Three Drops in a Lily Pond

Previous   |  Next  This time, Yin Changkong was gravely injured. Even with divine pills, he remained in closed-door healing for five full years before waking. By then, Wanqi Xian was the new head of Kunlun, leading the sect in restoring its strength. For cultivators, a century of seclusion after severe injury was not unusual — five years was barely a blink. Wanqi Xian had placed him on a mountain peak protected by formations that would alert him if anyone intruded or if the spiritual energy within changed. Normally, his awakening would trigger such a change, but after surviving the catastrophe, Yin Changkong’s realm had risen to the threshold of unity with Heaven and Man, and he woke without disturbing the formation. Wanqi Xian never knew. Second only to Changkong Zhuoyu in formations, Yin Changkong left a puppet identical to himself in his place and quietly slipped out. He knew Wanqi Xian worried for him, but as the former sect master, his return could create a...

Previous   |  Next  Fox Pei — no, he should be called Fox Li now — had finally gotten his way! When the Hundred Flowers Sect’s reclusive master Rang Cencen received word that the catastrophe had ended and Li Xinglun and Changkong Zhuoyu had retired, she was so furious she ground her teeth. She fumed in the Hundred Flowers Valley for years. The last time Changkong Zhuoyu and Li Xinglun visited, Fox Li had already reached the Nascent Soul stage — which had stung Rang Cencen badly. In the years since, she had poured her anger into cultivation, finally reaching the Soul Transformation stage three years after the catastrophe, joining the ranks of the cultivation world’s experts. At last, she could laugh at Fox Li. When Wanqi Xian and others spread tales of Changkong Zhuoyu’s deeds, at Li Xinglun’s request, they never mentioned him — all the credit went to the Star Lord of Tribulations. Li Xinglun didn’t care for fame; he was happy to play the man behind his master, du...

Previous   |  Next  After putting on one last performance as a worldly-wise recluse before the crowd, Changkong Zhuoyu left with Li Xinglun. To an outsider, it looked as though they were both riding the clouds away together, but in truth, Li Xinglun was pulling his master along, eager to escape those who were interrupting their time alone. "Disciple," Changkong Zhuoyu said while flying, already making plans for the future, "the cultivation world lies in ruins. Since I intend to retire, I won’t show myself in the cultivation world again. The greatest seclusion is to hide in plain sight, so we’d best go live among mortals. This catastrophe didn’t harm the mortal realm much — the red dust is still prosperous. Ever since I took human form, I’ve been running around because of the catastrophe and never had the chance to properly train my mind in the mortal world." Li Xinglun: "…" You mean you never had the chance to go sightseeing, right? He remembered ...

Previous   |  Next  Although Changkong Zhuoyu often felt like crying, the times he actually shed tears were rare. And even when he did, it was the restrained sort — leaning steadily, calmly, and maturely against his disciple’s shoulder, using sleep as an excuse to quietly let a few tears fall. Now, without thinking, he buried himself in Xue Qianjie’s arms, sobbing openly without a care for his image, weeping as though the sky had fallen — his grievances must have run deep. Xue Qianjie — no, he should be called Li Xinglun now — felt a surge of emotion. For Changkong Zhuoyu, it had been only a dozen days since he’d seen his disciple, but for Li Xinglun, it had been a long two thousand years. Over those two millennia, Xue Qianjie had no memories of being Li Xinglun. He could only hold onto a hopeless love for the Kunlun artifact, guarding the mortal realm for the sake of a being who had not even taken human form. He knew himself well enough — he was not someone who ...

Previous   |  Next  Changkong Zhuoyu stepped onto the clouds, approaching the Map of Mountains and Rivers. He reached out and took hold of the half-open scroll. With a slight exertion of his palm, the Map of Mountains and Rivers — which had resisted even the Nine-Tailed Fox’s utmost efforts — was easily rolled up. His face turned pale as he spoke to the Twin Swords of Purple and Azure: “They’ve been trying to tear apart the space inside the Map of Mountains and Rivers. I can’t hold on for long. All my true essence is being used to suppress the demon clan. Take me to the Candle Dragon’s remains.” The Twin Swords of Purple and Azure shone brilliantly, transforming once more into twin dragons. Changkong Zhuoyu sat cross-legged upon the violet dragon’s head, both hands gripping the trembling Map of Mountains and Rivers, and rode the dragon toward Heaven-Shaking Peak. At the same time, several beams of light followed, flying with him toward Heaven-Shaking Peak. When t...

Previous   |  Next  The Eight-tailed Fox had already reached a bottleneck in cultivation, only one step away from becoming a Nine-tailed Fox. After receiving the approval of the Sacred Yao Spirit, he learned part of an ancient divine cultivation method. Using the limited divine power of the Mystic Fog Yao Valley, he successfully advanced to a Nine-tailed Fox, becoming the foremost figure of the Mystic Fog Yao Valley, utterly suppressing the other nine elders. Yet, no matter how formidable the Nine-tailed Fox was, he could do nothing about the young foxes in his clan. Ever since Changkong Zhuoyu — that troublemaking fellow — had visited the Mystic Fog Yao Valley, the little foxes had all been infatuated with him. Every day, the little furballs would crowd around the Nine-tailed Fox, whining for the handsome white-robed “big brother.” The Nine-tailed Fox’s newly-grown tail fur was constantly soaked from their crying. In the end, he had to promise them that, once th...

Previous   |  Next  No one knew the Demon Realm better than Changkong Zhuoyu. Tens of millions of years ago, when the demonic creatures repeatedly tried to break through the barrier, he had seen, within the chaos, a sea of blood. In that world there were only two colors — red and black. Innumerable evil beings were born from the sea of blood, only to be swallowed by black mist. They possessed none of the awareness of living beings, only the instinct to invade and devour. Their desire to enter the human realm was not to rule it, but because the small Demon Realm could no longer satisfy their hunger — they wanted to devour more. These mindless, soulless beings could, once inside a human body, use human intelligence to fulfill their greed. Such terrifying entities must never be allowed to run rampant in the human world. Yet there was one man who willingly entered the Demon Realm, maintaining his reason amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, battling endlessl...

Previous   |  Next  In the beginning, there was only chaos, as if before a person is born — no memory, no past, merely an unconscious, mechanical execution of the array’s functions day after day, without awareness. Until one day, a sharp sword aura entered the heart of the divine formation. Though it carried immense baleful energy, it did not attack. To see this person more clearly, Changkong Zhuoyu lifted his gaze for the first time in his existence, making his very first conscious movement. Beautiful. That was his first impression. Beautiful, and he couldn’t bear to let him disappear — his first emotion. Beautiful, and he couldn’t bear to let him disappear, wishing instead that he could stay by his side — his first willful desire. So, Changkong Zhuoyu did not attack this intruder. He allowed him to remain at the array’s heart. The man did not attack in return, simply living quietly within the formation, practicing swordplay and comprehending the Dao each day, e...