Bu Wei

“This is my master’s tomb,” Ning Buwei looked at the distant Yan mansion gates and said mockingly, “She liked the Yan family residence, so I moved this mansion here for her to look at.”

Chu Jun was stunned for a moment. This was the first time Ning Buwei had mentioned anything about the past to him. However, he couldn’t help but feel puzzled, “You placed your master’s tomb… inside the Floating Sky Realm?”

Typically, cultivators’ tombs were placed in quiet, secluded locations to keep the deceased from being disturbed by the living. Although the Floating Sky Realm was vast, it was ultimately an unstable secret realm. Even though it only opened once every ten years, cultivators would still stream in like fish crossing a river, inevitably causing disturbance.

“It was her dying wish, I merely carried it out,” Ning Buwei also couldn’t understand why his master would make such an unsound decision – even after death, she chose such a broken place.

“Besides, her body is in there. I couldn’t just watch that bald monk go in and disturb her peace.”

Chu Jun asked. “Bald monk? Has he already gone inside?”

“Mingsang,” Ning Buwei said, “I’ve set up many formations in this tomb. Even though he’s at the Union Stage, he won’t be able to reach the main tomb chamber for quite some time.”

Chu Jun thought carefully for a moment and said, “Weren’t they friends with your brother?”

Ning Buwei looked at him with surprise, “You knew about that?”

“I ran into them years ago while traveling in the mortal realm,” Chu Jun recalled. “Back then, your brother and his friends were only fifteen or sixteen, but they already had considerable abilities.”

Ning Buwei raised an eyebrow. “They dared to travel the mortal realm at fifteen or sixteen?”

At that age, he had been confined by Hao Zheng and Ning Xinyuan, not allowed to go anywhere. He had to devise all sorts of ways just to sneak out and play for short periods. He had never been to the mortal realm due to its heavy karmic burden.

Chu Jun said, “Back then, spiritual energy was still abundant in the seventeen states, and the passageways to the mortal realm hadn’t been taken over by the Chongzheng Alliance. There were fewer restrictions.”

Ning Buwei sneered, “Chongzheng Alliance…”

Just as he was about to say more, Chu Jun suddenly said, “Someone’s coming.”

In the distance, a group of cultivators came flying on their swords straight toward the Yan mansion. Leading them was a familiar face – Shen Xi, the senior disciple of Chu Linyuan, the sect master of Wushi Sect.

Behind Shen Xi were Chu Bai and several elders from other sects, followed by numerous Chongzheng Alliance disciples.

“This is the location Zen Master Mingsang informed us about,” Shen Xi raised her hand to signal everyone to stop. “We’ll wait here for news from the Zen Master.”

About a hundred or so people came to a grand halt outside the mansion.

“Strange, wasn’t the Yan mansion supposed to be in Li City of Zhenzhou? How did it appear in the Floating Sky Realm?” someone questioned in confusion.

“Ah, the current Yan family in Li City is just a minor branch from back then. The true Yan family was wiped out hundreds of years ago,” an elderly cultivator spoke up. “This mansion does look like the genuine Yan residence from those days.”

“But what does this Yan mansion have to do with the Linglong Bone?”

“Since Zen Master Mingsang asked us to wait here, he must have his reasons. We should just wait patiently…”

The barrier Chu Jun had set up on the flying boat was extremely well-concealed. The Chongzheng Alliance cultivators had stopped right beneath the boat, allowing Ning Buwei and Chu Jun to hear their conversation clearly.

With this group of Chongzheng Alliance people gathering in front of his master’s tomb while still pursuing his son, Ning Buwei’s face darkened, and black qi began to swirl around his fingers.

However, in the next instant, his hand was firmly grasped by someone who drew the black qi into their sleeve.

Ning Buwei was stunned and turned to look at Chu Jun.

“Ning Fan is also in the Floating Sky Realm,” Chu Jun said seriously: “Since there’s someone from your past in the tomb, Ning Fan and those behind him must surely be prepared. Now that the Chongzheng Alliance people have also arrived here, and it involves the Linglong Bone—”

“Why not let them fight among themselves like dogs?” Ning Buwei amazingly understood the twists and turns in his mind.

Chu Jun said solemnly, “You should have been in closed cultivation for several years to properly rest and rebuild your foundation. If you keep depleting your spiritual power, you might not feel it now, but it will inevitably cause problems when you face your tribulation in the future.”

Even for those who cultivated steadily, countless cultivators had perished during their tribulations due to unstable foundations. This was especially concerning for Ning Buwei, who was now like a recently patched broken vessel.

Such concerned words might have seemed like meddling at first glance, but the care behind them was crystal clear for Ning Buwei to see.

It was up to him whether to accept it or not.

Ning Buwei was known for being rebellious and hating restrictions, so Chu Jun hadn’t held much hope that he would listen. However, he heard a snorting laugh.

“How troublesome—”

“But you have a point.”

****

“Any news about Chu Xin?” Chu Bai walked up to Shen Xi and asked.

Shen Xi looked at him with cold eyes, “Chu Xin was originally under strict surveillance and was to be taken back to Wushi Sect for sentencing, yet somehow after you took charge, Junior Brother, the person escaped?”

Chu Bai’s mouth twitched as he said, “Senior Sister seems to be implying something. You think I let him go? My young disciple was nearly killed by him. If you hadn’t stopped me, I would have cut him down with my sword. Senior Sister’s suspicion seems rather forced.”

Shen Xi withdrew her gaze from the Yan mansion’s gate, “If you don’t want others to know, then don’t do it in the first place. I advise Junior Brother to be careful.”

Chu Bai sneered, “I will certainly keep Senior Sister’s advice in mind.”

