Heaven’s Shadow

The nameless mountain was shrouded in shadow, as if even the sunlight despised this place, rarely casting any light. In this dark courtyard, amidst the eerie atmosphere, the caretaker’s sudden words made He Yi feel an intense sense of disbelief.

“You know?” He stared at the emaciated, withered face and said in a deep voice.

The caretaker opened his mouth and made a sound like “heh heh,” but his face lacked any trace of a smile. Even the movement of his lips was just a slight twitch, appearing incredibly stiff.

He Yi thought that even recently deceased people seemed more pleasant compared to this caretaker, who was so much like a dead man himself. The thick, pervasive aura of death seemed to constantly emanate from him.

Upon hearing He Yi’s question, the caretaker made a strange, raspy noise and said, “I have a condition.”

“What condition?”

“I want to see someone. You need to find him for me.”

“Who?”

“Dongfang Tao.”

“Dongfang Tao…” He Yi was stunned for a moment before suddenly realizing, “Oh, you mean the one from Baicao Hall?”

“That’s right.”

He Yi furrowed his brows, looking at the caretaker, “Why do you want to find him?”

The caretaker’s expression was blank, standing in the dark courtyard like a lonely ghost. He whispered, “That’s none of your concern.”

He Yi pondered for a moment, then shook his head, “I might not be able to do that. Firstly, I’m not familiar with Master Dongfang. We don’t have any past dealings, and we might even be on bad terms. Secondly, as far as I know, he has been in closed-door meditation due to serious injuries and hasn’t shown any signs of coming out. Even his favorite disciple hasn’t been allowed to perform the formal apprenticeship ceremony. So I might not be able to help.”

The caretaker turned away coldly, saying, “Then forget it. I’ve said what I needed to; whether you do it or not is up to you.”

He Yi suddenly stepped forward, his eyes flashing with determination, “I have the Sect Master’s token. Isn’t that supposed to make you speak the truth?”

The caretaker did not turn around, “That token only allows you to enter this courtyard. If you want to pressure me, it’s not enough. If you want to, you can ask Xianyue Zhenren to come directly.”

He Yi was at a loss for words. He certainly couldn’t ask Xianyue Zhenren to come to this gloomy place. As the head of the Kunlun Sect, Xianyue Zhenren had many responsibilities and was constantly busy. Moreover, this task had been directly assigned to He Yi by the sect master, and he didn’t want to disappoint him.

He took a deep breath, giving the caretaker a final look. “The Sect Master won’t come here, but I promise I’ll try to contact Master Dongfang for you. However, I can’t guarantee success.”

The caretaker seemed indifferent, waving his hand dismissively. “Until you see Dongfang Tao, I have nothing more to say to you.” With that, he walked away, disappearing into the deepening darkness at the other end of the courtyard.

He Yi took a deep breath, his expression changing several times. Deciding to put aside this unexpected interruption, he turned and walked into the dark room flickering with candlelight.

※※※

Eagle fruit trees favor sunlight and moisture, requiring abundant spiritual nourishment. They are quite delicate and difficult to cultivate. Due to their special attributes, harvesting them is also challenging. They can be described as troublesome.

Having arrived at Feiyan Platform, Lu Chen had basically settled here for eating, living, and working near the spiritual field. He meticulously cared for the eagle fruit trees, adding a bit of fuel to Su Qingjun’s impending dazzling and brilliant cultivation career.

Fortunately, the eagle fruit trees thrived in sunlight and would never bear fruit at night, allowing Lu Chen to at least sleep peacefully at night. Otherwise, continuous work without rest would be overwhelming even for a deity.

On his first day here, Su Qingjun visited him at the spiritual field and then returned to her residence, not coming out again for the rest of the day. Knowing Su Qingjun’s reputation for being deeply immersed in cultivation, Lu Chen wasn’t surprised. He continued his work until dusk, ending his day’s labor.

As the sun set and was about to disappear below the horizon, Lu Chen walked to the edge of Feiyan Platform’s cliff and gazed into the distance. The vast sea of clouds stretched out before him, with the setting sun casting a golden hue over the clouds, resembling a golden ocean and appearing exceptionally beautiful.

The mountain breeze blew against him, making his clothes flutter. As he looked up at the sky from the cliff, a feeling of expansiveness washed over him, as if everything in the world no longer mattered, and a sense of transcendence filled his heart.

