After Saving the Immortal Sect, I Became a Heartthrob - Chapter 9

Recommended background music for this chapter: “Gaze”

Everywhere the sword light passed, frost flowers turned to ice.

Having tested the cultivation of his three disciples through his sword intent, Shen Mu said no more, simply flying toward the Great Hall of the Sword Sect.

“If there is anything, find me at the cold spring behind the peak.”

After this single sentence, the Sword Venerable’s silhouette vanished from everyone’s sight.

The three disciples of the Sword Venerable: “…”

An onlooker disciple whispered, “We waited out here for so long, and the Sword Venerable just came out, slashed a sword at us, and left?”

Another responded in a low voice, “Clearly, it was three slashes!”

One person beside them could bear it no longer: “Shh! Shut your mouths! How dare you recklessly discuss a Spirit Severing stage master!” And right in front of his disciples, too!

Lan Jue sheathed his sword, a calm and indifferent smile still on his face.

“Master truly is as free-spirited as ever. I will report the internal affairs of Zhuoguang Peak to him later; would my two Junior Brothers like to come along?”

Zhong Ming glanced at the silent Gu Congxing and said, “No, Eldest Senior Brother should go first.”

Gu Congxing also shook his head. He naturally intended to seek out his Master, but not now, and he could not go with others.

Lan Jue’s gaze swept the area, nodding slightly to the bewildered onlookers before walking away.

The next day.

Gu Congxing arrived at the outskirts of the cold spring, taking a silent deep breath.

Master Shen Mu was born with innate sword bones and an extraordinary skeletal structure, possessing a single mutated Ice spiritual root.

It was said that his hair was black before he formed his Golden Core, but as his cultivation grew deeper, his appearance became more as if carved from ice and snow, unearthly and unlike a mortal.

At the center of the cold spring sat a floating Profound Ice Palace; Shen Mu resided here when not in secluded meditation.

Lotus-patterned ice steps hung high, and the prisms of the dome sealed sharp sword intents, refracting magnificent sunlight.

“Master.” Gu Congxing stepped into the ice palace, his eyes reflecting Shen Mu’s figure.

Silver-white hair drifted as Shen Mu turned, signaling his second disciple to come forward.

“Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage. Your cultivation progress is good.”

With a single glance, he knew Gu Congxing’s current cultivation level, his features relaxing.

“Have you come to find me because you encountered difficulties while practicing your techniques?”

“It is not a cultivation bottleneck.”

“…Congxing?”

Gu Congxing did not realize that as he gazed at his Master, his emotions were churning. He traced the man’s face with his eyes without blinking, a hint of tears already brewing in his gaze.

He was still that Sword Venerable, as pure as the snow on a mountain peak.

Unstained by the world’s winds and moons, untouched by love, hatred, or obsession; he was the one who had fought and captured the demonic flood-dragon, whose single sword chilled the fourteen continents.

In his previous life, Gu Congxing had lived too short a time. Though it was brilliant and unrestrained, it was also filled with unrequited grievances. At the very end of his life, his only wish was to redeem his past sins at any cost, yet he still died with regret just one step away from the end.

In that moment, he suddenly wanted to tell his Master how truly sorry he was.

He wanted to ask him: I did many wrong things before just to bring you back to life; will you forgive me?

Gu Congxing clearly knew those were all things of the past, but looking at his intact Master before him, he still found it difficult to maintain his composure.

“Do not cry.”

A warm, slender hand reached over, wiping away the hot tears overflowing from his eyes.

“! Master, I…”

Only then did Gu Congxing realize he had uselessly started crying. He lowered his head in embarrassment, haphazardly wiping away his tears, a flush of red staining his ears.

But Shen Mu did not withdraw his hand; instead, he reached out with his other hand to cup Gu Congxing’s face, stopping his movements.

His ice-blue eyes were slightly downcast, carefully scrutinizing the pale, tear-streaked face between his hands. His expression remained as calm as an ancient well, his gaze cold.

“Have you been wronged? Your Master will take revenge for you.”

“No, that’s not it.”

Although Master’s face was still cold, his hands carried a gentle warmth.

Simply hearing this voice he hadn’t heard in so long made Gu Congxing feel much more settled; it seemed the stagnant air accumulated over the years had dissipated a little.

Master was like this though he looked cold and solitary, he had come to his side and reached out a hand when he was most lost and helpless.

