Chapter 904: Yu Ge

“Senior’s chess skills are extraordinary. I am truly impressed,”said Zhuo Jing as he cupped his hands in respect and gave a graceful wave.

The chess pieces on the board instantly reverted back into wisps of energy and vanished into the heavens and earth.

He stepped aside and said, “Please.”

He cleared the path. Li Xiaofei looked at him with a faint smile that was neither amusement nor disdain. In the end, he said nothing, and walked away without hesitation.

Soon after, ten thousand people swiftly passed by Zhuo Jing, stepping onto the Iron Chain Immortal Bridge. One by one, they disappeared into the distant sea of white clouds.

Zhuo Jing remained where he was, letting out a gentle sigh.

“Did you manage to perceive his heart and fortune?” A voice drifted over.

Zhuo Jing didn’t turn around. He already knew who had arrived.

He replied, “His luck is profound, his heart is upright, and his Fate Qi is like a canopy of divine protection... To be honest, if I could choose, I wouldn’t want to be his enemy. He’s far too terrifying.”

A purple-robed elder with a long beard appeared beside him and said, “That terrifying? Ever since your ‘Life Is Like a Game of Chess’ technique reached mastery, you’ve never spoken of anyone in such a way.”

Zhuo Jing sighed again and said, “That’s not even the main issue. The crucial point is... I suspect that what I saw was merely what Li Xiaofei wanted me to see. It may not be the truth at all... Old Zou, there’s still time to step back.”

A cold glint flashed through the eyes of the long-bearded elder.

“I refuse to believe that, even with all the immortal sects in the world gathered together, we can’t bring down this demon,” he said coldly. “Today, even if Heaven Drum Mountain must bleed rivers and all ten thousand mountains must be severed, we will kill him here.”

Zhuo Jing’s white robes fluttered in the wind. Several times, he opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself.

At last, he said, “Can the immortal sects truly not tolerate a person like him? I attended his lectures on the Dao in disguise. What he teaches is the Great Dao itself. If the immortal sects could accept him, the cultivation world would enter a golden age that could last for three thousand years.”

The purple-bearded elder remained silent. After a moment, he turned and vanished with a single step. Zhuo Jing stood alone on the chessboard, silent for a long time. In truth, he understood as well that the immortal sects were far from pure. The fate of the immortal sects was never in their own hands.

Long ago, when the Sixteen Forefathers emerged from the primordial chaos and descended upon this world to create the sixteen great immortal sects, it was already fated that all who walked the path of immortality would become their servants for all eternity.

Exalted immortals, high above the mortal realm? No. They were nothing more than servants groveling in the dust.

***

The summit of the fifth mountain peak held a highland lake. The waters were a deep sapphire blue, shimmering gently under the morning sun. Sunlight poured across the surface, casting the illusion of golden scales scattered across the lake. The darker the water, the deeper the lake ran.

“This lake must be at least a thousand meters deep,” Zhao Kuangren remarked in awe.

After crossing the Iron Chain Immortal Bridge, the crowd was greeted by the stunning scenery before them. For a moment, everyone felt refreshed in spirit, their minds at ease.

“People say immortals live in bliss, yet none can let go of fame and ambition...” Suddenly, a clear and melodious singing voice floated toward them.

They looked where the mountains met the water and saw a small boat gliding across the lake, gently parting the golden scales on the surface. Ripples spread outward in a wide V-shape as the boat slowly made its way toward them.

Though it appeared to be drifting leisurely, it had come within a hundred meters of the shore in the blink of an eye. A young fisher girl was standing on the boat. She looked no older than seventeen or eighteen, and was dressed in coarse clothing. Her pants were rolled up, revealing snow-white calves and bare feet as smooth as jade.

She held an oar in her hands. Her appearance was bold and natural, with a round face, apricot-shaped eyes, a straight nose, and sun-kissed skin the color of wheat. The tone of her face contrasted sharply with the pale white of her legs and feet.

“Greetings, Master Li,” she said with a respectful bow. “I am Yu Ge, disciple of the Lone Boat Water Fortress, one of the Sixteen Immortal Sects. I have been stationed here to guard this peak and await your arrival.”

