I Failed to Reform the Protagonist [Transmigration] - Chapter 2

The First Peak of Yunxiao, Changji.

When Pei Jing emerged from his secluded meditation, he realized the peach blossoms outside his cave dwelling were all in full bloom.

Amidst the pink and white petals and green leaves, a small yellow bird had been waiting for who knows how long. It was drowsy, its beak nodding down every so often as it dozed.

Finding it amusing, Pei Jing poked it awake with his finger.

The little yellow bird jerked awake, nearly falling off the peach branch. Fortunately, it remembered it could fly just in time. Flapping its wings frantically, it landed on Pei Jing’s shoulder, trembling with lingering fear. Its round, black eyes glared at Pei Jing with immense resentment, but it still dutifully shook its body. A small roll of paper dropped from under its wing, glowing with a faint silver light before floating in mid-air to project a line of text under the clear sky.

—It was a message left by his Master.

Pei Jing read it thoughtfully, then plucked the little bird down, saying with a half-smile, “Master is going out for a wandering trial and wants me to be the Acting Sect Leader? Does he really trust me that much?”

Indignant, the little yellow bird struggled free.

Pei Jing stopped teasing it and let it go. “I’ll stew and eat you when I have the time. Whenever you bring a message, it’s never anything good.”

The little bird flew far away from him, not forgetting to cast one last accusing glance from the air.

Pei Jing let out a small laugh. It was early spring, and thin ice still covered the branches. As his robes brushed past, the movement was like flowing wind returning snow—radiant and magnificent. As the breeze passed, peach blossoms rustled, and fine snow fell onto his hair, condensing without melting.

Chen Xu arrived on his flying sword, witnessing this exact scene upon entering Changji Peak.

Pei Yuzhi stepped out from beneath the peach blossoms. With ancient hairpin, ink-black hair, and white clothes as pure as snow, at first glance, he actually looked quite dignified.

Chen Xu twitched the corner of his mouth. Those who didn’t know Pei Yuzhi praised him to the heavens; those who knew him even slightly felt like stabbing their own eyes out upon hearing those praises.

Pei Jing chuckled. “Loyal of you, brother. You got here fast. Don’t tell me you’ve been waiting for me outside the mountain gates for years?”

Chen Xu glared at him. “Be serious! Today is the day of the Sect’s Disciple Selection. Drop that slouching, careless attitude!”

The Lingchen Sword unsheathed with a clear ring, hovering in the air. Pei Jing leaped onto it, his white robes fluttering. He looked back, puzzled. “Since when do we have to participate in the disciple selection?”

Chen Xu flew side-by-side with him. “For this year’s selection, the Sect Leader changed the system. He plans to hold another selection among the two hundred people who enter the sect. Ten will be chosen to enter the Inner Peaks directly. And those ten, are for us to decide.”

Pei Jing sneered. “Interesting. I bet Master was fuming because not a single person from the Outer Peaks made it into the Inner Peaks during the last sect competition. If you ask me, those Inner Peak elders are just being unreasonable. They themselves only reached Foundation Establishment at a hundred years old, yet they expect these kids to be able to move heaven and earth at eighteen or twenty. If they really had that kind of ability, why would they bother apprenticing under them?”

Hearing this, Chen Xu rolled his eyes. “Enough. You think the Sect Leader would get angry over that? Aside from the scandalous nonsense you, Pei Yuzhi, have pulled, I’ve never seen the Sect Leader lose his temper.”

Pei Jing hadn’t actually done anything that scandalous. But it was true he had managed to turn his Master—an immortal-like, refined Grandmaster—into a grumpy old man.

Not wanting to dwell on those embarrassing memories, Pei Jing simply asked, “Is this how you talk to the Acting Sect Leader?”

Chen Xu rolled his eyes again. “If you become the Sect Leader, Yunxiao is surely doomed.”

Pei Jing condensed the moisture in the air into rain droplets and pelted Chen Xu’s face with them.

“I don’t know if Yunxiao is doomed, but I think you’re finished first.”

Caught off guard, Chen Xu nearly fell off his sword. He hopped madly in rage: “PEI! YU! ZHI!”

Without the Sect Leader to suppress him, this man’s infuriating personality was becoming truly maddening!

Ignoring the outburst, Pei Jing looked straight ahead, a casual smile playing on his lips. “But this is good. Let’s go see some new faces.”

