LABMY CH113

As soon as these words were spoken, the great hall fell silent for a moment.

The reason was simple: the one who spoke was the Grand Elder of the Wenxian Sect.

For the Grand Elder to personally propose a sparring match at the disciple acceptance ceremony of the Wangyun Sect’s sect master’s newly accepted disciple, it was hard not to overthink.

After the other sects quieted down, whispers and discussions began to spread.

The Grand Elder of the Wenxian Sect had profound cultivation and naturally heard the discussions that others did not bother to hide. However, bringing this up now was a calculated move on their part.

Ever since the closure of the Qingyun Fudi, and after the disciples of various sects returned after a year of complete silence, nearly half the people in the Asriga Empire knew about it:

Shen Zilan, who failed to annul her engagement and instead received a divorce letter from her “useless” fiancé, was now far inferior to the very man she once looked down upon.

One emerged from the Qingyun Fudi at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, while the other had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment and was about to form a Golden Core.

This blatant contrast was witnessed by countless people, and the reputation of the Wenxian Sect plummeted as a result. The sect master, Shi Yun, and Shen Zilan did not attend the ceremony this time, for fear of embarrassing themselves in front of everyone.

However, this did not mean that the Wenxian Sect would accept defeat.

The Grand Elder took out a three-colored Jade Fortune Fan and gently waved it. “Our Wenxian Sect will send an outer disciple who has just joined the sect.”

“Consider this a bit of tempering for him, so that he won’t become arrogant after entering the inner sect.”

If the newly accepted disciple of the Wangyun Sect’s sect master was defeated by one of their outer disciples, the Wangyun Sect’s arrogance would be suppressed.

This way, both sects would suffer humiliation once, and the Wenxian Sect wouldn’t be too passive.

With that, a plain-looking young man behind the Grand Elder stepped forward.

“Outer disciple of the Wenxian Sect, Zhao Ziji. I humbly ask for your guidance.”

Those small sects who had ties and interests intertwined with the Wenxian Sect also had to send their disciples to the arena to make up the numbers.

The Grand Advisor of the Asriga Imperial Court glanced at the pleased Grand Elder of the Wenxian Sect, lowered his eyes, and remained silent. The disciples following him also dared not step forward.

Only a few people knew that when ascending to the Tribulation Stage and soaring to the Immortal Realm, one needed the Wangyun Sect’s sect master to help them cross the sea.

This was why the Wenxian Sect dared to provoke the Wangyun Sect repeatedly with these annoying yet not overly excessive moves.

In the eyes of the Wenxian Sect, even though the Wangyun Sect was firmly at the top, it was only slightly superior.

They never considered the fact that the Asriga Imperial Court, which controlled all the cities in the empire aside from the sects, would be ranked below the Wangyun Sect.

The Grand Advisor remained silent, waiting for Jian Yuanbai to speak.

Mu Jingzhuo quietly tugged at Jian Yuanbai’s sleeve without saying a word. When Jian Yuanbai turned to look at him, Mu Jingzhuo smiled, his eyes sparkling with unwavering determination.

Jian Yuanbai nodded slightly and glanced at Elder Xiong.

Receiving the signal, Elder Xiong spoke, “Since we are to compete, this place is too cramped. Why not move to the martial arena so the disciples can fully enjoy the battle?”

Thus, an impromptu sparring match began.

Aside from the Grand Elder of the Wenxian Sect, the other sects also offered rewards for the top three winners.

The rewards were quite tempting.

Just the three-colored Jade Fortune Fan alone was a mid-grade, low-tier magical artifact, enough to make any Golden Core cultivator or below covet it, not to mention the other prizes.

The participants were all disciples from the Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment stage, and the battles were fierce.

But what everyone truly anticipated was the final match.

On the stage stood two figures: one was Zhao Ziji, the outer disciple of the Wenxian Sect, and the other was Mu Jingzhuo, the Wangyun Sect’s sect master’s newly accepted disciple.

Mu Jingzhuo looked at the unfamiliar man before him and asked, “Do I know you?”

Zhao Ziji froze for a moment, then replied, “The Wangyun Sect’s chief disciple, a genius who reached the Foundation Establishment stage in less than a year… How could you possibly know someone as ordinary and nameless as me, an outer disciple?”

Zhao Ziji was so plain that he could blend into a crowd and never be noticed.

The way he looked at Mu Jingzhuo carried a hint of envy and subtle jealousy.

