abnabooks Chapter 2042 Slaying Demons and Eliminating Evil
Chapter 2042 Slaying Demons and Eliminating Evil
Chapter 2042 Slaying Demons and Eliminating Evil
“Chen Fei, these are…” Cao Feiyu asked softly.
"Reporting to Senior Cao, these are all fellow Daoists who escaped from the Xuan Yu Realm with me back then, and they all wish to go to the Dan Chen Sect," Chen Fei replied, cupping his hands in greeting.
Venerable Tianxuan and the others dared not be negligent and bowed to Cao Feiyu, saying, "We juniors pay our respects to Senior Cao."
They could sense the chilling aura emanating from Cao Feiyu, and their attitude was respectful.
Cao Feiyu nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping gently over everyone: "No need for formalities. Since you come from the Xuanyu Realm and are about to join the Danchen Sect, you are now family."
At this moment, the barracks door opened, and Kuang Yezhou and Wei Zhongqian walked out together.
Kuang Yezhou glanced at Chen Fei and the dozens of people standing behind him. He recognized some of these faces from the military merit register, while others were completely unfamiliar to him.
"Since you have decided to leave Tianhai City and go to Danchen Sect, I will not stop you. Do not forget the blood that flowed on the border. Wherever you go, take it as your duty to slay demons and protect the common people!"
"Thank you, General!"
Led by Chen Fei, Venerable Tianxuan and the others clasped their hands and bowed in greeting.
Regardless of their feelings towards Tianhai Pass, the authority and former command of Commander Kuang Yezhou were undeniable, and this farewell was the proper etiquette.
Wei Zhongqian nodded to Kuang Yezhou, then said nothing more, and gently waved his sleeve at Chen Fei and the people behind him.
A gentle yet irresistible immense suction force instantly enveloped everyone present. Chen Fei felt the scene before him slightly distort, as if the space itself had turned into flowing water. The next moment, they were no longer in the open space outside the barracks, but in a separate space.
The sky was bathed in a soft white glow, and beneath their feet lay a solid, flat jade ground. In the distance, the outlines of mountains and rivers were faintly visible, though not clearly discernible. This must be part of Wei Zhongqian's own natal plane, temporarily used to accommodate everyone.
Outside, Wei Zhongqian and Cao Feiyu's figures simultaneously blurred, like reflections in water ruffled by a gentle breeze, before silently disappearing from their original positions.
Kuang Yezhou stood there, gazing in the direction they had disappeared, his eyes deep and unfocused, lost in thought.
A moment later, he turned and strode back to the barracks. Life at Tianhai Pass wouldn't stop because anyone left, for Black Fiend City was still on the other side.
Within Wei Zhongqian's dimension, in that temporarily created space.
As Chen Fei stood quietly, pondering the possible situation facing the Dan Chen Sect and the test of the sixteenth-grade spiritual materials, he suddenly sensed a subtle and imperceptible fluctuation in the surrounding space.
Chen Fei looked up sharply and saw that the space about ten feet in front of him rippled gently like a curtain of water. Then, the figures of Venerable Tianxuan, Le Boyang and others who were standing near him faded and disappeared like a faded ink painting.
They weren't attacked; rather, the space they were in was quietly moved away and concealed.
In the blink of an eye, only Chen Fei remained in this empty area. And in the center of that shimmering space, a figure in a flowing light blue dress, with a gentle and elegant demeanor, slowly materialized from the ethereal and revealed itself—it was Cao Feiyu.
At this moment, she had a faint smile on her face and was nodding gently to Chen Fei.
Chen Fei knew that Cao Feiyu wanted to speak with him privately, so he didn't dare to be negligent. He stepped forward and bowed to Cao Feiyu, saying, "Junior Chen Fei greets Senior Cao!"
Cao Feiyu gently raised her hand, and a soft force supported Chen Fei: "Chen Fei, there's no need for such formality. It's just the two of us here, so please be at ease."
Chen Fei straightened up, looked at Cao Feiyu, and waited for her to continue.
Cao Feiyu's smile faded, her expression turning serious. She looked at Chen Fei and asked softly, "Right now, do you have many questions in your mind?"
She paused, then said calmly, "Are you wondering why we went to such great lengths to bring you back to the Danchen Sect just because you inherited Xuan Yu's plane? We even went so far as to promise you a sixteenth-grade low-level spiritual material?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Fei nodded and, meeting Cao Feiyu's gaze, frankly said, "Senior Cao, you are wise. I do indeed have this doubt in my heart."
