CFRSIO Chapter 57

Because of the scandal with Guang Baiqiao and the inappropriate things Guang Baiqiao said, such as wanting Zhang Qing’an dead.

Although Zhang Qing’an had just joined the sect, his reputation within and outside the sect was significant due to Ning Shijiang and Guang Baiqiao. Especially as the relationship between Guang Baiqiao and Ning Shijiang grew closer, Zhang Qing’an’s position became increasingly awkward.

Previously, people thought Zhang Qing’an was wrong for rejecting the talented young man Ning Shijiang and causing such an ugly situation.

Now, after learning about these matters, they felt Zhang Qing’an was truly far-sighted, and distancing himself from Guang Baiqiao and Ning Shijiang was the right decision. Otherwise, if he had gotten involved with them, his fate would have been even more terrible.

People in the sect felt this matter brought great shame. They had previously felt envious of their Qingyun Sect disciple status, but now they felt their identity was a source of great embarrassment.

“How could they dare to do such a thing?” Disciple A said, his tone filled with undisguised anger.

“Alas, such things were not uncommon before,” Disciple B said, his expression equally grim. “But their biggest mistake was bringing this matter out into the open!”

“Indeed! Once it’s out in the open, the shame extends far beyond just them!” Disciple C chimed in.

“With things escalating to this point, I wonder how Guang Baiqiao and Ning Shijiang will face themselves after the secret realm ends!”

“How will they face themselves!” someone on the side sneered. Although they all felt ashamed of the matter, it didn’t stop some from disliking Guang Baiqiao and Ning Shijiang.

Not everyone in the sect admired Guang Baiqiao and Ning Shijiang. They especially felt Guang Baiqiao was a disgrace.

As early as when the projection appeared in the sky, someone had noticed that the cultivation technique Guang Baiqiao was practicing was incorrect. After studying his technique, they discovered that Guang Baiqiao was practicing a method of absorbing others’ energy, and even his single spiritual root had some oddities.

This series of events greatly tarnished the reputation of Qingyun Sect.

The other elders in the sect naturally wanted to question Ning Xiyu about what had happened, but after that day, Ning Xiyu directly went into seclusion and disappeared from public view.

It has always been a rule on Chengyuan Continent that one does not forcibly break into a cultivator’s seclusion to prevent them from going into qi deviation. Therefore, even though the elders of the sect felt it was a disgrace, they could not go to Ning Xiyu.

Moreover, it seemed someone was deliberately targeting Qingyun Sect, even spreading those recording stones outside. This showed how malicious their intentions were.

However, the law does not punish the masses. Furthermore, the sect had investigated and found that those spreading the recording stones were not simple people. They had distinguished backgrounds, and although Qingyun Sect was powerful, the matter had become too large.

They were ultimately unable to intervene. Chaos was rampant.

Those in the secret realm were unaware of the outside affairs and the chaos. It was all a headache for them.

Qingyun Sect had closed its doors to visitors since that day, because those who came to the sect did so under the pretense of visiting but actually wanted to gossip about Ning Xiyu’s affairs.

The people of Qingyun Sect themselves had not yet figured out what to do, so how could they tolerate others interfering?

Therefore, they simply stopped receiving visitors, thus gaining some peace and quiet.

—

Wuxiu Mountain:

The scandalous affair led to an unusual period of quiet on Wuxiu Mountain.

Many disciples hid in their rooms, not wanting to go out at all. They had been having a difficult time recently, not only because of their relatives and elders but also because their fellow disciples from the same sect would come to mock them, making their lives very hard.

“What is all this!” Disciple A said angrily. If it weren’t for the need to avoid attracting more attention, he would have acted despite his anger.

Previously, a disciple, in his anger, had smashed the tables and chairs in his room. Not only did he have to pay a considerable amount of money, but he also brought more gossip to the already bustling Wuxiu Mountain.

Afterward, the cultivators on Wuxiu Mountain stopped causing trouble and became much more obedient.

However, there were still many complaints.

“What about Master? Is he still in seclusion?”

“Believing he’s in seclusion at this time, do you really believe that?”

“You should keep that to yourself!” someone beside him whispered sternly.

“Alas, they committed such shameful acts and now they resent us for not speaking out?”

Everyone around had the same expression, a bit annoyed.

“But, he is the Grand Elder after all.” someone else spoke up.

