Chapter 5

The next morning, the bell of Changliu Mountain resounded, signaling the start of the second round of the Ascension to Immortality Assembly.

The rules were announced by a senior sister from Kunlun Ruins. Dressed in the sect’s ink-white uniform, she stood tall and graceful with a slender silver sword at her waist. The crowd gazed at her with admiration and longing.

“…Although this trial only requires reaching the summit of Changliu Mountain by sunrise tomorrow, I must remind all fellow cultivators: first, flying via Sword Control or Artifact Control is prohibited; second, Automaton Masters will set up obstacles with their automatons along the ascent. Defeating one automaton earns ten points, while failing to do so won’t deduct points. Final scores will consider both the time taken to ascend and the number of automatons defeated. Any objections?”

As the rules were being announced, elders from various sects observed this year’s cultivators through the Water Mirror.

“I heard the biological son of the Gongyi family head from Pingchuan is participating this year. That child was tested at age three and found to possess a Mutated Thunder Spiritual Root with exceptionally pure spiritual energy. He’s almost certain to rank in the top three.”

“Don’t even dream of such talent for your Penglai Island. With such aptitude, he’s undoubtedly bound for Kunlun Ruins.”

The Penglai Island elder’s hidden intentions were exposed, and he quickly stroked his beard to mask his embarrassment.

Competing for outstanding disciples at the Ascension to Immortality Assembly was a common practice. Though Penglai Island was one of the Four Sacred Sects, they had few Single Spiritual Root disciples and failed to recruit even one last year. Watching Kunlun Ruins next door churn out geniuses left them anxious.

Frowning, the Penglai Island elder scanned the surroundings until his gaze settled on a figure in the Water Mirror.

Hmm.

Was there really such a young child participating this year?

After a moment, he shook his head.

“Such a tender age, still a sleepy little toddler, and already sent to the Ascension to Immortality Assembly? Do her family truly believe she can join an Immortal Sect?”

Every examinee listened intently, making the little girl dozing on a young man’s shoulder all the more conspicuous. A five-year-old who could sleep through such an occasion—there was no one else but Peng Peng.

A nearby elder glanced at a sword cultivator napping on his sword not far away and teased:

“Why not? In my opinion, this little girl would fit right into the Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect. She’s clearly mastered their essence.”

Among the many sects of the Soaring Void Realm, all were fiercely competitive—except the Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect.

Their entire sect consisted of cultivators content with mediocrity and idle living, perpetually ranking last among the nine sects. Elders often used them as a cautionary tale: “If you don’t work hard, you’ll end up in the Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect.”

The elders shared a knowing chuckle before moving on.

The sword cultivator napping on his sword seemed oblivious.

Meanwhile, the Teleportation Array activated.

Designed to prevent cheating through collaboration, it scattered everyone to equidistant starting points from the summit.

The crowd surged forward, fearing even a second’s delay.

“Peng Peng, take this.” Sang Yue pulled out a talisman from her robe. “This is a Defense Talisman, effective for fifteen minutes. If you encounter trouble, chant ‘Heaven and Earth arise, gather spirit to my form, stars shift and turn, I command the Primal Chaos’ to hold your ground.”

Jostled by the crowd, Peng Peng asked, dazed:

“Heaven and what? Gather spirit to what?”

Sang Chuan waved from afar, “It’s fine if you can’t remember. Just focus your mind, hold your breath, and shout the words that come to your heart—what matters most is your determination!”

Before Peng Peng could properly bid farewell to Sang Chuan and his sister Sang Yue, she found herself teleported near a bamboo grove.  

The surrounding vegetation grew wildly, blotting out the sky. Despite the clear, boundless heavens, the place was as dark as if night were about to fall.  

Qiuqiu shrank her barely noticeable neck and perched on Peng Peng’s shoulder:  

“Young Mistress, d-don’t be scared. Qiuqiu will protect you—”  

“I’m not scared!”  

Peng Peng swaggered with unshakable confidence, her walking posture so cocky it practically disowned all relatives.  

“I’m strong! It’s those Automatons who should be scared of me!”  

Ji Shu, observing from the shadows, wasn’t surprised in the least.  

He hadn’t planned to come at all—his original idea was to find an empty pit, pretend he’d fallen in, and coast through the exam until automatic elimination.  

