Chapter Forty-Two: I Have Never Been Absent
“Silence! I’ve pleaded with you, reasoned with you, and you refuse to listen, is that it? For the sake of your senior sister Zhou Lingya, I’ve shown you mercy, but if you persist in your stubbornness, don’t blame me. I’ll ask you one last time—will you do it or not?”
“In your dreams! Not unless I’m dead!”
Li Chunyi raised his brow and glanced at the youth behind him, speaking softly:
“Master Mo, she intends to stand in your way.”
The youth gave no reply to Li Chunyi. At this moment, divine patterns entwined his form, radiating a sacred aura.
Faintly, a tree covered in serpentine heads emerged from within him.
Purple Yan watched, transfixed by the youth’s transformation.
“Is… is this the embryonic form of the Forbidden Tree of Ocean City?”
Li Chunyi burst into wild, lascivious laughter.
“Well? Do you regret it now?”
“No!”
Boom!
A thunderous roar erupted from the youth’s body, his entire being enveloped in the glow of moonlight.
A crescent moon rose at his brow, while a tiny sapling—barely noticeable, with whisker-like fronds—took root atop his crown.
A powerful wave surged out from within him.
Everyone turned to stare at the spot where the youth stood.
Each person gaped, dumbfounded; the youth revealed only a hint of his strength, and instantly became the center of attention.
The sapling fused with his essence and grew vigorously, like a wooden kite soaring into a vast sky, rising beyond the heavens.
Many guides murmured among themselves.
“What? What’s going on? The boy seems ordinary enough, but his spiritual root tree is so bizarre! What’s happened? How can there be so many prodigies this year?”
“Did some heartless fellow provoke the celestial maidens up above? So many freaks.”
“Thank goodness we’re not in this cohort—there’d be no room for us to shine.”
“If that youth were placed in the peak era of Northsea Academy, I believe he would certainly radiate his own brilliance. His potential knows no bounds!”
“His guide is truly fortunate!”
The youth behind Li Chunyi became the focus of the entire plaza.
In that instant, as he closed his eyes in sudden enlightenment, a smile unconsciously curled his lips.
Standing before the youth, Li Chunyi too became a focal point, his heart swelling with joy.
For the first time, Li Chunyi felt the pleasure of being acknowledged by others.
The youth’s spiritual root transformed from a seedling into a great tree after comprehending the divine patterns on the Black Tortoise board.
It was a long-leaved fir, strikingly green, like a sharp sword—its edge gleaming, eye-catching.
The fir’s height soared, never ceasing.
Some began to speculate about the youth’s limits.
“What do you think—the tree formed from his spiritual root, how tall can it grow? I say one hundred and twenty zhang at most. What about you?”
“No, I disagree. Just now, with the strength of an early Foundation Establishment cultivator, he crushed the infamous Li Chunyi with a single palm. Remember, Li Chunyi is late Foundation Establishment—though he didn’t resist, we can’t deny the youth’s profound talent and power. I say one hundred and fifty zhang!”
“Don’t exaggerate. I think one hundred and twenty zhang is the limit. That’s already forty times stronger than the average three-zhang sapling. One hundred and fifty? That’s pure fantasy.”
Under the gaze of all, the long-leaved fir grew wild.
One zhang, five zhang, ten zhang.
Thirty, seventy, one hundred zhang.
“Looks like it’ll soon reach its peak.”
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One hundred zhang, one hundred twenty zhang.
“What? It’s still growing!”
“Is it going to pierce the heavens?”
One hundred fifty zhang, one hundred eighty zhang! One hundred eighty-one zhang.
Only at one hundred eighty-one zhang did the long-leaved fir stop growing.
The Eight Trigrams ground shook madly, while the sacred lotus floating above spun and disintegrated, its petals turning to halos, scattering across the six regions.
Within the sacred lotus lay abundant resources for cleansing spiritual energy.
After absorbing these, each cultivator’s spiritual root tree grew a second time—from the usual three zhang to four!
Cang Kun’s spiritual root tree reached one hundred forty zhang.
Astonishingly, the youth’s tree continued to grow!
It broke through two hundred zhang! And still it grew!
Finally, at two hundred ten zhang, the spiritual root tree ceased its ascent.
The plaza erupted like a boiling cauldron.
The Black Tortoise board displayed the youth’s name.
Mo Yi, spiritual root: two hundred ten zhang, attribute: Five Elements, ranked eighth!
Shock filled the crowd—their jaws dropped, tongues tied.
A spiritual root tree towering at two hundred ten zhang was only fifth place!
What was happening with this year’s new cohort?
