Chapter 15: Aching Back and Numb Legs, Leaning Against the Wall to Exit the Cave
Azure Prefecture, Southern Region.
Xuanqing Sect.
These days, Sect Master Yan Changkong and Grand Elder Chen Xiu have been busier than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Painfully and joyfully so.
Right now, the Xuanqing Sect could be considered as rich as a dragon surrounded by treasures in all of Azure Prefecture. Whether it’s selling information about Emperors or charging entrance fees to the Emperor’s former residence to attract countless cultivators, they’re making stacks of cash. It’s so exaggerated, it puts mining spiritual veins to shame—after all, even if someone gives you a spiritual vein, you still have to dig it out yourself, right? Here at Xuanqing Sect, they’re just lying back and raking it in.
On top of that, the Xuanqing Sect has become a hive of activity, buzzing with popularity. The number of disciples has expanded from a few thousand to over ten thousand. Almost a double increase! And this was still with Yan Changkong tightly controlling the situation, as the cultivation requirements for new disciples were exceptionally high.
This scene has left the other sects in Azure Prefecture drooling with envy. They privately fumed at their own sects for not producing a single Emperor. One person has revitalized an entire sect!
One day, the Xuanqing Sect was bustling with excitement as Sect Master Yan Changkong led a group of fresh disciples to the Emperor’s former residence.
At this moment, the residence was sporting some new renovations. The area in front had expanded a hundredfold, and the granite slabs laid on the ground were polished to a shine. There were so many visitors that it felt like a festival!
In the sky above, a long sword hovered ominously, enveloping everything in a chill-inducing sword intent that made people gulp.
Yan Changkong took a couple of steps forward, lifted his robe, and bowed deeply, saying with great reverence, “Ancestor Lin Feng!”
“I, disciple Yan Changkong, humbly present myself with my newly initiated disciples to greet you, Ancestor!”
Behind him, Grand Elder Chen Xiu and the group of fresh initiates all plopped down on their knees.
“Salutations to Ancestor Lin Feng!”
This was a newly established rule at Xuanqing Sect: from now on, all newly joined disciples had to pay their respects to Ancestor Lin Feng. Just like how newcomers must pay respects to the founding ancestors of the sect, Lin Feng is a living Emperor Ancestor!
Xuanqing Sect’s rise is all thanks to him! Of course, they must pay their respects.
After the ritual was completed, Yan Changkong stood on a stone platform, cleared his throat, and proclaimed, “Welcome, new disciples, to the big family of Xuanqing Sect!”
“You must have heard a lot about Ancestor Lin Feng’s personal character and cultivation journey these past few days, right?”
He scanned the crowd and continued, “Ancestors Lin Feng is a person of noble character, steadfast will, and has transcended the mundane interests of ordinary cultivators.”
“He respects teachers and values the way, bonds with peers, and protects the sect!”
“Although he possesses exceptional talent, he never flaunts it or suppresses his fellow disciples. Remember this!”
Down below, the fresh disciples, moved by emotion, nodded furiously, as if trying to shake their heads right off their necks.
Yan Changkong glanced around, quite satisfied. “Furthermore, Ancestor Lin Feng’s unyielding resolve in cultivation and his Dao heart are qualities we all should learn from!”
“He practiced his swordsmanship, swinging a sword a million times!”
“For the sake of a spiritual herb, he dared to venture alone into the Yunlu Mountains for training. This unwavering spirit is essential for us in the pursuit of the Great Dao and longevity!”
Yan Changkong grew increasingly invigorated: “Let us inherit the spirit of the Emperor and bring glory to our sect!”
Grand Elder Chen Xiu, standing at the front of the crowd, also raised his arm in a fervent cheer!
Before long, everyone’s chants rolled like a tidal wave!
“Inherit the spirit of the Emperor and bring glory to our sect!”
“Inherit the spirit of the Emperor and bring glory to our sect!”