Li Xiaofei nodded and replied, “Remarkable.”

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

That single word, remarkable, was his assessment of Yu Ge. He had already discerned that this young woman possessed the best natural talent and spiritual roots of any cultivator he had encountered since arriving on this continent. More impressively, her youth was genuine.

Many cultivators, with their long lifespans, bore appearances that didn’t match their true age. Some who looked like they were in their thirties were in fact hundreds of years old, while others who appeared to be elderly were merely sixty or seventy. But this girl named Yu Ge was truly just seventeen or eighteen years old.

To be entrusted by her sect to guard one of the peaks at such a young age spoke volumes about her strength. Even rarer was her pure heart; it was unpolished like raw jade. Unlike many from the lofty immortal sects, she carried the warmth of ordinary humanity, a breath of life from the mortal world.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

The old long-haired horse stepped forward at a steady pace. Its hooves tapped gently on the surface of the lake, sending ripples spreading outward in circles, yet it walked forward as it was on solid ground.

“What counts as passing the trial?” Li Xiaofei asked.

Standing atop the small boat, Yu Ge removed the bamboo hat from her head, revealing a thick, jet-black ponytail.

“I’ve set up a few formations in this lake,” she said with a confident, cheerful smile. “As long as you break through them and successfully cross the lake, it’ll be considered a pass.”

Li Xiaofei smiled faintly and asked, “Would you be willing to join my sect?”

Yu Ge was briefly stunned, then shook her head and replied, “This junior already has a mentor. I won’t join another sect.”

A look of appreciation appeared in Li Xiaofei’s eyes. “That’s a shame,” he said.

He had truly meant to offer the girl an opportunity. But since she had made her stance clear, he would not force the issue.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

The old long-haired horse continued forward. Li Xiaofei waved his hand, signaling for the others to follow. The crowd moved quickly behind him. To their surprise, they too were able to walk across the water’s surface. They didn’t sink at all.

For many of the newer cultivators, it was their first time experiencing something so wondrous. They quickly realized it was their teacher’s divine ability at work.

Thus, under Yu Ge’s surprise, astonishment, then outright disbelief, ten thousand people crossed the lake as if walking on solid ground. From beginning to end, nothing happened. The healthy, beautiful fisher girl stood motionless on her boat, her expression blank, as one enormous question mark after another seemed to pop up above her head. After all, she had set up quite a few formations across the lake.

There were at least eight seventh-stage aquatic beasts lying in ambush within the murky depths. The sonic wave formations hidden in the water had already been triggered multiple times. But each time, it was as if they had vanished. None of them activated.

Everything had failed. Yu Ge could only watch helplessly as everyone walked calmly across the lake’s surface. As Li Xiaofei and his followers finally disappeared into the shimmering light on the distant water, Yu Ge let out a long breath.

She angrily struck the water with her oar, and ripples spread out from the impact. Then, eight heads poked out of the water.

Some looked like ducks, and others looked like water dogs. A few resembled monkeys, and one even looked like a small cow. They all appeared silly and adorable, their large round eyes full of a harmless innocence.

When they widened their eyes in grievance, it was almost enough to melt anyone’s heart. Yu Ge’s anger quickly faded.

“A-Da, A-Er, A-San, A-Si, A-Wu, A-Liu, A-Qi... Eh? Where’s A-Ba? Hiding behind A-Da thinking I won’t see you, is that it?”

With her hands on her hips and puffed-up cheeks, Yu Ge scolded, “Well? What happened? Didn’t I tell you all to act at the crucial moment? You were supposed to pull the guy on the horse into the water! Why did you all stay hiding down there and slack off?”

The water beasts clasped their heads with their paws. Some let out chirping sounds, like children who had done something wrong and were trying to explain themselves.

The more Yu Ge listened, the more surprised she became.

“What? You couldn’t move?”

“That man was too terrifying?”

“He noticed you?”

“He even secretly warned you not to make a move?”

The girl’s mouth slowly dropped open into a round “O.”

