Chapter 120: The Three Passes

Birdless Peak, located to the right of Chaoyang Peak, is one of the thirty-six peaks of Qingcheng. Standing at only three thousand zhang, it does not intimidate with towering height among the surrounding spiritual mountains and immortal streams. Yet, it possesses a unique character: its slopes are precipitous and singular, smooth and devoid of trees, with walls as sheer as if carved by an axe, where even birds cannot land. Relying on this peculiar terrain, the mountain winds howl with particular ferocity, creating an incessant, mournful whistling.

Clouds and mist veiled the summit, where a gentle breeze drifted. Two figures, one tall and one small, stood upright, conversing from time to time. These were Qin Yu and Lu Xiaoxian. Today was the day of the third stage of the assessment. The three of them had intended to set out, but Junior Sister Lu remained high-spirited and followed along, turning the group into a party of four.

"Senior Brother, our Yuxu Peak must take first place in this upcoming sword competition!" the youngest junior sister declared, her voice ringing with youthful confidence.

Qin Yu offered a wry smile. "It is not so simple. With Junior Sister Liu Yun and Senior Brother Lou Wangshu of Chaoyang Peak, Junior Brother Qin Qi of Wulong Peak, Junior Sisters Li Qionger and Zhou Ruo of Taisu Peak, as well as Jingxuzi, Bailongzi, and Junior Brother Zhao Mou of Chongxuan Peak—I have no confidence in defeating even these few, let alone the many other skilled disciples who are my equal. Victory depends on timing and fate."

"Hmph! Big Brother is so spineless; this is no fun at all." Lu Xiaoxian pouted, leapt downward, and vanished into the vast white mist between the cliffs.

*If my second junior brother can refine his Immortal Dragon Sword beyond the ten Heavenly Stems prohibitions within three years, it is quite possible he could break into the third round,* Qin Yu mused to himself. *If I do not encounter those few, reaching the top sixteen should not be difficult. My third, fourth, and fifth junior brothers are all rather slothful; they ought to be drilled properly. Especially the fifth junior brother—he is a piece of raw jade, yet his cultivation is the weakest, which makes it all the more necessary. If these three train diligently, they should have no trouble reaching the second round, which would at least preserve the dignity of the Yuxu lineage. As for the youngest junior brother and the sixth junior sister, one has only recently entered the sect, and the other is too young; neither can be relied upon.*

*Sigh! To think that a century ago, our Yuxu lineage was the pride of Qingcheng. How did it become the last-ranked under my watch? I have truly failed our predecessors.* At this thought, Qin Yu could not help but shake his head and sigh.

Why the Yuxu Peak had declined to such a state stemmed from a past internal rebellion in Qingcheng. Even as the senior disciple, he knew only the barest fragments of this secret, unable to grasp the full depths of the matter.

"I wonder how those two below are climbing?"

This third stage tested their willpower. To climb this Birdless Peak barehanded—given their essence, energy, and physical strength, it was not impossible. However, at three thousand zhang high, a fall meant death. Looking down, the bottom was invisible, inducing vertigo. It was like having one's heart suspended by a thin thread, with life and death hanging in the balance, naturally leaving one’s hands and feet cold and the heart pounding with fear.

Cultivation is much like climbing a mountain; without immense courage and determination, how can one achieve great freedom and transcendence? Only with a heart harder than gold, forgetting life and death, can one forge ahead with vigor, severing obsessions to align oneself with the Dao.

"Aahhh—" The sound was like a howling ghost, sharp and piercing, grating on the nerves and nearly causing Zhou Qian to lose his grip and fall to his death.

"Senior Brother, is it absolutely necessary to scream every time you climb?" Zhou Qian’s face turned dark—not from fear, but from the incessant noise.

"My spiritual power is sealed; if I fall, I will be dashed to pieces! Big Brother has such a cruel heart! Aah—" He Hua let out another miserable shriek.

