Chapter 743 - 399: Chengyun Pavilion
"Yuhuan, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
It wasn’t known how long had passed before Pei Yuhuan finally regained her senses. She raised her head to look at the woman who was stumbling towards her, gently calling her name.
Her hair was frosted, loosely held by a white jade hairpin, and her robe swept along the Cold Pond. Vermillion between her brows was like melting snow, her eyes reflected the pure altar. From Penglai came her Golden Body, from Eagle Ridge her jade-like face. The wind rustled through pines underneath her arms, the moon cast bamboo shadows on her tattered robe.
Although she was clearly at a disadvantage in the previous battle, the Iron Sword Divine Nun of Ci Yun Temple was severely injured, her face ashen, lips a ghastly white, yet she still maintained a dignified and unyielding demeanor. Her brow showed a concern like a mother’s, and her grief at seeing Taozhi’s corpse was evident, not counterfeit. Thus, at the sight of her, Pei Yuhuan inexplicably felt at ease.
"Master, Sister Taozi, she’s gone..."
Ci Yun held her hand and pulled Pei Yuhuan into an embrace.
"As long as you’re okay, Taozhi... she was a child of bitter fate, and her destined tribulation came; it was unavoidable, not your fault."
At that moment, a streak of green light approached, suddenly turning mid-air as a figure appeared at the hall’s entrance—well-disguised, with three inches of snow dyed at the temples, and a vertical mark like spring between the brows; cloaked in coarse robes amid mountain fog, stepping silently on moon traces. Neither monk, Taoist, nor Confucian; both immortal, ghost, and the soul of books. Snow spirit formed young bones, ice soul forged the elder cultivator.
Though he humbly claimed a wild path upbringing, he was indeed a respected Perfected Sage, with a stately appearance—the true self of Qing Guang Hall.
At this time, Qing Guang Hall held a jade skull with a treasure sword in its mouth, glanced at the scattered bloodstains of the hall, then observed the complexion of Master Ciyun, and advised,
"Divine Nun, that thief’s skills were formidable, his Inner Strength exceptionally high, protected by a superior escape technique, we fought thirty moves, and still, he escaped.
To prevent him from luring us away, Brother Meng and I dared not pursue too closely. Perhaps it’s better to set up the Heavenly Net in front of the mountain and wait for you to recover before deciding our next step."
Ci Yun nodded,
"Please, Daoist Brother, protect me, and I must trouble you to perform a ritual for Taozhi to help her soul cross over."
For these small matters, Qing Guang Hall didn’t hesitate, nodded in agreement, only then did Pei Yuhuan let go, watching as Taozi’s corpse was wrapped in a green glow and taken away.
"Yuhuan, follow me."
Being led by Ci Yun, Pei Yuhuan turned her head reluctantly to look at the kitchen.
She didn’t cry, just... wasn’t happy.
She followed the Master to her usual cultivation quiet room, the room was quite simple and serene, its walls hung with a few yellowed scriptures, and a faint incense burned in the corner. Ci Yun untied her monk robe, removed the Heavenly Crown, exposing her alabaster body like mutton-fat jade.
At a glance, Pei Yuhuan saw Ci Yun’s snow-white chest, disturbingly marked with a bruise, clearly struck in the exchange moments ago, now badly hurt. Ci Yun sat slumped on the mat, her pulse like a wandering thread, heart pounding rapidly, her breath erratic.
"Master, you’re injured, let me apply the medicine!"
Ci Yun shook her head, drew Pei Yuhuan to sit beside her,
"Yuhuan, be good, listen to me, now I must pass on the teachings of our sect to you."
"But Mast—"
Ci Yun shook her head, placing a finger on Yuhuan’s lips to silence her,
"There is no time left. The instant I crossed swords with that man, I realized he is the enemy of our sect. Today was merely a test, soon a crisis will descend, even with help from two Fellow Daoists and protection from the Heavenly Net Treasure, this tribulation appears insurmountable.
Initially, I wanted to observe you for a few more days, let you reach Foundation Establishment, but time waits for no one. Who knows when the enemy might come for us, I cannot let our sect’s inheritance end here. I must pass the True Doctrine to you today."
Seeing her Master so solemn, as if arranging farewell affairs, Pei Yuhuan could only obediently listen, sitting down to receive the teachings.
Thus, Ci Yun carefully chose her words, gazed into Pei Yuhuan’s eyes, and slowly said,
"Our sect is not merely some Ci Yun Sect. The Buddhist appearance is only a front. In truth, my teachings belong to the Nine Heavens Leisure Immortal Sect’s True Inheritor, known as the lineage of the Carefree Cloud Riding Palace, cultivating the path of Heavenly Dragon Riding Cloud and Transcendent Ascension... Have you heard of it?"
Pei Yuhuan blankly shook her head. Though well-read in scriptures and knowledgeable of the harem and Gate Valve factions, she’d truly never heard of this so-called Leisure Immortal Sect.
Ci Yun could also tell her innocent, bewildered appearance was genuine, not feigned, she sighed,
"Recently, during closed cultivation, I experienced a premonition, divining that in Qianzhou, a successor of our Xiaoyao Sect was born. It was difficult, but I managed to find you, yet reality seemed unclear, unsure if my calculations were wrong. But now there’s no time to debate.
Fortunately, you are blessed with good fortune, extraordinary Comprehension, and born of noble lineage, your destiny is strong, you should handle the teachings well, it’s not easy to take your life. Passing on our Secret Technique to you, you’ll be able to further transmit it in the future."
Therefore, Ci Yun turned her orchid-like fingers, took out a porcelain bottle and handed it to Pei Yuhuan, turning her back to reveal a pristine jade-like back to her.
"The secret manual of Chengyun Pavilion, Master inscribed it on my back, use this Elixir Liquid to wipe over, and you will see it. You must remember every word, let me first explain the origins of our sect’s teachings to you."
"Yes..."
So Pei Yuhuan poured the milky-white liquid elixir from the porcelain bottle into her hand, smearing it on Ci Yun’s back, feeling as if touching smooth and warm jade, refined but not greasy, plump yet not fat, her mutton-fat skin as if it could absorb the ointment-coated fingertips onto her skin.