Chapter Seven: In Debt to the Mystic Sect

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In the dead of night, when all was silent, strange cries from unknown creatures constantly echoed around him.

Shen Wan opened the cloth bundle slung over his shoulder, and took out all the hard objects left behind by the old immortal that hadn’t yet been burned. He secured every one of them to his body. Curling himself up, Shen Wan kept a wary eye on his surroundings.

In truth, Shen Wan was a man of courage—but that depended on where he was. This place, for instance, was utterly unfamiliar. Even on Earth, according to some obscure statistics, the most fearsome place in the world was a deep, uncharted forest. After all, the dangers there were always unknown.

What’s more, Shen Wan was well aware that in this place where ordinary mortals were nonexistent, he was, damn it, the weakest of all...

He grumbled inwardly. But on further reflection, since he was the weakest, what harm was there in being afraid? There was nothing shameful about it!

So he simply embraced his fear and let himself be openly afraid.

The night wind was bone-chilling. Whether from cold or fright, his teeth kept chattering uncontrollably. Glancing up at the pitch-black mountainside, he knew that was the direction of Owe Xuan Sect, as Lin Bufan had said.

“Damn it! An entire sect of immortals, are they really going to eat me alive?”

Gritting his teeth, Shen Wan decided to ascend the mountain.

But just then, a rustling came from the thicket behind him. A sharp shriek—“Oh my god!”—rang out.

Shen Wan didn’t dare turn his head. He broke into a run, dashing frantically toward the mountaintop.

He ran for a long time, like a headless chicken, until he found himself at the base of a massive archway.

The archway towered as high as a dozen-story building, and at its peak hung a gigantic plaque inlaid with three bold, golden characters:

“Owe Xuan Sect”

“So this is the sect the little immortal mentioned?” Shen Wan gazed up at the glowing words, which shone with golden light, clear as day even in the inky blackness.

On either side of the mountain gate stood four colossal stone pillars, each carved with monstrous, unrecognizable creatures. They were intimidating, but undeniably majestic.

Shen Wan cautiously scanned his surroundings. After all, Lin Bufan had told him that the Owe Xuan Sect’s mountain gate was protected by a barrier that would prevent any outsider from entering. He had no idea what form this barrier took, and as he imagined it, he could only think of hidden traps like those found in ancient tombs.

Whatever it was, he’d just have to be careful.

On high alert, Shen Wan picked up a stone and hurled it through the gate. The stone rolled far into the distance, but nothing happened—not for a long while.

He raised an eyebrow, then threw a few more stones. Still, dead silence.

“Damn, there’s nothing here. Got myself all worked up for nothing.”

Emboldened, he straightened his back and looked at the gate before him. Finally, he mustered the courage to step forward with his right foot.

Tap!

The moment his foot touched down, Shen Wan froze, instantly glancing to both sides of the grass.

Rustling—nothing else. No hidden weapons, no fearsome gatekeepers leaping out.

He exhaled in relief, then brought his left foot forward as well.

Now, Shen Wan was fully within the domain of the Owe Xuan Sect.

The night wind still howled. The grass still rustled ceaselessly.

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And yet, Shen Wan remained perfectly unscathed.

He stood in place for nearly two minutes; seeing nothing happen, he finally allowed himself to relax.

Setting off again, he was still cautious, though not quite as tense as before. He walked another dozen meters—still nothing.

“This is nonsense. Got myself worked up over nothing!”

Shen Wan complained inwardly, but at last, his heart was at ease.

Looking ahead, he saw a broad avenue paved with blue stone, so wide it could easily have been a dozen lanes across by earthly standards. Not only was the road wide, it seemed to stretch endlessly into the night.

Freed from his anxiety, Shen Wan strode forward more boldly, even humming a little tune.

Every few hundred meters along the road stood a small stone marker, each carved with strange, unreadable symbols.

“This is a lot like the highways and provincial roads back on Earth. Maybe they’re used to measure distance here too?”

The resemblance put him in a light-hearted mood, and his humming grew cheerier.

But after twenty minutes of walking, Shen Wan was starting to feel winded.

“Damn, why is this place so far?”

He cursed the wretched sect under his breath, but in the distance, he began to glimpse shadows that looked like buildings.

As he drew nearer, the outlines became clearer—four enormous stone beast statues.

Each statue had a human body and a beast’s head, though the heads differed. One resembled a snake with horns, another looked like a rhino but with a flowing mane, and the other two were unrecognizable to Shen Wan.

