Heaven’s Shadow

On the Shiban Mountain of Kunlun Sect, behind the majestic and ancient main hall, there was a quiet hall built under the pine and cypress trees. Yan Luo, a Golden Core cultivator, often meditated here when she had free time.

Rarely visited by others, beneath the green pines and cypresses, this quiet hall appeared exceptionally serene. The shadows of the trees swayed gently with the wind, and occasionally, the clear chirping of birds could be heard from the distant woods, as if there was a sense of otherworldly charm.

Inside the quiet hall, besides the youthful-looking Yan Luo with white hair, Yi Xin was also kneeling beside, carefully brewing tea, filling the air with fragrance.

In a moment, the tea was ready. Yi Xin held the cup with both hands and placed it in front of Yan Luo, saying, “Master, please have some tea.”

The teacup was pure white, crystal clear like fresh snow, with clear tea inside, emitting a pleasant aroma. Just a whiff revealed it to be a precious and famous tea.

Yan Luo lifted the teacup, took a sip, then nodded slightly, looking at Yi Xin with a smile. “You, a young girl whose cultivation is not yet complete, are quite skilled in making tea.”

Yi Xin chuckled and said, “Our family has been involved in cultivating spirit tea for generations. Although I dare not boast about other things, I do have some skills in brewing tea.”

Yan Luo nodded, “That’s true. Your ancestor, Master Yi Yu, was known as the Kunlun Tea Immortal. Cultivating, tasting, and evaluating tea, he was unmatched. That’s how your Yi family’s legacy has been passed down. Even today, your family’s tea ‘Xiaohe’ is still widely known. It’s no wonder you have some knowledge of tea.”

Yi Xin blinked, leaned closer to Yan Luo, and whispered, “Senior Yan, if you like ‘Xiaohe’ tea, I’ll secretly bring you some next year during the tea harvest season, okay?”

Yan Luo scolded with a smile, “You mischievous girl! Why not this year?”

Yi Xin pouted and said, “Senior, don’t blame me. As you know, cultivating ‘Xiaohe’ tea is not easy. Even with the maximum output each year, there’s only about one or two catties. And most of it is reserved by our Kunlun Sect as hospitality gifts. Then there are some other seniors in the sect who also enjoy tea, not to mention several Nascent Soul realm cultivators. We dare not offend any of them.”

She shrugged and continued, “So when the new tea comes out each year, it’s quickly taken. Even if I have the ability, I can’t get any. I plan to sneak back home next year during the tea harvest season and secretly take some from the tea fields at night…”

As she spoke, her eyes carried a look of innocence and pleading as she gazed at Yan Luo.

Yan Luo chuckled, gently tapped Yi Xin’s head, and said, “Alright, alright, I’m just teasing you.” Then, she suddenly noticed a faint scar about an inch long on Yi Xin’s left cheek, slightly reddish, which seemed out of place. Her expression turned slightly serious, and she ran her fingers down Yi Xin’s cheek. Yi Xin seemed to sense something and shrank back.

Yan Luo snorted, “Such a pretty face, almost ruined by someone. What a pity. I should have killed He Gang on the spot!”

Yi Xin lowered her head slightly, but quickly raised it again with a smile. “Forget it, it’s all in the past. Master, please don’t be angry.”

A touch of pity appeared in Yan Luo’s eyes. “You, such a young girl, inexplicably suffered such a great injustice. It’s really hard on you.” Then, her eyes suddenly turned cold. “As you said before, for so many years, your Yi family has provided famous tea, establishing many connections. But when you were in trouble that day, no one stood up for you. It’s chilling.”

Yi Xin sighed and said, “I asked my father about this matter, but he also said it’s not anyone else’s fault.”

Yan Luo was slightly surprised. “What do you mean?”

Yi Xin explained, “My father said that although our Yi family’s tea is good, it’s ultimately just a kind of optional drink. People drink it when they like it, and it’s okay if they don’t. But at the time of the incident, He Yi, Senior Brother He, was a rare genius with a bright future ahead. His master, True Person Kong Kong, is not only a powerful Nascent Soul realm cultivator but also the head of the Tianbing Hall, highly respected within Kunlun Sect. In such a situation, no one would oppose them for a bit of spirit tea.”

“My father said, it’s hard to blame others for this.”

“My father also said, our family’s biggest fault is being too weak.”

Yan Luo fell silent for a moment, then sighed. Suddenly, she smiled self-deprecatingly and said, “So, I’m actually the dumbest one, right?”

