Mortal Bones

Chapter 7: Testing the Spirit Bone; Xu Taiping Misses the Seventh Peak

“Senior Brother Jin, I told you before. My Spirit Bone is by no means ordinary.”

The lavishly dressed youth opened his eyes. Upon seeing the transformation within the dragon pearl, his face flushed with unabashed smugness.

Xu Taiping observed this with tranquil indifference, his heart entirely devoid of envy or jealousy.

Beside him, Lin Buyu mirrored his stoicism.

“Little one, what is your name?”

The Black Dragon Elder asked the haughty youth as he withdrew the dragon pearl.

“I am the Ninth Prince of the Tianlang Kingdom, Ye Xuan. Since my youth, I—”

“Enough. Step aside.”

The Black Dragon Elder waved his hand, cutting the youth off. The elder clearly possessed little patience for such overbearing arrogance.

A flash of displeasure crossed Ye Xuan’s face, but he dared not voice his complaints. He slinked back to Jin Hezhi’s side, resentment simmering in his eyes.

“You. Come.”

The Black Dragon Elder pointed a clawed finger at Lin Buyu.

Lin Buyu offered a slight nod. With measured steps, she approached the elder and extended a small hand, resting it against the dragon pearl.

Watching this unfold, Ziyan of the Sixth Peak felt her breath catch in her throat.

Although the Spirit Bone Stele rarely made an error in judgment, the faintest possibility still lingered. The gulf in future cultivation achievements between a Golden Spirit Bone and a Mysterious Spirit Bone was as vast as heaven and earth, let alone the intricate disparities between specific elements.

It was impossible for Ziyan to maintain her composure.

Hum…

Another soft hum resonated through the hall. The dragon pearl in the Black Dragon Elder’s grasp flared with a brilliant golden radiance. Yet this time, the ethereal flames coiling around the orb fractured into a storm of violently crackling lightning.

“A Thunder Variant Bone! And it has reached the level of a Golden Spirit Bone!”

The sight stripped away Fairy Ziyan’s usual dignified reserve, forcing a gasp of sheer astonishment from her lips.

“Congratulations, Junior Sister Ziyan. A Golden Spirit Bone infused with the Thunder Variant has not graced our Qingxuan Sect in centuries.”

“Senior Sister Ziyan, the Sixth Peak has claimed an absolute treasure. You simply must treat us to a feast at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion to celebrate.”

Qingxiao and Linglong eagerly stepped forward, showering her with praise.

“Junior Sister Ziyan… congratulations.”

Jin Hezhi stepped forward as well, forcing the words through gritted teeth in a reluctant display of courtesy.

“Hahaha!”

The perpetually stern Black Dragon Elder suddenly threw his head back and unleashed a booming laugh, the sheer force of it trembling the foundations of the great hall.

“One Thunder, one Fire, and both boasting the majesty of the Golden Spirit Bone! The Qingxuan Sect’s resurgence is finally at hand!”

The Black Dragon Elder roared with delight.

Xu Taiping observed the spectacle, his inner calm mirroring an ancient, stagnant well. Only when Lin Buyu walked past him did he offer a soft, “Congratulations, Sister Buyu.”

Lin Buyu paused, turning her gaze toward him. She offered a slight nod. “Thank you.”

Neither was easily swayed by glory or humiliation, though Lin Buyu appeared even more detached from the mortal coil than he did.

“Little one, your turn.”

The Black Dragon Elder’s gravelly voice cut through the lingering echoes of his laughter.

Xu Taiping raised his head, meeting the elder’s slit-like, reptilian pupils that practically glowed with mounting anticipation.

Beside him, the relaxed posture of Qingxiao and Linglong vanished. Their shoulders tensed as their eyes snapped toward him.

“Understood.”

Holding the elder’s intense gaze, Xu Taiping gave a calm, singular nod.

Beneath the heavy weight of their collective stares, Xu Taiping pressed his palm against the surface of the dragon pearl and closed his eyes, plunging his mind into deep focus.