Chen Xu: “…”

Did this generation of disciples offend the stars?

The two flew from Changji Peak toward the mountain gates, stopping before the Hanging Bridge. When the Ancestor first founded the sect, he set a rule: one must cross this place on foot. At the entrance of the bridge stood a green stone, placed there since the beginning to welcome guests. Carved upon it were the words: “With a clear conscience, let the sword be proof.” Beside the text were three chaotic, messy scratches that were very eyesore.

Every time Chen Xu passed this spot, he sighed. He shook his head. “Look at the ‘good work’ you did.”

Pei Jing followed his gaze to the stone. “What did I do now? Isn’t the calligraphy nice?”

Chen Xu snapped, “There shouldn’t be any calligraphy there at all! The Ancestor set this stone to warn everyone. For hundreds of years, no disciple dared touch it. But you? The Sect Leader told you to reflect on your mistakes in front of the stone, and you ended up carving flowers on it with your sword! It’s a good thing Perfected Yunxiao has already ascended, otherwise, he’d have strangled you himself.”

Pei Jing simply said, “Don’t talk nonsense if you don’t understand.”

Holding his Lingyun Sword, he made a vertical stroke across the green stone right in front of Chen Xu. Chen Xu’s hair nearly stood on end. “What are you doing?!”

Pei Jing sheathed his sword and tilted his chin. “Look for yourself.”

The faint mark left by the Lingyun Sword was quickly erased by a soft glow.

Chen Xu’s shocked expression froze. “This…?”

Pei Jing explained, “This stone contains the spiritual consciousness of Senior Yunxiao. You think you can just carve letters on it whenever you want? When Master punished me to reflect here, I actually gained a bit of enlightenment. In that realm of epiphany, I met Senior Yunxiao. The reason I carved those words was because I was entrusted by him to do so.”

Chen Xu was stunned. “You actually had such a fortuitous encounter?”

Pei Jing stepped forward, half-squatted, and rested his hand on the stone with a smirk. “Did you think the world of a genius was as simple as you imagined?”

Chen Xu: “…Fine, fine, fine.”

With a clear conscience, let the sword be proof.

These eight characters were Yunxiao’s teaching and the expectation of the ancestors. Pei Jing lowered his eyes; a chill came from his fingertips, soon wrapped in a layer of soft light. He smiled. The bet he made with Perfected Yunxiao in that realm of enlightenment—he had fulfilled it not long after. First in the Questioning Heavens Trial, number one in the world. He hadn’t failed those expectations.

He only hoped that within this welcoming stone before the bridge, the soul of the Ancestor would remain forever.

Watching the eternal peaks and the glory of Yunxiao.

Inside the main hall of the first Outer Peak, the room was already filled with the famous young generation of Yunxiao. Pei Jing’s arrival made many people’s eyes light up, though even more pulled long faces.

In front of outsiders, Pei Jing always maintained a “cold and aloof” persona. His snowy robes swept over the threshold as he walked to the center of the crowd. When he didn’t speak, he was like a sword covered in snow. His cold radiance making everyone’s hearts tremble, not daring to speak.

Above the hall hovered several Deep Water Mirrors, recording every move of the disciples participating in the selection.

The mountain gates hadn’t opened yet. Youths from all over the world stood at the foot of the mountain, waiting expectantly with eyes full of nervousness and excitement.

Pei Jing watched with interest and turned to ask the person in charge, “Have the Spiritual Roots been tested?”

The person in charge was a female cultivator with a gentle and graceful appearance. She stepped forward with a look of joy. “Reporting to Senior Brother, they have been tested. The quality this time is quite good. Several dual-element roots appeared, and even one Single-Element Root.”

Pei Jing raised an eyebrow. “A Single-Element Root?”

The female cultivator smiled. “Yes, a single Water Root, very pure. Many Inner Peak elders are already keeping a close eye on him.”

Chen Xu was also quite surprised. “Then isn’t his talent almost catching up to yours?”

Pei Jing said, “Still a long way off.”

He shifted his gaze to the Deep Water Mirror.

In the mirror, youthful faces were filled with longing and hope.

Finally, a crane’s cry signaled the start, stirring the emotions of the youths.