“So now you understand, there’s always someone stronger and greater. Never be too full of yourself again.” A warm, gentle voice came from nearby.

An elderly woman appeared on the boat. She was barefoot, wearing a rough hemp raincoat. Her hair was snow-white, her face full of kindness, and her presence exuded the simple air of a ferryman earning a living at a riverside dock.

“Master,” Yu Ge said, quickly switching to a coquettish tone. “When was I ever arrogant?”

The old woman smiled softly and said, “Actually, when that man invited you earlier, you could have accepted. With your talent, if you became his disciple, your future would be boundless.”

“I don’t want to!” Yu Ge pouted. “I want to stay by Master’s side forever and never part from you.”

The old woman said gently, “People, in the end, must face birth, aging, sickness, and death. How can anyone truly never be separated?”

Yu Ge laughed sweetly and said, “But we’re immortals, aren’t we?”

“Immortals, huh?” The old woman let out a sudden sigh and said, “I used to believe that too. But ever since that man appeared, I finally understood what a true immortal is supposed to be. And we... we’re still far, far from that word.”

The smile on Yu Ge’s face slowly faded. She was young and pure, but not foolish. She had also heard the recent rumors, and she had her own thoughts and judgments. Yu Ge opened a Qiankun Pouch and let the water beasts leap into it one by one, storing them away and tying the pouch to her waist.

Then she sat on the boat’s edge, dipping her bare feet into the lake and gently parting the water. “Master, even if that man really makes it to Heaven Drum Mountain, he still won’t survive against the Sixteen Immortal Sects. He’s definitely going to die.”

The old woman chuckled warmly and said, “Not necessarily.”

Then she added, “Little Yu, if Li Xiaofei is still alive after the Myriad Immortals Conference, go and seek him out. Become his disciple.”

“What?” Yu Ge pouted again. “I won’t. What kind of master tells their brilliant, once-in-a-generation disciple to go away and learn from someone else?”

The old woman smiled quietly, saying nothing. But Yu Ge, who knew her master well, understood. Her silence didn’t mean she was hesitating. It meant she had made up her mind. So Yu Ge said nothing more either.

She was angry now.

***

The iron chains clinked and echoed as they reached another solitary peak and another dueling platform. This platform, however, was unusually small. How small? Small enough that only a single street stall could fit atop the summit.

It was a fortune-telling stall. There was an old wooden table, worn and mottled with age, a bamboo sign faded from years of sun and wind, and two chairs. On the table sat a cylindrical bamboo container for fortune sticks, yet there were only two sticks inside.

A red cloth lay beside it. It had a gold ingot, a silver ingot, a copper ingot, an iron ingot, and a wooden plaque. In addition, there was a bronze plate with a long-handled ladle placed upon it. Finally, to complete the ensemble, a blind man was sitting in the chair behind the table.

He was emaciated, skin clinging to bone, yet his hair was jet black and gleamed with a healthy shine. It was as if all the nutrients in his body had been consumed solely to nourish that head of hair, or perhaps that thick black hair had drained every last bit of vitality from him.

“Come get your fortune told... come, get a reading...” The old blind man heard someone approach and grinned, revealing a row of yellowed teeth. One of his front teeth was missing, making his words whistle slightly as he spoke.

Li Xiaofei stepped forward and dismounted. He took a seat in the empty chair across from the old table.

“What must I do to pass?” he asked.

"Just one fortune is enough." The old blind man chuckled hoarsely and said, “I can divine the heavens, the earth, mankind, or immortals... which would you like to know?”

Li Xiaofei replied, “Human.”

The blind man nodded and said, “The stick tube.”

Li Xiaofei picked up the bamboo container and gave it a gentle shake.

Clack.

A single long stick slipped out and landed on the table. It landed face-up. Slowly, a blood-red character emerged upon it,

Ominous

.

The old man picked up the fortune stick, his fingers brushing lightly over its surface. Then he grinned wide, revealing his missing tooth once again.

“My friend,” he said, “you carry an omen of great misfortune. Extremely terrifying. A calamity... a rare and dreadful calamity indeed.”