These cultivators, not a single one of them had a normal brain

 

Regardless of the origin of this cheap disciple who fell from the sky, he was certain that he was stronger than the current head of the Hengtian Sect. Therefore, with Huo Junxiao backing him up, Bai Ke felt no fear towards the seemingly dignified head before him.

Furthermore, he knew very little about cultivation, unlike Hongxian and Lin Jie who were also here in the mountain. He didn't have a direct sense of the differences in levels, cultivation, and the suppression of power.

So, while the two beside him were somewhat hesitant, Bai Ke still stood straight, exuding the fearlessness of the ignorant.

The Head glanced at Bai Ke, assessing him from top to bottom, then shifted his gaze to Hongxian, asking, "Junior brother, is this the disciple you recently recruited?"

"Yes," Hongxian saluted, then began to speak nonsense with his eyes wide open, "Senior brother, you can also see that this child has excellent aptitude and potential, he's a good seedling, the only pity is that he's a bit older."

Listening to Hongxian's nonsense, Bai Ke, who knew the twists and turns of the situation, couldn't help but sneer inwardly: I may be older, but aren't you supposed to be buried by now?

"Hmm," the Head nodded after hearing Hongxian's words, half-closing his eyes, seemingly considering whether to accept Bai Ke as a disciple or not.

What a good show they were putting on.

After some contemplation, the Head stepped forward to Bai Ke and asked, "Blind?"

His voice was quite distinctive, deep and with a hint of nasal tone, which didn't match his somewhat cold appearance.

Bai Ke couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with this person from head to toe, inside and out.

After pinpointing Bai Ke's two major flaws—his age and blindness—the Head naturally walked around Bai Ke, seemingly looking for reasons to justify accepting him as a disciple.

However, Bai Ke, Lin Jie, and Huo Junxiao, who was hiding nearby with Bai Zixu, all knew that it was just an excuse to check on Bai Ke's cinnabar mole on the back of his neck.

The Head believed he had discreetly observed what he intended to see, thus he returned to the statue, gazing upwards with his back to the others. Then, addressing Bai Ke, he inquired, "What motivates your desire to join our Hengtian Gate?"

Because two of your disciples, well-fed and panicked, have implanted something in my neck.

Thinking this, Bai Ke replied calmly, "I heard that with proper practice, it can cure my eyes."

Elder Hongxian smirked on the side, probably finding Bai Ke's vision short-sighted, a pursuit typical of ordinary people.

However, upon hearing this, the Head remained silent for a long time, then glanced back at Bai Ke and said to Lin Jie, "Since you brought him back, and you've been with us for quite some time, find an empty room near your courtyard for him to settle in. You'll also be in charge of his practice schedule. However, he joined us too late, past his prime. I'll instruct someone to provide him with spiritual pills daily. Also, take him to the Sanqing Pond for two hours every noon, which will help his eyes recover."

(NT: Sanqing 三清 refers to the Three Pure Ones, the highest deities in Taoism, which represent the three fundamental aspects of existence: Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. The Sanqing Pond, therefore, is associated with purification and enlightenment)

Lin Jie: "..." Suddenly felt like he gained a little brother! So cool! Too bad it's not real... qaq

After instructing Lin Jie, the Head waved his hand, indicating that Lin Jie could leave.

Lin Jie received the command and turned to walk out of the hall with Bai Ke. After a few steps, he glanced back at Elder Hongxian.

Hongxian's face was full of disdain: "Go on, go on, the master and I have important matters to discuss!"

So Bai Ke and Lin Jie obediently left the main hall. Just as they were about to roll towards the east steps, they suddenly felt their bodies freeze in place. Then, they felt something cold and icy, like a silk of ice, cover their heads and soak them from head to toe, causing them both to shiver involuntarily.

After the shiver, Bai Ke noticed that Huo Junxiao and Bai Zixu, who had been hiding their presence, appeared in front of them in a nonchalant manner.

"What—" Before he could ask what was going on, he saw a black-haired head with a bun tied up on the steps. A junior disciple came up the mountain steps, carrying several scrolls of paintings and hurriedly ran past them, seemingly oblivious to their presence.

So, they were all hidden together?

Huo Junxiao didn't say a word, just flicked his fingertips, and Bai Ke felt himself being picked up around the waist. Before he could react, he saw Huo Junxiao's empty hand wave his sleeve, and the four of them suddenly appeared back in the main hall, standing on the right side of the high platform with the jade statue, just under two zhang away from Hongxian and the Hengtian Sect leader who were conversing in the center of the hall.

Bai Ke didn't have much of a reaction, and Bai Zixu seemed even more indifferent, finding the situation quite interesting.

But Lin Jie, silently swallowed his saliva, with an expression of resigned determination, stared wide-eyed at the two conversing figures, inwardly screaming frantically: If caught, I'll definitely be beaten to a pulp! Is it daring not to be so exciting? Wow, so exciting!