But intentions were one thing, and his body was another. Before he knew it, his spiritual energy had already homed in on Peng Peng’s location.  

Oh well.  

Since he was here already…  

…Next time, he definitely wouldn’t interfere! Definitely next time!  

Ji Shu sighed in resignation.  

He couldn’t use Supreme Clarity Capital’s sword techniques under public scrutiny, so when he reopened his eyes, countless vines sprouted beneath his feet, surging toward the Automatons drawn by his spiritual energy.  

—If Peng Peng could see this cheat-like, dazzling spectacle, she’d surely drool with envy.  

But for her at this moment, the journey had been nothing but boredom.  

“…Qiuqiu, why haven’t we run into a single Automaton this whole time?”  

After much deliberation, Peng Peng could only arrive at one conclusion.  

“Could it be… they can sense my extraordinary, kingly aura?”  

Though Qiuqiu wasn’t the brightest, even she knew that was impossible.  

“Anyway, Young Mistress, we’re almost at the mountaintop. Since the journey’s been so smooth, even without defeating any Automatons, we should still score well based on time alone—”  

Just then, a scream pierced the sky, startling several birds into flight.  

“—Young Mistress?”  

Qiuqiu turned to see Peng Peng frozen in place.  

Peng Peng’s eyes gleamed. “Someone’s calling for help!”  

“It’s probably because he’s too weak to fight the Automaton, but Automatons won’t actually kill anyone. Young Mistress, let’s just keep—”  

“Someone needs me!!”  

Without hesitation, Peng Peng spun around and sprinted back the way she came.  

The slope was steep, and running recklessly made it easy to trip. Peng Peng practically tumbled and slid her way down, but being so young, landing on the soft dirt didn’t hurt much. She dusted herself off and stood right back up.  

“Who’s calling for help? Don’t be scared! I’m here to save you!”  

The ashen-faced boy turned toward the voice and saw a little girl around four or five years old standing not far away.  

Her hair bun had loosened from the run, and her clothes and face were smudged with dirt, making her look disheveled and pitiful. Only her eyes burned bright enough to scorch, like summer stars in the countryside.  

The boy, who naturally wore a tearful expression, wasn’t alone—three or four other boys around his age stood nearby. Yet despite his cries for help, none stepped forward.  

—Because what stood before him wasn’t an Automaton, but a green-faced, fanged wolf-headed monster.  

Demons came in two kinds: Spirit Demons and Evil Demons. This one was unmistakably the latter.

The tear-streaked boy was already frozen in fear. Even though the person claiming to save him was a little girl at least six or seven years younger than him, he could only pin his hopes on her.  

Peng Peng locked eyes with the wolf-headed Evil Demon.  

A few seconds later, her legs also trembled with fear, but she forced herself to appear composed and snorted coldly:  

“Hah! You brought this on yourself. Do you even know who I am? Qiuqiu, go! Show it what we’re made of!”  

Qiuqiu: !?  

“Q-Qiuqiu can’t! Qiuqiu can’t fight!” The little chubby bird clung desperately to Peng Peng’s arm.  

Peng Peng was furious: “How can you not fight again? Can’t even handle a demon when you can’t beat humans either!?”  

“Can’t beat it!” Qiuqiu declared shamelessly. “Qiuqiu is useless!”  

“……”  

“Little sister, we should really get out of here.”  

One of the bystanders couldn’t help but speak up:  

“The supervising senior brothers and sisters are short-handed. If they haven’t come yet, they must not have noticed what’s happening here. There’s no way a few of us can save him. If we don’t run now, we won’t get another chance.”  

He couldn’t bear it either, but the truth was clear—they simply couldn’t save him.  

The only one who could be saved now was the little girl in front of him. The gray-robed boy grabbed Peng Peng’s wrist, trying to pull her away.  

“But—” Peng Peng’s teeth chattered, yet her feet refused to move. “If we leave, he’ll really die.”  

In the time it took to exchange these words, the Evil Demon had already stretched out its claws toward the boy, ready to stuff him into its mouth.  

Peng Peng didn’t have time to wait for the senior brothers and sisters to arrive. She could only grab a random jade bottle from her waist and hurl it at the Evil Demon with all her might.  

*Crash—*  

The sound of the bottle shattering into dust.  

Peng Peng felt as if it wasn’t just the bottle that had been crushed—it was her heart.  