There is no such thing as a free feast, let alone a generous gift without cause.
"The Dan Chen Sect's generosity suggests that, besides the legacy of Senior Chu, there might be something else that requires a cultivator who has inherited the Xuan Yu Realm and whose cultivation has reached the sixteenth level of the Tai Cang Realm to accomplish, or is therefore qualified or capable of doing so?"
A sixteenth-grade spiritual material might be an investment, allowing him to qualify for that task more quickly.
Upon hearing Chen Fei's speculation, a smile involuntarily appeared on Cao Feiyu's clear, autumn-water-like eyes.
She nodded gently, a soft smile of reminiscence and emotion appearing on her lips, and said softly, "You are very smart, with a meticulous mind, just like Senior Brother Chu back then."
Cao Feiyu's smile faded slightly. "You guessed right. Besides the fact that you should return to Danchen Sect to receive the inheritance of Senior Brother Chu, there is indeed another matter, just as you said."
Her gaze became distant. "This matter not only requires the power of the plane's origin left behind by Senior Brother Chu as the key, but the executor's own cultivation must also reach the sixteenth level of the Tai Cang Realm to be qualified to touch it."
Although her words were still subtle and did not specify what it was about, the two hard conditions of the power of the plane's origin and the sixteenth-level Tai Cang Realm were enough to explain the level of this matter.
Chen Fei listened carefully to Cao Feiyu's explanation, and a huge question in his mind was answered. But at the same time, more doubts surged into his mind like a tide, causing his brows to furrow slightly involuntarily.
He pondered for a moment, then raised his eyes, looked at Cao Feiyu, and said:
"Senior Cao, there is something I don't understand. Since this matter requires the Xuan Yu Realm... and Senior Chu's power of the plane's origin, why didn't I sense or obtain any clear information or inheritance imprint related to it during the process of completely refining the Xuan Yu Realm's origin?"
Logically speaking, if Chu Xuanyu truly shoulders an important mission, and this mission is closely related to the origin of the Xuanyu Realm, he would more or less come into contact with some related memory fragments, restriction information, or inheritance prompts when refining the origin.
However, when Chen Fei recalled the whole process, apart from the vague memories of Chu Xuanyu's fall, the damage to the plane, and the rules of the plane itself, there was no record of any specific mission.
Cao Feiyu thought for a moment about Chen Fei's question. She nodded slightly and explained, "Back then, my senior brother didn't want to get involved in that matter. He felt it was too dangerous and wouldn't let us participate either. I don't know if he deliberately chose to discard that memory."
"Furthermore, after my senior brother's death, Xuan Yu Realm was scattered for many years. During this time, it suffered greatly from the erosion of demonic energy, and its origin was severely damaged. Many of the information, memories, and even fragments of rules that were originally contained have dissipated or become fragmented over the long years."
Having explained this, Cao Feiyu changed the subject: "However, when you were refining the origin, did you sense any traces of the three words 'Tianlin Mansion' in those remaining memories or information?"
"Tianlin Prefecture?"
Upon hearing those three words, Chen Fei's gaze involuntarily flickered slightly. He did indeed recall that name.
When refining the origin of the Xuan Yu Realm and absorbing those chaotic and fragmented streams of memories, this name was like a piece of broken jade sunk to the bottom of a river, occasionally flashing by in the turbulent flow of information.
It seems to be related to some grand scene, some solemn and dignified place, but it is extremely vague.
Chen Fei tried hard to recall, but ultimately shook his head and told the truth: "Senior, when I was refining, I did sense the words 'Tianlin Prefecture.' Although they appeared not often, they weren't entirely without trace. However..."
"More specific information about Tianlin Prefecture is fragmented and difficult to piece together. I have been unable to obtain any useful records from it, let alone know what it specifically refers to or where it is."
This answer seemed to be exactly what Cao Feiyu had expected. She sighed softly, "It seems that the damage to the origin of the Xuan Yu Realm is more serious than we anticipated. However, the fact that you can sense the existence of this name is already quite remarkable, at least proving that the crucial mark has not been completely erased."
"Yes!" Chen Fei nodded.
