After the Immortal Venerable Failed to Attain Dao - Chapter 1

A bright moon hung in the sky and spiritual mist permeated the air as a lone figure stood with a sword atop the peak of Chaotic Snow Summit.

Behind him lay the vast expanse of distant mountains and swirling star clouds. The guardian beast of the Tianshu Sect, the Golden Ao, rested upon the Big Dipper with its dragon tail entwined around the stars, looking as if it intended to trample the other six realms beneath its claws.

Shi Li looked down, his pale blue eyes carrying a hint of helplessness as he watched an old man at the mountain gate. The man had dirty, matted white hair and a hunched back clothed in grey. His legs were severely bowed from years of climbing the stone steps.

To ascend Mount Xuanqing, one must traverse the ninety-nine steps of Tianshu. For the gifted, these steps are but a single stride. For the majority, however, one step feels like scaling the heavens while another feels like plunging into the sea. Every step holds a trial, and every move risks a life.

This man had remained on the ninety-eighth step for his entire life.

After finishing his sword practice, Shi Li heard the disciples discussing that the old man was finally dying. No one knew his name or when he had arrived. He had been there since many disciples were children, yet he remained while they climbed the steps in a few easy strides.

Shi Li found him and said, “I will take you up the mountain.”

At that moment, the old man stood dazed in a corner of the broad stone stairs, his cloudy eyes staring at the gate. He only needed to lift his leg and take one small step to reach the summit, yet that emaciated leg felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. One lift had taken a lifetime. He had only half an hour of life remaining.

Aware of someone beside him, his lips moved as he murmured, “I have climbed these steps for two hundred years. I am very tired.”

“I know,” Shi Li replied.

Two hundred years ago, a fourteen-year-old Shi Li had just entered the Xuanqing Sect. Before his foot even landed on the first step, he had reached the ninety-ninth. A young man behind him had let out a whistle of admiration, calling him a “genius kid” and asking him to wait so they could enter together. That young man climbed one step at a time, moving slowly but steadily.

Shi Li waited for him at the gate, only to watch him stop at the ninety-eighth step. The young man’s smile froze. Growing impatient, Shi Li frowned and asked why he had not moved forward.

“Do not wait for me,” the young man had waved him off. “Go ahead. I will catch up in a moment.”

Shi Li left first. Cultivation knows no days or months, and two hundred years passed in a flash. He had long forgotten the man until someone mentioned him today. Among the thousands of sects in the Star Realm, this man had chosen the most difficult path to endure.

In the final years of the Great Shuo Dynasty, the Emperor sought immortality through human sacrifice, leading to rebellions and endless war. From the soaring blood resentment, the gates of hell opened, and demons roamed the earth. As the thousand-year destiny of the dynasty was being destroyed, the Imperial Phoenix appeared. It sacrificed itself at the city’s peak, burning the world with its wings and tail fire.

All living beings were forged in that fire, dying to be reborn. The rampaging demons were purified by the flames, turning into ten thousand wisps of spiritual energy scattered across the world. From then on, spiritual energy flourished, giving everyone a chance to seek the Dao and immortality. Six hundred years had passed since then. The powerful seized territories, eventually dividing the world into seven realms based on the seven stars.

Among them, the Tianshu Xuanqing Sect was the leader of the seven realms. It was a great sect of the sword with the strongest power, but it was also the sect with the most severe discrimination.

The old man finally agreed to let Shi Li take him up. His withered hands gripped Shi Li’s bracers. Though the silver iron brought a piercing chill, he held on tightly. He turned his head slightly, gazing longingly at the sect uniform. It was a silver-blue, narrow-sleeved outfit with sword patterns on the collar and sleeves. Cold silver star-darts made of jade-iron served as shoulder decorations and belt pendants, their sharp tips gleaming with a chilling light.

He reached out a trembling hand to touch the star-darts on the shoulder, causing a clinking sound. Shi Li’s body stiffened at the sudden touch, but he did not move away.

Suddenly, the old man burst into tears. He pushed Shi Li away and began clawing at his hair in a frenzy. “I thought for so long that next year, or perhaps tomorrow, I could finally wear those clothes. I wanted a sword. As long as the Master did not mind my age, I was willing to practice anything. Kid, wait for me, I am almost there. I have arrived, but now I am dying.”

He buried his face in his hands, his voice thick with regret. “I am actually dying. What have I done with my life besides climbing steps? I could have planted trees at the foot of the mountain or joined another sect. The Eight Schools of the Sword Hut all wanted me. I clearly had better choices, yet I have wasted my life so pointlessly.”

