Volume One: The Eternal Stream Chapter 47: The Phantom's Veil

Sun Zikai did not dare to step outside the Ansheng Residence all day. Even when he wanted to sit by the pond at the gate for a while, he held himself back.

Setting down his pen, he pressed one hand against his forehead. Though his body was not tired, his heart was weary. The dull and tedious Classic of Virtue and Morality couldn’t penetrate his heart even by half a word. He wished to reduce the morality that restrained the world’s people to a simple matter of right and wrong. Everything lay between what could and could not be done. Good and evil had no clear boundary—why insist on petty rules written in fine print?

He closed his eyes. Ink on the desk began to float drop by drop, forming words on the paper by themselves. The elegance of calligraphy and painting unfolded brilliantly. He was not weak nor unlearned; all the books he read entered his mind but failed to touch his heart.

A touch on the desk summoned and released energy: nourishing wood, breathing water, fiery breath, weighing metal, and earth mother. The five spiritual ways of channeling energy merged into one.

Now, he fully understood the cultivation paths of these five spiritual methods. Since he had already refined his body to the sixth level by harnessing the essence of these five elements (wood at level two, earth at level sixty), learning the five spiritual techniques was twice as effective.

Rising, he drew from the Three Springs to cleanse his mind. The coolness hadn’t yet faded when a sudden dry fire burst forth. The Five-Flavored Rhythmic Fire infused his entire body, forming a fiery core within his organs. The fire’s spiritual energy and fierce nature were greatly enhanced and unleashed. Clasping his hands, the violent aura around him suddenly softened like a gentle breeze. This was the heart method of the Wood Spiritual Path—“True Enlightenment and Eternal Life”—a cultivation way that discarded all mundane thoughts. Its essence was a heart that comprehends the meaning of heaven and earth; the deeper the practice, the stronger the power.

After calming his mind, passion surged anew. Tian Shu—the art of battle tactics; Tian Xuan—the will to fight; Tian Ji—the battle weapon; Tian Wang—the battle spirit. This was the Golden Tian Shu Xuan Ji Wang Power Art, a method that abandoned all auxiliary arts and focused solely on combat, demanding high comprehension (at least seventh rank).

The Divine Movement Spiritual Insight Nine Provinces Technique, the Alchemical Weapon Tempering Profound Scripture Path, and the Earth Spiritual Path—Divine Refinement Root Bone Step Technique—offered two great cultivation paths, from which one must choose. The Nine Provinces Technique sharpened speed, sensitivity, and body, while the Profound Scripture Technique refined the heavenly and earthly elixirs and forged the great Dao’s weapons.

Sun Zikai abandoned the Nine Provinces Technique and focused on refining the Profound Scripture Path. After all, his unique path of body refining had already transformed his body completely.

After some time, the courtyard was surrounded by five-colored spiritual energy. With a thought, the five spiritual energies condensed into five strands of elemental power. Moments later, lightning elemental energy surged forth, followed by blood, sun, and moon energies, their meanings endless—sometimes clashing, sometimes merging—before all were absorbed into Sun Zikai’s body.

He paused for a long moment before exhaling a breath of immortal energy. The color of his pupils subtly shifted, but then quickly returned to normal.

Half an hour later, a knock sounded at the wooden door. Sun Zikai opened it to find a stranger—a handsome man around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, dressed not in the attire of the Yanming Sect, with earrings dangling from both ears. His demonic appearance instantly stole some of one’s composure.

Sun Zikai asked, “Who are you?”

The man smiled and appraised Sun Zikai leisurely but did not answer immediately. Instead, he stepped back and said, “You dug this pond, huh?”

“I did,” Sun Zikai replied casually. Suddenly, he froze—his clear lake water had turned into black blood plasma, appearing foul and smelling even worse.

Sun Zikai’s expression hardened. “You did this?”

“Yes, I did,” the man smiled.

“Why?”

“Such a fine pond would be a shame without some blood.”

“You’re not of the Yanming Sect. Who are you?” Sun Zikai’s killing intent flared, and a breath of fear radiated from him. The man’s sinister grin tightened instantly. He stepped back three paces and appraised Sun Zikai again.

“Ho ho ho, Yanming Sect really didn’t cheat. The one they sent out is the strongest disciple of the new generation,” the man chuckled. “I like your eyes—that’s the look of a killer. You must have taken many lives. Hahaha… we shall meet again. Until then.”

Suddenly, the man transformed into a cloud of blood mist and rapidly soared into the sky, vanishing from sight. Yet he clearly had not reached the Golden Core stage, so he shouldn’t have been able to fly.

From the blood lake, many things slowly surfaced—not fish, but broken corpses. Their clothing was not from the Yanming Sect but from sects Sun Zikai recognized: Tianyao Sect, Wuchen Sect, and Chixi Sect. He had seen their attire around the shores of Du’erhu and the Xiake Mountains.

Seeing this, Sun Zikai sensed something grave. He must have been drawn into this man’s conspiracy. He did not belong to these five sects—their spiritual energy was too sinister, beyond the bounds of righteous morality.

Sure enough, he immediately sensed the energies of elder and disciples from the sects rushing this way.

Unwilling to be someone else’s pawn, Sun Zikai quickly formed a vast pool of water covering the blood pond. He greatly increased the water’s density beneath to the degree of a mirror’s surface. From the pool’s edge, the water appeared crystal clear. He then used the wind to blow away all the bloodstains and foul odor.

After finishing, the elders arrived. One asked Sun Zikai, “Has any outsider come by? Just now I sensed an evil spiritual energy. Was it you?”

“No,” Sun Zikai replied. “A man from outside knocked on my door, appraised me for a long time, said we would meet again, then turned into a blood mist and left.”

“Blood mist!” The elders exchanged glances. “He’s from the Ghostly Netherworld Sect!”

Sun Zikai described the man’s appearance and attire in detail, but the elders did not recognize him. Only then did Sun Zikai realize there was an evil sect called the Ghostly Netherworld hidden in this land. Righteous cultivators knew nothing of who belonged to that sect, for no one survived encounters with them. The sect had no fixed address, seeming to lurk in any dark place.

Sun Zikai quickly reviewed all that had happened in his mind, then bowed to an elder. “Elder, please go and summon my master, Sect Leader Fu Zhe. I have urgent matters to report.”

“Why don’t you go yourself?”

“My master ordered me not to leave this courtyard for a month.”

“Alright, I was already going to report this. Wait here; I’ll be back soon.” The elders hurried to inform the inner sect elders and the sect leader.

Sun Zikai returned inside. Jiang Yujin had awakened, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she opened the door. “Why is it so noisy outside? When did you wake?”

“Long ago. Something happened just now.”

At that moment, Feng Yueyi appeared beside Sun Zikai, feigning surprise. “Oh my, why are you two sleeping in the same room? Does your master know?”