The Evil Demon turned its head, its eerie green eyes fixed on Peng Peng:  

“Then I’ll eat you first.”  

Peng Peng: !!  

Now she couldn’t care about anything else. She immediately threw everything she could—anything she thought might work—straight at the demon.  

Soon, she ran out of things to throw. The Evil Demon’s gaze grew hungrier by the second. The only thing left on Peng Peng’s person, aside from the lightweight ring on her thumb, was the Defense Talisman Sang Yue had given her.  

“Heaven and earth arise, gather spirits to my body—fight—fight what again?”  

Peng Peng’s mind went blank.  

To make matters worse, the Evil Demon lowered its front half, poised to pounce. Tears welled up in Peng Peng’s eyes as she stammered through the incantation. Finally, she remembered Sang Chuan’s words and blurted out—  

“—*You are the brave one! The scars on your brow! Your uniqueness! The mistakes you’ve made!*”  

The moment Peng Peng belted out the first line with fierce determination, the Defense Talisman in her hand reacted.  

The boys who had been ready to flee turned back in shock.  

*What the hell?!*  

Though Peng Peng herself didn’t understand what this song was, she was greatly encouraged by the result and sang even louder:  

“*They say, carry the light! Tame every monster!*”  

The Defense Talisman emitted a golden glow that displeased the Evil Demon. Weighing its options, the demon decided to hold off on eating them for now—it would feast on others first, regain its strength, and then deal with them.  

But just as it turned away—  

*Whoosh!*  

A stone suddenly flew from behind Peng Peng. Whoever threw it clearly had a stronger arm than her, and the impact instantly spiked the Evil Demon’s rage by another three levels.

It turned out that the group of youths from earlier had come running back.

Peng Peng asked blankly, “You all…”

The gray-robed youth said solemnly:

“For some reason, hearing the song you just sang filled my heart with boundless courage—”

Another chimed in:

“How can Cultivators flee without a fight! Even if we fail to save him today, who says those covered in filth can’t be heroes!”

“When three walk together, one must be my teacher! Master! I’ve attained enlightenment!”

In the bamboo grove, the mysterious song transformed from a solo into a chorus, growing more unified and louder with each verse. The golden light of the Defense Talisman also grew increasingly brighter.

The Evil Demon howled in frustration, no longer paying attention to the tearful youth.

Though breaking this Defense Talisman wouldn’t be difficult for it, this particular Evil Demon suffered from decision paralysis—it needed to decide which one to eat first before acting.

Thus, when passersby stopped outside the bamboo grove, they witnessed an utterly bizarre scene—

Several half-grown children were throwing stones while passionately singing in unison “Loving you walking alone in dark alleys” and “Loving your unyielding stance.”

Meanwhile, the indecisive Evil Demon was pointing at them one by one with its finger, occasionally making a mistake and having to start over.

“Do you need help?”

Peng Peng was fully immersed in her singing when this sudden voice behind her disrupted her rhythm. She waved her hand dismissively and blurted out, “No need.”

But when she turned around, she was stunned.

The person standing behind her was no ordinary, tactless passerby.

The forest light was dim, but a single beam of sunlight happened to pierce through the foliage, illuminating the man standing beneath it. His snow-white hair shimmered with a pearl-like luster, and his eyelids drooped slightly with a languid grace, veiling the crescent-moon radiance in his eyes.

His beauty seemed beyond mortal realms, yet he didn’t resemble an ethereal celestial being either. Instead, he was more like an unattainable jade mountain towering over the mortal world—simply standing there exuded an immense sense of security.

Peng Peng was instantly overwhelmed by his beauty, frozen in place.

Just then, the Evil Demon across from them finally finished its selection—and it happened to land on Peng Peng.

“Perfect, you smell the most delicious—I’ll eat you first—!”

The man, as calm as the cold moon, finally lifted his gaze to properly regard the hideous, terrifying Evil Demon.

He spoke softly:

“Everyone, stand behind me.”

Seeing a reliable adult appear, they all scrambled behind him without hesitation.

Though Peng Peng moved swiftly too, she couldn’t help feeling protective of the beauty before her. If such a celestial beauty got hurt in the face…

“Holy shit!!” one of the youths exclaimed.