Cao Feiyu shifted the topic away from the somewhat somber atmosphere of Tianlin Mansion. She looked at Chen Fei, her expression turning serious:
"Chen Fei, you don't need to think too much about Tianlin Prefecture right now, and you don't need to feel pressured about it. The prerequisite for all of that is that you must first break through to the sixteenth level of Tai Cang Realm. Otherwise, knowing more will only add to your troubles and is meaningless."
"The most urgent task is to help you qualify for the Tai Cang Realm as soon as possible, and that sixteenth-grade low-rank spiritual material is the key."
At this point, Cao Feiyu's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and her tone carried a hint of reminder or even warning: "But you must understand that this spiritual material was not given out of thin air, and many people are eyeing it."
Cao Feiyu paused, lowering her voice slightly, revealing a hint of the complexities of reality:
"Moreover, this sixteenth-grade low-rank spiritual material has been closely watched by many disciples within the sect over the years. Among them are those with deep foundations and powerful backgrounds, who have been waiting for many years."
Cao Feiyu looked at Chen Fei: "Although you have the qualification and priority to obtain it because of Senior Brother Chu's karma, if you want to get it smoothly, you will inevitably touch the interests of some people and cause trouble."
These words served as both a reminder and a way to give Chen Fei a clear understanding of the potential competition and undercurrents within the Dan Chen Sect.
"Thank you for informing me, senior!" Chen Fei said, cupping his hands in thanks.
Cao Feiyu gave Chen Fei a few more instructions on what to pay attention to when first entering the sect, and then her figure slowly faded away, disappearing into this dimensional space as if merging into water.
The surrounding spatial fluctuations subsided, and the figures of Venerable Tianxuan, Le Boyang, and others who had been isolated reappeared. They seemed unaware of the brief pause in time and the anomaly in space.
Chen Fei stood quietly in place, his face calm, but every word and piece of information that Cao Feiyu had just said kept echoing in his mind.
"Tianlin Prefecture... accessible only to those at the sixteenth-tier Tai Cang Realm... requires passing trials to obtain high-ranking spiritual materials... and, of course, has fierce competitors within the sect..."
These pieces of information, when interwoven, outline the complex situation he will face in the Danchen Sect in the future.
Chen Fei never dared to dream of receiving a sixteenth-grade low-level spiritual material out of nowhere, and he knew that there must be a corresponding price hidden behind it.
Now that Cao Feiyu has frankly explained some of the reasons and potential difficulties, this honesty has actually made Chen Fei feel more confident.
The unknown is the most terrifying thing. Once you have a clear goal and know the difficulties, the rest is about how to deal with and strive for them based on your own strength.
"Strength... in the end, it still requires strength!" Chen Fei thought to himself.
In Wei Zhongqian's dimension, the passage of time feels slightly different from that in the outside world.
Chen Fei felt that just as he was sitting quietly and adjusting his breathing, a slight but clear tremor suddenly came from the entire dimensional space.
The next moment, the solid spatial barrier around us rippled out like a water curtain, the light suddenly changed, and a rich and pure spiritual energy, mixed with the fresh scent of various spiritual herbs and ancient trees, as well as a vast Daoist charm that had been accumulated over countless years, rushed towards us like a tide.
Chen Fei, Venerable Tianxuan, and the others felt a blur before their eyes and found themselves in a completely different world, having left that somewhat monotonous dimensional space.
The first thing that catches the eye is a magnificent and imposing mountain gate.
This mountain gate is thousands of feet high, piercing the clouds. The gateposts are covered with mysterious and unfathomable Dao patterns, shimmering with light and color.
At the top of the mountain gate, the three ancient and majestic characters of Danchen Sect are not engraved, but formed by the natural condensation of endless Dao principles and primordial energy. Each stroke seems to be expounding the supreme artistic conception of natural alchemy and the radiance of the heavens.
Beyond the mountain gate lies an endless expanse of celestial mountains shrouded in mist and clouds.
Countless palaces and pavilions are built against the mountain, their flying eaves and corners hidden among the green pines and cypresses. There are also rainbow bridges that span the sky, connecting different mountain peaks. From time to time, the clear cries of cranes and the spirit deer carrying fungus can be heard as they shuttle through the sea of clouds.
In the distance, a waterfall hangs like an inverted Milky Way, its roar faintly audible, adding to its majestic grandeur.