In this way, he could further understand the strength of Huo Junxiao—being able to conceal the aura of four people simultaneously in front of the leader and the elder without being noticed was definitely not an easy feat.

However, he still had some concerns. Whether it was Huo Junxiao or the leader, they were like stars in the sky, too far and unreachable for him. He couldn't even estimate the distance between the two stars. So, he only knew that Huo Junxiao's cultivation was higher than the leader's, but whether it was slightly superior or far ahead was unclear.

If it was only slightly superior, then any flaws that appeared along the way could lead to their capture. By then, Huo Junxiao alone with a rookie and two outsiders, trying to break through the siege of the Hengtian Sect leader, elders, and numerous disciples and escape unscathed... just thinking about it was too crazy.

At this moment, Bai Ke and Bai Zixu once again demonstrated what "ignorance is fearless" meant.

The two of them stood there calmly, with a similar posture and demeanor, as if they were not eavesdropping on the secrets of a prestigious sect, but watching two long haired monkeys perform a circus act, almost applauding.

To some extent, these two were equally underwhelmed.

And these two "hairy monkeys" in Daoist robes were indeed living up to expectations as they performed the play they wanted to see—

Hongxian leaned in front of the leader, his voice low but his expression unusually excited: "How about it, did I not speak correctly? We finally found someone who meets the criteria this time." His eyebrows were raised high, almost as if they wanted to fly off his face.

The Head, taller than him, still stood with his hands behind his back, his expression unchanged, his eyes lifeless but with a hint of a smile: "Indeed, someone who didn't explode and die all night after taking the Seven-Star Pill, currently, he's the only one."

As soon as he said this, the faces of the four eavesdroppers suddenly changed.

Lin Jie's face turned pale. Bai Ke furrowed his brows, reaching out to touch the cinnabar mole on the back of his neck, more puzzled than alarmed. Even Bai Zixu became serious.

But the most grim and ugly-faced one was undoubtedly Huo Junxiao.

All threats related to Bai Ke's life and death made him involuntarily recall some fragments of the past—

The mountains were littered with corpses, mourning filled the air, countless lives suffered, and figures tangled in a chaotic battle, nearly indistinguishable. There was the roaring wind and the surging qi, along with vast strips of glaring red blood.

That was probably the most unwilling yet unforgettable nightmare for anyone who had been involved and survived.

He had spent thousands of years, finally finding this person again from the endless cycle of reincarnation, not even willing to touch a single hair of his, yet some people treated his life as worthless as an ant or a blade of grass, simply seeking death!

Just as he was about to make a slight movement with his fingers to form a hand seal, he heard Hongxian speak again: "Once the Seven-Star Pill enters the upper dantian, even if it's the reincarnation of Kong Hua Immortal Lord, he can't help anymore. Whether it's life or death depends on the fate of that young man..."

(NT: Kong Hua Immortal Lord, also known as Kong Hua Zi (Master of Empty Flowers), is one of the Eight Immortals, a group of legendary figures in Taoism who have achieved immortality through their cultivation and mastery of Taoist practices.)

"Hmm." The Hengtian Sect leader nodded. "It must be supplemented with freshly made elixirs every day, nourished for ninety-nine days, before it can be considered a great success."

"At that time, we will directly—" Hongxian's words were interrupted by the Sect Leader.

"No, keep him. Don't send the first well-nurtured Seven-Star Pill to the Wangtian Cliff. Let the boy nurture two of them and find two people to test the medicine, to see if it's really as the Medicine Demon said. Confirming there are no issues, then let the boy nurture the third one and send it to that person." The Sect Leader turned around, once again looking up at the jade statue with the hood, silent for a moment before saying, "After all... we only have one chance."

Upon hearing this, Hongxian's expression also became serious.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, go and attend to your business. Aren't there still two disciples missing? No matter what, they must be found, don't let them be fooled and deceived outside, saying things they shouldn't."

Hongxian bowed to the Sect Leader's back, waved his wide sleeves, and turned to walk out of the hall. As he was about to reach the door, he turned back as if he remembered something and asked, "Do you want Zijin to keep an eye on Sanqing Pool?"

"No need," said the Sect Leader.

"Oh? Cultivation at Sanqing Pool requires proper procedures. It's not something that can be effective at random."

The Sect Leader waved his hand. "Assisting the Seven-Star Pill doesn't require the effects of Sanqing Pool."

Hongxian was puzzled. "Then why do you let him go to Sanqing Pool for two hours at noon?"

"It's helpful for his eyesight recovery, that's all."

Hongxian: "..."

After this was said, even the four eavesdroppers looked a bit strange—this Sect Leader was indeed not your average weirdo. On one hand, he treated Bai Ke as a human medicine furnace, seemingly indifferent to his life or death, yet on the other hand, he genuinely wanted to help him cure his blindness.

Bai Ke twitched his mouth corner, remained silent for a while, and silently concluded in his heart: These cultivators, not a single one of them has a normal brain.

 

Translator : DarNan