Not everyone was rational; there were still a few opportunists who, after seeing what happened, still believed the sect would not take action against them.

And what about Ning Xiyu?

He felt too ashamed to face anyone, and the sect also had to deal with the matter of disciples being replaced to enter the secret realm. Because of this, the sect members were not in a position to confront Ning Xiyu.

The two disciples who were replaced were also summoned for questioning several times, but the two disciples were also innocent. They truly knew nothing; they only remembered drinking and eating meat with other fellow disciples at the time.

When they parted ways, because their dormitories were in different directions, they did not follow the main group but walked on their own.

The next thing they knew, they had not only missed the secret realm but were also no longer in the sect.

Because the matter of the Chengyuan Secret Realm was of great importance, the elders of the sect eventually used soul-searching techniques to ascertain the truthfulness of the two disciples’ accounts.

Everything the two disciples said was true, yet nothing could be investigated. This naturally made the leader of Qingyun Sect lose face.

They wanted to find other clues, but unfortunately, those people had all entered the secret realm. The Chengyuan Secret Realm was the most powerful on the entire continent, and even they could do nothing about the secret realm.

“This matter must not be let go so easily!” The sect elder was furious. They all knew that it could not just be dropped like this. If they let it go, wouldn’t it be a slap in the face to Qingyun Sect?

They did not know that Qingyun Sect had lost much more than just these things.

There were people targeting Qingyun Sect. This thought, with the constant emergence of new incidents, was imprinted in the minds of every Qingyun Sect cultivator.

After the disciples were replaced and the embarrassing events on the day the secret realm opened, other incidents emerged.

The cooperation between Ning Xiyu and the research maniac was also exposed.

Ning Xiyu was easy to find, but the research maniac was not. If this person were easy to find, the entire Chengyuan Continent would not have been troubled by him.

The research maniac’s mother was a demon cultivator. There were demon cultivators on Chengyuan Continent, but they were rare, as the existing spiritual energy on Chengyuan Continent was already scarce for cultivators to advance.

Because of this identity, the research maniac was bullied from a young age. Afterward, he spent his days thinking about how to change the mixed blood of the two races within him, wanting to show those who bullied him his power.

It only took a few years for the research maniac to go from taking blood samples to frenziedly slaughtering an entire village. As his actions became more brutal, he attracted the pursuit of a group of righteous individuals.

However, after several years, there were no significant results, and many people were lost. From then on, those who had been clamoring began to restrain themselves. They no longer continued to fight and kill, but their investigation did not cease.

They initially thought it was to catch and deal with the person, but it turned out not to be about eliminating them, but rather about finding someone to cooperate with for some peculiar research.

No one knew what exactly they were researching, as the victim was not around, and the other person refused to appear. Even if gossipmongers were curious, it was difficult to know the specifics.

“There are so many twists and turns within Qingyun Sect,” a gossiping cultivator said mockingly.

“Indeed,” replied the cultivator drinking beside him, shelling a peanut. “Especially Ning Xiyu. He is a highly regarded cultivator, and his cultivation is not low, so how could he do such a series of things?”

“Exactly!” another cultivator laughed heartily, wagging his tongue. “But have you seen the scene in that recording stone? Tsk, tsk, tsk, that physique, truly indescribable.”

These cultivators were not from Qingyun Sect, so they spoke without reservation. In fact, they were happy to say a few words.

Everyone on Chengyuan Continent knew that Ning Xiyu was a famously devoted lover. His Dao companion had left decades ago, and for the past ten years, he had not taken another Dao companion, nor had any related matters been reported.

Although not everyone believed Ning Xiyu was truly that honest, since nothing had been exposed, people naturally wouldn’t say anything. Now that it was exposed, they certainly wouldn’t hold back.

Besides, how could all the good things fall upon them?

They had long been jealous of Ning Xiyu. They also wished for a descendant with a single spiritual root to inherit their lineage. Ning Xiyu not only had a son with a single spiritual root but also a disciple with a single spiritual root. Originally, this disciple and his son were supposed to be a rare pair of Dao companions with single spiritual roots.

Yet, it turned out he got involved with his elder. This was truly laughable.

“Who says not?” Cultivator Ding continued. “But compared to this, I’m more curious why this person would cooperate with that research maniac. What are they researching together?”

