Chapter Ninety-One: Severed Bonds

Liang Yan only felt the world blur before his eyes, and after a dizzying whirl of heaven and earth, he found himself standing with Withered Wood Sage atop a rocky crag.

He turned back and saw, not far behind him, a dark and forbidding cave. Two disciples stood guard at its entrance, and it was plainly the gateway to the Punishment Prison.

“Even these two sentries have reached the late Foundation Establishment stage. Out in the wider world, that would make them the masters of small sects. Yet Senior Withered Wood Sage came and went as he pleased. In the blink of an eye I am no longer in the Punishment Prison, and those two guards still have not noticed a thing. Such means are truly beyond comprehension.”

Liang Yan thought this to himself in wonder.

Before he could even thank him aloud, Withered Wood Sage formed a hand seal again, and a blue beam of escape light suddenly flared from the ground, carrying Liang Yan away toward the valley’s outer edge.

“I’ll send you out of the valley,” Withered Wood Sage said calmly.

Alone in midair, Liang Yan felt the fierce wind lash across his cheeks. He could not so much as squeeze out half a sentence, and could only keep silent, obediently remaining within the blue light.

If he had to run from here to the valley mouth under ordinary circumstances, even at full speed it would take him at least two hours. Yet with Withered Wood Sage carrying him by flight, they reached it in less than the time it took to burn half an incense stick.

At the entrance to the valley of the Star Divination Pavilion, the blue escape light descended from the sky and landed on the ground, revealing Liang Yan and Withered Wood Sage.

Liang Yan cupped his hands and bowed to Withered Wood Sage.

“On this departure, this junior will certainly remember the three promises I made and make good on each of them in the future.”

Withered Wood Sage stroked his beard, smiling. Just as he was about to say something else, his expression suddenly changed. He glanced toward the distant forested hills and then gave a cold snort.

“I thought Junior Sister Tang was quick on her feet. I had only just brought this boy out of the Punishment Prison, and you have already arrived right after.”

Liang Yan was startled upon hearing this. He turned to look, and saw three figures slowly emerging from the distant woods. In the center was a woman in a purple robe and skirt, none other than the pavilion master of the Star Divination Pavilion, whom he had met before.

Behind her were a man and a woman. The man was a young scholar in a green Confucian robe, and it was none other than Xu Kuan, the master of the Dao of Chess whom Liang Yan had seen in the Council Hall.

Although Liang Yan had never met the scholar, he did recognize the other woman. She was the master of the Dao of Music, Yan Xinyu, with whom he had once exchanged a brief glance.

As soon as Xu Kuan stepped out of the woods, he bowed deeply toward Withered Wood Sage and called out loudly,

“Greetings, Master!”

Withered Wood Sage nodded at him, then gave a dry laugh and said with unmistakable sarcasm, “Junior Sister Tang, what remarkable methods you have. To think you could even track my whereabouts!”

The woman in purple gave a wry smile. “How would I dare pry into my senior brother’s movements? It was only that, before this boy was imprisoned, I feared he might be an infiltrator sent by some hidden enemy to spy on our sect, so I left a trace of spiritual power upon him. Within a radius of a hundred miles, I can sense his location, lest anyone try to break him out.”

Only then did Withered Wood Sage’s expression ease somewhat, though he still said coldly, “You have sat in the pavilion master’s seat for these years, and not only have you failed to bring glory to the Star Divination Pavilion, you have allowed it to become a filthy, chaotic mess. Whether this boy is guilty or innocent is not something that old fool surnamed Zhuo can decide with a single sentence. If that is so, then why do we need the Council Hall at all?”

The faint embarrassment on the woman in purple’s face flashed away. After a moment of silence, she slowly said, “Senior Brother is already at the peak of the Golden Core stage, so naturally you do not fear that Zhuo Yuntian. I, however, am only at the mid-Golden Core stage. Zhuo Yuntian’s cultivation surpasses mine, and in the sect he has long gathered factions around himself and formed his own power base. When it comes to my orders as pavilion master, he has always paid me lip service while acting against me in secret. Do you think my life these years has been any easier?”

Withered Wood Sage’s face stiffened at her words, and for a moment he had no retort.