Back then, after Gu Congxing was imprisoned in the Punishment Tower by his brother and fed a “Heart-Losing Pill,” he had been despondent. Although on the surface he seemed to have forgotten the matter of the Phoenix Feather and returned to his daily practice, a part of his heart was collapsing and rotting.

He numbed himself with sword practice and body tempering; otherwise, once idle, he would fall into fear and confusion if even his closest brother was like that, what was there in this world worth trusting?

Like a bird with chains piercing through its bones, he wanted to escape the shackles of the Gu family, but he had nowhere to go.

It was then that Master appeared.

The world-renowned Zhuoguang Sword Venerable actually praised his Floating Cloud Sword Style and reached out a hand, asking if he was willing to become a disciple under his lineage.

The moment he grasped his Master’s fingertips, the echo of breaking chains seemed to ring in Gu Congxing’s ears.

It was Master who granted him freedom.

Gu Congxing blinked, letting a few hot tears fall, and couldn’t help but turn his head to nuzzle against Master’s hand.

Shen Mu’s movements stiffened slightly, but he remained calm and allowed the action.

Only after gathering enough warmth through the skin contact did Gu Congxing say with downcast eyes, “Master, I am fine. I am just a bit tired.”

As he spoke, he moved away from Shen Mu’s hands and summoned a spiritual artifact from his storage ring.

A magnificent golden light appeared, which then condensed into a silver orb of light. When the brilliance faded, a piece of spiritual jade in the shape of a constellation was visible in the air.

“Kunlun Cold Jade… is it the spiritual artifact Tianxuan?” Shen Mu recognized the object at a glance.

Tianxuan—one of the seven great secret treasures of the Gu family. The Gu family’s collection was vast, including many priceless treasures and artifacts. Among them, the “Celestial Secret Treasures” were widely known to the outside world.

The “Celestial Secret Treasures” included seven major artifacts: Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan, Yuheng, Kaiyang, and Yaoguang. Only direct descendants of the Gu family and high-ranking elders could possess them. These seven artifacts varied in offense and defense, and each was a rare top-grade item.

Even as the youngest son of the direct line, Gu Congxing only possessed one: Tianxuan.

“Indeed, it is Tianxuan, made from thousand-year ice essence taken from the Kunlun snow plains. It is of great benefit to Master’s Ice spiritual root.” Even for cultivators with other spiritual roots, this object could be refined into a Heaven-grade treasure.

Gu Congxing held Tianxuan in both hands, presenting it to Shen Mu.

“Master, please accept this and use it as a sword tassel.”

Shen Mu did not move. He gazed at the earnest Gu Congxing, momentarily speechless.

After a moment, his brow furrowed slightly. “This object is too precious; it is not appropriate. Besides, you have already given me a magical artifact to use as a sword tassel.”

“This is exactly the second thing I wanted to say…” Gu Congxing hesitated slightly but eventually spoke. “Master, that feather artifact can you return it to me?”

As soon as these words were spoken, a dead silence fell over the hall.

“Why?”

It was the same calm tone as always, but why did it sound somewhat reluctant?

Gu Congxing shook his head, casting the thought out of his mind; he must be overthinking.

“Master, when I first refined that object, I only thought it was an ordinary spiritual treasure. But now I know… that object bears a curse and is extremely disadvantageous to the holder; I fear it will bring disaster.”

Gu Congxing did not reveal the true nature of the Phoenix Feather. After all, if he told the whole story, it would be equivalent to informing Master that the Gu family was related to the massacre of the Kong family. Master was a man of the righteous path; once he knew, he would certainly take action.

But now, he could not be completely certain if the Gu family truly participated in the massacre. In his previous life’s investigation, the suspicion pointed mainly toward an elder who was also closely related to the Tianlin Sect.

There were many branches and factions within the Gu family. If there were truly people hiding malicious intentions, he, Gu Congxing, as a direct son, would certainly not let them go.

His brother’s attitude was certainly very suspicious, but… could there be another hidden reason?

After all, ever since he was designated as the next head of the family and went into secluded meditation in the forbidden grounds, his temperament had changed drastically.

Gu Congxing thought that he could not tell Master all these things right now. The time had not yet come.

“I know this request is very inappropriate, so I am giving Master this Tianxuan artifact as an apology.”

Shen Mu still said nothing.

Gu Congxing’s gaze shifted between his Master and the Tianxuan, and he continued: “There is an immensely vast Ice spiritual energy within it, and its shape is like a star. It is truly most fitting to use it to connect me and Master.”