"Sigh." Zhou Qian could only shake his head and focus on his hand and foot placements. He had long forgotten the fear of death from his days wandering the martial world, focusing only on pressing forward. This trial was not difficult for him. What he found admirable was that no matter how miserably the fourth senior brother screamed, he was no slower than himself.

Zhou Qian seemed to understand the verdict the eldest senior brother had passed on He Hua: *Fourth Junior Brother is not stupid, nor is he cowardly—he is simply lazy!*

"Giggle! Fourth Senior Brother’s screaming is so ugly!" A flash of red light appeared, and Lu Xiaoxian, stepping on a red ribbon, floated in front of them, tilting her head with a mischievous smile.

He Hua, as if seeing a lifeline, began frantically winking and lowered his voice: "Sixth Junior Sister, if you pull your senior brother up, I will certainly take you out for some real fun when we return."

"That won't do," Lu Xiaoxian dangled her bare feet before his face. "If Big Brother finds out, he will punish me along with you!"

"And wouldn't the foxtail grass I specifically picked at the foot of the mountain go to waste?" The little junior sister raised her hands, two blades of foxtail grass swaying in the wind.

"What are you planning, Junior Sister?" He Hua sensed something ominous.

"Senior Brother, you are most ticklish, and you cannot escape now, right?" She began to slowly roll the tips of the grass against his shoulder blade, her expression one of intense focus.

"Hahaha, Junior Sister, stop playing! Hahahaha, Junior Sister, I was wrong, ha! Big Brother!!! Help me!!!"

"Hey, stop screaming! If you call Big Brother here, I won't have any fun left!" Lu Xiaoxian stood with her hands on her hips, looking very dissatisfied.

He Hua was laughing until tears and snot streamed down his face. Since his hands and feet were occupied, he couldn't move, so he let his face become a mess while carefully pleading, "Little Junior Sister, tell me anything you want! Just let me off this once, please!"

Lu Xiaoxian thought for a moment. "I want your Glazed Treasure Pearl, your White Cloud Cup, and your Water-Parting Needles." It was a lion's share of his treasures.

He Hua’s face shifted from green to purple, then to black. His lips trembled, unable to speak. This was no longer just drawing blood; it was cutting off chunks of his flesh!

"Fourth Senior Brother, you don't agree? Don't forget, if you fail the assessment, you will likely be forced into seclusion until the Five Lineages Sword Competition!" Lu Xiaoxian’s eyes curved into crescents, and she giggled like a little fox.

"Deal!" He Hua gritted his teeth and agreed.

"Hmm, Senior Brother is a sensible person." Lu Xiaoxian nodded, closed her eyes, and turned to Zhou Qian. "Little Junior Brother, let's play!"

Zhou Qian immediately broke into a sweat; he was only now realizing the extent of this little senior sister’s mischief.

"Little Senior Sister, I am your junior brother. Do you really intend to bully me?" He thought of a reason—fully sufficient and righteous—but his face flushed red. To beg for mercy from a young girl would completely ruin the illustrious reputation of the "Little Sword Immortal."

Lu Xiaoxian hesitated. She had not yet had enough of playing the senior sister; wouldn't this undermine her authority?

"Sixth Junior Sister, we brothers must be treated equally! Equally!"

"That makes sense!"

"Fifth Senior Brother—" Zhou Qian watched coldly.

"Hehe, hehe."

"Little Junior Brother, here I come!"

"Little Senior Sister, haven't you never been to the human world? How about I tell you some stories from human plays and oral storytelling?" Zhou Qian hatched a plan.

"Good idea!"

The three of them bickered and played, shouting and laughing, and for a moment, they forgot the thousand-zhang abyss below, the howling gale, and the swirling mist. The road to immortality is long, but with companions, one will never be lonely.

An hour later, the three reached the summit, all panting and drenched in sweat.

"The next stage: head to the Qiongye Heaven Scenery." Qin Yu did not give them time to rest. With a flicker of light, he led them toward Taisu Peak.