Perhaps, this was the mindset of a cultivator?

Or perhaps it was precisely for this reason that throughout countless generations, the ancient immortals and great virtues preferred to stay in the renowned mountains and blessed lands, watching the changes of the clouds and the rotation of the stars, to comprehend the true Dao.

Lu Chen gazed at the distant sky, lost in thought.

The path he walked seemed different from everyone else’s. Even though he saw the grand scenery of the vast sea of clouds, he still couldn’t fathom or see his own Dao, his own path.

※※※

The next morning, Lu Chen got up early and made a round of the spiritual field. After a night, the seven eagle fruit trees looked no different from the previous day. Some of the fruits hanging on the branches were still green, showing no signs of ripening, suggesting they would need a few more days.

After inspecting the trees, Lu Chen took a bucket to fetch clear spring water from the mountainside. He watered the trees thoroughly and then infused them with spiritual energy. By the time he finished, it was already noon, and he finally had a chance to catch his breath.

Sitting at the edge of the field, he glanced toward the cave residence. All morning, Su Qingjun hadn’t even opened the door of the cave. It seemed this beautiful and refined woman was determined to stay inside the cave, waiting for Lu Chen to come and call her.

Lu Chen smiled, having no ill feelings about it. It was just as planned. While sitting there, he speculated that by now, the news of He Changsheng’s incident had likely spread through the Kunlun Sect. Most ordinary disciples might just be watching the excitement, but if there were any spies from demonic sects, they couldn’t possibly ignore the reincarnation array.

Perhaps there would be some reaction?

He squinted slightly, lost in thought, and then looked up at the sky, deciding that he should probably sneak down the mountain to check things out later that night.

Just then, the quiet of Feiyan Platform was suddenly broken by the sound of urgent footsteps coming from afar. Lu Chen was startled, turning his head to see a man hurrying up the mountain path directly toward the cave residence door.

The spiritual field where Lu Chen was located was situated on the side of Feiyan Platform. Surrounded by ancient trees and mountain rocks, it was relatively hidden, and the remote location made it hard to notice unless one was paying close attention.

The hurried man clearly didn’t notice the spiritual field located about ten yards from the cave residence. He looked anxious, running to the door and starting to knock vigorously.

“Bang bang bang, bang bang bang!”

The knocking sound was deep and clear but not too loud, as the cave residence door was not a wooden one but a stone door reinforced with magical restrictions.

Jindan cultivators, especially those with both exceptional talent and a wealthy family background, were indeed unique. Lu Chen touched the yellow stone talisman in his pocket, given to him by Su Qingjun yesterday. It was simple to use; the talisman allowed him to easily contact Su Qingjun. According to her, the stone door was thick and heavy, and the cave was deep and vast. It wouldn’t be easy to hear someone knocking from outside.

Seeing that the man was knocking on the stone door with great effort but receiving no response from inside, Lu Chen felt an inexplicable sense of superiority and amusement at the man’s futile attempt. Although he knew it was a bit petty, he couldn’t help but laugh.

He had no intention of rushing over to help; instead, he took two steps back, leaned against a tree trunk, and sat down, not caring about the dirty ground. He watched from a distance as the man grew increasingly flustered and continued to laugh.

Finally, the man, Su Biao, seemed unable to hold his patience any longer. He suddenly shouted, “Sister Jun, Qingjun, are you inside? It’s Su Biao!”

Lu Chen listened from afar, smirking and shaking his head. “Su Biao? That name won’t do. He should be called Su Fool instead.”

Su Biao continued calling out, growing increasingly anxious as the stone door remained unmoved. He paced back and forth at the entrance, his forehead seemingly sweating from the stress.

Suddenly, Su Biao seemed to make a bold decision, kneeling before the door and knocking his head three times. This startled Lu Chen from a distance, making the scene even more amusing.

After a moment, Su Biao cried out loudly, “Sister Jun, please come out and see me! I’m in urgent need of help! Please save me!”

“Hm? In urgent need of help?” Lu Chen watched with interest, reaching into his pocket to touch the yellow talisman but after a moment of hesitation, he withdrew his hand.

“I wonder when she will come out…” Before he could finish his thought, the stone door of the cave residence rumbled and moved aside. Su Biao, who was kneeling on the ground, looked up with a face full of surprise.

Lu Chen was momentarily stunned as well and muttered, “To come out just at the mention of saving a life—what a coincidence…”