Because of that jealousy, he felt a twisted sense of excitement and satisfaction at the thought of defeating this “Heaven’s favored son” in front of everyone.

He couldn’t wait.

He couldn’t wait to step on this genius and humiliate him in front of the entire audience.

In the vast martial arena, countless eyes focused on the two figures on the stage.

One was tall and slender, with outstanding features, effortlessly drawing attention just by standing there.

The other wore black robes and was as unremarkable as his clothing, blending into the background.

The surroundings fell silent.

The wind rustled their robes as they stared at each other—one calm, the other burning with madness.

The moment the temporary referee elder shouted “Begin,” Zhao Ziji was the first to move.

His punch seemed to carry blazing fire, enveloped in orange-yellow light.

Wherever his fist passed, the air twisted and burned.

As soon as Mu Jingzhu made his move, he stepped aside effortlessly, leaving behind traces of faint blue footprints that quickly faded. His figure moved like a ghost, appearing in front of Zhao Ziji one moment and behind him the next, catching Zhao Ziji off guard.

After just a few exchanges, Zhao Ziji, whose attacks were repeatedly dodged, began to show impatience. He curled his lips into a cold smile, his gaze toward Mu Jingzhu filled with darkness.

“So what if you’re Heaven’s favored one? With what I’ve obtained, even you will be trampled under my feet.”

Mu Jingzhu keenly sensed the change in Zhao Ziji’s aura. He hesitated, unsure whether he should stop whatever Zhao Ziji was about to do. He felt he was about to find out what Zhao Ziji had taken from him, but it would put him in great danger.

However, in just those few moments of hesitation, Zhao Ziji’s eyes completely changed. His originally black pupils seemed to flicker with flames. When he threw his punch, Mu Jingzhu heard a crisp…

Phoenix Cry!

Mu Jingzhu dodged swiftly, and as his shoulder narrowly avoided the scorching air from the punch, he could already imagine how terrifying it would have been if the punch had landed on him.

Zhao Ziji remained silent, attacking relentlessly. His speed was so fast that even Foundation Establishment cultivators watching from the sidelines couldn’t keep up with his movements. It was as if he had suddenly advanced a whole realm, becoming even faster and more fierce.

The elders and sect leaders from various sects, who were observing the match, couldn’t help but show shock on their faces. With their higher cultivation, they could see more clearly that Zhao Ziji’s current strength was already comparable to the Golden Core stage.

The crowd turned to look at the Great Elder of the Asking Immortal Sect with astonishment and suspicion, but the Great Elder’s smile only deepened.

Mu Jingzhu’s expression grew more serious. At this moment, he felt like he wasn’t fighting a human, but rather a bird. This strange feeling was hard to describe, but when he looked into Zhao Ziji’s eyes, which faintly glowed red, he didn’t doubt his instincts at all.

With a sharp clang, the sound of metal scraping echoed as Zhao Ziji twisted his legs and stomped on the ground, causing the ground beneath him to sink. Borrowing this momentum, he launched himself forward.

But Zhao Ziji was fast, and Mu Jingzhu was even faster. He executed the Ghostly Phantom Step to perfection. Wherever he passed, faint blue shadows lingered in the air, like ghostly apparitions.

Zhao Ziji couldn’t catch him. No matter how hard he attacked, he only struck empty air.

Until—

With a sudden uppercut to the chin, Mu Jingzhu sent Zhao Ziji flying, crashing into the ground and raising a cloud of dust. The match finally ended.

Mu Jingzhu looked at the defeated Zhao Ziji on the ground with calm eyes and said, “You lost.”

Zhao Ziji’s face turned pale with humiliation, and the sound of his teeth grinding echoed in his head. His heart was filled with resentment and unwillingness. In his eyes, Mu Jingzhu’s calm gaze became one of condescending disdain.

Why? Why do these people effortlessly obtain everything he can’t?

The strange movement technique Mu Jingzhu just used must have been personally gifted to him by the Wangyun Sect Master.

Why was he chosen as the sect master’s first disciple, while I can only be an outer disciple of the Asking Immortal Sect?

Jealousy and hatred consumed him.

At that moment, a strange voice echoed in his mind:

“Don’t rush, don’t rush. Now that you have me, everything you desire will soon be yours.”

“You lost not because you’re weak, but because you haven’t fully merged with me yet. Once you’ve completely refined me, even someone like Mu Jingzhu won’t be worthy of carrying your shoes.”

