Ch. 86 – Prelude

As the sky brightened, the originally cool early morning sunlight grew rather scorching.

Feng Ye stood in the unshaded main square, shielding his eyes with his hand as he glanced up at the sky. The trial ceremony would be held at exactly sishi. Judging by the intensity of the sun, there should be about an incense stick of time left.

It had been absolutely necessary for Fang Yang to wake him up so early, because even though they had gotten up at the crack of dawn, they were not among the first to arrive.

When the three of them arrived at the main square, some disciples were already waiting there, having claimed the prime spots.

Fortunately, although they were not the first to arrive, they hadn’t arrived too late either, and the spot they found was relatively close to the front. The square was currently packed with people. Almost all of Lingxiao Sword Sect’s disciples had come out in force, some having even exited seclusion to attend, and others having rushed back from training outside. In short, everyone capable of attending had made it their mission to do so.

Those who came in later naturally lined up in the back, where the view wasn’t so clear. Anyone who was a little shorter wouldn’t be able to see anything except for the back of the head of the person in front of them.

Aside from the main square where one could watch the ceremony, there were also mountain paths on either side of the stone staircase and an area at the mountaintop.

The stone staircase was built into the mountainside, and in fact, the unpaved mountain paths bordering the staircase offered a better view than the main square at the bottom. However, these paths were incredibly steep, with some layers of rock that were almost perpendicular to the ground. Forget watching the show – rashly standing upon it could send one plummeting to their doom. Getting a good view wasn’t worth a few broken bones.

The final part of the ceremony would be held at the mountain peak. Today, apart from the sect’s stewards, elders, and participating disciples, nobody was allowed to ascend the mountain. Thus, the main square became the only available – and extremely crowded – viewing spot.

However, this only applied to the Qi Refining stage disciples. One was capable of flying on a sword after reaching Foundation Establishment, which opened up a plethora of viewpoints from which to watch.

However, Fang Yang’s swordflight was not very stable yet, so he made a couple of preparations for himself and first secured a good position.

At present, Fang Yang had squeezed himself toward the front of the crowd, craning his neck to watch for movement along the mountain paths. The one hundred disciples who would guard the steps had not yet descended, and the paths were empty.

Yet he still watched with intent focus, fearful of missing something.

Feng Ye was similarly focused, but in contrast to Fang Yang, his attention was fixed on the mountaintop.

He then glanced around, his gaze wandering aimlessly amongst the crowd.

“What is Fellow Daoist Feng Ye looking at?” Hao Chen asked.

Feng Ye’s gaze briefly shifted to Hao Chen. Then he looked away again and casually replied: “You.”

When he heard this, Hao Chen’s eyes widened at the apparent flattery. He opened his fan and waved it slightly, and although he tried his best to suppress his smugness, the lilting tone of his voice still betrayed him: “Then do I look good?”

Feng Ye: “…..”

Only then did he realize the implications of his words.

Feng Ye withdrew his wandering gaze and focused on Hao Chen’s face with a complicated expression. Going by human aesthetics, this fish could indeed be described as a charming young master. Fanning himself like that with a slight smile…..some girls who only paid attention to looks would be taken in by that deceptive appearance. 

However…..Feng Ye was not so superficial. He had already seen through the true nature of this fish. As the saying went: Fair skin hides flaws, but fatness intensifies them.

The fish in question was a behemoth, which further compounded his flaws. Although the attractiveness of fish could not be judged by human standards, Feng Ye still held this prejudiced view.

He couldn’t help but pour cold water on Hao Chen’s enthusiasm: “Yeah, super good.”

Anyone with common sense would identify this as sarcasm, but Hao Chen happily took it as a compliment. He even said modestly: “I don’t look my best today.”

This meant that he looked even better normally.

Feng Ye was dumbfounded by the shamelessness of a certain fish. Although he had been stunned in such a way many times, Hao Chen always managed to find a way to refresh his amazement.

Faced with such a thing, all Feng Ye could do was massage his forehead. Words seemed pale and powerless in the face of Hao Chen’s thick skin.

After a moment of silence, Feng Ye continued to look around.

He wasn’t sure whether or not Xue Ren would resort to desperate measures today, but if he did intend to make a move, the person in the shadows might be nearby.