Hum…

A gentle, pervasive warmth seeped into his skin, slowly enveloping his entire body. Moments later, the smooth sphere beneath his palm began to shudder.

Xu Taiping opened his eyes. The once-translucent crystal of the dragon pearl had calcified into a sickly, pale white—the exact shade of a bleached beast carcass left to rot by the roadside.

Just as I thought.

Xu Taiping whispered to himself within his own mind.

His suspicions were confirmed. The Pill his grandfather had left him possessed enough mystical power to carve his name onto the Immortal Register, but it could never forge a true Spirit Bone within his mortal flesh.

“A… White Bone?”

Staring at the pallid, lifeless orb, Senior Sister Zhao Linglong’s eyes widened in profound disbelief.

Qingxiao stood mute beside her, but the rigid shock etched across his face mirrored her utter dismay.

“To think the Spirit Bone Stele would dredge up a piece of trash like a White Bone. It seems the fortune of your Seventh Peak remains as wretched as ever.”

Jin Hezhi of the First Peak barked out a cruel laugh, his voice dripping with venomous mockery.

“You—!”

“Junior Sister.”

Zhao Linglong lunged forward to retaliate, but Qingxiao firmly grabbed her arm, holding her back.

“Black Dragon Elder, might I request you test him once more?”

Qingxiao pleaded, bowing deeply to the imposing figure.

“Qingxiao, you know as well as anyone that this old man’s pearl does not err.”

The Black Dragon Elder withdrew the dragon pearl, his voice resonating with an absolute, crushing authority.

“Alas…”

Qingxiao’s shoulders slumped as he released a long, defeated sigh.

“Ziyan, Hezhi, escort the little ones up the mountain. Your business here is concluded.”

The Black Dragon Elder flicked his gaze toward Ziyan and Jin Hezhi.

“Black Dragon Elder, Junior Brother Qingxiao, Junior Sister Linglong—farewell.”

A victorious smirk plastered across his face, Jin Hezhi seized Ye Xuan by the hand and pivoted on his heel to leave.

“Senior Brother Jin, surely our Qingxuan Sect wouldn’t actually accept a White Bone?”

“The First Peak certainly has no use for such garbage.”

Their echoing voices drifted back from the grand archway, stoking a helpless, burning fury within the chests of Qingxiao and Linglong.

Sensing the volatile mood of her peers, Ziyan wisely chose silence. She offered a brief farewell and guided Lin Buyu away.

Once the hall had emptied of all but the three of them, the Black Dragon Elder reopened his eyes.

“A White Bone holds no qualifications to become a disciple of the Seventh Peak. You are left with two paths: remain at the foot of the mountain as an unregistered disciple to temper yourself for three years, whereupon you may challenge the Seventh Peak’s selection trials—or descend this mountain immediately and never return.”

He stared down at Xu Taiping, who remained rooted in absolute silence.

The ultimatum hung heavy in the air; a choice had to be made.

“Taiping…”

“Let the boy decide his own fate.”

Linglong leaned in, desperate to offer a word of counsel, but the Black Dragon Elder’s sharp rebuke cut her off.

Swallowing her words, Linglong wisely snapped her mouth shut and bowed her head.

“If I succeed in passing the Seventh Peak’s selection trial, will I still be permitted to join your ranks and become Junior Brother to you and Senior Brother Qingxiao?”

Rather than answering the imposing elder, Xu Taiping turned his tranquil gaze back to Qingxiao and Linglong.

“On that matter, I can offer my sworn guarantee on behalf of our Master. Should you survive the trials and pass the selection, the gates of the Seventh Peak will forever remain open to you.”

Qingxiao spoke, his features set in stone-like solemnity.

A heavy knot of guilt twisted in his gut for his failure to bring the boy safely up the mountain.

“Taiping, passing the selection would be a miracle, but the path is overwhelmingly arduous.”

Linglong shook her head, her face etched with profound worry.

