Chapter 534 - 544: State of Mind

Celestial Profound Sect, atop Life Peak.

For half a month, Wen Qingye had been training like a madman. Aided by vast cultivation resources, the Longevity Technique, and his own profound and solid foundation, Wen Qingye’s cultivation grew at a frantic pace.

Within Jin the Third’s patch of woods.

Wen Qingye swept his sword out, and the moment the Sword Qi touched the ground, it erupted violently.

BANG!

A sharp, metallic clang rang out as countless withered branches, dead leaves, and fresh soil exploded into the air.

Wen Qingye then sent another slash forward. The surrounding earth was continuously blasted away by him, falling back down with a RUSTLE.

One slash followed another, each imbued with the exceedingly powerful Bursting Law.

"Go!"

Wen Qingye leaped into the air and swung his sword at a tree in front of him. With a loud BANG, the tree exploded, shattering into countless splinters of wood.

Qingg Ruo’ai shook her head and said, "Still haven’t reached the Earthly Realm."

"Forget it. This is something that can’t be forced." Wen Qingye sheathed his sword, wiped the sweat from his brow, and looked out through the woods.

At that moment, a ray of sunlight shone down. The morning sun was rising from the horizon, filling the entire land with vibrant life.

Qingg Ruo’ai remarked with a sigh, "To be honest, I’ve really never seen anyone train as crazily as you."

"There are. You just probably haven’t met them."

Wen Qingye smiled and began walking forward, one step at a time.

Qingg Ruo’ai watched Wen Qingye, and for some reason, she could almost see a great mountain pressing down heavily upon his broad shoulders.

It seemed to be crushing him, leaving him breathless, yet his spine remained straight, and a smile still played on his lips.

Wen Qingye had been back in his Cave Mansion for only a moment when Qiuu Ming arrived.

"Brother Wen!" Qiuu Ming laughed heartily as he saw Wen Qingye.

Wen Qingye looked at Qiuu Ming and couldn’t help but smile. "Is there some happy news?"

Qiuu Ming said in astonishment, "You guessed it already?"

Hearing Qiuu Ming’s words, Wen Qingye’s smile deepened. "So there really is happy news? What is it?"

"Zhou Yue and I have been accepted as disciples by Elder Ji Hai of the Law Enforcement Team. And..." At this point, Qiuu Ming paused, then took out a red invitation and smiled. "Brother Wen, you haven’t forgotten, have you? I told you the date of my and Zhou Yue’s wedding."

Wen Qingye accepted the red invitation. "No, how could I forget?"

Qiuu Ming said, "It’s the day after tomorrow. When the time comes, Brother Wen, you have to drink a few cups with me."

Wen Qingye nodded firmly. "Alright. I’ll definitely have a few drinks with you then."

After saying his piece, Qiuu Ming left.

Looking at the red invitation in his hand, Wen Qingye couldn’t help but chuckle and say aloud to himself, "To think those two would be accepted as disciples by Ji Hai. I suppose that counts as a fortunate opportunity."

...

「Three days later.」

The sky was clear for thousands of miles. A scene of joyous celebration unfolded atop the Main Peak. The entire Sacrificial Hall and Law Enforcement Hall were draped in festive red silks.

Law Enforcement Hall.

Qiuu Ming raised his wine cup with a smile. "Brother Wen, let me toast you. If it weren’t for you, I would have long since become nothing but withered bones in a grave, a wisp of a lost soul."

Wen Qingye smiled. "Brother Qiuu, you exaggerate. Today is your happy occasion, so I’ll just have to drink a few more cups with you."

The two then toasted each other repeatedly, downing several cups amidst laughter and conversation.

Because Qiuu Ming and Zhou Yue’s statuses were now different, their wedding was an extremely grand affair. Especially with Law Enforcement Elder Ji Hai’s reputation on display, many disciples, Stewards, and Elders from every peak had come to attend.

Yingg Tian, Guo Jie, Jin Ming, Duan Hui, and the others were all present.

