Chapter 38 – Scars

“Hahaha!” Wu Wenbo gave a hearty laugh, not taking offense to Hao Chen’s rebuttal. With such a thin body, he still claimed he wasn’t lean?

His thighs weren’t even as thick as Wu Wenbo’s arms, and in terms of weight, he estimated that he was twice as heavy as this young disciple.

Wu Wenbo just thought this was an issue of a man’s pride at work, and considerately declined to continue the topic.

“Why didn’t you stay on our territory? Why are you on Lingxiao Sword Sect’s ship?” Wu Wenbo asked now that Hao Chen’s identity had been confirmed.

“Because…..” Maintaining his smile, Hao Chen suddenly took a step back and tugged Feng Ye’s sleeve, pulling him back into the matter. He gestured toward Feng Ye and said: “Because my best friend is here. I missed him dearly, and came to visit him.”

“Oh?” Wu Wenbo raised his eyebrows and looked at Feng Ye, who Hao Chen had forcibly pulled over. Those were the unique black and white robes of Lingxiao Sword Sect, nearly the same as the ones Sect Leader Ji was wearing.

The white daoist robes he was wearing were nearly the same as Hao Chen’s, and his purpose for coming over here was nearly the same too.

Thinking of this, Wu Wenbo completely forgot about the fact that Hao Chen hadn’t greeted him at the beginning. On the contrary, he patted Hao Chen’s shoulder and praised him: “Good! This is the way mutual exchange between our sects should be. You fellows keep building your relationship, I’m going to find Sect Leader Ji to reminisce about the past.”

Having said this, he left Feng Ye and Hao Chen and walked straight over to where Ji Chengyue was standing.

Even though a small incident had popped up, Wu Wenbo still hadn’t forgotten about the person he’d been scolding. As soon as he reached Ji Chengyue, he proceeded to curse: “Just wait and see, according to that bastard Xiao Ding’s habits, he’ll ride that cloud around the area once and not land until he’s completed the tour.”

He spoke in an unreservedly loud voice. Not only could Sect Leader Ji hear him, but also all the disciples of Lingxiao Sword Sect on the ship.

Everyone looked toward the dark cloud Wu Wenbo was lambasting. But the cloud was presently rolling onward, and judging from its trajectory, it was about to make a circle.

When the dark cloud floated overhead, all they could see above was a vast expanse of darkness. However, now that it was moving away, they could actually see some of the scenery on top of it.

Quite a few people could be vaguely seen standing atop the dark cloud. Their robes looked quite uniform, and it was likely that they were from a sect participating in the Floating Island Secret Realm.

And as Wu Wenbo had said, this dark cloud should be the heaven-grade weapon called the Cloud-Summoning Banner.

At present, the effect of this magic weapon was not much different than the large ships brought by other sects. Both were flying magical instruments that could accommodate multiple people, but this cloud looked far more majestic and dazzling. 

But since it qualified as a heaven-grade magic weapon, the abilities of the Cloud-Summoning Banner were far more than just this.

As the sect leader of Tiangong Pavilion, Wu Wenbo was different from Hao Chen, who could only comment on the appearance of the magic weapon and had nothing but bad intentions – he knew the characteristics and disadvantages of various magic weapons very well.

Therefore, he was extremely envious of the Cloud-Summoning Banner. The reason he cursed the owner of the weapon, Xiao Ding, was that he truly looked down on Xiao Ding’s grand arrival and felt the need to criticise what he couldn’t have.

Ji Chengyue knew that Wu Wenbo coveted the Cloud-Summoning Banner, so he wasn’t surprised by his words, and even agreed with them. After all, he had no positive feelings toward Xiao Ding.

However, saying such vulgar words in front of this group of young disciples was rather unbecoming of a sect leader. Therefore, instead of replying directly, he motioned for Wu Wenbo to follow him into the cabin to speak.

The two sect leaders walked from the deck into the cabin. Perhaps they set up some kind of magic array to block sound, because Wu Wenbo’s loud voice could no longer be heard.

But even when the two sect leaders left, everyone’s attention was still focused on the circling dark cloud.

Wherever this dark cloud floated, there were exclamations of surprise. People who were chatting happily with friends experienced sudden darkness, and looked up in alarm to see a dark cloud rolling across the sky.

Their reactions were no different from those of the Lingxiao Sword Sect disciples before.

As a result, more and more people stared at the dark cloud. And once it had attracted everyone’s attention, the dark cloud looked as if it was beginning to descend.

Maintaining the same ostentatious style as its debut, it unsurprisingly chose to land right in the center of everyone.

As the dark cloud went lower and lower, everyone could finally see the people atop the cloud and what they were wearing.

Those daoist robes with the eight trigram pattern…..Wending Sect…..

When they realized the identity of this group of people, ships large and small that occupied the middle area immediately moved away to make room for the people of Wending Sect.

There was nothing else to be done. They were currently the largest sect in the world.