This eerie, ethereal voice strangely calmed Zhao Ziji’s raging emotions.

He stood up and cupped his hands toward Mu Jingzhu, saying, “I admit defeat. As expected of the Wangyun Sect Master’s first disciple. I accept my loss.”

His straightforward and graceful acceptance of defeat earned him the respect of many in the audience.

The Great Elder of the Asking Immortal Sect sighed, knowing they had lost completely. But since this was the Wangyun Sect’s disciple acceptance ceremony, he stood up and said to Jian Yuanbai:

“Your disciple possesses such strength at such a young age. His future is boundless. On behalf of the Asking Immortal Sect, I congratulate Sect Master Jian.”

With his words, the crowd followed suit, offering their congratulations. The atmosphere became lively and celebratory.

The disciple acceptance ceremony concluded perfectly.

Jian Yuanbai found his newly accepted disciple, Mu Jingzhu, who looked a bit troubled. Seeing that expression, Jian Yuanbai had the urge to run away.

The last time he saw this conflicted look on Mu Jingzhu’s face was when he asked about his other identity.

Mu Jingzhu looked at Jian Yuanbai and, without waiting for him to speak, asked, “Master, during my fight with Zhao Ziji, did you hear a phoenix cry?”

Jian Yuanbai was stunned for a moment before shaking his head, “I did not.”

Mu Jingzhu was surprised and asked again, “Then did you see flames dancing in his eyes?”

Jian Yuanbai shook his head once more, “I didn’t see that either. Why do you ask?”

Mu Jingzhu hesitated before saying, “When I fought him, I felt as if he took something from me… but I’ve never met him before.”

“Moreover, when we fought, I heard a phoenix cry, and halfway through the match, it felt like…”

Mu Jingzhu carefully searched for the right words and said, “It felt like… something else had taken control of his body.”

Hearing this, Jian Yuanbai’s eyes narrowed slightly. He asked the system in his mind, “Is this the fate that was originally meant for Xiao Shao’er?”

The system replied in a low voice, “I’m afraid so.”

Jian Yuanbai sighed, reaching out to ruffle Mu Jingzhu’s hair and said gently, “Don’t overthink it. The ceremony is over, and now it’s time for you to start cultivating the new technique.”

“When you reach the peak of Foundation Establishment, I’ll allow you to go out and gain experience.”

Mu Jingzhu nodded obediently, “Understood.”

His clear, beautiful eyes were filled with trust and respect toward Jian Yuanbai, which made Jian Yuanbai’s heart ache.

Facing that respectful and obedient disciple, who called him “Master” with such sincerity, Jian Yuanbai couldn’t help but feel sour inside.

In the end, he quickened his steps and fled the scene.

After leaving Mu Jingzhu’s side, Jian Yuanbai quietly caught up with the Asking Immortal Sect’s flying ship.

Looking at the person who suddenly appeared before him, Zhao Ziji’s eyes widened in terror. He wanted to escape, but his body felt as though it was nailed in place, unable to move a single inch. Even the simple act of moving his fingers was impossible. Sweat poured uncontrollably from his forehead like a waterfall, soaking his clothes in an instant.

He wanted to scream, to alert the elders in the other rooms on the flying boat, but he couldn’t even move his fingers, let alone open his mouth to call for help.

His situation was worse than a fish pinned to a chopping board. At least a fish could still struggle, but he couldn’t even make a dying struggle.

Who was it? Who exactly was it?

Jian Yuanbai had changed into a different outfit and put on a different mask before appearing in front of Zhao Ziji when he was alone in the room on the flying boat.

He stared at this ordinary-looking cultivator and reached out, lightly tapping Zhao Ziji’s forehead.

A spiritual consciousness that didn’t belong to him drilled into his sea of consciousness, but Zhao Ziji had no way to resist. He frantically shouted the name of the phoenix in his mind but failed to notice that the phoenix was trembling and hiding in the depths of his consciousness.

Jian Yuanbai did not perform a soul search. Soul searching was too cruel for a cultivator. Those who underwent a soul search would either have their cultivation crippled or become an idiot. Although this person might have stolen Mu Jingzhuo’s opportunity, Jian Yuanbai wouldn’t rashly perform a soul search without understanding the situation.

He simply wanted to see if there was anything unusual about this person’s body.