“I know,” said a very inconspicuous cultivator. His cultivation was not high, and he appeared to be drunk now, speaking with a slurred tongue. “Do you know about the elder who disappeared from Qingyun Sect earlier?”

“That… that Elder surnamed Sun…”

Hearing this, several people recalled.

Speaking with a slurred tongue, he continued, “They captured that Elder Sun.”

“Saying… that…” Although he seemed drunk, his words were somewhat coherent. “Elder Sun possessed some extraordinary abilities, which is why he was targeted.”

“It’s likely Elder Sun is already dead,” the slur-mouthed person continued, then his head spun, and he fell asleep.

It was obvious he was drunk. However, even though the person was drunk, the words had been spoken, and they had all heard them. There was no use in trying to conceal them.

Ning Xiyu’s reputation outside used to be quite good, but now it had turned into mud.

This was truly a laughing matter.

Qingyun Sect must have received the news. This time, they could no longer pretend to be ignorant. This matter involved the sect elders. If even the elders could be manipulated, let alone others.

Especially since this person was Sun Zhang, whose status was not ordinary. If Ning Shijiang hadn’t been involved, they would not have let it go so easily back then.

Now that these matters had come to light, and not just this one incident, the sect was in great chaos, and they certainly couldn’t let it go lightly again.

“This time, we must get Ning Xiyu to clarify these matters!” Elder A said, clearly furious.

Since discovering Ning Shijiang’s abilities, Ning Xiyu’s status had significantly increased. His already high status had made him almost the most powerful and highest-ranking elder in the sect.

It was because of Ning Shijiang that they had remained silent about previous matters. Now that even Sun Zhang was implicated, they could no longer stand by and do nothing.

“Second Elder, we cannot continue to indulge Ning Xiyu!” Elder B said, with a hint of anticipation in his tone. This elder had always harbored some resentment towards Ning Xiyu, so now that they had the opportunity to cause trouble for him, they would certainly not let it pass.

“Exactly!” Elder C also chimed in. “Ning Xiyu has caused quite a stir recently; we cannot continue to indulge him.”

This elder was similar, also harboring some enmity towards Ning Xiyu. This elder was also an elder of Wuxiu Mountain. Originally, he had some intentions towards Guang Baiqiao, not in the bedroom sense.

He wanted to take Guang Baiqiao as a disciple, but Ning Xiyu snatched him away, making him furious. Now that such a situation had occurred, he would definitely speak up.

“Regarding these matters,” Elder Ding said, his gaze shifting among the others, “what does Elder Ning say? Is he still in seclusion?”

“Seclusion?” Elder B said with a cold snort of disdain. “Who believes that? He’s just using it as an excuse to hide because he’s embarrassed by these matters.”

“I think we should go and break his seclusion now,” Elder B said, preparing to stand up.

He didn’t care whether Ning Xiyu was truly in seclusion or not. He would be delighted if Ning Xiyu was indeed in seclusion, because being forcibly interrupted during seclusion would inevitably lead to qi deviation. Then, even if Ning Shijiang emerged from the secret realm, it wouldn’t be easy for him to seek justice.

Even if he wasn’t in seclusion now, it wouldn’t matter. Getting him out to explain everything clearly would certainly cause him to lose a great deal of face.

“Nonsense!” someone retorted. “How can we rashly break into his seclusion! What if he suffers qi deviation?”

Although these words were spoken, they didn’t necessarily believe them. Each person had their own thoughts.

While they were in chaos, unable to reach a consensus, it was truly a headache.

And within the secret realm, the situation was also chaotic.

Ning Shijiang, watching the cultivators constantly pursuing him, was filled with anger. He hadn’t wanted to act like this, but these people kept relentlessly chasing him, which was infuriating.

If Ning Shijiang had paid attention, he would have noticed that Guang Baiqiao was among the cultivators pursuing him.

Guang Baiqiao had encountered these people several days prior. At that time, Guang Baiqiao had just escaped from a group of demonic beasts and was covered in blood.

Guang Baiqiao had barely escaped and found a temporary place to rest, only to run into other cultivators.

Several of them were cultivators from other sects. Upon seeing Guang Baiqiao, they couldn’t help but reveal smug expressions and openly scrutinized him from head to toe.

Guang Baiqiao lowered his eyes. Although he felt a bit wronged, he quickly regained his composure. He had already expected that people would see those things, and now, even being stared at like this, he could still maintain his composure.