Yi Xin got up, knelt in front of Yan Luo, knocked her head on the ground, and said in a low voice, “Master, you saved me from danger, and I’m deeply grateful. Our Yi family is also very grateful. In the future, if Master has any orders, Yi Xin will do her best, no matter…”

Yan Luo waved her hand to stop her from continuing, then pulled Yi Xin up, showing a hint of affection in her eyes. “Just take care of yourself in the future. And the outcome of that matter wasn’t solely my doing.”

Yi Xin’s expression changed slightly, and at that moment, she suddenly remembered what Luchen had said to her before. She was lost in thought for a moment but quickly recovered and smiled at Yan Luo. “But you still saved me, Master. So rest assured, next year, no matter what, I will get you some ‘Xiaohe’ tea.”

Yan Luo chuckled, pulled Yi Xin to sit beside her, and sighed, “Speaking of which, it’s all because of your cheap master Dongfang old man. He was still injured but insisted on taking you as his disciple. Now he’s still in seclusion and hasn’t come out, leaving you here to be bullied by others.”

Yi Xin shook her head and said with a smile, “It’s not entirely his fault. My master has been very kind to me. Without him, I wouldn’t have been able to join Kunlun.”

“Tch!” Yan Luo spat disdainfully, “That unruly old man, never did anything serious. If it weren’t for him insisting on taking you away that day, I could have guided you up the mountain.”

Yi Xin exclaimed, “Ah, really?”

Yan Luo gave her a glance and said, “Nonsense! Did you think I’m really that foolish? There’s no reason for me to confront True Person Kong Kong and his talented disciple for no reason, right?”

“Oh, thank you so much!” Yi Xin grabbed Yan Luo’s hand and said with a smile, “It’s a pity that our Kunlun Sect doesn’t allow disciples to have multiple masters, otherwise, I would have chosen you as my master.”

“Flatterer!” Yan Luo scolded with a smile, then continued, “But I’ve known Dongfang Tao for many years. He’s indeed much stronger in cultivation than me. If he hadn’t been in seclusion for healing, things wouldn’t have turned out like this.”

Yi Xin was puzzled, “In seclusion for healing? Isn’t my master just resting in seclusion?”

Yan Luo snorted, with a hint of complexity in her eyes, “If it’s just for healing, he should have come out long ago. But the fact that he’s been delaying for so long definitely indicates a problem.”

Yi Xin became more and more astonished, “What problem?”

Yan Luo raised two fingers, “Two possibilities. First, Dongfang old man’s injuries are more severe than we know. If he still hasn’t fully recovered after so long, he’s probably close to death. Second…” She lowered her voice, “He might have found an opportunity and is trying to break through to the Nascent Soul realm.”

Yi Xin stood up suddenly, exclaimed, “Nascent…”

Before she could finish her words, Yan Luo’s hand covered her mouth, pulling her back, and she glared at her, saying, “Don’t speak loudly.”

Yi Xin’s face was full of incredulity, excitement, and nervousness, her body trembling slightly. She nodded repeatedly, and Yan Luo let go of her hand. Immediately, Yi Xin covered her mouth with both hands, as if only by doing so could she keep the secret.

After a while, she seemed to calm down slightly, but still didn’t dare to remove her hands from her mouth. She asked Yan Luo through trembling lips, “Master, is this… is this true?”

Yan Luo snorted and said, “I said it’s just my speculation. But I’ve known Dongfang old man for decades. I know what kind of person he is… This time, hmph! It’s very likely.”

Yi Xin tightly covered her mouth, giggling foolishly, her eyes squinting.

Yan Luo glanced at her, couldn’t help shaking her head, but also smiled, “If that old guy is lucky enough to break through the life and death barrier and advance to the Nascent Soul realm, then your good days should be coming.”

Nascent Soul realm cultivators, commanding the winds and clouds, moving mountains and filling seas, possessing vast and unpredictable supernatural powers, have always been the top figures in the human cultivation world. 

But such characters and realms, among billions of cultivators over thousands of years, only a very small number of people can reach. This is because when breaking through from the Golden Core realm to the Nascent Soul realm, there is an extremely dangerous life and death barrier, extremely difficult to break through. There are domain-level demons obstructing during the breakthrough, and only those with great determination or strong spiritual luck can succeed, and there is also a great risk of life and death, which is difficult to predict.

“Great!” Yi Xin was excited for a while, but then became somewhat worried. She quickly clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and prayed to the heavens, saying, “May the heavens bless my master with smooth and safe progress.”

Yan Luo looked outside the quiet hall. Between the pines and cypresses, the distant mountains were faintly visible, surrounded by auspicious clouds, but it was unknown who was hiding in the deep mountains.

After a while, Yi Xin’s voice suddenly came from beside her, “Master, there’s something I want to ask you.”