And he “saw” it—a slowly hatching egg inside Zhao Ziji’s body. As the egg gradually hatched, the light on the eggshell faintly glowed, forming lines and patterns that resembled a singing phoenix.

In addition to that, Jian Yuanbai also “saw” that there was no spiritual root within this person’s body. He lacked the most fundamental foundation for cultivation.

This was a complete and utter ordinary mortal. The fact that he could cultivate and even appear to possess a fire-attribute single spiritual root was likely due to the gradually hatching egg.

And this egg carried a remnant soul.

Jian Yuanbai subconsciously raised his hand to destroy this remnant soul, but a voice stopped him.

“You cannot destroy me!!” A sharp voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Jian Yuanbai’s action.

Of course, Jian Yuanbai could detect the lingering consciousness on the phoenix egg. When the egg hatched, it would completely take over Zhao Ziji’s body.

Jian Yuanbai transmitted his thoughts, coldly asking, “Why can’t I? Should I allow you to seize control of his body?”

The phoenix replied, “So what if I am a demonic beast? Cultivation is all about fighting against fate and others. My relationship with Zhao Ziji is both competition and cooperation. If he loses, he can’t blame anyone else.”

“Without me, he wouldn’t have stepped into the path of cultivation at all. He’d still be a hunter in the mountains. If you insist on erasing me, I’ll self-destruct within his body. If I die, I’ll take him down with me.”

As one of the divine beasts, the phoenix naturally recognized Jian Yuanbai’s identity. Their conversation occurred through spiritual consciousness, so the phoenix wasn’t worried about Zhao Ziji hearing them.

Jian Yuanbai asked, “How did you encounter him?”

The phoenix replied, “I was thrown here by the people from the sea realm. Since I am a phoenix, I can be reborn through nirvana. After being seriously injured, I turned into an egg. However, if I directly hatch in this place, I will lose the chance to take on a human form for the rest of my life.”

The sea realm again.

Jian Yuanbai finally understood. If he hadn’t gone to find Little Spoon that day, Little Spoon would have picked up this phoenix egg and begun his cultivation journey.

In the original storyline, Little Spoon would have likely ventured to the sea realm because of this egg.

The system said, “Opportunities come with challenges. This was supposed to be Mu Jingzhuo’s fated opportunity.”

Jian Yuanbai responded, “But this phoenix egg has already merged with Zhao Ziji’s body. It cannot be extracted.”

The system sighed, “There’s nothing that can be done now. Let’s go.”

Jian Yuanbai had no interest in meddling in other people’s affairs. Originally, he had planned to erase the phoenix’s consciousness, but the phoenix was willing to die together rather than be destroyed.

Since he couldn’t help, and Zhao Ziji was a stranger, Jian Yuanbai left without hesitation.

He arrived silently and left just as quietly.

Because of the phoenix’s remaining consciousness, Jian Yuanbai assumed Zhao Ziji had stumbled upon the egg while hunting in the mountains and formed a contract with it. Thus, he didn’t interrogate Zhao Ziji further.

Naturally, he didn’t know that when the phoenix was heavily injured and unconscious, Zhao Ziji, a mortal without spiritual roots, had somehow managed to form a contract with the egg.

Not to mention, before hatching, a demonic beast’s egg wouldn’t emit any spiritual energy as a form of self-protection to avoid being cooked and eaten by others.

So how did a mortal recognize it as a demonic beast egg?

After returning to Wangyun Sect, Jian Yuanbai went straight to his main peak. He intended to check on Mu Jingzhuo’s cultivation progress. However, after knocking on the door, there was no response.

The door wasn’t closed. Jian Yuanbai hesitated for a moment before pushing the door open and stepping inside.

What he saw was completely different from the cultivation scene he had imagined. Mu Jingzhuo, who should have been meditating, was lying on the bed with his eyes closed and brows furrowed. He looked like he was sleeping restlessly.

Jian Yuanbai reached out and touched his forehead, only to find it drenched in cold sweat. Mu Jingzhu lightly struggled, his eyes shifting uneasily beneath his thin eyelids. Before Jian Yuanbai could wake him, Mu Jingzhu mumbled in his sleep, “The egg… my egg…”

The system, witnessing this, commented, “The cultivation world is unlike any other. Here, everything revolves around karma and fate. Now that Mu Jingzhu has lost this opportunity, his heart will surely feel the loss.”

