A Guide to Self-Rescue in the Cultivation World - Chapter 39
On the Sword Trial Stage, where the sect disciples are judged, high atop the main peak of the Dao of Heaven’s Vexation, the sea of clouds churns below. Banners of various sects flutter in the wind, spiritual light flashes, and the sound of the crowd is deafening.
Having been overshadowed by the chaos in the Imperial City, this competition, hosted by the Dao of Heaven’s Vexation, had undoubtedly drawn unprecedented attention from the entire Spiritual Dao.
Cultivators and elders from major sects, and even some reclusive senior masters, floated in the air, their eyes fixed on the center of the ice platform.
Zhou Suyao, clad in plain white robes, stood at the heart of the stage, her garments gently fluttering in the biting mountain wind.
Her longsword was not drawn, resting quietly at her waist.
Her demeanor, after her journey to the underworld, had shed its youthful naiveté, gaining a sense of calm and majestic composure. She slowly circulated the spiritual energy within her, the fused primal power of the Demon race.
Following her Master’s instructions, she had intended to conceal her strength, merely going through the motions to avoid attention. However, the moment she stepped onto the Sword Trial Stage, she knew: the tree desires stillness, but the wind will not cease.
The draw, the ascent, the shifting opponents. Zhou Suyao’s sword techniques were not flashy but rather somewhat simple and unadorned.
Just as she won a match and was adjusting her breath for the next battle, an aura imbued with killing intent abruptly enveloped the entire arena without warning.
“The next match, Zhou Suyao of the Path of Immortal Ascent, against…”
A figure draped in a large black cloak descended onto Zhou Suyao’s platform as silently as a ghost.
He held an ancient longsword. The blade was still sheathed, but the sheer sharpness of its intent was enough to sting Zhou Suyao’s skin.
“You, fight me.”
The entire audience burst into an uproar. The man’s aura was eerie, clearly indicating hostile intentions.
“Who is this person?”
“He’s not a registered disciple!”
“Such a powerful pressure…”
The Elder responsible for maintaining order in the Dao of Heaven’s Vexation immediately rose to reprimand him: “Who dares to disrupt the competition!?”
The man ignored him, clutching the sword tightly. The blade was ancient and plain, but it radiated a chilling coldness that made hearts palpitate. The tip was slightly raised, pointing directly at Zhou Suyao.
“This battle will determine not just the winner, but also life and death.”
The voice that emerged from beneath the cloak was hoarse and low.
With a sharp clang, the long sword was drawn. The sound was not the clear, resonant dragon’s cry one might expect.
The surrounding crowd was in an uproar.
This black-clad figure, whose identity was unknown and aura was sinister, immediately declared a life-and-death battle, completely shattering the rules of friendly sparring in the grand sect competition.
On the high platform, an Elder of the Dao of Heaven’s Vexation frowned and made to interfere, but he was stopped by a look from an elderly man with a profound aura sitting next to him.
In the viewing area of the Path of Immortal Ascent, Zhou Xuqing’s body, which had been lazily leaning against his chair, tensed slightly. A flicker of worry crossed his cloudy, aged eyes. Qu Mingwu and Zhou Zonglan abruptly stood up, their faces paling; they seemed to sense something familiar in the figure and the aura.
But Zhou Suyao knew none of this.
The clear sky abruptly darkened. Heavy, thick clouds piled up, and muffled thunder rolled deep within the layers.
Zhou Suyao took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart. She understood: this was not an ordinary trial, but a choice of destiny she had to face.
She slowly raised the longsword at her side.
The blade was scarred and cracked, yet at this moment, it emitted a faint but incredibly clear hum, as if it had finally waited for its fateful moment.
“Zhou Suyao of the Path of Immortal Ascent, please instruct me.”
Her voice was calm, but her eyes held a conviction that had never been firmer.
The black-clad man’s body trembled almost imperceptibly. Deep within his cold eyes, golden light seemed to flicker violently.
The next moment, he said no more. His figure moved, thrusting straight toward Zhou Suyao’s face!
Fast!
It was so fast that Zhou Suyao couldn’t see anything clearly!
Zhou Suyao’s pupils constricted. She raised her sword to defend purely by instinct.
“Clang—!”
The ear-splitting sound of clashing metal instantly echoed across the heavens!
A massive force surged through her sword. The skin between Zhou Suyao’s thumb and forefinger tore open, and bl00d instantly stained the hilt. Her entire body stumbled backward, sliding over ten yards before she barely managed to stabilize herself.
The black-clad figure, having missed its target, did not stop. His sword strikes poured down like a furious storm.
Wherever he passed, deep gouges were carved into the specially hardened stone slabs of the Sword Trial Stage.
Zhou Suyao was hard-pressed. She chose not to meet force with force, pushing her movement technique to its limit, weaving through the dense network of sword strikes, attempting to dissipate the savage onslaught.
The thunder grew closer. The powerful spiritual pressure made the spectators feel breathless.
After two intense rounds of fighting, Zhou Suyao had already sustained several cuts. Her pale robe was soaked with bl00d. Her spiritual energy was heavily depleted, and her breathing grew ragged.
Holding her last breath, she followed the lingering sword intent and gently flicked her sword tip upward.
“Screech!”
The hood of the wide black cloak was deftly ripped and slid away with that single, clever flick.
In that instant, the entire arena fell into dead silence.
Beneath the dark clouds, the occasional flash of lightning illuminated the face that could no longer be hidden.
