Things shouldn’t have turned out like this.
Tianling Sect Master Wei Jingying sat upright on the soft cushion, his heart filled with doubt and bewilderment.
Today, he had deliberately donned a pure white robe made from the hair of a Snow Mountain Wind Monster, boasting exceptional defensive capabilities. The hem was embroidered with ice-blue snowflake patterns that could unleash a vortex of bone-chilling icy winds at any moment.
He wore a jade crown fashioned from Light Spirit Jade to suppress Demonic Qi, carved with calming lotus patterns to keep his Divine Soul pure and prevent him from falling prey to Heavenly Demon illusions.
Two long blue tassels dangled from the jade crown, framing his temples, ready to morph into serpents to thwart any sneak attacks on his face.
He had also brought all his Magic Artifacts: his two Lifebound Long Swords, a Protective Jade Pendant, a Five Directions Reflection Altar, a Space-Breaking Tracking Shuttle, and a Floating Mirror for binding foes.
Though Wei Jingying was armed to the teeth, he still presented the dignified air of an immortal sage.
He had corresponded extensively with Shen Wei Zhenren and they had agreed to merge their personal grudge with the crisis threatening the True Realm during this trial in Jiuxia Mountain’s Mustard Seed Realm, resolving both at once.
But now that the moment had arrived, what was wrong with Shen Wei Zhenren?
They were supposed to coordinate their efforts, yet Shen Wei Zhenren kept dragging his feet.
Whenever Wei Jingying tried to steer the conversation toward Silent Night Palace and Pei Jiye, Shen Wei Zhenren not only refused to back him up but watched the drama unfold with evident amusement, stirring faint irritation and anger in Wei Jingying’s heart.
Wei Jingying was a descendant of the Wei family, which had upheld Tianling Sect’s legacy for a millennium. He was the most outstanding disciple of his generation in terms of spirit roots, talent, and aptitude. His only flaw was an innate emotional defect: he could not comprehend the thoughts and feelings of living beings, nor did he possess empathy or compassion.
But it was no major issue. His elders first sought out Dream Flower Immortal Sect to select an equally talented fiancée, Yao Huang Fairy, forcing him to cultivate emotions with her and fabricate a vital relationship.
Then they had him practice the Emotionless Dao, walking the path of supreme detachment. Even if Wei Jingying showed glimpses of true sentiment in the future, it would only earn him praise as a born immortal.
From the moment he set foot on the path of cultivation, Wei Jingying understood he differed from ordinary people. As long as he followed the rules set by his Shizun and clan, he could cultivate smoothly, grow stronger, and even transcend tribulations to become an immortal.
In other words, he was like a template crafted by his elders—everything unfolded according to scriptures, the experiences of ancient sages, and Tianling Sect’s expectations.
That was, until he encountered the unexpected wildcard: Pei Ji.
As Tianling Sect’s meticulously groomed heir apparent, and thanks to his emotional defect granting natural immunity to the Seven Emotions Heart Demons during his tribulation, Wei Jingying had been dispatched by the previous Sect Leader to pursue Silent Night Palace Lord after the latter annihilated Nine Spirits Sect—to demonstrate Tianling Sect’s might.
The former Tianling Sect Master had instructed him thus: “Silent Night Palace passes down its Karmic Obstacles from one Palace Lord to the next, so though the current lord appears mighty, he is already ensnared like a fish in a net. With the same sect treasure as mine, you can trigger the calamities upon him, shatter Silent Night Palace Lord, establish your prestige, and then I shall pass the Sect Leader position to you.”
It sounded like an easy task—the Palace Lord, burdened by Silent Night Palace’s inherited Karmic Obstacles, was down to his last sliver of health. Wei Jingying just needed to deliver the finishing blow.
But no one anticipated that Silent Night Palace Lord had secretly changed successors, and the new one was none other than Jiuxia Mountain’s Sword Immortal Pei Ji!
Though Wei Jingying was puzzled, the truth remained: True Realm cultivators and Demon Domain cultivators merely differed in cultivation methods—there was no absolute divide of righteousness and evil.
What truly judged whether a cultivator could continue their path was the Heavenly Dao itself. No one had the right to claim they acted on heaven’s behalf; after all, you might wield heaven’s justice today, only for a Heavenly Tribulation to strike you down tomorrow.
Thus, even upon seeing Pei Ji turn Demonic Cultivator, Wei Jingying merely said, “Long time no see,” and thrust his sword forward.
…He still had to complete the mission of “eliminating Silent Night Palace Lord,” after all.
And then… well, best not to dwell on it. Whenever Wei Jingying recalled that day’s events, his eyes burned with rage.
Years of cultivating a signature technique had been ruined, his Emotionless Dao shattered by Yao Huang, and Pei Jiye had not only destroyed the Magic Artifact his Shizun entrusted to him and inflicted grave wounds but also seized the moment of his mental collapse to swear a heavenly oath before the Dao prohibiting him from revealing what happened that day.
Wei Jingying returned to Tianling Sect in disgrace. The Sect Leader was deeply disappointed and planned to sideline him for a time. Wei Jingying needed to regroup and mend his shattered Dao Heart. But who could have foreseen that another disciple, Junior Brother Liu, would cause such a massive scandal?
