Seeking Immortality - Chapter 5

Every ten years, the sect went into the mortal world to recruit disciples. This time, Li Zhengyang begged his Master to let him go along.

When he told me the news, I nearly fell off his flying sword in my excitement.

“You can see your parents!”

Li Zhengyang steadied me and smiled happily.

“And my nursemaid. She must miss me.”

After reaching Foundation Establishment, he had become solemn and unsmiling. He said all his senior brothers acted that way.

But now, his grin looked a little like Xu Ping’an baring all his teeth.

Once again, I turned my cave dwelling upside down.

Glowing stones for Mother, brush and ink and paper and inkstone for Second Brother, a jade-bamboo slingshot for Eldest Brother.

I did not know what Father liked.

After some thought, I packed two thousand taels of silver.

Mother would probably give him a tael. He could buy whatever he liked himself.

Only after entering the sect did I learn that one spirit stone could be exchanged for a hundred taels of silver.

Cultivators lacked spirit stones, never silver.

Li Zhengyang leaned against the stone wall and ate spiritual fruit from the little willow basket.

“Master is so strict with me. He won’t let me eat anything except fasting pills.”

I said, “That helps you cultivate faster.”

He stuffed another large handful into his mouth. My teeth hurt just watching him.

“Aren’t they sour?”

He raised an eyebrow, parted his lips, and spat out a stream of fruit pits.

They struck the wall of my cave dwelling

and formed the character for “sweet.”

“Amazing!”

I reached out to touch them and discovered they were embedded so deeply that I could not pry them loose.

I was so angry I wanted to hit him.

Li Zhengyang quickly pressed his palms together and begged for mercy. “Once my technique improves, I’ll take them out for you.”

When I finished packing, I discovered I had made two bundles as large as hills.

“Can your storage pouch hold all that?”

He raised a hand and waved it. “Master gave me a storage ring. It can hold a huge amount.”

“That’s good. You don’t have to tie it around your waist like a storage pouch. Your Master treats you so well.”

Li Zhengyang lifted his chin, delight shining in his eyes.

“Of course. Master says I am his finest disciple.”

I raised a fist. “Sooner or later, I’ll catch up to you.”

Li Zhengyang left, carrying all my longing and anticipation with him.

Xu Ping’an was fishing at the rear mountain. I thought for a while, but could not stop myself from asking,

“You’re not sending even one letter home?”

He picked at his fishing pole. The line trembled, sending ripples across the water.

“The year my mother died, Father elevated his concubine to be his wife. If I hadn’t been selected by the sect, they would have driven me out long ago.”

I tugged at the divine sword for a while and comforted him.

“Then after I reach Foundation Establishment, I’ll take you to my home. My parents will definitely like you.”

Ping’an smiled. “Maybe I’ll reach Foundation Establishment first.”

The outer sect organized a training expedition to Wuya Peak.

It was also our first time leaving the sect in ten years.

Everything fascinated us.

After we worked together to fight a demonic beast, we all collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.

The elder went down the line and knocked each of us on the head.

“That was the lowest grade of demonic beast. You truly are the worst group I have ever taught.”

After guiding us through a few fights, the elder left us to fend for ourselves.

At first, we flailed in confusion. Gradually, our coordination became seamless.

Yu Hai used spiritual power to blind the demonic beasts. Xu Ping’an and I slashed their forelegs with our swords, and everyone else seized the chance to hack at them wildly.

After admiring the result of our battle, Yu Hai raised an eyebrow at me. “Accurate swordsmanship.”

I sheathed my blade. “You’re not bad either.”

Xu Ping’an caught several sparrows and guided them through the air with spiritual power for fun.

I remembered trapping birds beneath baskets in winter when I was little and suggested, “Does anyone want roasted sparrow?”

Ping’an started a fire, unable to wait.

“Will they taste good?”

I thumped my chest. “I’m an expert at roasting sparrows.”

It had been a long time, however, and my skills had grown rusty.

The first sparrow came out charred black.

Yu Hai slapped his leg, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. “Roasted sparrow! Ha! An expert?”

I promptly stuffed the black sparrow into his hands. “You’re so pleased with it, you can have the first.”

All the others came out well.

Their skin was golden, and they smelled delicious.

Every disciple received one and praised the taste as they ate.

Yu Hai still held the black sparrow, glaring angrily at me.

I walked over and produced the final sparrow as if by magic.

“This one came out best.”

“I’m not eating it!”

“It smells wonderful!”

Yu Hai sucked every last trace from his fingers.

When he saw me smiling at him, his cheeks turned bright red.

“Well, there was hardly any meat. I couldn’t even taste it.”

Holding back my laughter, I nodded. “If we had a wild chicken, it would taste even better roasted.”

When we fought a pack of wolves, they broke our formation.

My sword had only just blocked the wolf in front of me by the throat when another lunged from behind, its bloody jaws gaping.

A flash of sword light streaked past. The wolf whimpered and fell.

I blinked and looked at Yu Hai.

“Thanks.”

Yu Hai looked smug. “I want two wild chickens.”

I raised my hand and sent my sword skimming past his cheek.

The wolf ambushing him from behind died instantly.

My lips curved. “Catch them, and I’ll roast them for you.”

The battle was perilous.

It took us a full four hours to wipe out the wolf pack. Every one of us exhausted our spiritual power.

Yu Hai forced himself to stand. “Do you have any strength left? Want to catch some wild chickens?”

“Of course I do.”

The woods were terribly quiet. Not even insects chirped, and unease stirred in my heart.

I stopped Yu Hai. “Something feels wrong. Let’s go back.”

Yu Hai laughed loudly. “I knew you were a coward. Admit you’re not as good as me.”

I hurriedly pulled him back.

“Fine. I’m not as good as you.”

But it was already too late.

A cold, damp chill abruptly spread around us. Before I could draw my sword, Yu Hai was swept away.

When I turned, half his body had already disappeared into a spirit-devouring serpent’s jaws.

Blood poured from his mouth. The pain was so great he could no longer grip his sword, but with the last of his spiritual power, he drove it viciously into the serpent’s eyes.

Enduring the agony, he shouted at me,

“Sanniu, run!”