Jian Yuanbai became anxious upon hearing this. “But that phoenix egg is already fused with Zhao Ziji’s body. I can’t take it back at the cost of killing him.”

“He did nothing wrong.”

The system replied, “What’s lost is lost. As long as Mu Jingzhu can reach the peak of this world, the process doesn’t matter that much.”

After countless worlds, the system had long understood that things didn’t need to strictly follow the plot. The key lines had to be spoken, but the path could deviate by tens of thousands of miles, as long as the outcome remained the same.

Besides, the system’s script was already incomplete. It could only be triggered under certain conditions, so even if they wanted to follow the plot, it was nearly impossible.

Therefore, the system was rather laid-back now and even had the heart to console Jian Yuanbai.

Jian Yuanbai remained silent. Meanwhile, trapped in his nightmare, Mu Jingzhu murmured with a faint sob in his voice, “The egg… my egg was taken…”

A crystal-clear tear slid from the corner of his eye. Seeing this, Jian Yuanbai reached out to gently wipe away the tear from Mu Jingzhu’s face. “It was because of me that Xiao Shao’er missed the phoenix egg.”

The system disagreed, “How can you blame yourself for this?”

Moreover, in terms of strength and support, Jian Yuanbai had provided Mu Jingzhu with much more help. Although the progress was accelerated, as long as the result was the same, it didn’t matter.

Before Jian Yuanbai could respond, Mu Jingzhu’s eyelashes trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes. His slightly reddened eyes were moist as he met Jian Yuanbai’s gaze. Having just cried in his dream, his voice was soft and carried a trace of lingering sobs, “Master?”

Jian Yuanbai said, “I originally came to check on your progress in cultivation.”

Mu Jingzhu hurriedly sat up, feeling a bit ashamed. “I’m sorry, Master. I accidentally fell asleep.”

Jian Yuanbai shook his head, signaling that it was fine. “Were you too tired? Why were you crying in your dream?”

Mu Jingzhu had dreamt of missing out on his opportunity due to the earlier encounter with Zhao Ziji. However, upon waking up, he completely forgot the dream. He shook his head in confusion, “I’m not tired, Master.”

Feeling embarrassed, a faint blush crept onto his face. “I was supposed to be cultivating, but somehow, I fell asleep.”

“Did I talk in my sleep?” Mu Jingzhu asked with curiosity and embarrassment in his eyes. “What did I say in my dream?”

Seeing that he had forgotten, Jian Yuanbai chose not to bring it up. After all, it was because of him that Mu Jingzhu missed out on the phoenix egg. Mentioning it now would serve no purpose. He simply replied, “You didn’t say anything. I just noticed you weren’t sleeping peacefully.”

Mu Jingzhu pressed his lips together, his face showing a hint of awkwardness. “I’ll start cultivating right away.”

Jian Yuanbai nodded. “Then I won’t disturb you.”

He turned and left the room, indeed not disturbing Mu Jingzhu any further. However, shortly after, an unexpected guest arrived at the Cloud Summit Mountain Range.

The system, with a blank expression, asked, “What are you doing?”

Jian Yuanbai replied in a deep voice, “I caused Xiao Shao’er to miss out on the phoenix egg, so I must make it up to him.”

“Something like a phoenix egg is rare and nearly impossible to find, but Mu Jingzhu doesn’t need it for cultivation anymore. It’s no longer important.”

While Mu Jingzhu was immersed in peaceful cultivation, the beasts of the Cloud Summit Mountain Range were being chased around in chaos by Jian Yuanbai.

Five days later, Mu Jingzhu, who had just finished cultivating, was brought to a certain place by Jian Yuanbai, who wore a mysterious expression.

The area was filled with straw piles, each resembling a bird’s nest. On top of each pile rested a plump and round egg.

In what appeared to be a well-maintained wooden house, countless eggs were stored inside. Although the shapes of some eggs varied slightly, the entire room was filled with eggs, clearly managed by dedicated caretakers.

Even though Mu Jingzhu was a cultivator, in the Asrica Empire, mortals and cultivators coexisted. He had some basic knowledge about such things.

Mu Jingzhu glanced at his master, who looked as if he was presenting a great treasure. Cautiously and hesitantly, he asked, “Master… why did you bring me to a chicken farm?”

Jian Yuanbai’s expression froze, and the smile on his face disappeared in an instant.

The system burst into laughter, “A chicken farm! Hahaha! A chicken farm!”