At this moment, hundreds of Dan Chen Sect deacons and disciples, their auras solemn and composed, stood respectfully waiting in the huge square in front of the mountain gate. They had obviously already received the news, and upon seeing Wei Zhongqian and Cao Feiyu appear, they immediately bowed and saluted in unison.
Immediately afterwards, several deacons who appeared to be of higher status stepped forward. Their gazes swept over Chen Fei, Venerable Tianxuan, and dozens of other cultivators from the Xuanyu Realm. They spoke with politeness but without losing the air of a great sect: "Fellow Daoists who have just entered the sect, please follow us to complete the entry registration, the allocation of cave dwellings, and other related matters."
While Venerable Tianxuan and the others left with the stewards to begin the tedious initiation process, Cao Feiyu deliberately left Chen Fei behind. Standing before the vast mountain gate, she gave him a brief explanation of the basic structure of the Danchen Sect, especially the division of disciple ranks.
"Chen Fei, you are new here. You should know that our Dan Chen Sect has strict rules and regulations. Disciples are promoted based on their cultivation, potential, and contributions." Cao Feiyu's voice was calm, yet it carried an air of authority.
"Within the sect, cultivators below the thirteenth rank are all outer disciples. They must complete the tasks assigned by the sect and accumulate merit points in order to exchange for cultivation resources and opportunities to attend lectures."
"Upon reaching the fourteenth level of cultivation and passing the assessment, one can be promoted to an inner disciple. Inner disciples have more resource allocations, can learn more advanced techniques, and have more free time for cultivation."
At this point, she glanced at Chen Fei and emphasized, "Even if one's cultivation reaches the sixteenth level of the Tai Cang Realm, as long as the sect determines that one still has the potential to break through to the next level, one will retain the status of a disciple, enjoy the treatment and resources of a core disciple, and focus on cultivation and enlightenment."
"Only those whose cultivation has stagnated, whose potential has been exhausted, and who feel that there is no hope of advancing further on the Great Dao will choose to become stewards or elders, be sent out to handle the sect's secular affairs, or take on the roles of transmitting skills or protecting the Dharma."
Cao Feiyu's tone was calm yet realistic: "Therefore, in the Danchen Sect, the status of elders is not necessarily higher than that of core disciples. Ultimately, the hierarchy depends on the cultivation level and future potential of both parties. Strength is the foundation of everything."
Finally, Cao Feiyu spoke about the part most relevant to Chen Fei's current cultivation level: "The disciples at the fifteenth level are the backbone and future hope of the sect. They are qualified to compete for the position of true disciple."
"The position of a true disciple is extremely precious."
Cao Feiyu's expression turned serious. "Because the entire Danchen Sect only grants nine True Disciple slots to fifteenth-level disciples. Even the higher-level sixteenth-level True Disciple slots only have thirty-six slots."
"Each of these forty-five true disciples represents the highest level of training and expectations from the sect. The resources, cultivation techniques, and guidance from masters that they receive are far beyond what ordinary inner disciples can achieve."
Those who manage to join are all exceptional talents among their peers, the future pillars and backbone of the sect.
Cao Feiyu looked at Chen Fei with encouraging eyes: "If you want to acquire resources faster, competing for the status of a true disciple is one of the most direct and effective ways. But you can imagine how fierce the competition will be."
Chen Fei listened attentively, nodding occasionally.
As Wei Zhongqian, Cao Feiyu, and Chen Fei and the others stepped into the sect's mountain gate and began the entry process, news that a cultivator had refined Chu Xuanyu's remains left in the outer plane spread like wildfire within the Dan Chen Sect, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.
Especially the Cuiping Peak, where Chu Xuanyu belonged before his death and where Wei Zhongqian and Cao Feiyu are currently located, which is most closely related to this matter.
Cuiping Peak, though not the highest or most dangerous within the Danchen Sect, is renowned for its serene beauty and the ever-present presence of Danxia landforms.
At this moment, outside a refined courtyard on the mountainside, brimming with vitality and overlooking half of the mountain's scenery, a slightly hurried streak of light descended from the sky and landed steadily in front of the tightly closed courtyard gate.
The light faded, revealing a young man dressed in the robes of an inner disciple. Without bothering to straighten his slightly disheveled clothes, he immediately raised his hand and cast a series of hand seals towards the courtyard gate, indicating an urgent report.
Before the seal technique was fully mastered, it was placed under a restriction, causing ripples to spread out.