154 - Unseen Connections

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“Sister? What happened? Are you alright?”

Yun Jingfei had just awoken from her meditation, but somehow, her emotions were out of control, something that had never happened before. As a cultivator, she had long learned to control them. Except for extreme cases, nothing should have affected her, especially not when cultivating, yet here she was, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Feng Xia was at her side, looking concerned as she clung to her sleeve. Ever since they had returned to the Immortal Phoenix Sect with Yun Jingfei's master, both women had grown much closer, spending almost every waking moment together, even cultivating in the same room.

One had to know that a cultivator was most vulnerable when cultivating. The simplest shock, something as minute as a mere touch of the skin, could prompt one to enter Qi Deviation. As such, not even Dao companions usually cultivated together. Qin Yun had certainly never done so with her.

Feng Xia's pleading voice brought her out of her stupor. She turned to face the young girl and couldn't help but smile, for despite looking like a young woman, she was still nothing more than a child.

“I’m fine,” Yun Jingfei said, taking her small hands into hers. “I don’t know where these tears came from, but the feeling is slowly fading...”

This concerned her greatly. Not knowing the origin of this feeling weighed on her mind much more than the feeling itself. She thought back to all that could have prompted it, yet she didn't find a single compelling reason for those tears.

While her return to the sect had been rife with controversies, mainly from the other inner disciples who had once witnessed her disfigurement, Yun Jingfei herself couldn't have cared less about their opinions. She once did, when it first happened, but not anymore. Instead, all she felt when looking at them was disgust that they took pleasure in the misfortune of others.

She knew the reasons for it all, for any sect worth its salt was built on competition. It wasn't only the outer sect disciples trying to climb over the corpses of others to reach the inner sect; even those who had already made it wished for nothing more than to rise even higher to the level of a core disciple.

The Immortal Phoenix Sect wasn't different from the three other sects of the Immortal Beasts Alliance. While the requirements for entering the outer sect were slightly more stringent than other lower-ranked sects, anyone able to cultivate was eligible to apply.

Once a year, these applicants would be tested to determine whether or not they met the minimum requirement. This usually consisted of checking the age of the bones, ensuring the applicant was still young enough to be taught, a personality test to ensure suitability for the sect and a test of their martial prowess.

Only once one had passed all three would one be tested on the strength of their spiritual roots. Those with great talent would immediately be elevated to the inner sect, while all others would have to prove their worth in the outer sect.

When Yun Jingfei was sent to the sect by her clan, she quickly passed all three tests and even caught the eye of one of the high elders, propelling her straight to the rank of core disciple. While there was only one rank difference between an inner sect disciple and a core disciple, it was as big as the gap between the outer and inner sect.

When Feng Yanmei chose her as her direct disciple, a lot of resentment bubbled under the surface. Usually, core and high elders only chose disciples from the inner sect, elevating them. This incentivized the inner disciple to work toward something worthwhile. They felt betrayed by the sect, watching an outsider gain the recognition that should have gone to one of them. This resentment festered until now, even more so now that she had returned, with her "illness" now cured.

“Are these imbeciles still bothering you?” Feng Yanmei said as she opened the door to Yun Jingfei’s cultivation chamber.

This was the peak on which she had taken residence. With her high cultivation, bordering on the threshold of the first transformation, she was always aware of anything that transpired within her domain. As such, she noticed Yun Jingfei’s peculiar state the moment she broke her meditation.

“They are inconsequential,” Yun Jingfei said coldly. “It was only for a moment, yet it faded already...”

The tears that streamed from her eyes had dried already. The moisture on her cheeks suddenly evaporated as flames wrapped around her body, changing her black and blue hair to a shade of amber. Despite being seated, her long dress fluttered in the rising heat, only for the flames to abruptly disappear soon after.

“Don’t push yourself,” Feng Yanmei said. “You’ve only just recovered. There’s no telling if there will be side-effects to that man’s method.”

Yun Jingfei couldn’t help but frown, feeling the strain on her qi centre as it was filled with qi. It had been just a couple of months since Qin Yun had left, yet she had already made great strides in her recovery. While her cultivation had regressed substantially, she had recovered at least half of it, putting her at the early stage of the Foundation Building realm.

She couldn't be more grateful for the tome Qin Yun had gifted her master, for none of this would have been possible without it. By following its directives, they were able to fully heal her qi center and even somewhat mend the flaws in her cultivation technique, allowing her to use her powers once more. While there was still a long way to go, Yun Jingfei finally saw hope to break past her former peak.

Still, the way her master spoke couldn’t help but leave her slightly bitter.

“Don't call him that. He has a name," Yun Jingfei said, looking rather displeased. "Master. You may disapprove of what has transpired without your knowledge, but I chose him as my husband. This fact will never change, even if you oppose it."

“I know how stubborn you are, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Feng Yanmei said with a frown. “Besides, what kind of husband could he be to leave his wife alone to fend for herself?”

