Mortal Bones

Chapter 5: Crossing the Sea of Clouds, Qingxuan Hidden Within Yunlu Mountain

On the other side, the young girl holding Xu Taiping’s hand simply gazed at him with a silent, warm smile.

Xu Taiping looked at the young man before him, then at the crimson-clad girl beside him, and finally at his aunt and uncle, who were still fiercely brawling in the mud with the Bai family steward. The very last trace of hesitation in his eyes evaporated.

“I am willing.”

Xu Taiping nodded at the pair of disciples, his gaze unshakeable.

Hearing this, the young man let out a hearty laugh. With a grand sweep of his wide sleeve, a gentle breeze billowed outward, enveloping Xu Taiping and the crimson-clad girl. They soared into the air, landing gracefully upon the back of the hovering immortal crane.

“Taiping, my name is Dugu Qingxiao. I am the second disciple of the Qingxuan Sect’s Seventh Peak.”

“And I am Zhao Linglong, the sixth disciple of the Seventh Peak. From now on, I will be your little Senior Sister.”

“Taiping greets Senior Brother. Taiping greets Senior Sister.”

Amidst their lighthearted laughter, the villagers could only watch in awe as the massive crane ascended into the sea of clouds, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.

As for Xu Taiping’s aunt and uncle, they ultimately proved no match for the Bai family steward and his thugs. Left with neither their nephew nor the gold, they slumped beneath the old elm tree at the village entrance, pointing at the sky and screaming bitter curses.

…

Yunlu Mountain.

Within a single day, Xu Taiping rode the immortal crane straight to the legendary Yunlu Mountain.

To be precise, the Yunlu Mountain known to the mortal world was merely the entrance to the Qingxuan Sect.

It was like an iceberg floating in a frigid northern sea; the part visible above the dark waters was merely a fraction of its true mass.

“The Yunlu Mountain you mortals speak of is nothing more than an outer barrier. The true Seven Peaks of Yunlu are perpetually shrouded by a misty warding formation. One must be guided by a spiritual beast just to enter or leave.”

As the crane prepared to plunge into the dense sea of clouds crowning the peak, Zhao Linglong leaned in, her face alight with excitement as she explained the mysteries to Taiping.

“Then how massive is the real Yunlu Mountain?”

Listening to his Senior Sister’s introduction, an intense curiosity gripped the young boy.

“The Yunlu mountain range stretches for tens of thousands of miles. The seven main peaks tower hundreds of thousands of feet into the heavens. Its total domain is likely no smaller than your entire Great Liang Kingdom. However, because the true Yunlu Mountain exists as its own independent pocket realm, mortals perceive it as just a solitary, mundane peak.”

The one who answered was Dugu Qingxiao, who had been quietly meditating nearby.

“No smaller than the Great Liang Kingdom?”

Xu Taiping felt his entire understanding of the world shatter once again.

“That’s right! And in the cultivation world, there are countless hidden grotto-heavens and secret realms just like this one. Our Qingxuan Sect is only considered a third-tier cultivation Sect.”

Zhao Linglong nodded with a bright smile.

“Then above the third tier…”

Boom!

Just as Xu Taiping was about to ask more about the vast cultivation world, a violent gale suddenly slammed into them. The immortal crane beneath them let out a sharp, piercing cry.

“Little Junior Brother, this is the astral wind generated by the grand mountain-protecting formation! Hold tightly to your Senior Sister’s hand, or you’ll be blown right off!”

Zhao Linglong shouted over the roaring wind, grabbing his hand tightly.

“Mhm!”

Xu Taiping nodded, his fingers clamping down fiercely upon her soft, seemingly boneless hand.

Whoosh…

In the blink of an eye, the chaotic, tearing winds vanished completely. What replaced them was a crystalline, azure sky, endless undulating mountain ranges, peaks that pierced the heavens, and majestic floating islands hovering amidst a sea of clouds.

“This is the true Yunlu Mountain.”

Zhao Linglong stood up proudly, gazing out over the breathtaking expanse.

“Brother Qingxiao. Junior Sister Linglong.”

At that moment, a sweet, gentle voice drifted over from their flank.

Xu Taiping turned his head, spotting a streak of cyan light shooting out from the nearby sea of clouds.

Looking closely, he saw a slender, beautiful young woman. She was standing upon a giant jade gourd, soaring through the sky with a little girl tucked safely behind her.

“Senior Sister Ziyan? Why did you leave the mountain as well?”

Zhao Linglong smiled, waving enthusiastically at the newcomer.

“Not long after you two descended, the Spirit Bone Stele resonated once more. Our Sixth Peak was also blessed with a chosen disciple this time.”

Ziyan smiled, casting a fond look at the little girl behind her.

