After Being Reborn, He And Senior Sister Qingleng He - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Heaven’s Derivation (IV) – That is a Lake of Weak Water

This was naturally no ordinary place; surrounding the central island was a lake of Weak Water.

In the Weak Water, even a feather would sink.

However, for cultivators, crossing this Weak Water was not difficult. The difficulty lay in gaining the recognition of the ‘Time-Wasting Sword’ (逝水劍, Shìshuǐ Jiàn) and becoming its master.

Song Qingtang looked at the island in the center of the lake, deep in thought, “Junior Sister, your cultivation is not profound enough yet. Why don’t I carry you with me to the island?”

Chi Wanyin’s face showed a flicker of surprise, which quickly returned to normal, “No need, Senior Sister. I can manage. Please, you go first.”

Song Qingtang did not object upon hearing this, but rather activated her movement technique and headed toward the central island.

As for Chi Wanyin, many petals from the tree of brilliant peach blossoms fell onto the Weak Water, but the petals did not sink. Chi Wanyin executed a move, lightly tapping her feet on the petals, creating slight ripples.

Soon, she also arrived on the small island in the center of the lake. The Time-Wasting Sword stood quietly under the tree.

Song Qingtang, however, felt a moment of wonder. Her Junior Sister had never studied movement techniques before, and the one she had just performed was something Song Qingtang had never seen. Yet, since her Junior Sister did not bring it up, she would not ask further.

When Song Qingtang came back to her senses, she realized that the surroundings were not quite right. It was still the Weak Water and the central island, but her Junior Sister had disappeared. The person standing under the peach tree was dressed in a green robe.

Chi Wanyin was not surprised when Song Qingtang disappeared. She knew it should be like in her previous life: she had been pulled into the Time-Wasting Sword’s ‘Sword Realm.’

Only the person chosen by the Time-Wasting Sword could enter that place.

She was not worried about Song Qingtang, but the question of what kind of sword she should choose lingered in her mind.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, rustling the peach blossoms, and one landed in Chi Wanyin’s palm. And so, she saw the life of the peach tree, from a seed to the towering tree it was now.

She reached out to the tree and broke off the branch closest to her. The moment the branch left the tree, it transformed into a wooden peach sword.

Chi Wanyin thought: it wasn’t that she chose the sword, but that the sword chose her, just as the Time-Wasting Sword had chosen Song Qingtang in the last life.

She placed the sword behind her back and began to meditate. She thought, perhaps it was because of her wood-attribute spiritual root that this peach tree, out of affinity, gifted her the sword.

By the time she felt she had absorbed enough spiritual energy, Song Qingtang emerged from the Time-Wasting Sword’s Sword Realm. She drew the Time-Wasting Sword from its sheath; its blade flowed with light, a perfect match for her.

“Congratulations, Senior Sister,” Chi Wanyin said, stopping her meditation and looking up.

Song Qingtang’s face, however, held no joy. She simply scrutinized the sword quietly. After a moment, she said, “Junior Sister.”

She only called out the name and then had no further words. Chi Wanyin focused, trying to hear what she wanted to say, but Song Qingtang merely shook her head, “It’s nothing.”

The experience in the illusion had been too real, even the bl00d splattering on her face had been warm.

In the midst of their conversation, Song Qingtang also noticed the peachwood sword on Chi Wanyin’s back. Although its appearance was plain, it secretly contained wood-attribute spiritual energy.

“Did Junior Sister also find a sword?” Song Qingtang asked.

A slight smile now played on her lips, her expression no longer as solemn as before; she was genuinely happy for her.

Chi Wanyin thought, was Senior Sister the same in the last life? But she was destined not to get an answer, because back then, she was filled with resentment that the Time-Wasting Sword had not chosen her, and had no time to focus on anything else.

She took out the peachwood sword from her back, running her finger over the blade. A point of green light gathered at the tip, “This sword was gifted to me by this peach tree.”