“He didn’t leave me alone. He left me with you, both of you,” Yun Jingfei replied, shaking her head helplessly.

"At least he could have given you a reason why he needed to leave..." Feng Yanmei's expression was sour, but then a mischievous smile appeared on her lips, which couldn't help but make Feng Xia shudder. "You don't think it's because of another woman, do you?"

Feng Yanmei gasped, holding her small hand over her mouth. Yet her actions seemed all too forced that Yun Jingfei could only roll her eyes at the fiery-haired woman old enough to be her great-great-grandmother. To her side, Feng Xia couldn't help but giggle as she watched the exchange between the two.

“I doubt it,” Yun Jingfei said seriously. “He’s not the type to try and hide such a thing. If there was another woman, I would know.”

Feng Yanmei's eyebrows rose slightly, unable to hide her shock. She didn't know if her disciple was that naive when it came to relationships or if that man would indeed be so bold, but she couldn't help but recall back to some of the men she had known in her long life, but then all that flashed on her face was disgust.

“Forget it,” she said. “As long as it doesn’t impede your cultivation, I’ll let it go. The convention is approaching quickly. You need to make up for lost time.”

“I know,” Yun Jingfei replied, steeling herself.

There was still more than a decade to go until the start of the convention that would determine the fate of the Western Outer Regions, and even a few years more until she would be required to show her strength as one of the upcoming generations.

With her current cultivation, she was far from strong enough to attend, much less represent her sect. She would need to reach the peak of the Void Core realm at minimum, if not higher, to have the slightest chances, and even then, it would be far from certain. Such was the level of competition among the many peaks.

“Master! That’s not fair! Why can’t I participate?” Feng Xia asked as she turned toward Feng Yanmei.

Following Qin Yun's advice, Feng Yanmei took Feng Xia as her disciple. While Phoenixes and Paradise Birds were different, they were still closely related. The two women quickly grew closer, feeling a bond that transcended a normal master-disciple relationship.

At first, Yanmei was quite disturbed by this unnatural feeling, yet she soon relented as she got to know her. Despite her mature appearance as a young woman, Feng Xia wasn't human and couldn't be thought of as one. Spirits usually took much longer to mature, and it showed in her personality. She was much more childish than she first appeared, especially when she felt she was safe.

"I told you before. The convention is meant as a bonding exercise for the various sects and a way for them to compete against each other." Feng Yanmei said gently. "I have accepted you as my disciple, but that doesn't make you human, much less a disciple of the sect. The sect doesn't accept spirits as disciples in the first place. The Sect Master only made an exception due to how closely related you are to the Phoenix race."

Feng Xia couldn't help but pout while hanging onto Jingfei's sleeve. Yun Jingfei couldn't help but shake her head, for she knew this was deliberate on the little bird's part, trying to coerce their master into seeing her way. Surprisingly, this worked quite often. Jingfei rarely saw her usual stern master act this way, yet it didn't feel that bad. In fact, they hadn't felt closer than they did now.

"One more thing," Feng Yanmei said, eyes widening as if she had just remembered something. "Remember that old fossil from the neighbouring peak? Didn't one of his disciples—I forget which one—challenge you to a match?"

“What about it?” Yun Jingfei said dryly, uninterested.

“That old thing’s been a pain in the ass bragging about how talented he is. Apparently, he just turned sixteen and has reached the Foundation Building realm already,” she scoffed. "There's a sect competition coming up for the inner sect rankings. The Sect Master's been looking for core disciples to do a demonstration for the young ones, something to entice them to work harder. You seemed quite free, so I signed you up for it!"

A large smile was plastered on Feng Yanmei's face, yet Yun Jingfei couldn't help but be stunned. She had no interest in flaunting her strength, much less against a junior so much younger than she was. Although their current cultivation bases were relatively the same, there would be no honour in winning, and she didn't believe there would be anything to learn. In fact, she would much rather face someone of her generation even if the disparity in cultivation would be fully apparent.

"Don't make that face," Fend Yanmei said, suddenly turning serious. "While practising the sword with that man, you neglected your cultivation. Even now, you always keep it by your side. This would be a good opportunity to shake away the rust."

Indeed, Chun Xue always remained by her side. It felt just as comforting as it was useful. Somehow, she could feel the presence of her faraway husband from the sword intent he had left within. She barely separated herself from this blade, only when she bathed or met with the Sect Master. She even slept with it.

That blade had become a part of herself, so much so that she sometimes forgot its existence. Now that she was reminded, Yun Jingfei cast her gaze upon it, only to frown. She felt something was off with it. The pristine whiteness of the blade seemed to have faded slightly, and its sharpness had dulled. It had nothing to do with its physical form and everything with the intent caged within.

It was on the verge of disappearing.

Qin Yun! She thought, heart beating in her chest. Has something happened to him?

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