And the crowded main square was an excellent hiding place. Thus, ever since Feng Ye arrived, he had been on the lookout for any suspicious behavior.

As more and more people gathered, he found himself hemmed in, his vision obscured.

His position near the front was an optimal spot from which to observe the ceremony, but not to observe the crowd.

It would be easier to observe from one of the outermost edges. With this in mind, Feng Ye began to search for a way to extract himself from the dense crowd.

He swept his gaze around, and abruptly froze when he encountered something unexpected.

On the outermost edge of the square, in a secluded area under an ancient tree, a head peeked out.

Cao Zirui, the star of the show, was hiding behind the tree while watching Fang Yang at the forefront of the crowd. He seemed to want to call out to Fang Yang, but dared not make a sound for fear of drawing everyone else over as well.

Just as he was in a dilemma, he inadvertently made eye contact with Feng Ye.

Although they were far apart and couldn’t discern one another’s expressions, after a moment’s thought, Feng Ye understood why Cao Zirui had appeared here.

Perfect. This also gave Feng Ye an excuse to give up his perfect spot and leave the crowd.

Thus, Feng Ye stepped forward and pulled the puzzled Fang Yang out of the crowd, pointing toward the tree where Cao Zirui was looking back at them.

With no need for an explanation, Fang Yang immediately slipped out of the crowd upon seeing his friend.

Feng Ye successfully took advantage of this opportunity to follow Fang Yang out, with Hao Chen trailing close behind.

The three of them gave up their ideal spots that they had woken up early to reserve, moving to the outermost edge.

“Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be preparing for the ceremony?” Fang Yang immediately asked upon approaching.

“Shifu told me to go out for a walk, and to come back before the ceremony begins,” Cao Zirui explained.

Out for a walk? Was that what he called sneaking down the mountain and hiding behind a tree?

Fang Yang pondered for a moment, and then something occurred to him: “Are you nervous?”

“No! I-I’m not!” Cao Zirui immediately retorted.

However, the fact that he used more than one word in response clearly revealed how nervous he was.

Fang Yang considerately refrained from pointing this out. He placed an arm around Cao Zirui’s shoulders and comforted him: “So what if there are a hundred checkpoints? With your skills, you definitely won’t encounter any problems.”

Cao Zirui hesitated to speak. That wasn’t what he was nervous about. Although it would be difficult to pass the one hundred checkpoints, he had confidence in his swordsmanship. What worried him was…..

“Are you worried about whether you’ll be a good successor to the Sect Leader?” Feng Ye suddenly cut in.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui both stared at Feng Ye, who continued with a smile: “If the sect leader job was offered to me, I wouldn’t take it.”

“Why?” Fang Yang asked at once.

“Being the sect leader clearly has a lot of benefits. You have complete control over the sect, free use of the sect’s treasury of magical tools and spirit stones, and a high status that draws the admiration of others….is that what you’re thinking?” Feng Ye turned the question back on Fang Yang.

Fang Yang nodded. That was exactly what he was thinking.

Feng Ye shook his head and began to list out the shortcomings on his fingers: “Having complete control over the sect seems like a lot of power at first glance, but in reality, there is no end to the trivial matters you have to involve yourself in.”

Hao Chen, who had been observing from the sidelines, nodded heavily in agreement. Before he established the five great Sea Masters and Prime Minister Turtle, he had been constantly bothered by all sorts of trivial matters.

“And although the position of sect leader sounds prestigious, it comes with countless eyes watching you. Even a small mistake will very likely become public knowledge. Right, Fellow Daoist Hao Chen?” Feng Ye suddenly directed this question at Hao Chen, who had already demonstrated this point through his own actions.

Hao Chen: “…..” What else could he do but nod?

“There is also the sect leader’s responsibility to revitalize the sect, and to prioritize its interests in everything. It is like being bound in heavy chains, with absolutely no freedom.” Feng Ye summarized: “In short, while being the sect leader has its advantages, they pale in comparison to the carefree life of an ordinary cultivator. It is glorious to be free and unrestrained, living only for oneself, bearing no heavy responsibilities and lacking the fear of the blame that might fall upon you to fail in revitalizing the sect.”

“That makes sense…..” Fang Yang was successfully swayed by Feng Ye’s line of thought, but he still felt that there was something amiss.