“This sword is of the wood attribute, perfectly suited for your spiritual root and the cultivation technique you will practice in the future,” Song Qingtang said.

Chi Wanyin looked at the sword, wondering if it was time to break through, now that she had found a sword.

Perhaps Song Qingtang had the same thought, “Junior Sister, why not achieve Foundation Establishment now? Don’t worry, I will guard you.”

Chi Wanyin nodded, returned to her previous meditative posture, placed the sword in front of her, and sat down with her eyes closed.

This time, she stood alone beneath the peach tree, accompanied by an ethereal shadow. A half-opened peach branch, diagonally inserted, held up her dark hair. She had a pair of peach blossom eyes and a cinnabar mark on her forehead, but below the dress, instead of human legs, were wisps of mist.

“Little one.” The other party’s tone was somewhat cheerful, “It’s the first time I’ve seen a cultivator like you.”

Chi Wanyin guessed she might be the one who gifted her the sword. She performed a bow, saying, “Senior.”

Tao Yao (桃夭, Peach Charm) waved her hand, “No need for that. The sword I gave you also contains some of my cultivation. Do not use it unless absolutely necessary.”

“Yes, I will certainly keep Senior’s teachings in mind,” Chi Wanyin replied. Tao Yao gave a lazy yawn, “I only did this because I saw you had good fortune and talent. I don’t expect anything in return.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the illusion vanished.

The moment Chi Wanyin opened her eyes, she felt the spiritual energy in her body become much more abundant; she should have reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

Song Qingtang stepped forward to check her condition, “Junior Sister, is there anything unusual?”

Chi Wanyin shook her head, “No.” However, she did not mention Tao Yao’s existence. She guessed that if the sword contained a spirit, the spirit would certainly set up a test, and her Senior Sister must have gone through one too. But a sword spirit would not easily harm its chosen master, and she had merely met Tao Yao once and was not put through hardship.

“Since both of us have found our swords, let’s leave first,” Song Qingtang suggested.

Chi Wanyin had no objection. However, as the two crossed the Weak Water again and landed, they heard a soft laugh.

A purple-robed female cultivator emerged from the shadows. The silver ornaments on her waist and feet jingled as she moved, and a brilliant jade flute hung from her waist.

The moment the person saw the Time-Wasting Sword in Song Qingtang’s hand, she smiled, “Fellow Daoists, please wait.” After saying that, she leveled her jade flute and began to play.

Chi Wanyin naturally knew this person was Yin Xuechan. After all, during her period of constant fleeing in the past life, she had visited Silver Moon Valley and suffered greatly from Yin Xuechan’s蠱 Gu (poisonous insects).

Sure enough, as soon as the flute music began, the Gu insects Yin Xuechan summoned immediately attacked the two of them. Chi Wanyin decisively drew the peachwood sword from her back and swung it, slicing one Gu insect in half.

The Gu insect, cut in two, fell to the ground and turned into a plume of purple smoke. Chi Wanyin couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Yin Xuechan was not the Nascent Soul Grandmaster she had been in the last life.

However, her relief did not last for long. The Time-Wasting Sword was already unsheathed. With a flash of light, it cut down several more Gu insects. The insects struggled fiercely until death before turning into smoke.

“Be careful,” Song Qingtang warned her. The Time-Wasting Sword was inherently a superior weapon. As she spoke, the frost spreading from the blade cut down several more Gu insects.

A look of distress appeared on Yin Xuechan’s face, but she did not stop playing the flute. No other Gu insects appeared from the surroundings. Chi Wanyin frowned; she knew Yin Xuechan was not trying to spare her and her Senior Sister, but was summoning her ‘Natal Gu’ (本命蠱, Běnmìng Gǔ).

But she dared not approach Yin Xuechan rashly at this moment. Yin Xuechan originated from the Silver Moon Valley, where people could not only command Gu insects but also use poison. Rushing closer might give her an opportunity to poison them.

