Chapter 18 (2/2)

Bai Ying shot a look at him, frowning, “You silly one. Hold your horses. You are still far away from truly becoming my disciple.”

Xiao Chen then regained his senses; he had erroneously mistaken her for his former master. He too bowed and apologized, “My apologies, Elder. I have mistaken you for somebody else.”

Bai Ying was however amused and she broke into a faint giggle, “Silly one. But you are an interesting one, I suppose. Surely you will not address any girl as wife and tell her that you have mistaken her for someone else later?”

Xiao Chen remained speechless. But when he looked up again, she had already gone.

Wen Qingyu wiped off her cold sweat. Knowing better than to remain, she hurriedly led her band of minions and left. Cheng Ying came over to Xiao Chen and his companions, “Are you all well?”

Luo Shangyan shook her head. “We are. Thank you so much earlier, Senior Brother Cheng.”

“Don’t mention it. The sun is setting soon. Let us stay together for now.”

As they continued, Xiao Chen slipped a question to Cheng Ying, “Is that your master earlier, Senior Brother Cheng? She looks so young.”

Cheng Ying chuckled in reply, “She is close to a hundred years old actually. But she had managed to achieve bodily immortality so long ago, hence she managed to maintain her youth.”

Xiao Chen was amazed by this. “Is this true that even mortals are able to achieve bodily immortality?” Xiao Chen was positively certain that he had heard Wen Qingyu mentioned that she possessed powers only of Lv 8 Foundation Building Realm.

Hearing this, the three princes and the followers of Chen Ying’s group were also astounded. “This is true immortality indeed!” cried the princes.

Cheng Ying laughed. “Nay,” he said, “This is still far from true immortality. In truth, my master’s cultivation is the lowest among the five Elders. But she is the only one that achieves bodily immortality. Most Cultivators of the Core Forming Realm, including the legendary Nascent Soul Realm Cultivators, have been no closer to achieving this feat. I myself know little of this.”

“Bodily immortality, eternal youth… Now that I think of it, Mother, too, seems to never age…” Xiao Chen shuddered, remembering how insistent his mother was to forbid him from pursuing the Immortal’s practice. Before he left home, she had slipped to him a strange medallion. He shook his head hard, trying to purge all disturbing thoughts from his mind.

The following day, Cheng Ying’s group went on their separate ways. It was the final day. Lingtai Mountain was within reach now. Looking up at the cloud-filled mountains, Xiao Chen could not help feeling excited. His goal of joining the Three Pure Sect and making another step closer to immortality was within sight.

But this time, his true purpose was not to achieve true immortality and unravel the mysteries of immortality but to find out the secrets about his past and locate his master. He knew full well that his journey to his objectives would surely be a strenuous and precipitous climb.

With Xiao Chen’s knack of clearing traps and magical barriers, the companions made their way unhindered. By noon, they have reached near the peak of Lingtai Mountain. Even the three princes, given their usually loquacious disposition, were silent now; their minds were filled with thoughts of their own.

The three princes could not have been more aware. It was only due to Xiao Chen and Luo Shangyan that they had made it this far. They would never have survived the ordeals on their own. Were they truly unfit for the practice of immortality? Were they, as others had mentioned, truly useless and good-for-nothing wretches?

Slowly and gradually, they began to question the purpose of coming here.

Xiao Chen spun and looked at them. He laughed loudly. “Why are you not talking to each other?” He asked them. “Are you secretly plotting against each other to join the sect?”

The three princes awakened from their dull lethargy and hurriedly waved their hands in denial. “No, no, no! Together we’ve come and together we will leave. We will not remain even if one of us fails…” But their voice trailed off. The three sighed and their heads sagged sadly.

Luo Shangyan had remained silent all the while. She full well knew herself; it was inevitable that more than half of the fresh aspirants would be culled when the three-day test ended.

Xiao Chen broke into huge laughter. “You are indeed the Three Swordsmen! To think that you share such brotherhood!” But he turned serious suddenly, “Indeed, I have once mentioned that countless trials and tribulations abound the road to immortality. But there…” He pointed up at the peak where mist and fog veiled its mystics from their naked eyes, “… Is the end yet also a beginning. With steeled resolve, even a mortal can achieve immortality!”

His words resonated deeply with the three princes. They rose their heads and nodded, renewed with hope and inspiration.

At length, they were close by the foot of the main peak. Two bolts of Sword Qi rained from the sky suddenly before them and transformed into two men; one clothed in green and the other in white. The pair rushed forward at the companions and addressed Luo Shangyan respectfully, “Senior Sister Luo.”

Xiao Chen looked closely at them. They clearly held Luo Shangyan in higher regard than the rest.

Luo Shangyan nodded at them, “My greetings to you both, Junior Brothers.”

The three princes came forth and asked expectantly, “Have we passed the test? Are you here to receive us?”

The young man in green smiled and spoke nicely to them, “Indeed, we are disciples of the Three Pure Sect.”

This was strange. Were the disciples here not of the Three Pure Sect? Could there be disciples of other sects around, such as the Cold-billow Sword Sect or the Skygale Sect as well?

The other man in white smiled faintly, “Junior Brothers. You are all blessed with extraordinary physical qualities and Spiritual Meridians. It is destined that you should join us.”

The three princes leaped with joy, hugging each other tightly with exuberance. Prince Yan even sobbed happily, clenching his fist as he looked into the eastern sky, “I have not disappointed you, Father! I am now a student of the arcane arts!”

The three were formerly worried and distressed that they would not pass the test; and the admonishment, the contempt, and disdain that they had suffered during the test had hardly helped with their confidence and spirits. The praises of the two men were the spurs that stimulated them.

The man in green snickered and said, “Shall I lead you three back to the sect?”

“Now? Of course!” Prince Zhao cried out loud.

But Xiao Chen felt something was not right. He stretched an arm and yelled, “Now wait just one minute!”