"When the seal unraveled, it happened to be during that genius disciple's Nascent Soul Lightning Tribulation. With his dao heart unsteady, he failed the tribulation and was gravely injured. His path to immortality was nearly ruined, and even Ming Jia Zūnzhě was alarmed."
As she spoke, Hao Yan Zūnzhě shook her head with regret.
Yunxi's curiosity only grew. She asked directly, "Zūnzhě, what became of that genius disciple in the end? How gifted was he, exactly? And was the woman he could not forget truly so remarkable that even after her death she could still tug at a cultivator's heart?"
Hao Yan Zūnzhě replied coolly, "That disciple sought the reincarnation of the woman he loved. In the end, he switched to cultivating the Ghost Dao and left Mingjian Gate. His talent was on par with yours. At fifty, he was already attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. If not for that accident, he should have formed his Yuányīng smoothly and become a leading figure of Mingjian Gate's new generation. Fate can be cruel.
As for what kind of woman his beloved was, I never met her, so I dare not judge. But for her to linger in his thoughts so deeply, she was likely an exceptional person."
Yunxi also felt it was a pity and sighed, "That is why one should not meet someone too dazzling in youth, or else everyone one meets afterward will seem mediocre."
Hearing Yunxi's words, a trace of realization flashed in Hao Yan Zūnzhě's eyes, along with a hint of curiosity. She teased with a smile, "Ran Xi, I didn't expect someone so young to have such insights."
Yunxi chuckled, taking it as a compliment from Hao Yan Zūnzhě.
Before crossing over, she had been an ordinary person, born in an age of information overload. Even without living through such emotions herself, she had heard and seen enough. Insights came easily.
Yunxi's apricot eyes turned, and she said to Hao Yan Zūnzhě, "Zūnzhě, doesn't the way Mingjian Gate lost that genius disciple feel familiar? It seems more like someone deliberately set him up, trapping him in love so he would exile himself, and Mingjian Gate would lose a top talent."
Hao Yan Zūnzhě rubbed the string of beads on her wrist and smiled, "None of us thought of that angle at first. But ever since you raised the possibility, our sect did uncover some interesting clues. I believe Mingjian Gate found the same.
That is why this matter became Mingjian Gate's unspoken pain. They failed to cherish and protect their disciple, and in the end they lost him."
Yunxi nodded in agreement. A veteran Divine Transformation cultivator like Hao Yan Zūnzhě naturally had the means. Otherwise, a hundred years ago, they could not have joined forces to cleanse the Weiyu realm of evil cultivators and restore clarity to the cultivation world.
Only now, with support from certain powers, evil cultivators showed signs of resurgence. The task of opposing them would fall to their generation.
"Zūnzhě, since the cause is known, will Mingjian Gate tell that genius disciple the truth?"
Hao Yan Zūnzhě shook her head. "I do not know. But it will be difficult. So much time has passed. It may be impossible to find him again."
Yunxi felt it was a pity. Such a promising seedling had fallen like a meteor. The methods of evil cultivators were truly insidious.
"Zūnzhě, if that's the case, why does Mingjian Gate still have disciples undergo the Love Tribulation?"
"Many of Mingjian Gate's cultivators walk the Ruthless Dao. Naturally, they must cross that threshold. But they learned from the last incident. After a disciple returns from the Love Tribulation, they let the disciple choose whether to seal that memory or keep it.
Even if the tribulation fails, they no longer force a memory seal. They simply have the disciple learn to let go. If one year is not enough, then ten. If ten are not enough, then a hundred. Time may not heal the wound, but it can scab it over. When the heart finally clears, then the tribulation can be considered truly overcome."
Old memories flickered through Hao Yan Zūnzhě's mind. Talking with the little girl today had stirred up certain recollections.
Sensing the heaviness in the air, Yunxi felt that Hao Yan Zūnzhě was a woman with stories. She blinked and carefully asked, "Zūnzhě, have you also entered the mortal world to temper yourself?"
Hao Yan Zūnzhě nodded. "Of course. Cultivation is not only the accumulation of power. It is also the comprehension of all things under heaven. Grasp the laws of the world, and in a moment of realization you may ascend in broad daylight. Entering the world is one method. Your master did the same back then. After returning, he broke through to late Nascent Soul."
Saying this, Hao Yan Zūnzhě suddenly gave Yunxi a once-over and said, "With your current cultivation, you should also enter the world and train for a time. I heard from Yu Ling that you can already construct a domain. At your age, I did not have such strength."
"Zūnzhě overpraises me. After the Five Region Grand Tournament, Ran Xi will bring it up with Master."
"There is no need to rush. Right now, you are a thorn in the side of evil cultivators. Better to keep your movements concealed."
Yunxi nodded in agreement. Her curiosity finally got the better of her, and she whispered, "Zūnzhě, do you know what Master experienced in the mortal world?"
Hao Yan Zūnzhě's phoenix eyes turned, amused. "What, you're curious? Why not ask him yourself? Yu Ling is your master."
Yunxi rubbed her nose. "Zūnzhě, I simply cannot picture Master undergoing a Love Tribulation."
Hao Yan Zūnzhě laughed. "Nor can I. Our Haoran Sect disciples do not enter the world to face a Love Tribulation. We go to experience mortal life. We live a short human lifetime with a mortal body, witness the hundred facets of the human world, birth and death, and let our dao hearts settle."
Yunxi understood. It was like going down to the grassroots to experience life, then firming one's heart for cultivation. She understood the pattern. If one feasted on delicacies every day, a bowl of plain porridge now and then was refreshing. But if it were every day, even an immortal would grow weary.
She had truly felt this before. When she was thrown into the mortal world last time, the surrounding spiritual energy was so thin as to be almost nonexistent. It suffocated her. Every cell screamed to return. Thankfully, Xianling Grass came through for her; otherwise, she doubted she could have returned to the sect intact.
Once Yunxi confirmed that Haoran Sect's worldly training differed from Mingjian Gate's, she relaxed. She was not fond of romance and did not have a love-addled brain. To die for love or abandon a lifetime of cultivation for it, she knew she could not do it.
Hao Qing Zūnzhě strolled into the cabin. Seeing the two chatting happily, he asked casually,"What are you talking about?"
Yunxi rose at once to salute, then recounted her earlier conversation with Shi Jun Zhēnjūn. Hao Qing Zūnzhě burst out laughing. "Ran Xi, you really touched Mingjian Gate's sore spot. Shi Jun didn't draw his sword only because your cultivation is higher than his, hahaha!"
Hao Yan Zūnzhě shot Hao Qing Zūnzhě a glare. "Don't be so gloating. They were also ensnared by evil cultivators."
"Then they have only themselves to blame. They insist on going to the mortal world to find someone to accompany a Love Tribulation. Cultivation should follow the flow. They insisted on forcing it, and naturally it backfired.
Did they ever ask those chosen people whether they were willing to accompany them through such a trial? For all they know, those people's red threads are tied to someone else's wrist."
Hao Qing Zūnzhě truly disliked the methods of those Ruthless Dao cultivators at Mingjian Gate. It wasn't prejudice against the Ruthless Dao itself, only a distaste for that particular way of crossing the tribulation.