A line of white cranes descended through the clouds. Upon them stood sword cultivators in blue and white robes, wearing jade crowns with long swords at their waists—their auras were elegant and carefree. Leading them was a female disciple who leaped down from her crane, her water-blue dress rippling like waves, possessing an effortless grace.

The youths gasped, watching the brilliance of their seniors with endless yearning.

After landing, the woman smiled and said, “I am the one sent to receive you, Du Shuangshuang. You may call me Sister Du. From today onwards, once you step into the Yunxiao gates, you are disciples of Yunxiao. There are ten thousand sect rules and three thousand precepts; you must know them by heart and never violate them. Understood?”

The youths’ faces were flushed with excitement and ambition. They shouted in unison, “Understood!”

“Good.”

Du Shuangshuang nodded with satisfaction and waved her hand. Instantly, the cranes in the sky spread their wings, blotting out the sun. They flew down, landing on the ground and bowing their necks to wait for the youths.

Seeing such a spectacle for the first time, the younger ones were so nervous they didn’t know what to do. It took a while before they cautiously climbed on. Before they could settle their nerves, a whistle blew. The cranes took flight, the world spun, and many let out screams of terror. As the cranes stabilized, they looked around to find they were already in the sky. Looking up, they saw themselves standing amidst a sea of clouds and golden light—the landscape below like a painting. The inexperienced youths gaped in shock.

“Is this Yunxiao?”

“It’s too beautiful…”

Du Shuangshuang led them to the Hanging Bridge. Jumping off her crane, the youths saw a bridge floating in thin clouds and mist. Below was a sheer drop of ten thousand feet. Many turned pale, trembling as they asked, “S-Sister Du? We have to walk across this?”

Du Shuangshuang smiled. “Yes. This bridge is your first challenge. Walk across it. Illusions may appear along the way, but do not believe anything you see. Keep your mind firm and cross the bridge.”

The youths’ faces did not improve.

The bridge had no railings; it was just short planks connected together. A single misstep would lead to a fall that would shatter one’s bones. But they had suffered so much to reach Yunxiao; how could they retreat now? After calming their hearts, they nodded. “Understood.”

Du Shuangshuang smiled. “Good. Go ahead, one by one.” She stepped back, leaving the space to the group.

Every action was captured by the watchers in the hall.

Inside the hall, Pei Jing asked Chen Xu, “There are illusions on the Hanging Bridge? How come I didn’t know?”

Chen Xu replied, “There’s a lot you don’t know.”

Pei Jing: “Then tell me about it.”

Chen Xu said dismissively, “Calling it an ‘illusion’ is just a parlor trick to fool Qi Refinement stage disciples. It’s nothing more than some ghosts, skeletons, or mountains of corpses—just things to scare people.”

Pei Jing choked for a moment, his expression turning a bit strange. “Oh.”

What Chen Xu called “things to scare people” was enough to become a lifelong nightmare for these innocent youths. They stepped onto the bridge with fear in their hearts, moving tentatively, wishing they could just close their eyes and walk straight.

Unexpectedly, in just a second, the scenery around them changed completely.

The blue sky instantly turned a morbid blood-red, and a thick, foul-smelling rain began to fall.

The rain was also red. The path beneath their feet became incredibly difficult—slippery and viscous. The youths were terrified, chanting “it’s fake, it’s fake” in their minds. But when the blood-rain hit their faces and bodies, it caused an unbearable itch. The itch seeped into their bones, forcing them to claw at themselves, and the moment they scratched, it turned into piercing pain.

Through the drenching blood-rain, their vision blurred. Suddenly, a fierce wind rose, carrying the shrill wails of vengeful spirits and ghosts. From the edges of the bridge, pale, bluish hands slowly reached out, trying to grab their ankles.

It was as if they were in the Asura Realm. On the bridge, many youths showed primal terror—screaming, panicking, running. But the more afraid they were, the more ghosts appeared, even chasing after them.

The first person lost their footing in a panic and fell from the bridge. The scream they let out as they fell made even Pei Jing feel a bit sympathetic. Yunxiao wouldn’t let anyone get hurt; the youth was quickly caught by a waiting disciple. However, even after landing safely, he burst into tears, knowing he had lost his qualification.

On the bridge, everyone felt in danger, but there were those with steadier hearts. Despite the rain and the ghosts, they remained unmoved, walking forward in silence.