Shi Li listened quietly until then, then raised his eyes to look at him. “A pointless life?” He curled his lips into a slight smile. “True. Many people have the ambition to reach the stars, yet they spend their lives unable to climb these ninety-nine steps, dying like dust among the weeds. A life of silence without a single moment of brilliance is indeed considered meaningless by many.”

The old man’s breathing grew heavy. He felt his wrist being gripped and looked up into a pair of calm blue eyes.

“But a human life does not necessarily have to be ‘meaningful.’ As long as every choice came from your heart and you were firm and unregretting at the time, your life was not lived in vain. Pursuing the Dao until death is better than a life of compromise.”

The old man stood in a daze. He lowered his eyes to the sword at Shi Li’s waist and tremblingly raised his hand. Shi Li remained still, letting him stroke the blade inch by inch.

“What a fine sword. What did you name it?” the old man marveled.

As Shi Li was about to speak, a sneer came from behind. “Is there anyone in the Star Realm who does not recognize Huajing? How rare! Let me see who is so ignorant.”

Three people leaped down from the gate. The leader walked with an arrogant stride, his silver ornaments jingling. He was followed by a male and a female disciple; one held a brush while the other unrolled a scroll to sketch the scene of Shi Li and the old man.

The old man noticed nothing else, focusing entirely on the sword with tears shimmering in his eyes. He longed to be a sword cultivator, and no such cultivator could resist such a blade.

Shi Li’s gaze swept over the two sketching attendants but he ignored them, speaking only to the old man. “It is called Huajing. It means ‘splendid and prosperous,’ just for a good omen.”

The lead man, Meng Zhuo, glared at him. Seeing that Shi Li had not even spared him a glance, his expression darkened. He looked at the sword in the old man’s hand with mockery. “The Young Lord was missing from the Sword Cleansing Pool today. I only found out after inquiring that you came to the gate. You are even willing to let others touch Huajing. I suppose the Star Pavilion is missing your heroic presence, so you hurried out here to put on a show.”

An attendant made a gesture. Shi Li turned around, finally deigning to look at him. “A show needs an audience. Junior Brother Meng, you follow me all day. If I wash my sword, you wash yours. If I come to the gate, you come as well. Why have the attendants never sketched you?”

Meng Zhuo, stung by the truth, glared at him, gave a few instructions to the attendants, and left in a huff.

Shi Li led the old man to a corner of the gate to rest. He looked at the sky; the moonlight was at its peak, and the deep blue sea of stars was fading.

The old man leaned against the wall and slowly closed his eyes. “There is not much time left. Once the Silver Suspension period passes and the stars are withdrawn, I will go with them. I really do not want to die.”

“Do you still regret it?” Shi Li asked.

“Yes, I cannot help it.” The old man smiled and shook his head. “In this world, how many can truly live without regret? I was so foolish. I should have joined the Eight Schools of the Sword Hut from the beginning. Although I could not forge a sword as good as yours, I could have cultivated. My lifespan would have been extended and I could have done many things. It is better than sitting here waiting for death.”

Shi Li stood up and brushed off his clothes, his face emotionless. “I comforted you to make you feel better. Every stage of life has its own pursuits. One should not regret the things they have done.” He paused, tightening his grip on his sword. “Now that you are old and enlightened, you think your younger self was foolish because you have experienced what you consider a failed life. But if you were given a chance to start over and were told to give up the Xuanqing Sect for an ordinary one, you would live the rest of your life in a new kind of regret. You would wonder why you did not hold on for a few more days, thinking that perhaps the very next day, you would have become a disciple of Xuanqing.”

The ninety-nine steps of Tianshu can only be walked once in a lifetime. One must either keep climbing or turn away forever.

The attendant made another gesture. Shi Li could not leave yet, so he sat back down beside the old man. “If even you think this life was meaningless, then it truly loses all meaning. Others can say that about you because they do not understand, but what about you? Do you not understand your own heart? For two hundred years, you had the chance to turn back and start over at any moment, yet you chose to continue every single time. You do not actually think your life is meaningless; you are just afraid that in the eyes of others, it appears that way.”

The old man, who had been waiting for death with closed eyes, opened them. His trembling hand pressed against Shi Li’s bracer again. “I am about to die. Why do you bother saying so much?”

Shi Li leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes wearily. “To die with deep regret and obsession might turn you into a ghost. Then I would have to go and eliminate you, which is very tiring.”

While he spoke, an attendant approached and bowed, presenting the completed portrait to Shi Li with both hands. Shi Li waved it away without looking. He gazed at the sky where the blue stars had vanished and silver-white flakes began to drift down. “As long as the elders are satisfied. It is snowing; you all should head back early.”