Qiuu Ming looked at the crowd and sighed emotionally. "It’s a pity about Yu. Otherwise, all of us would be gathered here today... What are you do—"

Just as Qiuu Ming was about to continue, he felt Zhou Yue continuously nudging his arm with her elbow. He then noticed Guo Jie’s expression change slightly and immediately stopped talking.

Yu’s whereabouts remained unknown. The Celestial Profound Sect had already declared him dead, and indeed, the Divine Soul Jade Scroll he had left at the sect had shattered.

For a moment, a wave of melancholy washed over the group.

Wen Qingye took a deep breath, picked up his wine cup, and slowly walked out of the hall. He paced forward step by step until he reached the side of the Ancestral Hall, at the very summit of the Main Peak.

A sea of clouds stretched out, vast and majestic, with green mountains looming in the distance, endless and serene.

Before he knew it, Wen Qingye found himself lost in a daze.

"The scenery here really is quite nice."

Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind Wen Qingye.

Wen Qingye couldn’t help but turn to look. Seeing who it was, he said softly, "Yes, the scenery here is indeed nice."

The visitor was none other than his old acquaintance, Nie Shuang.

Nie Shuang looked out at the sea of clouds and smiled. "You know, it’s because of you that I was able to enter the Celestial Profound Sect."

Wen Qingye also gazed forward, saying nothing.

"Should I thank you, or should I hate you? Wen Qingye." Nie Shuang suddenly pulled his gaze back and stared directly at Wen Qingye.

Wen Qingye couldn’t help but laugh. "Hate me?"

"You all must think I’m the one who forced Yu’Er away, that I’m the one to blame for everything," Nie Shuang said, taking a deep breath. "Do you really think it was all because of me?"

Wen Qingye retorted, "Wasn’t it?"

Nie Shuang looked at the cup in Wen Qingye’s hand, which was still full of wine. Reaching out, Nie Shuang took the cup, a bitter smile on his face, and fell silent.

"That’s a question you should be asking yourself, Wen Qingye."

Nie Shuang abruptly tilted his head back and downed all the wine in the cup before turning to walk down the mountain.

"Where did that undying love go? I don’t want to say any more. Right now, I just want to stay here and love the one who loves me. That’s all."

Nie Shuang’s receding figure slowly vanished from Wen Qingye’s sight.

Wen Qingye couldn’t help but laugh. He didn’t take Nie Shuang’s words to heart. ’Everyone’s perspective is different, so why should I care so much? Does that mean he’s necessarily right?’

Immediately after, his gaze fell upon the red glow emanating from within the vast, hazy expanse before him. The bustling, festive scene suddenly felt like a sting to his heart.

He could almost hear the sounds of celebration and merrymaking, yet he felt like an outsider. It was as if none of it had anything to do with him. He was alone.

That kind of prosperity and liveliness seemed only to accentuate the loneliness of a lonely person.

Zhang Xiaoyun was in pain; she had to wait and long for him. But Wen Qingye had to bear even more—far more. He not only had to believe in himself, but he also had to believe in Zhang Xiaoyun. This was his current helplessness.

The sun set, and night began to fall upon the land. A crescent moon hung high in the sky, accompanied by a smattering of stars, and the surrounding area, once bustling, grew silent.

From beginning to end, Wen Qingye didn’t move an inch. He just stared ahead, his head occasionally bowing slowly.

Before he knew it, a cyan glow appeared on the distant horizon. The morning sun rose, peeking out again and again before finally leaping up, climbing over the backs of the clouds to illuminate the sky. Its golden light, shifting amidst colorful clouds, spread out to the four corners and eight directions of the world.

「Sunset and sunrise, a full day and night had passed.」

Wen Qingye abruptly raised his head, a soul-stirring smile gracing his lips. He gazed at the magnificent, multicolored light of dawn for a long moment before turning around.

"Where to now?" Qingg Ruo’ai’s illusory form floated out and asked.

"To practice Swordsmanship..."