It was a handsome face, twisted in painful struggle. Those eyes, which always held a gentle smile, now only contained bloodshot golden pupils, filled with a despair that threatened to consume him.
“It’s… Zhou Shan Yuan!”
“The Eldest Senior Brother of the Path of Immortal Ascent?!”
“How could it be him?!”
Gasps and disbelieving murmurs surged like a tide. Zhou Zonglan, seated in the Path of Immortal Ascent’s area, jumped up, his face ashen.
Zhou Suyao stared blankly at the face just inches away. Her heart felt like it was being tightly squeezed by an invisible hand, the pain making it impossible to breathe.
It was him, indeed. The Eldest Senior Brother who ground peach blossom cakes for her, who was vulnerable because of a nightmare, and who quietly protected her, was now…
Facing her with a drawn sword.
“It is you, Eldest Senior Brother,” her voice was soft, yet it clearly reached his ears.
Zhou Shan Yuan’s body trembled violently. His sword momentum became even more frenzied. It was as if he wanted to pour all the helplessness and pain of his emotions into this single sword.
Kill me!” he screamed internally, or let me kill you! End this endless torment.
He seemed to be engulfed in chaos.
“Kill her for your father for the Spiritual Dao,” a cold, inhuman voice seemed to emerge from deep within his throat, yet also from the Nine Heavens, “Xun Dan… fulfill your mission… for the Spiritual Dao… for your father…”
No, she is Suyao I.
“I shouldn’t… and I cannot… kill her…”
However, for Zhou Suyao, facing Zhou Shan Yuan’s chaos, she knew this was her perfect opportunity for counterattack.
She swung her sword, no fancy moves, just a simple, straightforward thrust.
But as the sword light passed, space subtly warped. The frenzy radiating from Zhou Shan Yuan instantly melted away, like ice meeting the sun.
The tip of her longsword met the tip of Zhou Shan Yuan’s sword.
“Zheng—!”
A clear, prolonged sword cry drowned out the thunder in the sky.
Zhou Shan Yuan instantly felt a vast and gentle will, like a warm tide, surging into his limbs and bones.
“Pah—”
Zhou Shan Yuan violently spat out a mouthful of bl00d.
He staggered backward, looking up at Zhou Suyao, who stood holding her sword, radiating a soft yet unassailable light. The bloodlust and madness in his eyes gradually receded, leaving only profound exhaustion, and a hint of… relieved liberation.
“Suyao…” he murmured, his voice returning to its original clarity, yet desperately weak.
Zhou Suyao withdrew her sword and quickly stepped forward, catching him before he could fall.
“Eldest Senior Brother, it’s over.” She looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears, yet holding a bright smile. “Your mission, and my destiny, are settled in this single sword strike.”
In the sky, the piled-up dark clouds seemed to be pushed aside by an invisible hand. A golden ray of sunlight broke through, shining directly upon the two figures embracing on the Sword Trial Stage.
The thunder faded. Heaven and Earth were utterly clear.
On the high platform, the Dao of Heaven’s Vexation elder with the deep aura’s face was ashen. He let out a cold snort, flung his sleeve, and vanished instantly.
Not far away, Zhou Xuqing slowly opened his eyes. A genuine smile curled his lips, and he softly muttered, “You two little rascals, always causing trouble…”
Zhou Suyao supported the weak Zhou Shan Yuan, feeling his body relax. She knew that the Eldest Senior Brother, who had been bound by mission and shackles, had finally returned.
In his own way, he had fulfilled his final obligation to the Spiritual Dao era and had protected the mortal world most important to his heart.
Zhou Shan Yuan, in her arms, stared blankly at her, seeing his own battered reflection in her eyes.
All his struggle, all his pretense, all his mission and burden, crumbled with her simple words.
The longsword in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter.
“This time, it’s my turn to come for you.”
“Let’s go home.”
Hearing her voice, Zhou Shan Yuan felt as though he had returned to the most pure of embraces.
He slowly closed his eyes.
Holding the unconscious Zhou Shan Yuan, Zhou Suyao raised her head and looked at the Spiritual Dao grandmasters on the high platform, her gaze calm but unwavering.
“The rules of the Spiritual Dao era need to change.”
“From today forth, the Human Dao will be guarded by me.”
Her voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone’s ears and carried toward the unknowable Nine Heavens.
No one cared about the rest of the sect competition.
The path for Zhou Suyao and Zhou Shan Yuan was still long.
But this time, they would walk side-by-side.
In the back mountains of the Path of Immortal Ascent, the peach blossoms were as brilliant as ever, as if time had never passed.
Zhou Suyao and Zhou Shan Yuan stood side-by-side in the depths of the peach grove. In the distance were rolling mountains and a churning sea of clouds.
“Back then… on the Sword Trial Stage, were you really not afraid?”
Zhou Shan Yuan asked softly, his gaze resting on the strands of Zhou Suyao’s hair being tousled by the mountain wind.
Zhou Suyao turned and smiled at him, her expression bright: “Afraid? How could I not be afraid?”
“Thank you, Suyao,” he said quietly. A thousand unspoken words were contained in those four.
“What are you thanking me for?” Zhou Suyao raised an eyebrow, deliberately saying, “If you really want to thank me, put half the amount of sugar in the peach blossom cakes you make for me from now on.”
Zhou Shan Yuan laughed and nodded: “Deal.”
The mountain wind blew, and peach petals drifted down, landing on their clasped hands, settling on their shoulders.
And resting upon their long, unpredictable, immortal path ahead.
The road is still long, but for now, their hearts are at peace.
—End of Volume One—