Xu Taiping offered Linglong a soft, reassuring smile before turning back to the Black Dragon Elder.

“Elder, I wish to remain at the foot of the mountain. I will endure the three years of tempering.”

To surrender now would be to betray the solemn vow he had made to his grandfather. And Xu Taiping did not break his promises.

Noting the unwavering resolve in the boy’s eyes, the Black Dragon Elder gave an indifferent nod. With a flick of his wrist, he produced a smooth jade slip and tossed it to Xu Taiping.

“Take this jade slip. A guide will escort you to your quarters at the mountain’s base and outline the strict tenets you are now bound to obey.”

“Thank you, Elder.”

Xu Taiping caught the jade slip, gripping it tightly.

“Black Dragon Elder, I was the one who ushered this child up the mountain steps. Please allow me the honor of escorting him down and arranging his affairs.”

Linglong stepped forward, bowing deeply as she made her plea.

“Disciples of the Seventh Peak are strictly forbidden from descending the mountain on a whim, nor are they permitted to interfere with the mortal dregs below. However… seeing as you served as his initial guide, I shall grant an exception just this once.”

The Black Dragon Elder stroked his chin in brief contemplation before dipping his head in a slow, tacit nod of approval.

“Thank you, Black Dragon Elder!”

A radiant, overjoyed smile bloomed across Linglong’s face.

“You are allotted no more than two hours at the mountain’s base. And do not attempt to play the fool. The inner workings of the Seventh Peak may fall beyond my jurisdiction, but nothing below it escapes my omniscient gaze—not even the snapping of a single blade of grass.”

The Black Dragon Elder issued his chilling warning to Zhao Linglong.

“Worry not, Elder! I swear upon my Dao, I won’t step a single toe out of line.”

Caught perfectly in her underlying scheming, Linglong cheekily stuck out her tongue, her eyes curving into innocent crescents as she made her dubious promise.

…

Moments later.

Before the towering pillars of the Dragon Gate Hall.

“Junior Sister, I must make haste and report this incident directly to our Master. I leave Taiping entirely in your capable hands. Ensure everything is secured for him, for descending the mountain to check on him in the future will prove to be exceptionally difficult.”

Qingxiao firmly instructed Linglong.

“Rest easy, Senior Brother. I will see to every last detail.”

Linglong promised, thumping her chest with confidence.

Qingxiao nodded. With a powerful leap, he bounded into the open sky, a jade flute manifesting beneath his feet. In the blink of an eye, he tore across the heavens, streaking away like a brilliant comet.

“Come along, Taiping. We’ll head straight for the registry. Once your name is down, I’ll secure a prime spot at the foot of the mountain—a place where you can comfortably earn your merit and focus on your cultivation.”

Linglong beamed, affectionately clapping Taiping on the shoulder.

“Earn merit?”

The foreign concept furrowed Xu Taiping’s brow.

“Precisely.”

Linglong released a heavy breath before launching into her explanation.

“The outer sect disciples languishing at the foot of the Qingxuan Sect are required to accumulate merit year after year. It is a brutal system. Fail to meet your quota, and you will be unceremoniously cast out of the mountain forever.”

“And how does one go about earning this merit?”

Xu Taiping inquired, his tone completely pragmatic.

“Upon formal registration, every outer sect disciple is assigned a modest courtyard along with several acres of immortal fields or medicinal gardens. You can raise spiritual livestock within your courtyard, or cultivate immortal grain and herbs out in the fields. Once the harvest matures, you exchange your yield for merit coins.”

Linglong meticulously broke down the logistics for him.

“Thank you, Senior Sister Linglong. I understand perfectly. These merit coins serve as the silver and copper of the cultivation world.”

Xu Taiping nodded, swiftly digesting the information.

“That is a flawless comparison.”

Linglong smiled brightly. Grabbing Xu Taiping firmly by the hand, she led the way forward.

“Let us be off, Taiping. Our first stop is the West Wind Pavilion to make it official. Then, we hunt for an assignment perfectly suited to your talents.”