Chapter One Hundred and Two: Another Test

The two stepped out of the Yang family gates to find the old servant standing quietly at the corner of the wall.

The young girl felt inexplicably uneasy, but Shen Yu remained calm.

"The young miss is not familiar with the affairs within the city, so let me lead the way," the old servant said, a smile on his face and a rasp in his voice.

"Very well," Shen Yu replied.

As soon as he finished speaking, the three boarded a spacious carriage already waiting outside and set off slowly toward Qianliu City.

...

Qianliu City.

Although it was still early morning, the road into the city was already teeming with peddlers and travelers. Wisps of cooking smoke rose into the air, and the city gates were beginning to congest.

Shen Yu gazed at the scenery through the carriage curtain, feeling a strange stir in his heart.

From his journey starting at the Dao Sect—Lu Caiwei, the Guiyun Immortal Sect, Yun Qing, Jiang Zhouyao, Li Yi, and now the Yang family—Shen Yu had done many things he would never have cared for in the past. Beyond his connections with certain people, the most hidden reason lay in the evolution of his Dao Heart.

Three thousand years ago, he practiced the path of transcendence—ethereal, detached, and devoid of emotion, with nothing in his heart but the Great Dao.

Now, traveling through the world, he had intentionally entered into the mundane. Yet, having become entangled in countless worldly causalities, his Dao Heart had grown heavy, lacking its former clarity. He was, in truth, merely a novice who had just stepped onto this path of worldly engagement.

It was precisely because of this that his duel with Li Yi had been so arduous and disjointed.

However, even though Shen Yu knew this would make his Dao Heart increasingly murky—perhaps even requiring him to break it before it could be rebuilt—he felt no regret.

He still remembered the words of the old man who had taught him cultivation so long ago.

"Little Shen, you were born with your eyes fixed above the heavens, viewing all things as ants. That is good, yet it is also bad. Lacking the touch of worldly life, your path will always have a flaw."

"Remember this: transcend, then enter the world, and finally transcend once more. Only when you are rounded and complete, with your Dao Heart perfected, can you attain the Great Dao."

"The order of time cannot be reversed. The small worlds created by the sages of the three teachings—like the Buddha's palm kingdom or the thirty-three heavens—are ultimately but reflections in a mirror or flowers in the moonlight. Yet, if there truly comes a day when you can begin again, remember to start with the path of entering the world. For thousands of years, whether in the three teachings, the path of the sword, or the path of martial arts, this may be the only way to transcend the Heavenly Dao and find the hope to take that final step."

It was because he had recalled these words before the Ancestral Hall that Shen Yu had found yet another reason to leave the Dao Sect.

From the very first day of his cultivation, his goal had been that legendary realm beyond the sages. He had no reason for it, but he believed it nonetheless.

Regaining his composure, Shen Yu looked at the young girl beside him, who was leaning against the window to observe the scenery outside. He then thought of Yang Liu, who was still cultivating at the Dao Sect.

The elder sister was steady and gentle, while the younger sister was innocent and lively; their temperaments were worlds apart.

After a while, as they passed a towering mansion with high red walls, Yang Pan'er grew sullen.

Shen Yu glanced at the gate, catching the characters "Yang Mansion," and realized the source of the girl's mood.

The main reason the Yang family had moved from their original opulent estate to the wilderness was the initial marriage alliance—an alliance that concerned Yang Pan'er.

...

The carriage finally stopped at a large building in the west of the city. The structure was built from massive logs from deep mountains; it was ancient and solemn, carved with exquisite patterns that appeared both imposing and beautiful. It was well-known, for this was the Sifang Pavilion, the site for registration for the Qianliu City Spring Trials, and also the territory of the Nangong family, one of the four great clans.

As the three arrived at the entrance, countless gazes filled with surprise and pity converged on Shen Yu.

The carriage belonged to the Yang family, and under the suppression of the Qingxu Sect, who didn't know that some poor fool was acting as the Yang family's hired muscle?

Shen Yu ignored these stares, focusing instead on the ten-story building.

Before long, a slightly plump man who appeared to be a steward hurried over. His eyes were small, but there was no sense of vulgarity or sycophancy about him.

The man wore a kindly smile and gave Shen Yu a sharp look before greeting the old servant: "Uncle Zhao, it has been a long time. I wonder, this time..."

"The Spring Trials are about to begin, so naturally, we are here to register," the old servant said slowly.

Confirming this, the steward’s eyes flickered. He stepped closer and whispered, "That is fine, but a few members of the Qingxu Sect are inside undergoing testing right now. Why not bring this young brother back tomorrow?"

The steward did not speak plainly, but all three understood the implication.

The Qingxu Sect and the Yang family had been like fire and water for years, to the point that the Yang family had moved out of the city. If they met now, even if they didn't come to blows, there would certainly be no shortage of mockery and ridicule.

Yang Pan'er huffed, but said nothing.

The old servant pondered, looking toward the young man beside him.

Shen Yu thought for a moment and gave his answer.

"Today."

...

Inside the Sifang Pavilion, there was a world of its own.

They wound through countless corridors and secret passages until they finally reached a room with a heavy wooden door.

The space inside was vast, and thus felt quite empty.

The moment Shen Yu stepped into the room, the few people gathered inside turned to look at him.

To one side stood a beautiful young woman in a yellow dress, lounging on a sandalwood chair, her gaze fixed on Shen Yu. Beside her stood a silent, stoic man with a wooden expression.

To the right were three others: an elderly woman with a cold, sinister face, and two young men in gray robes embroidered with the characters for the "Qingxu Sect."

All three looked at Shen Yu with derision and hostility.

"The woman on the right is the most talented of the current generation of the Nangong family, Nangong Rou. It is said she is highly skilled in the path of formations."

"On the left are the young disciples of the current generation of the Qingxu Sect; they are likely here for the Spring Trials as well."

The familiar, raspy voice sounded in Shen Yu's mind.

Shen Yu remained indifferent. He had realized the moment they met that this seemingly ordinary old servant was a cultivator. However, his attention was not on them.

At the front of the room, between the two groups, stood a massive Nine Palaces formation disk.

On it were realistic landscapes of mountains, rivers, and cities, along with lifelike figurines of people and animals. It was like a battlefield simulation, set up for deploying troops and arranging formations.

Curiosity, and perhaps a flicker of genuine interest, appeared in Shen Yu’s eyes.

If he was not mistaken, these disks were the prototypes for formations, typically used by military generals in the mundane world to plan strategies and simulate tactics. In the cultivation world, they were used by those familiar with formation arts to hone their divine sense.

Two people would play against each other, using their divine sense to manipulate commanders and armies on the board, fighting until a victor was decided.

Such things had existed three thousand years ago; many masters of formation arts enjoyed them as a pastime.

The woman from the Nangong family smiled enigmatically. "This young brother seems very interested in the formation disk, but that is not what the test is for."

With that, she pointed to a massive, crystalline jade stone standing beside the disk.