No one could blame his shock—anyone who witnessed the white-haired swordsman casually poke the Evil Demon’s head with his sword hilt, sending it flying hundreds of meters and smashing through over a dozen trees along the way, would feel genuine awe.

The kicker was that after doing all this, he sheathed his sword with utter nonchalance, as if it were nothing remarkable.

The group remained stunned.

Too much had happened in this short span of time—they needed a moment to process it all.

“Thank goodness the Immortal Venerable arrived in time to help, or we’d surely have perished here…”

“To think we’d encounter an Immortal Venerable of such cultivation level—truly an eye-opening experience! May I ask which sect you preside over, and your esteemed name? A sect with such a formidable Immortal Venerable is precisely where my heart yearns to belong!”

The white-haired swordsman glanced at him.

“Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect. Yue Wujiu.”

“…”

Hearing the name of the Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect, everyone fell silent.

“Also, I didn’t come here specifically to save you. I just happened to pass by. I still need to go play tiles, so handle the rest yourselves. Just don’t tell anyone I was here, understand?”

…The Ascension to Immortality Assembly isn’t even over yet, and you’re already acting like you’re off duty!

The crowd stared at Yue Wujiu, utterly unable to reconcile his appearance with the notoriously lackadaisical Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect. Even less could they imagine such an ethereal figure casually mentioning playing tiles!

How does that make any sense!

Only Peng Peng snapped out of it first, immediately rushing toward the boy lying on the ground.

The tearful boy had been choked by the Evil Demon for quite some time. Though not seriously injured, he felt deeply moved when he saw the little girl running toward him with tears in her eyes and said:

“I’m fine, don’t worry—”

“Move aside!”

Peng Peng shoved him out of the way, heartbroken as she picked up the shattered fragments on the ground.

“My Seven-Colored Glazed Spirit Spring Space Jade Pendant! My treasure! My invincible magical artifact!!”

Her hard-earned treasure!

The one she polished diligently every day and made earnest wishes to!

Yue Wujiu, intrigued by Peng Peng’s odd behavior, crouched beside her and picked up a fragment to examine.

Before he could speak, Peng Peng seemed to anticipate his words and retorted:

“These aren’t trash, they’re not junk! Even broken, they’re still my one-of-a-kind treasure magical artifact in this world!”

Even if a gorgeous beauty said her treasure was worthless, she’d still get angry!

Yue Wujiu studied the solemn little girl.

Suddenly, he chuckled.

“It’s not broken.”

Peng Peng stared at him in confusion.

The man with crescent-moon-like eyes pointed a finger at her heart.

“A heart willing to risk its life to protect a complete stranger—that is the most precious magical artifact in the world.”

A gentle breeze rustled through the bamboo forest.

Peng Peng’s eyes reflected the white-haired swordsman’s earnest yet serene expression as he spoke.

…She didn’t quite understand, but it sounded like he’d said something extraordinary.

Due to the Evil Demon incident, Peng Peng, who should have been among the first to reach the mountaintop, ended up among the last.

Worse still, since she hadn’t defeated a single automaton, her extra points were zero. Unsurprisingly, Peng Peng’s score was dead last—even lower than the tearful boy who’d been captured by the Evil Demon.

The only silver lining was—

“Big sister, you’re so clingy! You actually followed me here? Didn’t I say I’d come find you after the Ascension to Immortality Assembly? But wow, you look so pretty in women’s clothes again! You’re definitely the number one beauty in the cultivation world!”

Initially worried upon seeing her disheveled state, Ji Shu immediately changed her intended head-pat into a head-squeeze at the words “number one beauty in the cultivation world.”

“Daring to face an Evil Demon alone—seems I’ve spoiled you too much. You ought to learn some hard lessons.”

Peng Peng: “My head! My brilliant head is gonna crack open!”

Ji Shu sighed silently in his heart.

Who would have thought that just a moment of inattention could lead this little girl to stir up such trouble? In his past life, people envied the near-impossible mastery of his swordsmanship, but Ji Shu now believed raising a child was far more challenging than practicing the sword.

The convoy transporting the Evil Demon passed by them. Though Peng Peng had just been trembling in fear from the creature, upon hearing the supervising senior disciples were about to seal it away, she carelessly ran over to watch.

The sealing formation for the Evil Demon was nearly complete, yet the demon within struggled relentlessly, refusing to yield. The senior disciples forming the array were drenched in sweat, locked in a stalemate.

