"Was today really a day of good fortune?" Li Xun wondered groggily.
Just before he lost consciousness, two things flashed through his mind — the newly acquired Netherworld Record and the Bi Yin Pill.
"What if the master finds out…?" With that final thread of worry, his thoughts sank into silence. He had no idea how much time passed before a sliver of white light suddenly pierced the darkness, shining down from some unknown place and lighting up his spiritual consciousness, pure and luminous.
Vaguely, he felt something pass through his heart — yet when he tried to grasp it, he found only emptiness.
It was like stumbling across ancient stone carvings in the dark, and after struggling to strike a spark to see them… discovering they'd long since been worn away. Only a few broken fragments remained — just enough to prove they had once existed.
And perhaps that made it worse. With those fragments came flickers of something almost familiar — a vague impression, or a face that felt known yet utterly alien. They stirred strange feelings within him, and yet, no matter how he chased the memory, there was never a thread to follow. After a while, the weight on his chest made it hard to breathe.
Suddenly, a crack of sound burst in his mind. His body jerked, and he snapped awake. In that final instant before consciousness returned, a flash of crimson — a blood-red figure accompanied by the faint sound of bells — streaked through his mind and shattered into countless shards, vanishing without a trace.
Li Xun shouted and sprang upright — only to find night had fully fallen, and he was still by the waterside.
But something felt off.
He looked up — and saw two figures watching him with eyes that held a trace of… pity.
"Master Qingyin… Master Qingxu!"
Of all people, the moment he awoke, he saw the one whom he'd once cursed as the source of his seven years of suffering. And yet, after all that time, his appearances hadn't changed at all. The sight struck him like a bolt of memory — face and figure instantly overlapping with what he'd held in his heart.
He froze, stunned.
Neither Qingyin nor Qingxu seemed surprised by his reaction. Qingyin remained her usual calm, distant self, while Qingxu's gaze held a faint, complex trace of sympathy.
In the end, it was Qingxu who spoke first:"Li Xun…"
"Disciple is here," he replied reflexively.
"It was I who first set you on that path of seven years of hardship. I never expected you'd willingly endure such trials — seven years without rest, climbing those perilous 270,000 miles of mountain. When I learned of it, I must admit, I felt a measure of comfort."
A strange feeling stirred in Li Xun's chest. He didn't dare reply, only stood there murmuring vague sounds of assent.
Qingxu could guess what he was thinking, but after what had just happened, his own mood had shifted as well — he found he didn't mind too much.
Besides, Li Xun was now officially a disciple of the sect. There would be time enough in the future to mend relationships — no need to dwell on such things now.
"Since you're now a member of the sect," Qingxu continued. "Come with me down the mountain. And wait at the Hall of Beginnings. It won't be long before I introduce you to a worthy master."
Li Xun quickly bowed in gratitude. No matter what he truly felt, his "kowtowing technique" was now polished to near perfection. Even as his forehead touched the ground, he couldn't tell if the thanks he offered was sincere or not.
But just then, he heard Qingxu let out a faint, indistinct sigh.
Li Xun suddenly remembered the Sitting Forgetfulness Stone and its mysterious effects. Unable to hold back, he asked, "Master, forgive my ignorance — what exactly happened to me just now, when Master Qingyin used the Sitting Forgetfulness Stone?"
At this, Qingyin and Qingxu exchanged a look. Their expressions grew subtly strange. In the end, it was Qingxu who replied, "See for yourself."
He swept his sleeve, gathering some nearby water, then cast a spell that transformed it into a mirrored surface, placing it in Li Xun's hands.
With another spell, he lit up the surroundings and said, "Look at your forehead."
Li Xun peered into the mirror and saw only pale skin — nothing unusual.
Qingyin chuckled nearby. "Ah, we forgot — you've yet to learn the Eye of Spirit. First, learn this technique…"
She taught him a relatively simple method for directing energy to his eyes, showing him how to open a specific ocular meridian.
After some practice, once he'd fully grasped the technique and activated it, his vision shifted.
Following her instructions, he examined the fine lines of his forehead again. After a few breaths, he noticed something different — a strange texture, the color subtly distinct.
Then, all at once, a bizarre image surfaced from his forehead.
It was a swirling cloud of blood-red qi, without any defined shape — just a mass roiling within a fixed area of his brow, expanding and contracting at random. It looked… ominous.
"This is…" Li Xun was too shocked to finish the sentence.
Qingxu slowly shook his head and sighed. "That's the Mark of Solitary Calamity.
