger and unwillingness. “I’ve done so much for the academy! I destroyed the Three Mountains Demon Organisation’s trial, helped the academy obtain the Six-Coloured Vermilion Fruit Treasure Tree, and annihilated Black Wind Demon Mountain! Why don’t my efforts earn your approval? Are all these achievements not enough to become your personal disciple? Why…!”
He had thought this meeting with the dean was to elevate him to personal disciple status, but his hopes were shattered. The dean only offered words of encouragement, nothing more, telling him to keep striving. He pointed out flaws in Qin Changsheng’s mental state, saying that staying at the academy would hinder his progress, and ordered him to leave immediately to wander the world and refine his dao heart.
How could Qin Changsheng, filled with anticipation, accept this? He had climbed from ninth on the Genius List to his current height, all to earn the dean’s recognition and become his personal disciple, only to have his dreams crushed.
At that moment, the nine bell tolls rang in his ears, piercingly harsh. “Qin Changsheng, by the dean’s order, you are to leave the mountain immediately. Until your dao heart is stable, you may not return to the academy!” A cold voice sounded, pulling the furious Qin Changsheng back to some semblance of reason.
He looked up and saw a middle-aged scholar standing before the inner courtyard gates. He recognised him—the man who had fought the Black Wind Demon King, a teacher of the academy named Wu, a Golden Core cultivator with awe-inspiring righteousness. Despite his grievances and anger, Qin Changsheng didn’t dare act recklessly before him.
“Disciple… takes his leave!” He gritted his teeth, bowed, and turned to leave.
Poison Fang hurriedly followed. As master and servant descended the mountain, they passed countless disciples heading in the opposite direction. In that moment, Qin Changsheng felt unprecedented humiliation, as if he were a fish swimming against the current—not toward the Dragon Gate, but downstream, mocked by the passing disciples.
“Old man, why treat me so unfairly!” he roared inwardly, his eyes bloodshot. Before he knew it, they had left the Great River Academy.
“Master, where are we going now?” Poison Fang asked cautiously.
“The dean won’t take me as his personal disciple. It must be because my achievements aren’t enough. If that’s the case, we’ll find more!” Qin Changsheng declared. “Isn’t there a rather capable toad demon in Black Wind Mountain? That demon is fated to cross paths with me. This time, I’ll make sure it dies!”