These words were originally a flash of inspiration; he said them because he thought of the connection between his own name and this artifact. But upon reflecting, it felt a bit strange.

It wasn’t some token of love; why was he talking about all this?

Gu Congxing was secretly annoyed with himself and was about to explain further when he heard Shen Mu’s response.

“Since you say so, I shall keep it safely.”

Shen Mu took the Tianxuan and summoned the Zhuoguang Sword. With a slight movement of his will, he removed the Phoenix Feather sword tassel and replaced it with the Tianxuan.

He even poured spiritual power into it, condensing a layer of profound ice around the Tianxuan, making it look even more exquisite and translucent.

The Phoenix Feather drifted into Gu Congxing’s arms. He caught it, feeling as if he had caught a hot potato.

It was this very object that had started the series of tragedies in his previous life!

Should he simply destroy it? Or keep it for other uses?

While Gu Congxing was thinking, his gaze went back to Shen Mu. He saw his Master raising his hand to play with the Tianxuan, seemingly very satisfied with this new sword tassel.

Seeing this, a wave of warmth also rose in Gu Congxing’s heart. But a thought suddenly surfaced, causing him to break into a cold sweat.

Three years had passed since he gave away the Phoenix Feather. If Master had already met Xiao Wangyou, wouldn’t he still be unable to escape his fate?!

“Master, have you ever encountered a youth named Xiao Wangyou?”

Gu Congxing’s question was abrupt, but Shen Mu answered without hesitation.

“No. Who is this?”

Gu Congxing breathed a secret sigh of relief and said, “This is the Ko”

[Ding! Host! It is forbidden to reveal the secret identity of this story’s protagonist!]

The system’s voice suddenly rang out, and the stone slab that had been hidden for a long time also appeared before Gu Congxing, silver light flashing upon it.

Intuition told Gu Congxing that if he forcibly violated the system’s command, he would likely experience the same loss of power as he had at the beginning.

“…A cultivator who has nothing but looks. In reality, he is ruthless and cruel; I have some history with him.” Gu Congxing’s words took a turn as he continued, “The curse on this feather seems to be related to him as well.”

Seeing that Master did not seem suspicious, and acting with a cautious attitude, Gu Congxing followed up with another question:

“Master, have you contacted any youth with black hair and black eyes, whose skeletal structure and cultivation are both top-tier, during these three years? His age should be similar to mine.”

Shen Mu was silent for a moment, seemingly thinking, and then shook his head.

With this, a weight in Gu Congxing’s heart finally fell to the ground.

“Why do you ask this?” As expected, the nonsensical questions made Shen Mu feel suspicious as well.

“Oh, it seems that guy also admires you very much; I was worried he would come to steal my Master.”

These words were half-true, but saying them made him sound like a child competing for favor. Gu Congxing realized this and was the first to let out a smile.

Seeing Master blink in surprise, Gu Congxing feared he would say something else shocking and quickly bowed, hurriedly taking his leave.

Getting back the Phoenix Feather truly resolved a major worry!

Shen Mu watched Gu Congxing’s departing figure without a word, his blue eyes reflecting a touch of azure.

Only after his silhouette was completely gone did Shen Mu look down, his right hand lightly clenching as he secretly rubbed his palm.

In his palm, there were still the hot tears left by Gu Congxing.

“A curse…”

A whisper dissipated in the empty ice palace, soon leaving no trace.

After taking back the Phoenix Feather, Gu Congxing originally intended to destroy it, but he discovered that this object was indeed a secret treasure of the Kong family it was impervious to blades, fire, and water.

Of course, it could also be because it had undergone refinement and had been tainted by Master’s protective spiritual power.

In any case, he could put it in his storage ring for now.

Gu Congxing added several seals to the Phoenix Feather, ensuring there would be no spiritual energy fluctuations before storing it. He then summoned the Sanqing Bell, stroking the pure white bell with a smile…

I’ve kept you waiting, Junior Brother.

Seven days later, Gu Congxing looked tired, but his eyes were shining as he walked toward his Junior Brother’s residence.

But at that moment, a familiar voice rang out.

Ding! Host, Main Quest Two has begun!

Please participate in the mission to exterminate the Dream Tapir and protect your fellow disciples to avoid a death ending.

Gu Congxing’s expression turned solemn.

A death…?!