The Clear Void Sect Arrives

1,524 words

When he got a clear look at the two figures, Han Li sighed inwardly. It was those two disciples who, like himself, had only reached the eleventh layer of the technique. One had an aged face, but his eyes flickered with cunning; the other was simple and dull, clearly a greenhorn who had seen little of the world.

That such an odd pair should seek him out was somewhat unexpected. But after a moment’s thought, Han Li had a vague idea of what they wanted.

“Is something the matter, fellow disciples?” Han Li asked out of politeness, his tone cold and distant. The message was clear enough—he was not interested in close company. He hoped they would take the hint.

Apparently, Senior Brother Xiang had thicker skin than Han Li had expected. Not only did he ignore the brush-off, but he also launched into a warm, familiar tone:

“Heh heh, I wonder if Junior Han has any good ideas for tomorrow’s trip into the forbidden lands? We three have the weakest magic power among the group. In a fight against the other sects, we’d probably be the first to fall! Why don’t we put our heads together and come up with a plan?”

Han Li blinked a few times without answering. He had already confirmed the man’s intent and guessed most of what he was about to say.

This old fox wants to rally the weaker disciples into a group, so they can act and fight together. It would feel safer. The survival rate would seem much higher.

But Han Li knew the arrangement had both pros and cons.

When everyone clustered together, the search area shrank dramatically, and the amount of medicinal herbs they could find would be pitiful. Worse, even if they did find something, deciding who it belonged to would be no simple matter. More often than not, strength would decide.

Naturally, Han Li had no interest in such an alliance. He would gain nothing and was far more likely to be used as cannon fodder.

As for the old fox himself, his intentions were hardly pure. He was probably hoping to muddy the waters and grab something for himself in the chaos.

Seeing that Han Li remained silent, the old man grew a little anxious. Unable to hold back, he added:

“I do have an idea. Would Junior Brother like to hear it? I guarantee it’s something that can get us all through this safely!”

He put on a deeply mysterious expression, his wrinkled face scrunching up so tightly that Han Li found it both irritating and absurd.

Beside him, the young simpleton seemed full of admiration for the old schemer, never saying a word but clearly deferring to him in everything.

Since he had no intention of joining any alliance, Han Li decided not to drag things out any longer. He rejected the offer bluntly:

“Sorry, but I’m not in the habit of working with others. I have no plans to change that now. If Senior Brother wants allies, he should look for other fellow disciples.”

Han Li spoke plainly and thoroughly.

He knew that only by making it clear he was no novice would the old man give up for good. Otherwise, as long as there was even the slightest chance of success, this Senior Brother Xiang would keep pestering him. Han Li had no desire to be bothered any longer.

The Xiang surname elder understood. He realized he had picked the wrong target. The young man before him looked young but spoke with the skill of a seasoned veteran. Without wasting more words, he left with a slightly disgruntled look.

Judging by the direction they walked, they were heading toward another disciple meditating on a rock.

Han Li smiled faintly and turned back, resuming his observation of the notable fellow disciples. This time, he spotted Junior Sister Chen standing together with another plain-faced woman, while a small crowd of self-styled young talents had gathered loosely around them.

The corner of Han Li’s mouth twitched. For some reason, the sight of those men irritated him. Finally, he decided that what he couldn’t see wouldn’t bother him. He found an empty spot away from everyone and sat down to rest with his eyes closed.

And so the morning of the next day arrived. All the disciples gathered at the mountaintop again, standing in orderly ranks, waiting for the other immortal sects to arrive.

They waited. And waited.

Several hours passed without a single sign of anyone. Han Li cursed under his breath, almost certain that the other sects were doing this on purpose—deliberately draining Yellow Maple Valley’s energy.

What made it worse—whether by coincidence or design—was that when the ranks were arranged, Junior Sister Chen ended up right beside him on his right. The familiar scent of her body drifted into his nostrils, stirring thoughts he would rather not have. It felt like he was back in that extremely passionate night.

To hide his discomfort, he lowered his head and pretended to look uneasy, scolding himself internally for being so easily flustered. She was just a pretty woman. How could she make him lose his composure like this?