"A hundred years ago, during the 49th heavenly tribulation, countless cultivators in the Tongxuan Realm had their souls scattered and spirits destroyed. A rare few managed to preserve their spiritual consciousness, allowing them to reincarnate and pursue the Great Dao anew."But the less fortunate — their spirits were completely annihilated, never to reincarnate again. You… may be one of those few reincarnated souls."
Li Xun stared, dumbstruck, before finally asking, "So this is the result… the Mark of Solitary Calamity?"
Qingxu nodded. "It's not that simple. Although reincarnated souls start out clouded and unaware, once they embark on the path of cultivation and open their spiritual apertures, they regain the memories of their past life—and from there, the path to the Dao becomes clear.
"But there are also those whose three lives were extinguished, whose souls were denied the cycle of reincarnation… who by all rights should have been scattered to the wind."
"…However," Qingxu continued, "perhaps it was some rare celestial treasure that shielded your soul, allowing it to be 'cleansed' before reincarnation. In that case, all ties to your past three lives would be severed — and your present body would be the only one that matters. That… is what marks the Mark of Solitary Calamity. Such cases are one in ten million."
Li Xun stood there, stunned once more, unable to speak.
Qingxu smiled gently. "Still, you need not overly worry about this. Whether it is a curse or a blessing remains to be seen. If you can face it with a calm heart, then it may well turn out to be great fortune. You see, the so-called Mark of Solitary Calamity comes with no karmic entanglements — it allows for rapid progress on the path of cultivation.
"But when the time comes to ascend, that path will be perilous. Great risk and great reward — you must be prepared."
Li Xun bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Master, for your guidance."
Qingxu nodded, then turned to Qingyin. "Junior Sister, I'll take him down the mountain now. Do you have anything else to say?"
Qingyin gave a soft smile and shook her head. When she looked at Li Xun again, her gaze had returned to its usual calm, untouched-by-the-world indifference. Under that look, Li Xun felt uneasy. He found himself missing the brief moment earlier — when she had been explaining things to him in detail, patiently, almost warmly.
Just then, Qingyin seemed to pause in thought. "Senior Brother," she said, "do you think his aptitude is somewhat similar to Lin Ge and Ming Ji?"
Qingxu was taken aback. He examined Li Xun more closely. After a long moment, he finally said, "His mind is sharp, and he thinks quickly, yet he has a resilient spirit… indeed, there are some similarities. Junior Sister, do you mean…?"
"Our sect's Four Arts and Three Secrets — all have long lines of inheritance. All except that one. For centuries, only Lin Ge and Ming Ji have carried it forward. And ever since… that incident… one more worthy successor would be a blessing."
Qingxu nodded repeatedly. Then he laughed, "I used to think you never paid attention to sect matters. But now I see — you've been watching all along. If Senior Brother the Sect Leader hears of this, he'll be deeply pleased. This is a fine suggestion. When we return, I'll report it at once. I believe things will naturally fall into place."
Qingyin gave a faint smile, then looked at Li Xun. "Do you know what we've been discussing?"
Li Xun didn't try to act clever — he simply replied honestly, "The two masters are discussing which cultivation method suits this disciple best."
Qingyin's calm voice was like a thread of wind entering his ear. "Good. Then remember, when you return to Qiyuan Hall, read carefully: The Supreme Resonance, The True Scripture of Luminous Jade, Heaven's Reach into the Azure Vault…" She listed more than ten titles, which she asked him to memorize.
Li Xun's memory was sharp. He had her repeat the list once more, then remembered them all. He didn't dare ask further, only promised with all sincerity to study them diligently.
Qingxu, stroking his beard nearby, smiled. When Qingyin finally finished her instructions, he said, "It seems, Junior Sister, that your understanding of the Lingxi Art has already reached an impressive depth!"
The Lingxi Art!?
Li Xun felt a thunderclap in his mind. Joy surged through his chest. Could it be? The thing he had long pursued — could it be falling into his lap today, with no effort at all?
His emotions surged, but the discipline of seven years of hardship had ingrained itself deep within him. Instinctively, he used his breath to regulate his state, calming his body and mind, bowing to listen attentively.
"Of all the sect's Four Methods and Three Secrets," Qingxu explained, "Lingxi is the most difficult to enter. Among our second-generation disciples, only Ge'er and Ming Ji were able to receive it. In recent years, Ge'er has struggled with inner demons and regressed in cultivation. Only Ming Ji has remained steadfast and shown steady progress.
"But she alone cannot carry the lineage forward. If you are truly fated with this method, it will save us much effort."
Li Xun murmured his assent, but inwardly he was shouting, Teach me! Pass it on! Quickly — give it to me now!