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The Legend of the Immortals Prequel: Wilderness Journey
As the Star Moon intertwined, the night was serene and beautiful, time quietly passed. After waiting for a while, Ten Thousand Swords in One looked up at the sky, shook his head, and said, "It's already the hour of the Rat; it seems that Senior Brother Zeng won't be coming. Let's go."
The crowd fell silent and each returned to their own thoughts. Tian Buyi kept glancing back towards the distance of Rainbow Bridge, while Azure Pine wore a slight cold smile, clearly looking down on Zeng Shuchang, who had hesitated at a critical moment.
As for the others, their expressions did not change much because of this.
However, as parting drew near, watching Ten Thousand Swords in One walk over to join Azure Pine, Tian Buyi, and Shang Zhengliang, both Shuiyue and Su Ru's faces turned somewhat pale. Even the usually composed Dao Xuan had a slight twitch at the corner of his eye, remaining silent.
Yet, Ten Thousand Swords in One seemed unfazed, smiling as he greeted everyone with a bow. Just as he was about to speak, suddenly a voice shouted from afar across the Rainbow Bridge, sounding somewhat urgent: "Wait, don't leave! I'm here!"
Tian Buyi turned around abruptly, his face lighting up with joy. "It's Zeng!"
Everyone turned back to look, and sure enough, they saw a figure running towards them from the distance of Rainbow Bridge. As he got closer, illuminated by the moonlight, it was indeed Zeng Shuchang. He was panting heavily, clearly having exerted himself to rush here by sword flight, his face showing signs of urgency.
He quickly approached Ten Thousand Swords in One, hurriedly neglecting to greet Dao Xuan and the others. He pulled out a letter from his robe and handed it to Ten Thousand Swords in One, saying, "Wan Shixiong, this is my father's personal letter."
Ten Thousand Swords in One glanced at him, took it, unfolded the letter under the moonlight for a moment, then nodded and said to Zeng Shuchang: "Since Master Zeng has no objections, you can come with us."
Zeng Shuchang let out a long sigh of relief as if finally putting down a heavy burden. He then noticed the large group around him and hurriedly greeted everyone. Finally stepping aside, he naturally stood next to Tian Buyi.
Tian Buyi, seeing him there, smiled slightly but then suddenly seemed to remember something. His expression darkened as he became somewhat angry and whispered, "Do you even know how dangerous this Wilderness Journey is?"
At this moment, after catching his breath, Zeng Shuchang nodded and replied, "Of course I know."
Tian Buyi shot him an incredulous look and said, "Then why did you rush over? Are you not afraid of dying?"
Zeng Shuchang snorted and retorted, "You're here yourself, why are you asking me that? Are you afraid of dying?"
Tian Buyi replied irritably, "Nonsense, who isn't afraid of death when everything is fine? It's just that this mission is crucial and concerns the future of my Azure Cloud Sect. As an Azure Cloud Disciple, I have no choice but to take on this responsibility."
Zeng Shuchang said, "I'm also an Azure Cloud Disciple!"
Tian Buyi scoffed, "But Wan Shixiong personally came to find me, so I naturally couldn't refuse. However, he clearly didn't seek you out. Why do you insist on tagging along? What if something unexpected happens in the wilderness? You... I won't say more, but what will you have Zeng Shishu do?"
Zeng Shuchang suddenly fell silent and remained quiet for a while.
Tian Buyi was taken aback, feeling as if he had said something wrong. He chuckled awkwardly and asked, "What's wrong?"
Zeng Shuchang shook his head, sighed softly, and said in a low voice, "I begged for several hours before my father finally agreed after I wore him down."
Tian Buyi asked, "Why do you insist on coming?"
Zeng Shuchang gazed into the endless dark void beyond the Rainbow Bridge. After a moment of silence, he said, "Brother Liu passed away. My father wants to pass the position of Fenghui Peak Master to me in the future, but I can't command respect without a clear reason. I need to accomplish something significant so that everyone from Feng Huai Peak can see it; only then can I stand tall and feel at peace with myself."
Tian Buyi looked at him deeply and didn't say anything further. After a moment, he gently patted Zeng Shuchang's shoulder. Zeng Shuchang smiled and nodded.
Ahead, Ten Thousand Swords in One waved his sleeve and walked to the center of the Rainbow Bridge. He clasped his hands toward Dao Xuan, Shuiyue, and Su Ru with a smile and said, "Alright, it's getting late; we should be on our way."
Shuiyue stepped forward with a serious expression. She first gestured for Su Ru to distribute the wine cups among the five fellow disciples present and filled each cup with the unique fine wine “Azure Bamboo” from Zhu Feng. Then she retreated to Dao Xuan's side with Su Ru and solemnly declared, "Wan Shixiong and fellow disciples, this journey to the wilderness is long and perilous. Words cannot fully express my feelings; I offer this cup of thin wine as a toast for your grand journey. May the ancestors bless you all to return victorious and achieve great deeds that shine brightly!"
Her voice was clear and her beauty unmatched; she looked like a fairy. Meanwhile, a sudden chill swept through the mountain wind across the Rainbow Bridge, causing everyone's garments to flutter as if sensing something.
As night deepened and moonlight flowed like water, Ten Thousand Swords in One was spirited as he surveyed those around him. Suddenly, he let out a long laugh that rang clear as he raised his cup.