Still, he had to admire Elder Li, who stood at the very front. The man had been staring at the sky in the same posture without moving a muscle the whole time. Han Li wondered if he was daydreaming or deep in thought.

Suddenly, Han Li sensed a stir among the people around him. Something had happened.

He couldn’t help it. He looked up.

His fellow disciples were all craning their necks toward the horizon. Han Li followed their gaze.

In the clear blue sky, several tiny points of light were flickering. Gradually, they grew larger. Moments later, a cluster of black dots appeared beneath them.

Beneath those black dots, silver light shimmered. It looked as though the dots were riding on starlight, descending from beyond the heavens.

The sight stirred the crowd into even louder commotion.

“Quiet! What is this behavior? That is the Clear Void Sect’s flying magic tool—the Snow Rainbow Silk. There’s no need to make a fuss and disgrace Yellow Maple Valley.” A middle-aged supervisor with short, thick limbs frowned and turned back to scold them.

The reprimand worked. The commotion subsided at once, though a few whispered murmurs continued.

By now, the black dots were clear. They were robed cultivators, most of them proper Daoists holding horsetail whisks, with their hair coiled in topknots. A few wore the same robes but looked entirely secular in every other way—lay disciples, most likely.

Han Li and the others could now see what they were standing on. It was a pure white, flawless rainbow bridge, covered in sparkling silver dots that dazzled the eye. What those dots were made of was anyone’s guess.

As Han Li watched carefully, the white rainbow bridge bore the Clear Void Sect disciples down to the mountain, landing directly opposite the Yellow Maple Valley group.

The leading figure, a middle-aged Daoist, made a casual gesture with his hand. A flash of white light followed, and the rainbow bridge formed by the Snow Rainbow Silk vanished. In its place, the Daoist was holding a piece of brocade in his hand.

“I didn’t expect Benefactor Li to be leading this time. This poor Daoist, Floating Cloud, offers his greetings!” The Daoist took a few steps toward Elder Li and said with a beaming face, sounding like an old acquaintance.

“Hmph! If a cow-nose like you can come, why can’t Li?” Elder Li replied with his hands clasped behind his back, not bothering to be polite.

“Heh heh. Among our respective sects, you and I reached the Core Formation stage last. If we don’t do the running, who will?” The Daoist didn’t seem to mind at all. He flicked his horsetail whisk and kept his smile.

“That cow-nose is full of tricks. You made a fool of me last time. Don’t think you’re getting away with it again!”

“What talk is this, Benefactor Li? A bet is a bet. Losing is a matter of course. Where is the ‘fooling’ in that?” The Daoist laughed it off.

Elder Li’s eyes flashed with cold light, as if he was about to lose his temper. But then he seemed to think better of it. His aura subsided, and he said, with unconcealed bitterness:

“I poured that piece of Metal Essence into your Azure Sovereign Sword, didn’t I? It must have added a fair bit of power! It took me ten years of hard work to refine that one piece, and I ended up giving it to you for free.”

His words were drenched in sour regret, a clear sign that the loss of the Metal Essence still stung.

“Haha! So the famous Immortal Li cares so much about a mere scrap of Metal Essence? Very well. I’ve brought something else today—something far superior to that piece of Metal Essence. As long as I win this bet, it will more than make up for your previous loss.” The Daoist stroked his beard, speaking with a smile.

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Reading Guide Decoding

A Breather Before the Bloodbath – Alliances, Distractions, and a Rival Sect’s Entrance

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

“Cow-Nose” as an Insult: Elder Li’s repeated use of “cow-nose” (牛鼻子, niu bizi) to address Floating Cloud is a classic, slightly derisive term for Daoist priests in Chinese folk culture. It plays on the stereotype of a stubborn, scheming Daoist, and its use here signals that these two Core Formation cultivators have a long, prickly history. They are peers who respect each other’s power but not each other’s tricks.

The Snow Rainbow Silk (雪虹绫): This is a signature flying magic tool, a type of artifact that makes long-distance travel elegant and efficient for a sect. In xianxia, a sect’s arrival method is a direct projection of its wealth, prestige, and style. The Clear Void Sect doesn’t just fly in—they make an entrance on a bridge of starlight, a deliberate display meant to awe and intimidate their Yellow Maple Valley counterparts before the contest even begins.