The child wore a pristine white dress, her skin as fair and luminous as fine jade. From afar, she looked like a flawless porcelain doll, devastatingly adorable.

“What a beautiful little girl.”

Zhao Linglong praised from the bottom of her heart.

“Congratulations. The Sixth Peak has secured yet another exceptional seedling. During the next Seven Peaks Grand Competition, I fear the Sixth Peak will easily seize the crown.”

Dugu Qingxiao chuckled, offering a courteous martial salute.

Hearing his praise, Ziyan covered her mouth and giggled, an unintentional hint of intoxicating charm dancing in her eyes.

“Buyu, quickly greet Senior Brother Qingxiao and Senior Sister Linglong.”

Ziyan gently patted the young girl’s shoulder.

“Buyu greets Senior Brother Qingxiao. Buyu greets Senior Sister Linglong.”

The little girl offered a clumsy, adorable bow.

“There is no need for such formalities.”

Dugu Qingxiao smiled warmly.

Zhao Linglong then turned to Xu Taiping, playfully patting the boy’s head.

“Taiping, hurry up and greet Senior Sister Ziyan of the Sixth Peak and your future little Junior Sister. Among the Seven Peaks, the Sixth Peak is by far the wealthiest! You’d do well to butter her up.”

“Taiping greets Senior Sister Ziyan. Taiping greets little sister Buyu.”

Though still somewhat bewildered by the dizzying heights, Xu Taiping respectfully bowed toward the jade gourd.

“There is no need for such politeness. Once you become a formal disciple of the Seventh Peak, this Senior Sister will gift you a Foundation Nurturing Pill.”

Ziyan smiled brightly.

“Well? What are you waiting for? Thank Senior Sister Ziyan!”

Seeing Taiping freeze in a daze, Zhao Linglong hurriedly pushed his head down in a bow.

“T-Thank you, Senior Sister Ziyan.”

Xu Taiping murmured his thanks, still feeling utterly out of his depth.

“Senior Brother Qingxiao, are you heading to the Dragon Gate Hall next?”

Ziyan smoothly changed the subject.

“Indeed. Before taking Taiping up to the Seventh Peak, we must first visit the Dragon Gate Hall to assess his Spirit Bone.”

Dugu Qingxiao nodded.

“Then I shall accompany you, Senior Brother Qingxiao.”

Ziyan directed her flying artifact to glide alongside their immortal crane.

“Let us travel together, then.”

Dugu Qingxiao agreed.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Senior Sister Ziyan, why don’t you hop onto the crane and share a ride with my Senior Brother? I can take little Buyu Sword Riding instead!”

Zhao Linglong teased, a wicked grin plastered across her face.

“Zhao Linglong, are you begging for a beating?!”

Ziyan’s cheeks flushed a furious crimson as she shot back a coquettish glare.

“Keep spewing nonsense, and see if I don’t kick you off this bird myself.”

Dugu Qingxiao shot his mischievously grinning Junior Sister a withering look.

“I wouldn’t dare! I wouldn’t dare!”

Zhao Linglong clung to Xu Taiping’s shoulders, laughing as she dramatically begged for mercy.

Caught in her embrace, Xu Taiping’s face burned hot. Growing up as an impoverished orphan, this was the first time in his life an unfamiliar girl had ever hugged him.

However, piercing through his adolescent embarrassment was the weight of Dugu Qingxiao’s earlier words—’first visit the Dragon Gate Hall to assess his Spirit Bone.’

“Senior Brother Qingxiao, why do we need to test my Spirit Bone?”

Xu Taiping couldn’t hold back his curiosity.

“Though you were personally chosen by the Spirit Bone Stele and are exempt from the standard entrance trials, we still must determine the specific elemental affinity and grade of your Spirit Bone. Understanding its nature is vital for your future cultivation.”

Dugu Qingxiao explained patiently.

“Little Taiping, you probably don’t know this yet. In the cultivation world, simply possessing a Spirit Bone opens the door to the Dao, but not all Spirit Bones are created equal. They are divided by both element and grade!”

Zhao Linglong hooked an arm around his neck, raising her free hand to tick off her fingers.

“In terms of elemental affinity, the most common are the Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Beyond those lie the rare, mutated affinities like Ice, Thunder, and Wind.”

“As for the grades, there are four in total: Purple, Gold, Mysterious, and White. The Purple Spirit Bone is the absolute rarest, often revered as the Heavenly Spirit Bone. Conversely, the White Spirit Bone is the most useless.”

Hearing this breakdown, the fog in Xu Taiping’s mind instantly cleared.

“Why is the White Spirit Bone considered the most useless?”

He asked, blinking in pure curiosity.