Azure Pine and the others were the same. After a moment, the five of them raised their heads together and drank the fine wine in the cup in one go.
In the vast sky, there was suddenly silence, as moonlight and starlight fell upon the earth.
Above the clouds, at the peak of Rainbow Bridge, elegantly dressed in white, the brothers stood side by side.
Dao Xuan stood to the side, silently watching this scene with a solemn expression, his teeth clenched tightly. His hands were tightly clenched within the sleeves of his robe. Beside him, Su Ru covered her mouth with her hand, unable to speak.
Shuiyue had a look of sorrow on her face but then raised her head again, her gaze solely fixed on Ten Thousand Swords in One, filled with admiration and longing.
With a casual toss, Ten Thousand Swords in One threw the wine cup into the abyss below and then cupped his hands, speaking loudly, "Let's go!"
With a clear whistle, the sound of Dragon Roar echoed as green sword light flickered. The White-Clad Man soared into the air on his sword without looking back, flying straight into the distance; behind him, four sword lights shone simultaneously, brilliant and dazzling, roaring upwards into the deep azure sky.
In the vast starry night, at that moment, the passionate young men departed boldly, unafraid of anything on earth!
Only Rainbow Bridge remained under the lonely moonlight.
Suddenly, Su Ru let out a cry of sorrow and fell into her senior sister Shuiyue's embrace, choking on her words; Shuiyue held her tightly and gazed deeply with Dao Xuan, who stood not far away, at those twinkling lights that grew ever distant in the night sky.
※※※
To the northwest of Azure Cloud Mountain, there was a valley shrouded in mist year-round. Geographically, it was considered a majestic branch of the towering Azure Cloud Mountain Range, but it was quite some distance from the main ridge where Azure Cloud Sect was located at Azure Cloud Seven Peaks. The valley was small but had a pleasant climate; both sides were lined with mountains that stretched endlessly, dense forests lush and dripping with greenery. The howls of wild beasts echoed continuously within this valley.
Rainwater accumulated in the mountains formed trickling streams that gently cascaded down along the ravines like beautiful water curtains. Occasionally, unknown flowering trees grew by the stream; branches extended out from behind the water curtain, green trees and red flowers swayed slightly by the flowing water, causing fallen petals to dance in the air and adding a touch of light red to this mountainous landscape.
A river flowed through the valley with rushing waters; clear splashes hit against stones on the shore creating bursts of mist. Coupled with the fog above the valley, sunlight filtering through turned into rainbow colors. Although it could not compare to the grandeur of "Rainbow Bridge", it still offered a delightful sight.
The local people have always revered the "immortals" on Azure Cloud Mountain, and among the Azure Cloud Six Sceneries, the Rainbow Bridge is particularly famous. Thus, some well-meaning individuals named this place "Rainbow Valley," taking inspiration from the essence of the Rainbow Bridge. However, while the name sounds pleasant, Rainbow Valley is located deep in the mountains and is usually devoid of human presence, making it very tranquil.
Recently, however, this valley has become bustling with activity, especially in the past couple of days. Many figures have appeared along the banks of the river in Rainbow Valley, all of whom are members of the Demon Cult who retreated during the Qingyun Battle.
Among the numerous cultists, most appear pale and terrified, still shaken after their defeat in the Qingyun Battle. They are eager to escape back to the Northwest Wilderness and often only stop briefly in this valley before leaving immediately. However, there are also some who stand out from the rest; they gather in groups, occupying a territory that looks formidable and heavily guarded, making it unapproachable. These are members of the Demon Cult Ghost King Sect.
At the center of this formation is a tent.
Currently, several significant figures from the Demon Cult have gathered here. The Old Ghost King from the Ghost King Sect still exudes a weak aura and shows little improvement in his condition; he is half-sitting and half-lying on a recliner with assistance from Wan. In front of him stand two groups of people; to his left are the Four Great Saints of the Demon Cult: Qinglong, Baihu, Xuanwu, and Zhuque. Qinglong holds a Jade Jar with a serious expression, sitting upright while the other three stand behind him.
On the right side of the Ghost King sit three individuals. The foremost is Poison God, the leader of Wandu Sect. The two others, one male and one female, appear exceptionally young—both looking just over twenty.
The Ghost King coughed twice, breaking the silence. He scanned everyone before his gaze landed on the young man beside Poison God and said, "Yuyang, have you found your master's remains?"
This young man is Yuyangzi, disciple of Duan Hou, leader of Changsheng Hall in the Demon Cult. He looks youthful and handsome but carries an air of hostility. However, in front of these senior figures from Holy Sect, he appears noticeably tense and anxious as he replies, "Not yet." His face shows signs of anger as he grits his teeth and adds, "I fear they have mostly been taken by those Qingyun Sect members."
The Ghost King silently shook his head and then looked down at a young woman who had her head lowered but whose appearance was quite charming. He asked, "San Miao, how is your master?"
The young woman named San Miao's face flickered with sadness as she spoke softly, "My master was ambushed by Qingyun bandits during the battle on Azure Cloud Mountain; she was struck by Zhuxian Sword. Not only did she lose an arm but also suffered severe internal injuries. She has been unconscious for quite some time now; I fear… I fear…"
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