The woman in purple paused before continuing, “The Patriarch has been in seclusion for more than a hundred years and pays no heed to the affairs of the sect, except that he dotes on that girl Xian’er. All the major and minor matters of the sect rest on my shoulders. And in the past, the three inner pavilion elders of our sect were all at the peak of the Golden Core stage. Now Second Senior Brother’s whereabouts are unknown, and you have spent years in closed cultivation. That leaves only Zhuo Yuntian growing dominant and unchecked. If I were to turn against him, I fear the Star Divination Pavilion would split into pieces in the next instant. For matters like this, I have always had no choice but to yield repeatedly. If not this way, then tell me, Senior Brother, what other solution is there?”

With his hands clasped behind his back, Withered Wood Sage’s expression shifted through light and shadow. He remained silent for a long while, and in the end only let out a long sigh.

“Xiaoyun, you have had a hard time these years...”

The woman in purple clearly froze for a moment upon hearing this. Light flickered in her eyes, and for some reason her heart suddenly softened.

Since taking the position of pavilion master, she had always ruled with iron resolve and worn an expression of ice, one that kept others at a thousand miles’ distance. Many years had passed since anyone had dared call her by the name Xiaoyun.

At this point in the Star Divination Pavilion, there were probably no more than three people qualified to address her so.

Yet her moment of distraction lasted only an instant. The next moment she regained her composure and said slowly, “Since I took the Star Divination Pavilion master’s seat from Eldest Senior Brother, I swore to him that in this lifetime I would certainly bring the pavilion to greatness. For that, no matter how many grievances I must endure or how many dangers I must face, I can bear them all. What is there to speak of hardship or ease?”

Withered Wood Sage stared at her for a long time, then suddenly sighed. “Whatever happened before, today I will protect this boy Liang Yan. I ask you, Junior Sister, to raise your hand and spare him a way out.”

Tang Xiaoyun had not expected him to be so resolute, and she could not help frowning. “What is so different about this person that he has earned such favor from Senior Brother?”

“Heh, nothing much.” Withered Wood Sage smiled as he stroked his beard. “Our temperaments suit each other, that is all.”

“I see.” Tang Xiaoyun nodded. “Then this is the disciple you have taken in as your final closed-door student?”

“That’s right! I have already passed my lifelong art to him in my old age. It would not be wrong to call him my closed-door disciple!” Withered Wood Sage answered without hesitation.

“In that case, today I shall do you this favor and spare his life.”

Tang Xiaoyun turned to Liang Yan and said, “However, any disciple of our sect who betrays the master gate must have the powers and cultivation learned within the sect abolished. You are a special case. Most of what you have learned comes from the texts and knowledge stored in the Formation Lineage Library, and that is not so easy to erase unless I were to beat you into a senseless idiot.”

She glanced at Withered Wood Sage, then smiled and said, “But in that case, my senior brother would certainly be the first to object. Why not change that condition to one strike from my palm? How about it?”

“What?”

Before Liang Yan could answer, Withered Wood Sage interjected first. “How could a mere Qi Refining junior withstand one palm strike from you? Forget one palm—if you so much as blow a breath, you’ll kill him dead. No, absolutely not!”

The woman in purple laughed. “Senior Brother, listen to me first. Since I said I would spare his life, I naturally will not go back on my word. I will suppress my cultivation to the seventh level of Qi Refining for this strike, and I will control my force. It will certainly not take his life. At most, I will give him a small lesson.”

“In that case!” Liang Yan stepped forward and cupped his hands. “This junior is willing to receive the pavilion master’s palm.”

He knew he could not avoid it. Better to take the blow cleanly and be done with it.

“A fine boy. You truly have backbone.” The woman in purple nodded with a smile. “No wonder Senior Brother values you so highly.”

As she spoke, she raised one hand. A pink palm imprint materialized in midair out of nowhere and slowly flew toward Liang Yan.

With a soft thud, the palm imprint struck his body.

At once Liang Yan felt a gentle yet overwhelming force crash through the hundred meridians of his body. Though the power was supple and yielding, it carried a terrifying follow-through, each surge stronger than the last, deep and unfathomable as the sea. It struck him so hard that he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Blue light circulated within Liang Yan’s body as he drove the Dispersion Method to its utmost limit, yet he could only dissipate a tenth of the attack. The remaining force still rolled endlessly through him, bursting one after another within his meridians.

Bang. Bang.

Blood mist exploded from Liang Yan’s left arm and right leg. He groaned, collapsed to the ground, and lay there with his chest heaving violently, gasping for breath.

“Th-thank you... for showing mercy, Pavilion Master!” Liang Yan stammered from the ground.

“Hmph!”