Even though they were displeased with Wending Sect’s behavior, they could only keep such displeasure to themselves. Because they couldn’t afford to offend these people.

Wending Sect focused on alchemy, and possessed strong financial resources, which could be seen in the eight trigram robes the disciples were wearing.

They were just ordinary disciple robes, but the symbol of Wending Sect was embroidered on them in gold thread – a small tripod cauldron.^[1]

And the disciples of Lingxiao Sword Sect who had just heard Wu Wenbo’s cursing finally realized who Xiao Ding was.

Xiao Ding was the current sect leader of Wending Sect, a middle-aged man who was presently standing at the forefront of the cloud with his hands behind his back, sporting a moustache and a haughty expression.

The “ding” in Xiao Ding’s name was nearly the same as the “ding” in Wending Sect, which referred to a cauldron used in alchemy. However, everyone secretly gave him the nickname Xiao Ding (萧顶), which naturally meant “to look down on others.”

Who made Xiao Ding act so proud and arrogant, relying on the fact that he was the leader of the largest sect in the world?

He always paid attention to ostentation and extravagance wherever he went, disregarding the feelings of others. He came and found an open space to stop just like the other sects, but insisted on using the heaven-grade weapon Cloud-Summoning Banner to do so. The group of them circled above the heads of the crowd, drawing the attention of the entire audience before landing.

They really…..deserved a beating.

Many people felt this way, but no one dared to point a finger at Xiao Ding’s nose and reprimand him. Even Wu Wenbo only badmouthed Xiao Ding in front of Ji Chengyue. Although he wouldn’t spare Xiao Ding a good look, he wouldn’t be so disrespectful in his presence.

Wending Sect was known as the largest sect in the world. Not only were they wealthy – they were also very strong, with seven elders at Nascent Soul stage.

Elixirs were different from magic weapons, which were, after all, auxiliary. Elixirs were able to actually improve one’s cultivation and spiritual power.

Wending Sect itself was the largest producer of elixirs in the world. Every month, it distributed elixirs to improve the cultivation of its disciples, and it could be said that the cultivation of most of the sect’s disciples had been enhanced by such spiritual medicine.

Although the cultivation gained through elixirs was not as stable as the cultivation gained by oneself, their average cultivation level was much higher than that of the other sects. And those other disciples could do nothing but bite their handkerchiefs and secretly ridicule their cultivation for being unstable.

A hundred years ago, this sect had been second-best and wasn’t as high-profile as it was today. Because Lingxiao Sword Sect, headed by Ling Yun, had firmly occupied first place. It had pressed down on Xiao Ding like a mountain, not even giving him a chance to vie for the position.

However, times had changed, and so had the people. Wending Sect was still the same Wending sect, but Lingxiao Sword Sect was no longer the same as before.

With the failure of the bridge to heaven, Lingxiao Sword Sect had suffered heavy losses, with thousands of dead or wounded disciples, including five Nascent Soul elders. And as for the sect leader, Ling Yun…..no trace of him was left…..

As a result, Lingxiao Sword Sect fell from number one, and Wending Sect succeeded the throne.

The past hundred years had proven the old saying true: when there are no tigers on the mountain, the monkeys reign.

How could Wending Sect, a group of people who rose to prominence by consuming elixirs, become the top sect in the world?

Everyone was unresigned to it, but nobody could shake their number one position.

On this journey to the Floating Island Secret Realm, among the Qi Refining disciples sent by Wending Sect, a rough look revealed that there were at least twenty people at the tenth level of Qi Refining, which was roughly equal to the sum of all the other sects combined.

Although this group of high-level medicine jars often depleted their spiritual power in battle, they were undeniably wealthy. When their spiritual power was completed, they would take more pills and gradually wear down their opponent.

Therefore, although everyone was indignant as they watched the group descend into the middle of them, nobody said anything in front of Xiao Ding. On the contrary, they came forward and greeted him with respect.

Feng Ye, Hao Chen, and Fang Yang, who had little knowledge of the cultivation world, listened to the introduction of nearby fellow disciples. Only then did they understand why they had arrived in such an ostentatious manner.

Unlike the others, who were respectful on the surface but contemptuous underneath, Hao Chen very sincerely admired Xiao Ding’s method of entrance.

What was the point of having money if you couldn’t show it off?

Hao Chen, a fellow wealthy man, sent a sympathetic look toward Wending Sect. He had chosen the wrong identity. Pretending to be a member of Wending Sect would have suited him better.

“What are those people doing here?” Feng Ye paid no more attention to Wending Sect, nor did he care about what Hao Chen beside him was thinking. He pointed at a group of people in different styles of clothing standing in a long line and asked his fellow disciples nearby.

“Those people, ah…..” A fellow disciple looked over. 

“Yeah, isn’t it the case that each of the top ten sects has one hundred spots for Qi Refining disciples and ten spots for Foundation Establishment disciples? Why are there so many people here?” Fang Yang also asked.

He didn’t noticed them when they first arrived, but after following the route of Wending Sect’s cloud and observing the area, he found that far more than ten sects had arrived here.