Qiuqiu, being of the same kind, couldn’t bear to watch and turned away.

Truthfully, merely sealing it was already an act of mercy. Since the fall of the Nether Capital, more and more Cultivators had taken to killing demons to enhance their cultivation. Not just Evil Demons—even Spirit Demons like Qiuqiu were slaughtered like livestock.

Peng Peng watched quietly when suddenly, an inexplicable voice echoed in her mind.

[Give it food.]

Startled, Peng Peng murmured, “Give it food?”

[Fish will do.]

Though unsure where the voice came from, Peng Peng obediently turned and ran to the stream.

Just then, Gongyi Lang approached, eager to boast about his top-ranking exam results. But Peng Peng ignored him entirely, smoothly bypassing him to wade into the water, catch a fish, and return to shore.

Infuriated by the snub, Gongyi Lang stormed after her just in time to see her toss the fish into the center of the formation.

The struggling Evil Demon snapped up the fish Peng Peng threw and swallowed it in a few gulps. Without any further coercion, it gave up resistance, curling up contentedly to hibernate.

“…So it lost its sanity because it was starving,” mused the senior sister maintaining the seal. “Next time, remind the Cultivators guarding it to feed it regularly. By the way, who threw the fish?”

Peng Peng, with no time to ponder the origin of the voice in her head, proudly raised her hand.

The senior sister smiled. “How did you know it was hungry?”

After a pause, Peng Peng simply said, “I just knew.”

The senior sister didn’t press further, patting her head. “Then you might have the talent to be a Demon Tamer. They’re rare in the Soaring Void Realm—you should work hard.”

Gongyi Lang was more shocked than Peng Peng herself.

She had the talent to be a Demon Tamer!?

Impossible!

Her answers in the first round of the debate were utterly nonsensical—she was clearly a complete fool! How could she—

Wait.

She was only five years old. It was normal she hadn’t studied much yet. But taming demons relied more on innate talent. Perhaps she was just lopsided—a freakishly gifted prodigy in this one area—

In Gongyi Lang’s eyes, Peng Peng’s image suddenly became terrifying again.

News of the Evil Demon incident at Changliu Mountain soon reached the elders of various sects. Hearing that a group of children with no cultivation foundation had held their own against an Evil Demon—the youngest being only five—they called Peng Peng and the others over out of curiosity.

The Third Elder of Kunlun Ruins, a squinty-eyed old man, stroked his beard and said kindly:

“There was a minor mishap during this Ascension to Immortality Assembly, which must have startled you all. However, your actions of not abandoning your companions and instead stepping forward deserve recognition. After deliberation, we’ve decided to award each of you an additional fifty points for this round…”

The squint-eyed elder’s gaze fell upon Peng Peng, who was staring blankly at Yue Wujiu.

“Especially you, little girl. At such a tender age, you already possess such righteous courage. This is the first time I’ve seen…”

Peng Peng was still stunned by Yue Wujiu’s sudden appearance.

Didn’t he say he went down the mountain to play Pai Gow?

Why was he here now?

Confused by the two Yue Wujius before her, Peng Peng snapped back to reality upon hearing the words “first time” and immediately replied:

“I—I really am seeing him for the first time! I’ve never met him before!”

Kunlun Ruins Elder: ?

Another youth, flustered by Peng Peng’s words, hastily added:

“Right! He—he didn’t go play Pai Gow either! Really didn’t!”

Kunlun Ruins Elder: “The ‘he’ you’re referring to is…”

A third youth whispered conspiratorially, thinking he was being quiet:

“Ah, Immortal Yue already told us not to be afraid if we saw him after ascending the mountain. That’s just an automaton he made. Why are you all panicking?”

All the elders simultaneously turned to look at the “Yue Wujiu” standing at the back.

Previously unnoticed, but upon closer inspection—wasn’t this Yue Wujiu clearly a puppet?

Damn.

To use such an exquisitely crafted automaton, nearly indistinguishable from the real thing, just to cover for an absence—just how far is the Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect willing to go to slack off!?

Meanwhile, Yue Wujiu, already seated at the most famous Pailou in Pingchuan Immortal Market, seemed to sense something. The tile in his hand clattered onto the table.

…I haven’t provoked any of you.

What, are you going to repay kindness with enmity now?