Everything that unfolded completely overturned their traditional understanding!
In previous years, a two hundred zhang spiritual root would undoubtedly have claimed first place.
But in this year’s gathering, it was only fifth!
On the surface, this year’s new student event seemed calm, but beneath, turbulent waves surged.
Some sighed—this must be the strongest batch of prodigious young talents ever!
“What! He’s a descendant of the Mo family—that explains it. The Mo family is one of the Six Great Clans, and rumor has it their patriarch possesses the legendary Chaos Spiritual Root! It all makes sense now, and none of the Six Clans have even shown their true power yet!”
Indeed, the prodigies of the Six Great Clans began revealing their gifts.
In such dazzling surroundings, Purple Yan’s gaze dimmed.
She kept staring toward the rising sun, for if Xu Xing were to arrive, that was the only direction.
“Master Mo, please don’t be angry. There are simply too many talents this year—it’s not your fault.”
Li Chunyi comforted Mo Yi, flattering him.
Mo Yi did not respond with anger; instead, he smiled.
His strange behavior put Li Chunyi on edge, uneasy.
What was happening? Had Mo Yi gone mad?
Had he lost his mind after failing to secure a top ranking?
Mo Yi walked behind Li Chunyi, smiling with satisfaction. When he saw Purple Yan’s despondent expression, he sighed softly and said in a low voice:
“Miss, you needn’t worry. This is actually for your disciple’s sake. Today is only the first round of spiritual root assessment. If the person you recruited arrives, I fear I might accidentally kill him.”
After speaking, Mo Yi’s expression hardened, his face lengthening as he looked in one direction.
There, where the sun set, a woman stood in the west, still with closed eyes, deep in contemplation.
Her guide opened a red oil-paper umbrella, despite the absence of sunlight.
The divine patterns on the Black Tortoise board shone with blinding gold, growing ever more intense; all the spiritual root trees had returned to their owners’ bodies.
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High in the sky, the elderly sage opened his eyes and spoke again:
“Two hours have passed, half the allotted time. There is one hour remaining—those who have not yet finished comprehending the Black Tortoise board’s divine patterns, please hurry. Summon your spiritual root trees so we may assess.”
His words were followed by a sweeping glance at Purple Yan, the wind stirring his sparse white brows, a hint of disappointment flickering in his eyes.
He sighed softly, then closed his eyes, hovering motionless in midair.
He seemed like a stone statue, presiding over them all.
After hearing the sage’s words, Purple Yan grew frantic.
“Why hasn’t he come? Has he really given up? Is that fool not going to try anything?”
Listening to Purple Yan’s anxious muttering, Li Chunyi snorted:
“You aren’t still hoping for Xu Xing, are you? Let me tell you, he’ll never make it here! He can’t even control an artifact—how could he fly? Even if he did, I’d throw him out of the Eight Trigrams Plaza!”
She gazed at the sea of clouds, tinged with crimson by the setting sun, holding onto hope one last time.
Purple Yan had looked countless times, but Xu Xing’s shadow never appeared.
That resolute youth seemed to have wandered off into the world, never to return.
“Alas.”
Just then, within the cloud sea clinging to Mount Shu, a small black dot appeared.
It hurtled forward at incredible speed, like a youth chasing the wind.
The black dot grew larger and larger.
Bathed in the residual glow of the crimson sun, one could see clearly—it was a youth, racing toward them.
A youth!
He was cloaked in the light of sun and moon, treading on seven-colored clouds, riding the auspicious rainbow mist, soaring through the sky toward them.
“It’s him—is it truly him?”
He drew nearer, his features gradually becoming distinct—a visage as unforgettable as the pounding sea and sky.
One glance, and he could never be forgotten.
It really was him! The poetry-loving, wine-drinking Xu Xing!
Purple Yan could not contain her joy—it was him, truly Xu Xing!
She jumped up excitedly, caring nothing for the dignity of a guide, losing her composure.
She drew from her sleeve a veil she’d received from him last time, waved her hands and cheered:
“Xu Xing, I’m here!”
“What? That brat—how is it possible? Didn’t I station men outside to intercept him?”
Li Chunyi was dumbstruck, staring at Xu Xing as he soared toward them.
Xu Xing flew onward, a trail of mist following him.
He had arrived, riding the rainbow clouds, shrouded in starlight.
He looked at the vast plaza, immediately spotting Purple Yan, swiftly flying over to land beside her.
When Xu Xing arrived, a phosphorescent glow shimmered in Purple Yan’s eyes. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly, and said softly:
“You’re finally here.”
“I have never been absent.”
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