Pei Jing’s gaze, however, was drawn to one person. He pointed. “Who is he?”

Such a person was hard not to notice.

Amidst the blood-red sky and heavy clouds, he held an umbrella. His hand was as pale as a dead man’s.

His black clothes were like a silent, stagnant river.

The umbrella was formed from condensed spiritual energy. The rain falling on it turned it red.

At first, he had been hidden among the crowd, unremarkable. But in this illusion, his temperament seemed to be drawn out. A coldness that almost merged with the background.

Pei Jing frowned.

Chen Xu exclaimed, “Condensing energy into objects? Has he already reached Foundation Establishment at such a young age?”

Pei Jing asked the female cultivator, “What is his name?”

Shaking off her shock, she replied, “Senior Brother, he is the boy with the Single-Element Root I mentioned. Chu Junyu.”

Reaching Foundation Establishment and condensing objects. One must know that Pei Jing, hailed as a heaven-blessed genius, only reached Foundation Establishment at eighteen. This boy looked to be not even sixteen.

Pei Jing’s smile faded slightly as he began to observe the boy seriously. Unlike Chen Xu’s excitement, his gaze held a layer of scrutiny and deep thought.

Chen Xu said excitedly, “With his strength, he can enter the Inner Peaks directly.”

Pei Jing said flatly, “Not necessarily.”

Chen Xu turned to him in disbelief. “Why? With such good talent?”

Pei Jing smiled, but his eyes didn’t yield. “Let’s keep watching.”

In the mirror, the selection continued.

The boy named Chu Junyu was, unsurprisingly, about to reach the end of the bridge. Between the chaotic heaven and earth, the blood-colored umbrella in his hand kept the surrounding demons and ghouls at bay.

His black clothes masked his presence in the mist.

Someone on the bridge, driven mad by the itching and pain of the rain, screamed and chased after him, trying to hide under his umbrella. The boy ignored them and kept walking. The pursuer was grabbed by the leg by a ghost and fell right behind him. Before falling, the person’s fingers snagged the corner of the boy’s robe, shouting desperately for help.

The blood-rain continued to fall.

The struggle for help was swallowed by the wind.

The boy tilted his umbrella slightly and reached out. A blood-red arc of light, thin as a blade, flashed from his fingertips.

He cut the robe.

After a shrill scream, the person fell off the bridge.

Witnessing this, the smile on Pei Jing’s face vanished in an instant.

He commented coldly, “This boy is a bit too cold-blooded.”

Chen Xu frowned and explained, “They are competitors to begin with. He didn’t actually hurt the person, so doing this isn’t entirely wrong.”

Pei Jing: “You admire him that much?”

Chen Xu was choked by the question. “I’m just being objective! His talent is so good; it would be a waste not to take him into the Inner Peaks.”

Pei Jing looked up, his smile lazy and his voice nonchalant. “If he’s that powerful, how can this trial be enough?”

Hearing this, Chen Xu knew something bad was coming. He suppressed his anger. “What are you planning now? You aren’t the only one in charge of this selection.”

“How am I ‘planning’ anything?” Pei Jing pointed lazily at the Deep Water Mirror, a smirk curling on his lips. “I’m giving him an opportunity—one more trial. If he passes, the elders of the Inner Peaks can all go rest. I will personally take him as my disciple.”

The cultivators in the hall widened their eyes in shock. “Senior Brother Pei… is this appropriate?”

Every Sect Leader of Yunxiao only took one disciple in their lifetime. That disciple was not only the sect’s genius but the next Sect Leader.

Chen Xu was truly angry now. “Don’t just act on a whim. The Sect Leader isn’t even here; why are you talking about taking a disciple?”

Pei Jing looked at the mirror and didn’t speak.

On the bridge, the blood-rain formed a curtain. The boy seemed to anticipate he was at the end. He stopped, slowly retracted his umbrella, and revealed a pale, handsome face.

The umbrella dissolved into blood-colored water in his hand. His light amber eyes looked through the curtain of rain.

It was as if he were looking directly at the crowd in the hall.

Except for Pei Jing, everyone in the hall felt a chill. The misery, the struggle, the blood, and the coldness of the mirror’s world seemed to seep out.

There was pure coldness in the boy’s eyes, devoid of emotion.

And yet, through his eyes, they saw hell.