Qiongye Heaven is one of the Eight Scenerys of Qingcheng, located at Luoxia Peak to the right of Taisu Peak. Clouds stretched endlessly, and mountains rose and fell. Their flight was swift, and in less than half an hour, they reached the summit of Luoxia Peak. As the sun set, the colorful clouds in the sky transformed into vibrant hues, casting light upon the peak. The mist swirled and intertwined, resembling five-colored brocade, drifting a few inches above the ground like flowing water.

"What a marvelous sight!" Zhou Qian exclaimed.

At that moment, two more streaks of light descended. In the lead were two incredibly beautiful women: one graceful and gentle, the other icy and pure, her pretty face slightly cold, as if she were a block of eternal frozen stone.

"Junior Sister Liu, Junior Sister Zhu." These were Liu Yun from Chaoyang Peak and Li Qionger from Taisu Peak.

Liu Yun returned the greeting with a smile, while Li Qionger merely nodded indifferently.

"Senior Brother Qin, why have you come here?"

"I have a new junior brother who must endure the Cloud Piercing and Rosy Needle."

"What a coincidence. Liu Yun has brought several junior sisters for the same purpose. Is Xian'er here, too?"

"Haha! Senior Sister Liu!" Lu Xiaoxian leaped into her arms, and Liu Yun smiled, patting her little head.

"Then we shall not disturb you." Senior Sister Liu nodded to them and led her group toward the other side. Lu Xiaoxian followed, chattering incessantly.

"Eh? Senior Brother, what is wrong?" Zhou Qian asked, noticing the strange expression on He Hua's face.

"Senior Sister Li Qionger—last time, she knocked me off the arena with a single sword strike!" He Hua said bitterly.

*Li Qionger? Is she not the granddaughter of Old General Li?* Zhou Qian thought. *But without cause, it is not appropriate to strike up a conversation.*

"This stage is the simplest; you only need to enter," Qin Yu pointed to the mist-shrouded area, explaining: "We cultivate our physical bodies to nurture the Golden Pellet and transform the Primordial Spirit. Our bodies must be free of any hidden injuries or flaws; otherwise, upon practice, spiritual energy will leak, leading to the destruction of the body and death. At the base of Luoxia Mountain lies a circular stone—a star fragment that fell from the Nine Heavens. Influenced by it, rosy vapors and starlight converge upon it, hovering unpredictably. This is the origin of the Qiongye Heaven Scenery. It penetrates every pore and is the most suitable for inspecting the physical body."

Zhou Qian followed instructions and entered. Suddenly, a wave of intense pain struck him, as if thousands of fine needles were piercing his skin, burrowing into every inch of his flesh. Soreness, itching, pain, and numbness attacked him all at once. Inside and out, he was tormented; even his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose were not spared. It was a pain that intensified with every passing moment, far worse than having his tendons pulled or bones scraped—it was a fate worse than death.

He did not know how much time had passed—perhaps an hour, perhaps a day—before Zhou Qian awoke from the agony, his hands and feet still trembling uncontrollably.

"How was it?" Qin Yu asked with a smile.

Zhou Qian’s mouth opened, but he could not speak. The eldest senior brother had deceived him this time.

"Actually, I could have sealed your six senses so you would feel nothing. But this was a rare opportunity; experiencing such pain is beneficial for tempering one's Dao heart."

"Se-Senior Brother, I hate you!" He Hua’s head trembled slightly, foam bubbling from his mouth. It was clear that his senses had been sealed in the past; otherwise, given his temperament, he would never have entered.

"This final stage—you two may undergo it now, or you may face less suffering later."

"This stage involves me using a soul-searching technique to awaken the memories of your lives, letting you experience them once more. I presume you two will not refuse?" Though he spoke as if giving a choice, the two were already unable to speak.

"Heavenly Scriptures revolve, the Six Ethereals return to the Origin, tracing the roots back to the source—Command!"

The last thing Zhou Qian saw was a cyan talisman being pressed onto his forehead...