Cao Zirui remained silent. In fact, he had already considered everything Feng Ye just said.

Three days ago, when he was abruptly informed that he was to be the next sect leader, a sense of unease came over him, as well as…..unwillingness……

Just as Feng Ye had said, the benefits of being the sect leader were obvious at first glance, but the responsibilities associated with the position were equally significant. This responsibility was like a boulder at the end of a chain, hanging around his neck.

Once today’s ceremony was over, this responsibility would inevitably fall upon his shoulders. Would he be able to carry it?

Just now, he had been wandering around in a state of hesitance, lacking answers.

But Feng Ye’s words directly and unhesitatingly exposed his cowardice.

Looking at himself from an outsider’s perspective, Cao Zirui was shocked to realize how cowardly and selfish he was acting.

“No!” He retorted loudly. His voice was no longer tense, only resolute. “Living freely and only for oneself is nothing more than an excuse to shirk responsibility.”

He had been taught the Lingxiao Swordsmanship technique, and his food, clothing, and shelter were all provided by the sect. He had no way to repay the sect’s kindness in raising him, so he should contribute to its revitalization.

This had nothing to do with whether or not he would be the next sect leader. Rather, the moment he became a disciple of Lingxiao Sword Sect, he had tied himself to it irrevocably.

After coming to this realization, he was suddenly no longer afraid of shouldering such responsibility. Instead, he began to look forward to the day when he would become a truly qualified sect leader and lead Lingxiao Sword Sect to restore its former glory.

He realized that the tone of his rebuttal may have been a bit harsh, and glanced at Feng Ye with some worry.

There wasn’t even a trace of anger on Feng Ye’s face. Instead, he was smiling with a hint of relief.

Hao Chen saw that smile and immediately understood: Feng Ye was using reverse psychology. He knew that Feng Ye wasn’t one to shirk responsibility, or else he wouldn’t have taken action to save these people in the Floating Island Secret Realm.

After a moment of surprise, Cao Zirui came to this realization as well. He immediately bowed to Feng Ye and offered his thanks.

Fang Yang was the only one who was completely bewildered. What just happened? Why was Cao Zirui suddenly thanking Feng Ye?

He eyed his Useless Shixiong, but when Feng Ye showed no signs of explaining, he could only look toward his friend Cao Zirui.

Just as Cao Zirui was about to explain, the sound of a loud bell rang out across Lingxiao Sword Sect, startling everyone present.

Everyone realized what this bell meant – the ceremony was about to begin.

Cao Zirui quickly bid the three of them farewell. As the star of the show, he couldn’t be late.

“You can do it, ah!” Fang Yang shouted after Cao Zirui’s retreating figure.

Although Cao Zirui didn’t turn around, the firmness of his steps indicated his attitude.

When Cao Zirui’s figure faded into the distance, Feng Ye shifted his gaze upward toward the four giant characters “Lingxiao Sword Sect” that covered the entire mountainside, as well as the stone steps beside it that led to the summit.

He caught sight of a neatly arranged line of disciples descending the staircase, one stopping every ten steps with a sword in hand. 

These were the one hundred disciples guarding the pass.

The trial ceremony to appoint the next sect leader of Lingxiao Sword Sect was about to begin.

Everyone in the main square craned their necks, looking in the same direction.

Only one person stood out.

A handsome young man stood at one end of the square, gazing toward Feng Ye on the other side. He stared intently, all of the previous mockery and contempt absent from his face. Instead, his gaze held the tenderness of beholding a long-lost friend.

But as for what lay beneath that gentle exterior, nobody knew.

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The Author Has Something To Say:

Regarding the amount of screen time…..the first volume is almost finished, and as you can see, there are essentially two parallel storylines: one about a master-disciple relationship, and one about the pursuit of Jianmu.

Xue Ren is the point where the two storylines converge.

Therefore, the main character’s screen time in the first volume might be less than in typical stories. I tried my best to control it, but some things really couldn’t be described from the protagonist’s perspective. 

As for the lack of focus and overshadowing of the main plot, I’ve done a lot of reflection. Fang Yang indeed had too big of a role in the Floating Island Secret Realm, and I sometimes veered off-topic when writing. Ultimately, this is because my writing skills aren’t up to par. Thank you all for understanding. ❤️

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Chapter 85 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 87