The attendant did not move. He stowed the scroll away and unrolled a new, blank piece of paper. “There is more?” Shi Li asked.

The attendant bowed even lower. “The elders request the Young Lord to move to the summit. The main gate has been newly renovated, and they require a painting of the gate’s full view.”

Shi Li did not respond, clearly becoming impatient. The attendant maintained his posture. “This is also the wish of the various elders. Please, Young Lord.”

Shi Li stood up and said to the old man, “I have business. I will return shortly.”

The old man leaned against the wall, reaching out to catch the falling snow. “Rest assured, I will try my best not to turn into a ghost and cause you trouble.”

“That is secondary,” Shi Li’s voice drifted back as his silver robes vanished toward the summit. “If you can face your past choices and not blame everything on the past, even if you do become a ghost, I will personally see you through to reincarnation.”

People in the Star Realm grow up bathed in spiritual energy. Even ordinary people who do not cultivate can live to be two or three hundred years old. However, the source of this energy is the demons burned by the Phoenix fire. Every ten parts of spiritual energy contain three parts of ghostly aura. If a person dies with too much hatred or obsession, the ghostly aura takes advantage. Most ghosts are slain by cultivators to accumulate merit, causing the original person to lose the chance for reincarnation. If the old man were to become a ghost, Shi Li would send him to a normal reincarnation before he could harm anyone. This was a common way for friends in the Star Realm to “guard the body.”

At the summit of Chaotic Snow, Shi Li swung his sword against the wind, his peripheral vision fixed on the corner of the gate. The hunched grey figure stood up and dragged his feet slowly to the very center of the gate. This was the place he had longed for while standing on the ninety-eighth step for a lifetime.

However, he happened to block the attendant’s view. The attendant frowned and stepped forward to drive him away, as the man was not needed in the painting. “Please move aside. you are interfering with our work.”

The old man no longer moved. His legs were so bowed that it looked as if he were kneeling before the gate. The wind was light, and snow fell upon his old grey clothes. The attendant assumed he was being ignored and, unable to move him, looked away with a smile for Shi Li. “The Young Lord’s sword is slightly off. Please stay closer to the Golden Ao to show the majesty of our sect’s divine beast. Yes, do not move.”

Half an hour later, the attendants bid farewell to Shi Li and left satisfied. Shi Li looked down, noticing a faint wisp of light emerging from the old man’s head. It was silver-white and pure, drifting away in the wind and snow. He did not become a ghost after all. Those who persist until the end, regardless of what they say, rarely truly resent the person they were when they made their choice.

The wind grew wilder, and the snow covered him. By tomorrow, when the sun hit the mountain, all the unwillingness and regret would vanish with the melting snow.

Shi Li sheathed his sword. A figure had already appeared beside him. The person stood silently in the snow, his black hair blowing in the wind to reveal a face identical to Shi Li’s.

“Tell me,” Shi Li spoke softly, his pinky finger hooking onto the other’s. “Am I meddling too much? I prevented him from leaving in peace. I did not expect the attendants to show up then, and Meng Zhuo bringing them was so annoying.”

The person remained still, showing no reaction to the touch. Shi Li fell silent, his arm brushing against the other’s. Suddenly, the person turned to face Shi Li as if receiving a command. He reached out and gave him a brief hug. It was a momentary touch. Just as the silver ornaments on their clothes clinked together, the person returned to his original position. His pale blue eyes were downcast, staring blankly at the ground.

Shi Li laughed. He flicked the star-dart on the other’s shoulder. With a flash of spiritual light, he produced a piece of candy and held it to the other’s lips. “Be more agile next time. Remember to initiate the hug first.”

The candy, imbued with spiritual light, carried a sweet fragrance. The blue eyes moved slightly as the person leaned down to eat it. Shi Li moved the candy away playfully, but the other caught his hand and brought it to his lips. Shi Li’s gaze softened as he watched the other eat the candy. The palm covering the back of his hand was cool, but the lips brushing his fingertips were soft.

The moment he felt the warmth on his fingertips, Shi Li pulled his hand back. With a flick of his palm, he patted the other’s back, sending him toward the mountain gate. At the same time, Shi Li turned and bowed toward a distant pavilion. “Master.”

A distant female voice asked, “You have not returned yet?”

Shi Li kept an eye on the phantom demon behind him and replied calmly, “The elders ordered a painting at the gate tonight. I came from the Sword Cleansing Pool, so it took some time.”

The voice paused, sounding displeased. “You agreed again?”