Withered Wood Sage gave a cold snort. Lifting a hand, he flicked his fingers, and a streak of white light shot from his palm straight into Liang Yan’s mouth.

Only after the white streak entered his mouth did Liang Yan realize it was a pill, fragrant and rich with medicinal aroma. Without hesitation he swallowed it at once.

As the white pill slid into his stomach, a warm current spread swiftly through his body, rapidly repairing his injuries.

The explosive wounds on Liang Yan’s arms and legs actually healed before the eye, and within only a few breaths they were already mostly restored.

“I never imagined a pill could work such miracles,” Liang Yan thought in admiration.

The woman in purple smiled lightly at the sight. “Senior Brother is truly generous, to be willing to give such a precious healing pill to a Qi Refining disciple.”

Then she turned back to Liang Yan and said coolly, “Very well. You have already taken one palm from me. We are even, and from this day onward you have no further connection with my Star Divination Pavilion. In the future, when you travel beyond, you must never call yourself a disciple of the Star Divination Pavilion. Do you understand?”

Liang Yan nodded coldly. “This junior understands. I will never claim to be a disciple of the Star Divination Pavilion.”

The woman in purple nodded and said no more. She only took her leave from Withered Wood Sage, then departed with the two people behind her.

Only after the others had gone far away did Withered Wood Sage turn back to Liang Yan, his expression somewhat desolate.

“Boy Liang, though I called you my closed-door disciple, in truth I taught you very little. The road ahead will still have to be walked by you alone.”

“But you must remember this: the path of cultivation is fraught with countless hardships and obstacles. At all times, you must guard your true heart. The moment your true heart is lost, I will no longer be I, even if I should cultivate to immortality, I still would not attain immortality.”

Liang Yan was still young and had not seen enough of the world, so these words sounded to him like mist and clouds, vague and difficult to grasp. Still, he nodded and said, “This boy will surely keep it in mind.”

“Good. You may go now.”

With that, Withered Wood Sage swept his sleeve and transformed into a blue streak of escape light, flying back into the valley.

Liang Yan watched him go, then knelt once more and struck his head to the ground three times in loud, ringing bows before finally rising and heading down the mountain.

Three days later, near the Cloudlike Mountain Range in the Kingdom of Zhao.

A black steed raced along the official road. On its back lay a gray-clad youth, pressed flat against the horse, with beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

His face was flushed, his breathing ragged. If anyone were to reach out and touch the skin of his cheek, they would surely find it scalding hot.

This was Liang Yan, who had traveled through the night to arrive here.

After leaving the Star Divination Pavilion that day, fearing the mark left on him by the pavilion master, he had ridden hard all the way, fleeing only in the direction farthest from the Star Divination Pavilion.

Yet on the night of the second day, his lower dantian suddenly jolted, and then the spiritual power throughout his body surged like a beast released from its cage, charging left and right uncontrollably within him.

In shock, Liang Yan hurriedly circulated the Azure Water Pure Heart Art, but this time it was of no use whatsoever.

Those scattered currents of spiritual power turned his meridians into a battlefield, each fighting on its own and attacking one another, nearly killing him.

By the third day, Liang Yan was already on the brink of death, collapsed on horseback, his consciousness blurred.

It turned out that Tang Xiaoyun had never intended to let Liang Yan live at all.

Having held the position of pavilion master for many years, she had long grown cold in temperament and decisive in killing. She understood better than anyone the principle of cutting the grass at the root.

If Liang Yan had been merely mediocre, then so be it. But his talent for formations was a rarity seen only once in a hundred years, and he had also inherited Withered Wood Sage’s true teachings. Fearing that he would one day nurse a grudge against the Star Divination Pavilion and become its enemy instead, she simply decided to strike ruthlessly and take his life.

With Tang Xiaoyun’s cultivation, she could tell at a glance that the true qi within Liang Yan’s body had already been thrown into disorder, and was only being temporarily suppressed by some secret art.

Seizing the moment when she struck him with her palm, she sent a hidden force into Liang Yan’s body. That force lay dormant for two days, then erupted yesterday, like a medicine catalyst triggering the illness lurking within him.

This move was extraordinarily subtle. Even Withered Wood Sage, who had been present at the time, had seen no flaw in it whatsoever.

Inside Liang Yan’s body, several immense streams of spiritual power that had been gradually reaching balance through the Azure Water Pure Heart Art were now freed from restraint and once again began to roar wildly through him. His whole body burned like fire, and his consciousness slowly grew dim...