“Inherit the spirit of the Emperor and bring glory to our sect!”
A warm reminder: If you’re having trouble saving your bookshelf while logged in across devices, it’s been fixed! If it still doesn’t work, remember your bookshelf contents, clear your browser’s cookies, log back in, and re-add your books!
The voices echoed for a long while, and in that moment, the cohesion of the Xuanqing Sect experienced an unprecedented boost.
The newly joined disciples suddenly felt a sense of belonging, as if they were fully integrated into Xuanqing Sect.
After about half an hour!
Yan Changkong finally activated his powers to silence the crowd, saying, “By the way, today happens to be the day for the Emperor’s diary entries, so let’s all enjoy viewing the Emperor’s diary together!”
“This way, we can better inherit the spirit of the Emperor!”
The disciples eagerly nodded in agreement, all feeling like they had made the best choice joining Xuanqing Sect. The atmosphere for cultivation was fantastic!
Almost all the sects had set up projection arrays inside, projecting the messages from the Sky Mechanism Pavilion to their internal spaces. This way, they could ensure they saw the Emperor’s diary entries at the earliest and make it convenient for disciples to watch—two birds with one stone!
After a brief wait, a luminous screen appeared above the array, with words gradually surfacing.
“Exposed!”
“Hey, do you think Ancestor Lin Feng and Ancestor Ruo Yu will have something happen in the cave?”
“Well, it goes without saying! It’s not appropriate for children…”
“After all, they were young back then. Who wasn’t filled with vitality?”
“Ahem, once I break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, I’ll also go training in the Yunlu Mountains.”
The disciples of Xuanqing Sect were chattering enthusiastically among themselves. Now, watching the diary, their mentality had undergone subtle changes; they no longer felt like outsiders…
Instead, it felt like they, as juniors, were witnessing the experiences of their seniors.
This feeling gave them a bit of a thrill and heightened their anticipation.
Yan Changkong stood on the steps, along with the elders, eagerly staring at the luminous screen.
“Ahem, I hope Ancestor doesn’t fail us and quickly gives a lesson to these new disciples!”
“Using personal experience to show them that even an Emperor had to face difficulties and challenges to achieve greatness!”
Yan Changkong thought to himself, not too worried, since Lin Feng’s achievements were already there for all to see.
That was an unmatched, supreme Emperor!
For an Emperor, their cultivation journey must be incredibly inspiring!
It was precisely because he thought of this that he would take this opportunity to give these exceptionally talented yet a bit arrogant new disciples a lesson!
Moments later, the diary’s content finally fully unveiled itself.
Diary of the Eternal Emperor, Page 9:
[I didn’t even realize, but I’ve been living in this cave for half a year.]
[Ruo Yu’s injuries have healed, and her strength has mostly returned—a good piece of news.]
[But I find myself a bit reluctant.]
[I know her injuries are better now, and soon we’ll have to part ways, probably never to see each other again.]
[Whatever, I’ll cherish every single day right now!]
[No intention to cultivate, just lying down and doing nothing!]
[Cultivation? Young people need to learn to enjoy themselves; right now, it’s better to play with little fish… too bad there’s no black silk.]
Diary of the Eternal Emperor, Page 10:
[When night fell, Ruo Yu told me it was time for her to leave.]
[My heart tugged a bit.]
[Yeah, it’s time for me to return to the sect, this training trip took longer than I expected.]
[It started raining, really heavy rain.]
[Ruo Yu leaped into my embrace like she was going mad; it wasn’t until the sunlight crept into the cave the next day that we stopped.]
[At our parting, Ruo Yu revealed her true identity—she’s from Central State and a holy maiden from a sacred land!]
[She cried, asking me to promise to find her for sure!]
[Sigh, looking at her pitiful appearance, my heart softened, so I agreed, what can I say? Good looks have their perks, holy maiden is hopelessly devoted.]
[Aching back, numb legs, leaning against the wall to walk out of the cave…]