“It was just two paintings. It is no trouble. If I did not agree, they would have troubled you, Master. I am coming back now.” As he spoke, he leaped into the gate and headed toward the pavilion. “There are a few disciples at Wentian Island whose comprehension is too poor. Let us transfer them to Martial Uncle Qingsui to make room for new recruits. We can pick a few more then to bring in new blood. Later, we can rename Xuanqing Sect to the Heartless Sect and practice the Heartless Sword right under He Qianqiu’s nose.”

“…The Way of the Heartless Sword focuses on the heart and nature. Do not be so extreme. I asked you to recruit people to spread the way of the sword, not to spite your fellow disciples.”

“Understood. How many nights has Master gone without sleep?”

“This is the tenth night. I will rest tomorrow.”

“You said the same thing yesterday.” Shi Li pushed the door open, finding a figure writing busily amidst piles of scrolls.

Ling Yin was still drawing. She did not look up when the door opened. “The scrolls are in the back. Pick out the ones with poor comprehension for me to see.”

Shi Li began searching through them. “No need to look. They are terrible. After half a month, they only barely learned the first move and often forget it. When I told one to follow his heart, he said his mind remembered but his hands could not keep up.”

“Learning the first move in only half a month shows great potential. With more practice, they will improve. Sending them to Qingsui would be wasting good talent.”

Shi Li disagreed as he handed her the scrolls. “Wentian Island is full of talent. Everyone is striving to stay. Those few are at the bottom and must be replaced by better ones. We need the fastest and strongest sword cultivators. We do not have time to raise children.”

Ling Yin stopped her pen and flipped through the scrolls. Seeing that the disciples had met their daily tasks and even practiced extra on their own, she closed the scrolls. “Hand them to me. I will spar with them in three days. If you still think they are not good enough then, we will send them away.”

Shi Li raised an eyebrow. “Fine. I will hold back then so I do not injure your ‘good talents’.”

Ling Yin smiled faintly and returned to her drawing. “Clean up this place and call the person in.”

Shi Li looked at the night sky outside. “Now?”

“Clean up first.”

Shi Li resignedly picked up the scattered drawings of sword moves, distinguishing between those his Master wanted to keep and those to be discarded. He worked until the middle of the night before calling the person. With the Sword Venerable Qianqiu coming out of seclusion and the upcoming recruitment and sword exchange assembly, there was no rest. He had not slept for several days either. He had originally wanted to enjoy the snow and some intimacy with the phantom demon at the summit after seeing off the old man, but he had to return to work.

He decided to let the phantom demon enjoy the snow in his stead. With one wisp of his soul resting, he considered himself somewhat recovered.

While Ling Yin questioned the disciples and sparred with them, Shi Li began organizing her new set of sword moves. Her strokes were precise and the moves were sharp. As Shi Li flipped through them, the image of a white-clad sword cultivator seemed to leap off the page.

To practice the Heartless Sword, one must first sever the root of emotion. Without doing so, one cannot even condense a Dao Heart. His Master was so strong that Shi Li knew if she ever discovered he had been deceiving her, her sword would be the first to take his head. He had developed feelings before entering the sect and could not sever them. However, because he successfully condensed a Dao Heart, no one ever suspected him.

Among the tens of thousands of disciples in the Xuanqing Sect, no one knew that he was keeping an unusually intimate relationship with a wisp of his own divine soul behind his Master’s and the entire sect’s back. Later, he accidentally obtained a phantom demon, and that wisp of soul possessed it to take form. Although it was somewhat dim-witted, looking at that face still caused ripples in Shi Li’s heart. He knew exactly what he was doing. Two hundred years had passed, and his feelings for that soul grew stronger while his Dao Heart remained immovable. He had found a loophole in the Way of the Heartless Sword.

The snow stopped, and white light appeared on the horizon. The phantom demon stood silently at the gate, sunlight falling on his face. Beside him, the old man’s body, which Shi Li had covered with spiritual light, had dissolved into the world after a night of dissipation.

Shi Li was very tired. The wisp of soul he had separated now only wanted to rest. Just then, a sudden bolt of thunder shook the sky. In the distance, golden lightning split the sky, showering down countless golden lights. The phantom demon’s eyes moved, and his body reacted instinctively, rushing toward the distance.

Thunder on level ground signifies a hidden realm. Usually, the lightning of such realms is purple. This was the first time golden lightning had appeared since the establishment of the Star Realm. The treasures within were undoubtedly of immeasurable value.

Even if he were to die of exhaustion, he had to crawl there and claim the treasures. This was the resolve inherent in every wisp of Shi Li’s divine soul.