After another ten minutes, he finally reached the statues.

Looking up, Shen Wan was awestruck—they were truly gigantic. He wasn’t even as tall as one of their toes.

The four statues stood in pairs on either side, with a wide stone staircase in between. Luckily, the steps weren’t long—he could see the end from below, otherwise he might have cursed the heavens for real.

He had only intended to stay at the sect for a few nights; it would be a shame to collapse from exhaustion before even meeting anyone.

Ascending the steps, he reached a spacious plaza.

It was vast, and along its edges floated clusters of pale yellow flames, arranged in perfect order. Though the flames seemed faint, they illuminated the entire plaza.

Shen Wan massaged his aching thighs and looked around. The edge of the plaza connected to five smaller paths, each vanishing into darkness.

He smacked his lips thoughtfully.

“This must be a sports field, and the path straight ahead probably leads to the ‘main building.’ The ones on each side must go to the ‘library,’ ‘dorms,’ or something like that.”

Shen Wan felt his reasoning was sound. After all, a sect like this wasn’t much different from a school on Earth. If there were differences, it was probably more like a large monastery.

In any case, the central area was always for study and gathering; the sides were for rest and recreation.

Nodding, he tried to map the layout against a university campus back home. The left path should lead to the ‘dormitories.’ He didn’t know what they called them here, but the function was probably the same.

Trusting his instincts, he turned left and entered the nearest path.

It was called a side path, but it was still over three meters wide.

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The road was paved with blue stone, and every so often, a stone lantern stood to either side. The lanterns burned with a dim, green flame—like ghostly will-o’-the-wisps.

The eerie glow made Shen Wan nervous again. Since entering the sect, he hadn’t seen a single person. Was there really no nightlife in such a grand place?

His mind ran wild with speculation as he walked on.

Fortunately, the path wasn’t long. Soon, Shen Wan saw a different kind of light ahead, and buildings shaped like courtyards gradually came into view.

“See, it’s just like I thought.”

He snapped his fingers, feeling proud of his deduction.

But when he finally got close enough to see clearly, he was stunned.

“This isn’t a ‘main building’—this is a district of luxury villas!”

Shen Wan had seen ordinary villas before, but these...

He wasn’t sure if these counted as ultra-mansions, but to Shen Wan, they certainly did.

Rows of stand-alone courtyards with blue bricks and jade tiles were arranged artfully, each surrounded by vibrant, otherworldly flowers. Vines climbed the walls, their dew sparkling like jewels.

Crystal-clear streams wove between the courtyards, their surfaces scattered with multicolored leaves. From within the water, crisp insect songs could be heard, their melodies so pleasant Shen Wan fancied he could hear actual tunes.

Towering trees rose throughout the area, their straight trunks entwined with glowing blue vines. The vines wrapped tightly around the trunks, climbing up into the dense canopy above, where countless pink ribbons hung from the branches.

Looking closer, Shen Wan realized they were clusters of pink blossoms, each flower linked to the next, swaying gently in the breeze.

Petals drifted down from above, swirling gracefully in the air, yet not a single one touched the ground.

Within the courtyards, foliage was lush and dense. Trees of every color stood out boldly behind the walls, and glimpsed through their leaves, two-story buildings could be seen deep within, each one brightly lit.

Staring at the scene before him, Shen Wan’s lips trembled in awe.

This was no district for mere wealthy mortals—this was a paradise fit for immortals.

The more he looked, the more overwhelmed he felt. He longed to enter a courtyard and see what wonders lay within.

Drawn as if by some supernatural force, he found himself moving forward.

He stopped before the gate of the nearest residence.

Swallowing nervously, Shen Wan raised his hand and gently knocked the door ring.

Tap, tap, tap.

After several knocks, a clear, melodious female voice sounded from within.

“Who is it? Senior Sister Yuechan, is that you? I was just about to find you—the spirit liquid from Dongling Residence has already been purified.”

Her voice was so lovely that, in Shen Wan’s brief estimation, she must be a great beauty.

Just as he was eagerly awaiting the door to open, a shadow flashed behind him.

A hand clapped over his mouth and dragged him swiftly into the darkness at the edge of the courtyard.

The door opened, and as Shen Wan had guessed, an ethereal beauty stepped out.

She looked around, puzzled to see no one, then glanced about in confusion before murmuring quietly to herself and returning inside.

Of course, Shen Wan saw nothing of her appearance.

What he did see, however, was a pale face looming in the darkness before him.