“Fellow Daoist,” Guang Baiqiao spoke first, “may I know how you esteemed Daoists are called?”

“I am Wei Fangqi from Mangyue Sect.” Wei Fangqi was the leader of the group of cultivators. He stepped forward and cupped his hands. Like Ning Shijiang, he was a genius in his sect. Although his cultivation was not as high as Ning Shijiang’s, he was still a significant figure.

When he looked at Guang Baiqiao, his eyes were filled with undisguised admiration.

Guang Baiqiao had seen such gazes many times and naturally remained calm and composed, without any discomfort. He nodded and flashed a smile at him, a faint and beautiful smile that was quite captivating.

“So it is Senior Brother Wei. I am Guang Baiqiao from Qingyun Sect.” Guang Baiqiao said.

“I know,” Wei Fangqi said with a hearty laugh.

He had come looking for him naturally because he recognized him. Someone who could make Ning Xiyu so infatuated must have some capabilities.

They naturally had to come and see how powerful this person truly was.

Guang Baiqiao could discern their intentions, and since he could, their cultivation levels were not low.

Wei Fangqi was accompanied by several people. Besides Wei Fangqi and the two people beside him who were at the Golden Core stage, the others were all at the peak of Foundation Establishment. This showed that the strength of this small team was not low.

Guang Baiqiao was not the type of person to be concerned about trivial matters. Otherwise, why would he have gotten involved with Ning Xiyu to maintain his strength? Guang Baiqiao harbored some resentment.

He had been in the secret realm for quite some time and hadn’t found Ning Shijiang. Moreover, he had heard many things and now felt resentment towards the Ning family. He even suspected that Ning Xiyu had recorded the projection.

Guang Baiqiao thought that since they had shown such disrespect, he didn’t need to care anymore. Furthermore, his cultivation couldn’t be delayed any longer, otherwise, his trip to the secret realm would be in vain, and wouldn’t his efforts to save face be wasted?

“How does Senior Brother Wei know my name?” Guang Baiqiao continued smiling. He had always been a self-serving person. “Why don’t Senior Brother tell me himself?”

No one present was foolish. Seeing his expression, they knew what he meant. Everyone present laughed even more wantonly.

Guang Baiqiao was indeed formidable. In just a few days, he had charmed a group of people, convincing them to turn their attention to causing trouble for Ning Shijiang.

“Ning Shijiang is just ahead,” Wei Fangqi said, looking at the person in his arms. He smiled and gently squeezed Guang Baiqiao’s fair and tender cheek. “Are you reluctant to leave him?”

“How could I be?” Guang Baiqiao said coquettishly, smiling. “He’s not as formidable as Brother Fangqi~”

Wei Fangqi was pleased by these words. “Then, shall I bring you Ning Shijiang’s head?”

“That would be absolutely wonderful!” Guang Baiqiao said, not feeling there was any problem with this at all. Her smile became even more radiant, and she leaned forward, lightly kissing his cheek.

Such ingratiating behavior made him incredibly exhilarated.

“Go,” Wei Fangqi happily commanded.

Ning Shijiang didn’t know that these people’s attack had suddenly become fiercer. He quickly dodged, but as the opponent’s attacks became more vicious, a hint of ferocity flashed in Ning Shijiang’s eyes. Since these people were clearly intent on killing him, he would no longer be polite.

Ning Shijiang was not a pushover. The reason he could become the most powerful among the disciples of Qingyun Sect was not solely due to Ning Xiyu’s connections; he also possessed some capabilities himself.

Therefore, if he really wanted to escape, it wasn’t impossible, it would just take some effort and result in some injuries.

He then directly threw a series of fierce attacks at them, even throwing out the life-saving items Ning Xiyu had prepared for him. After throwing them out, they exploded with Ning Shijiang’s spiritual energy fluctuations.

The explosion left them all severely dazed.

It also provided an opportunity for him to escape.

Wei Fangqi reacted quickly, leading his people away from the area, dodging the range of the attack, and firmly shielding Guang Baiqiao in his arms to prevent him from getting hurt.

Guang Baiqiao was beautiful, had a single spiritual root, and his cultivation advanced quickly. Wei Fangqi was currently quite satisfied with him and naturally wanted to protect him.

Of course, if this person dared to have any other thoughts, he would definitely not let him off.

“How are you, Qiaoqiao?” Wei Fangqi asked, looking at the person in his arms.