Shen Xi didn’t wish to speak with him further, but Chu Bai was unusually talkative today, “However, from what I know, Ning Buwei has also come to the Floating Sky Realm. If Senior Sister encounters him, don’t let your brother’s death cloud your judgment and ruin the greater mission of obtaining the Linglong Bone.”

“No need for your concern about that.” Shen Xi’s face darkened as she gripped her sword tightly.

Meanwhile, among the clustered disciples, several from the Qingdan Sect had consciously moved to the outermost edge.

“Senior Brother, the evil qi is very heavy here,” Bu Qing frowned, “Are we really going inside later?”

Jimo Hongcai said, “If everyone goes in, it’s unavoidable. Make sure your defensive magical tools and talismans are ready.”

The disciples nodded listlessly.

“Fellow Cultivator Pei— Fellow Cultivator Pei?” Jimo Hongcai patted Pei Heguang’s shoulder.

Pei Heguang seemed to suddenly come back to his senses and smiled, “What is it?”

Jimo Hongcai handed him a bottle of life-saving pills, “If you encounter poisonous or miasmic gases inside, take these to regulate your breath.”

“Thank you,” Pei Heguang accepted the pills with gratitude.

“Why are you so distracted?” Bu Qing, who had become quite familiar with him, asked teasingly, “Could it be you’ve taken a fancy to some sect’s young lady?”

Pei Heguang’s face reddened as he stammered, “No, no, Miss Bu, please don’t jest.”

Seeing their playful exchange, Jimo Hongcai could tell it was a case of unrequited love – his junior sister would likely face a trial of love.

However, before Jimo Hongcai could mediate, sudden chaos erupted in the crowd.

“Ning Buwei! It’s Ning Buwei! He’s carrying a child into the Yan mansion!”

“Ning Fan is following right behind!” someone exclaimed.

Jimo Hongcai’s expression changed dramatically as he quickly moved to protect his junior brothers and sisters. Pei Heguang stood beside them, his brows furrowed.

At the front, Shen Xi witnessed Ning Buwei carrying the child into the Yan mansion with her own eyes. Remembering Chu Linyuan’s previous instructions and glancing at Chu Bai beside her, she made a quick decision. “There’s no time to wait for the Zen Master’s news. The Linglong Bone is in Ning Buwei’s hands. Everyone, follow me in!”

Nearly a hundred cultivators sprang into action at those words, rushing into the magnificent mansion like they were facing a great enemy. However, no one noticed that two unremarkable ordinary cultivators had silently joined the rear of the group.

The shell disguised as Ning Buwei led Ning Fan into the Union-Separation Formation. Shen Xi, Chu Bai, and their Chongzheng Alliance followers entered right after them. Ning Buwei and Chu Jun, having used transformation techniques to hide within the crowd, jointly controlled the shell while splitting their consciousness.

With Ning Buwei’s current cultivation level, he was far from being able to split his consciousness to create a shell, and since Chu Jun had already perished at the Dao Discussion Conference, Ning Fan naturally assumed the shell was Ning Buwei and started spouting nonsense at it.

“Ning Buwei, when you buried your Yan Jinzhou here, did you ever think you’d return one day?” Ning Fan stood on iron chains above a putrid river of blood, his gaze falling on the shell’s face as he sneered. “Or is it that you dare not return?”

With half his divine consciousness in the shell, Ning Buwei laughed coldly. “What’s there to fear about returning? Rather, why do you keep following me?”

Ning Fan’s gaze fell on the “child” in the shell’s arms as he smiled. “Back then, Yan Jinzhou liked to have others’ bones ground to dust. Now it’s naturally her turn. How could her disciple not watch this personally?”

Ning Buwei suppressed the anger surging in his heart and sneered. “The dead are gone forever. What difference does grinding bones to dust make?”

“Hmm, that’s not what you said when you watched your parents die back then.” A pair of cold, gleaming iron hooks appeared in Ning Fan’s hands. “It’s time to help you recall properly!”

Just as Ning Buwei was about to control the shell to fight, he was suddenly pushed into a corner by the other half of the divine consciousness within the shell, which seized control.

In the crowd at the edge of the Union-Separation Formation, Ning Buwei suddenly came to his senses and looked at Chu Jun with annoyance.

Chu Jun’s gaze remained calm, “Now is not the time for fighting.”

Ning Buwei clicked his tongue but didn’t pursue the matter, allowing Chu Jun to guide the shell deeper into the formation.

Meanwhile, Shen Xi’s voice came from ahead. “Everyone, this should be a large tomb. Let’s spread out and search for an entrance.”

“Where is the entrance?” Chu Jun asked.

Ning Buwei raised an eyebrow. “You really won’t let my master rest in peace?”

“Mingsang has already gone in, and from Ning Fan’s words, they’ve been inside before,” Chu Jun speculated. “If nothing unexpected happens, there should be a fragment of the Suzaku knife waiting for you inside.”

“Hmm, the Suzaku knife fragment must be on my master’s body, and once they get it, her corpse will be ground to dust?” Ning Buwei’s tone grew increasingly dark as he spoke, his voice finally carrying traces of killing intent.

“It probably isn’t that simple,” Chu Jun said, “The Chongzheng Alliance came for the Linglong Bone but found your master’s tomb. This might be orchestrated by those behind Ning Fan, who still haven’t shown themselves—”

“We must draw them out this time.”

Just as he finished speaking, Ning Buwei happened to step into the eye of the Union-Separation Formation. The Suzaku knife fragment that had been quietly resting on him suddenly began vibrating urgently.

Ning Buwei smeared a blood-locating talisman on the fragment, and it pointed straight in one direction—

The entrance to Yan Jinzhou’s tomb.