The enthusiastic fellow disciple proceeded to answer enthusiastically: “The Floating Island Secret Realm doesn’t belong only to the top ten sects. There are so many cultivators in the world. All of the spots can’t be given to just the top ten, right?”

Feng Ye and Fang Yang nodded in agreement.

The enthusiastic disciple continued: “So in addition to the fixed quotas of the top ten sects, an additional five hundred spots for Qi Refining and fifty spots for Foundation Establishment are given to individual cultivators and small sects. The method used to allocate this quota is similar to ours – through competitions.”

“No matter your status, you can participate as long as you meet the cultivation requirements. Then you’ll receive a token from the Independent Cultivator Alliance and be able to enter the Floating Island Secret Realm. The people queuing over there are getting their identities checked to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation. This isn’t necessary for our sects. Our clothing is the best proof of our identities.”

This enthusiastic fellow disciple puffed out his chest as he spoke. Although Lingxiao Sword Sect had declined in the past hundred years, a lean camel was still bigger than a horse. Lingxiao Sword Sect was still much better than those small sects no one had even heard of.

“I see, ah. Thanks for letting me know.” Feng Ye thanked his enthusiastic fellow disciple, then stared at the people queuing for a while before looking away, waiting for the Floating Island Secret Realm to open.

And as Feng Ye withdrew his gaze, among the differently-clothed group of cultivators from various sects, a man covered in black robes suddenly raised his head and looked over.

There were huge crowds of people here, and ships of all sizes were crowded together like a busy market, but his gaze passed through the sea of people and lingered solely on Lingxiao Sword Sect.

His body was covered in loose robes, and his height, weight, and figure couldn’t be seen clearly. The only part of his face visible through his robes was covered with a metal mask.

The only aspect exposed were his deep, unfathomable black eyes.

“Hey, it’s your turn. Take out your token,” the person in charge of processing admissions said to the man.

The man’s gaze finally shifted away from Lingxiao Sword Sect. Without saying a word, he stretched a hand out of his wide sleeves and showed his token.

The person processing admissions took the token and inspected it. After confirming that it was genuine, he didn’t immediately move on to the next person. Instead, he regarded the man in black robes and a mask with some suspicion: “Why are you covering yourself so tightly? Are you some kind of wanted demonic cultivator?”

The man glanced at the inspector calmly from behind his mask, then replied without any emotion: “No.”

But the inspector was not Fang Yang, so it was impossible for him to believe everything the man said, and his doubts were not dispelled by the man’s denial: “Then why do you have to hide your head and show your tail?^[2] Either give me a convincing reason or take off the mask and let me have a look.”

The man and the inspector looked at each other silently for a moment, and the inspector inexplicably felt a chill crawl down his back. Staring into those deep, quiet eyes for any length of time filled him with a sense of horror, as if there was some terrible monster lurking inside them.

The more I look at this fellow, the more something seems off, the inspector thought. He was a little nervous being stared at. Just when he was about to call someone else over to help question this person, the masked man finally moved.

Don’t tell me he’s about to silence me, the inspector thought wildly, and couldn’t help but gulp anxiously.

However, this was not the case. It was broad daylight, and there were numerous people  watching. If the man really tried something, he wouldn’t be able to escape.

Therefore, the man didn’t take action. He stretched a hand out of his sleeve again and raised it in front of him. This time, because of the larger movement, not only the wrist, but part of his forearm was exposed. 

The man’s left hand was relatively normal, with distinct joints. But his forearm, which was gradually exposed from his sleeve, was covered in wrinkled, puckered skin.

Burn scars, thought the examiner.

The man raised his hand to the mask on his face. When it moved away, the left half of the man’s face was finally exposed to everyone.

But it would have been better if he hadn’t exposed it, because his face was just like his arm, covered in ugly scars. They were not just burns, but also straight-line scars from sword cuts.

The wounds were densely packed and covered his entire face. Although they had long since scabbed over and healed, this didn’t stop them from being horrific. This was a face so horrifying that people dreaded seeing it in their dreams.

“No need to lift it any more! I get it!” The inspector hurriedly stopped the man from removing the mask. Although only the left half of his face could be seen and the right half was still hidden under the mask, half was already scary enough!

The inspector had no desire to see the entirety of his face, and understood why he had covered himself so tightly. It was likely because of his wounds that the man wore a mask so as not to scare others.

The man obediently stopped removing his mask, and instead restored it to its original place.

The inspector couldn’t wait to pass by the man and move on to the next person. As he walked, he patted his chest in fright, feeling that he wouldn’t be able to sleep well for the next few days. Whenever he thought of that ghastly face, his hair stood on end.

---

[1] This tripod cauldron, a xiao ding (小鼎 ) is pronounced much the same as the Wending sect leader’s name, Xiao Ding (萧鼎). ⮐

[2] To hide your head and show your tail is to conceal part of the truth. ⮐

---

Consider donating via Kofi here.

Chapter 37 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 39