Guang Baiqiao shook his head and glanced at the spot where the attack had just occurred. He saw a large pit on the ground and no trace of Ning Shijiang, indicating that he had escaped. He felt a bit annoyed, thinking it was hateful that he had managed to escape.

Wei Fangqi, seeing no lingering affection in Guang Baiqiao’s eyes, felt relieved. Now that Guang Baiqiao was by his side, if he still cared about others, Wei Fangqi would feel uncomfortable.

“Don’t worry, I will deal with him.”

“Mhm, naturally, Brother Fangqi is so powerful.” Guang Baiqiao said, leaning on Wei Fangqi with affection.

Wei Fangqi was incredibly pleased by these words.

—

Chengyuan hid in the shadows and watched them fight with great interest, lingering to observe. He was the Heavenly Dao of Chengyuan Continent, and his abilities were naturally beyond those of ordinary cultivators. He saw everything that was happening clearly.

He also learned about the affairs between Guang Baiqiao, Ning Shijiang, and Wei Fangqi, and his expression appeared somewhat grim.

He wanted to find a righteous person and have this person become the one to break the dead end of the entire Chengyuan Continent. The Chengyuan Secret Realm had been opened several times before. In these repeated openings, he had encountered many cultivators, and his requirements had gradually become more relaxed.

However, he had sensed that with this opening, someone who met his expectations would appear. Thus, he appeared in the secret realm. But he never expected that the first person he took a liking to would throw a talisman at him, and even collude with so many people in succession.

His standards were vastly different from theirs. It was truly a headache.

What was going on? His senses had always been accurate, but why were both people he favored in such a state?

Oh, the other person Chengyuan fancied was Ning Shijiang. He had initially thought Ning Shijiang was good, but seeing Ning Shijiang’s current pathetic state, he felt this person wasn’t that great.

Troublesome, truly troublesome.

Although Chengyuan was helpless, he had no intention of giving up. Firstly, Chengyuan Continent could probably not last for more than a few hundred years. If he couldn’t get out soon, he would truly be unable to save Chengyuan Continent. Secondly, this was the first time in thousands of years that he had experienced such strong emotions.

He feared that after this, he would never find a suitable person again.

Therefore, he had to find a suitable person during this opening of the secret realm and lead him to break the deadlock, otherwise, Chengyuan Continent would only perish. This was not something Chengyuan was willing to see.

Chengyuan lingered there for a while longer. Seeing that there was nothing more to see, he then disappeared.

As soon as he left, Lin Yunliang and Zhang Qing’an appeared.

“Why is this Chengyuan still fixated on Guang Baiqiao and Ning Shijiang?” Zhang Qing’an complained somewhat.

The two of them had been following Chengyuan all along. This was both to prevent him from truly taking a liking to Guang Baiqiao and Ning Shijiang. They had already decided that if Chengyuan really admired these two, they would subtly interfere along the way.

It was also to see what the geniuses of Chengyuan Continent were like, so that when they intervened, they could choose a good and powerful one, someone who could truly break the deadlock.

As a result, the few times Chengyuan approached Guang Baiqiao and Ning Shijiang, they didn’t need to do anything; instead, they brought about their own downfall.

However, Zhang Qing’an couldn’t help but feel a bit of complaint in his heart, as they had encountered Guang Baiqiao and Ning Shijiang too many times.

Lin Yunliang smiled and half-hugged him, “However, these two individuals are not outstanding, and now they are killing each other. It’s likely Chengyuan doesn’t think highly of them.”

“I think so too,” Zhang Qing’an smiled. “Have you taken a liking to anyone along the way?”

“I think Ding Xuanqin from Liuyun Hall is quite good,” Lin Yunliang said.

They had seen many people along the way. This Ding Xuanqin was quite good. Although she was a woman, her courage and abilities were not inferior to any man. She was also the senior disciple of Liuyun Hall. Although she had a dual spiritual root, her cultivation was not low, reaching Golden Core.

She would likely be a good candidate.

Zhang Qing’an nodded. “Should we continue following Chengyuan?”

“Let’s follow a bit longer,” Lin Yunliang said. In fact, as long as Guang Baiqiao and Ning Shijiang were not dead and had not completely fallen out, he would not be at ease.

“Alright.”

The two figures disappeared and quickly followed Chengyuan, who had long since vanished.