She could only transmit her voice to Song Qingtang: “She is summoning her Natal Gu. It’s not good to approach rashly right now. However, summoning this Gu consumes a great deal of spiritual energy. Later, Senior Sister, you go first to draw away the Natal Gu, and I will look for her weak point.”

Song Qingtang did not reply with sound, but simply nodded to her.

It was a giant snake with eerie patterns, hissing and flicking its tongue. Even a cultivator’s body would suffer greatly from a single bite.

Song Qingtang had already drawn her sword, aiming for the giant snake’s eyes. The frost-covered weapon stabbed directly into one of its eyes. Bl00d oozed from the eye, and the giant snake, as if enraged, began to chase Song Qingtang.

Yin Xuechan was concentrating on controlling the giant snake to chase Song Qingtang and did not sense the danger quietly approaching. In less than a breath, Chi Wanyin’s peachwood sword was held across her neck, and a bead of bl00d was already seeping from her fair skin.

Yin Xuechan had no choice but to stop the flute music. Chi Wanyin pushed the blade a little further, “What is your purpose in setting up an ambush here?”

Yin Xuechan seemed fearless, “No purpose at all.”

Chi Wanyin naturally did not believe her, “You are lying.” The bead of bl00d oozing from her neck increased, dropping onto her purple gown.

When Song Qingtang arrived, she saw this scene: Yin Xuechan was being held hostage by Chi Wanyin’s sword, yet she was calm and collected, seemingly certain that Chi Wanyin would not kill her.

“Junior Sister,” Song Qingtang called out in a low voice. The giant snake that had been chasing her disappeared, and she knew Chi Wanyin must have succeeded.

However, Chi Wanyin’s expression when facing Yin Xuechan was truly unfamiliar, as if she were a different person.

Yin Xuechan raised an eyebrow upon hearing the address, “So, she is your Senior Sister. You are pressuring me like this because you are afraid my Natal Gu might harm your Senior Sister, aren’t you?”

Perhaps Chi Wanyin also realized this. She loosened the peachwood sword but then took out a rope from her storage bag to tie Yin Xuechan up. Only then did she respond to her Senior Sister, “Senior Sister, are you hurt?”

Yin Xuechan seemed quite helpless, “My Natal Gu is destroyed, and I cannot use spiritual energy now. Why must you treat me this way, Fellow Daoist?”

“It is merciful that I haven’t killed you yet,” Chi Wanyin secretly transmitted her voice to Yin Xuechan.

Song Qingtang did not know the content of their voice transmission, but she felt relieved when she saw Chi Wanyin was fine, “No matter, let’s return to the sect. As for this cultivator from Silver Moon Valley, it seems we can only take her back with us.”

So, Song Qingtang led the way, and Chi Wanyin was responsible for watching Yin Xuechan. Although Chi Wanyin looked expressionless, Yin Xuechan kept transmitting her voice to her.

“Alas, you two Senior and Junior Sisters have such a good relationship. It reminds me of the past. I also had a Senior Sister.”

Seeing that Yin Xuechan seemed ready to reminisce, Chi Wanyin only transmitted two words, “Shut up.”

She would never have imagined that the formidable Nascent Soul Grandmaster of Silver Moon Valley would now be such a chatterbox.

When Song Qingtang looked back, she could only see her Junior Sister with a not-so-good expression and a smiling Yin Xuechan.

She thought that the incident just now must have left her Junior Sister feeling unsettled, so she took out the calming pill that Liu Qianhe had given her before they left, “This can soothe the spirit and calm the mind.”

Liu Qianhe had naturally given one to Chi Wanyin as well, but she still accepted it, “Thank you, Senior Sister.”

Although Yin Xuechan did not use voice transmission, the smile on her face became increasingly teasing. Chi Wanyin naturally ignored her; she would not let such a small matter disrupt her composure.