Metal Essence (铁精) as a Strategic Resource: This brief exchange between the two elders is a masterclass in Mortal Stream economy. Elder Li spent a decade refining a single piece of Metal Essence—a material that directly improves the power of magical weapons. He lost it on a bet. This isn’t just a personal grievance; it’s a reminder of the brutal opportunity cost of cultivation. A decade of hidden labor was diverted from his own advancement into an enemy’s artifact. Floating Cloud’s promise of a “rarer prize” is the bait, and the narrative makes it clear that this new bet is not about glory, but about high-stakes resource warfare.

Chapter Overview

All right, fellow journeyers, the big day is almost here! Tomorrow is the official entry into the forbidden lands, and the tension at Yellow Maple Valley’s camp is palpable. This chapter is a classic Mortal Stream breather before the storm—one of those rare moments where the protagonist gets to size up the competition, analyze social dynamics, and, most importantly, dodge a trap. Han Li finds himself the target of a slick-talking elder who wants to form a “safety alliance” of the weakest disciples. Our boy sees through that cannon-fodder recruitment drive in a heartbeat and shuts it down with the cold precision of a veteran. But the highlight of the chapter? The arrival of the rival Clear Void Sect, descending on a magnificent flying treasure called the Snow Rainbow Silk, led by a Daoist named Floating Cloud who seems to have some serious history with Yellow Maple Valley’s Elder Li. The stage is set, the players are arriving, and the zero-sum game is about to begin.

Key Plot Points

Han Li is approached by an aged, cunning disciple and his simple-minded companion, both of whom are also stuck at the eleventh layer of cultivation. Their purpose is obvious: form a group of weaklings to survive the forbidden land.
He immediately identifies the offer as a trap. An alliance of the weakest only creates a larger, slower-moving target with a smaller search area and a high chance of being used as disposable cannon fodder when the real fighting starts.
Han Li delivers a blunt, professional refusal that makes it clear he’s no novice, forcing the old schemer to move on to his next target without wasting more time.
During the long wait for the other sects, Junior Sister Chen is stationed uncomfortably close to him, and her familiar scent triggers unwelcome memories of their prior encounter. Han Li has to physically lower his head and feign unease to mask his distraction, inwardly scolding himself for being so affected by “just a pretty woman.”
After hours of waiting, the Clear Void Sect finally arrives in spectacular fashion: a group of Daoists riding a starry white rainbow bridge known as the Snow Rainbow Silk.
The leader of the Clear Void Sect, a Daoist named Floating Cloud, exchanges barbed pleasantries with Elder Li. Their conversation reveals a prior gambling loss in which Elder Li’s hard-won Metal Essence was tricked into Floating Cloud’s sword—a loss that still clearly rankles. Floating Cloud then dangles the prospect of a new, even rarer prize to settle the score.

Reading Guide

This chapter is a textbook demonstration of Han Li’s social intelligence in the Mortal Stream. The old schemer’s pitch sounds reasonable on the surface—safety in numbers!—but Han Li instantly decomposes it into its ugly components: a smaller search area that guarantees poverty, and a leadership structure designed to throw weak pawns at the first threat. He doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t negotiate, and doesn’t give the man any hope of swaying him. He simply shuts it down with the finality of someone who has seen this game before. This is the same kid who refused to be a human shield at the bottleneck market; his principles are consistent.

Also, pay attention to the tension with Junior Sister Chen. This is not the start of a romance arc. It’s a tactical liability. Han Li is physically and mentally distracted by her presence at the worst possible moment, and he knows it. The Mortal Stream doesn’t reward sentiment; it punishes it. The fact that he’s this affected by a woman’s scent is a vulnerability he catalogues and resents. Expect this to be a pressure point that the plot may exploit.

Finally, the arrival of Floating Cloud is a treat. These two Core Formation cultivators are about to play a high-stakes game of their own, layered on top of the disciples’ trial. Their personal rivalry and resource-wrangling is a reminder that even at the highest levels, the cultivation world is still a casino where everyone is trying to cheat the house.