Examination

Across the sheer cliff of ten thousand fathoms, the wind howled past. As the voice faded, the tense, stagnant atmosphere instantly loosened. The Eldest Young Master had actually rushed back from Guyuan. With the Eldest Young Master's order, there was naturally no need for those present to keep playing house with the Third Young Master here. Of the four figures standing in midair, three vanished in an instant, leaving only the woman named Ying'er still poised where she stood. After a moment of silence, Xu Ying'er stared at the blood-red figure standing at the cave entrance and spoke softly once more: "Third Young Master, please come with me. The Eldest Young Master is waiting for you at the mountain summit." "..." Xu Yuan did not rush to lower the hand touching his throat. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on the figure suspended in the air and called out softly, "Mr. Ran, you may go." "..." Hearing his voice, Ran Qingmo walked out of the cave abode step by step, holding her sword in silence as she took her place beside him. The sudden sunlight outside the cave was a bit hard on her eyes. She closed them, then opened them. Beneath Xuantian Cliff, amidst the brilliant sunlight, the sea of clouds rolled with the wind. The vastness of heaven and earth seemed endless, yet she could see him clearly standing at her side. Her lovely eyes lowered slightly, and she said softly, "I'm leaving." "Mm. Take care." Xu Yuan glanced sideways at her, his voice very calm. "What I said before still stands. If you change your mind, you can find me in Jingjiang City." He was referring to the proposal for cooperation he had made to her back in the Buddhist hall. Her red lips parted slightly. After several seconds of silence, she merely nodded gently. "Okay." With those words, Ran Qingmo turned around. Invisible Ice Cloud Steps condensed beneath her feet, and she stepped lightly onto them. "Oh, right." The sudden voice behind her made her pause. Looking at her slender back, Xu Yuan said softly, "My name is Xu Yuan." "..." Ran Qingmo looked back at the man behind her, a hint of surprise in her eyes. With a smile in his eyes, Xu Yuan repeated, "I said, my name is Xu Yuan." "..." Her laconic reply was just like when they had first met: "...Mm. Okay. I'll remember." Clad in ink-black robes, she departed. With a few bounds across the sky, she quickly turned into a tiny black speck and vanished beyond the horizon. Only after watching her disappear entirely did Xu Yuan slowly lower his hand from his throat. Now, his debt of gratitude to Ran Qingmo had been repaid. Turning back to Ying'er, who hovered in midair, Xu Yuan instructed flatly, "Take me up." The clouds before his eyes rolled continually past until the view suddenly opened up, revealing a clear azure sky. In a blur of motion, the masked Ying'er had brought Xu Yuan back up to Xuantian Cliff. About to meet Xu Changge, his mind was actually fairly calm. After all, he had now inherited the original host's memories, and with the tempering of the Blood Yuan Heart Calamity Art, his identity as Xu Changtian was rock-solid. After bringing Xu Yuan up, Ying'er didn't say another word, simply striding forward on her own. Looking past her back, Xu Yuan's dark pupils suddenly shrank to pinpricks. Atop this mountain summit, he actually saw another colossal Seven-Life Python head. The reason he thought "another" was that unlike Ji Qingyue's, the seven lotuses atop this Seven-Life Python's head were already in full bloom, and a massive, dark-green horn protruded from its crown. Xu Yuan stared at it for a long while before thoroughly confirming the python head's identity. Well, another female lead chopped down by Xu Changge. Judging from its features, this head belonged to Ji Qingyue's older sister, Ji Fenghua. The plot of Cangyuan had only just begun, and the sister princesses of the snake demon clan inside Guyuan had been completely wiped out. The "Xu Xian" storyline he had once played through in Cangyuan was totally gone now. However, that bantering thought only flashed through his mind for an instant before he realized the gravity of the situation. The outright deaths of two major female leads indicated that the butterfly effect he brought about had already sent the storyline of Cangyuan spiraling out of control. The future was beginning to grow unpredictable. Taking a deep breath to calm his mind, Xu Yuan's gaze moved once more. Ultimately, his eyes naturally fell upon a handsome man. Xu Changge. He sat quietly beneath the giant python head of Ji Fenghua. Dressed in azure robes with dark, clouded embroidery on his sleeves, his skin bore a faint, flowing luster. His deep eyes were profound as a cold pool, and the long hair behind him swayed gently in the mountain summit's breeze. Just sitting there, he evoked a sense of unworthiness in others. It was as if some people were born like the bright moon in the night sky—gentle without being blinding, yet making all who looked upon it acutely aware of their own insignificance. Yet none of that mattered to Xu Yuan right now. What mattered was: why was such a man holding a long, thick rattan cane in his hand? Connecting this to the memories in his mind, an ominous premonition welled up in Xu Yuan's heart. He immediately shouted in the original host's tone, "Xu Changge, I'm warning you—" Crack! Before Xu Yuan's words could finish, the man across from him narrowed his eyes, and the rattan cane in his hand whipped toward Xu Yuan like a coiling serpent. "..." Xu Yuan. Damn it, what kind of elder brother is this? I'm twenty years old and he's still pulling this violent discipline crap? Xu Yuan hurriedly circulated his cultivation art, channeling Source Qi into his eyes to barely catch the trajectory of the whipping cane. He dodged to the side. Crack! The cane struck the ground beside him, instantly throwing up a puff of dust. As the rattan cane snapped back, Xu Yuan actually saw a deep furrow left in the rock. Looking back, Xu Yuan cursed loudly, "Xu Changge, you're actually serious?!" Crack! Xu Changge calmly lashed out a second time, his voice gentle and smooth. "If you think it's serious, then serious it shall be." This time, the cane was even faster, and Xu Yuan had to exert every ounce of effort to dodge it. And this time, the whip strike actually shattered a small rock near the cliff's edge. Seeing this, Xu Yuan grew genuinely furious. He opened his mouth, ready to curse again, but Xu Changge's third lash was already on its way. Xu Yuan took a deep breath. His intent-soul expanded outward, and wisps of crimson Source Qi welled up from his hands, catching the incoming rattan cane right out of the air. The moment that wisp of bleeding-red Source Qi appeared, Xu Changge's slender eyes narrowed into slits. As the crimson Source Qi surged from Xu Yuan's hands, a plume of blood-colored flame ignited along the cane. The blood flames surged up the cane, rushing straight toward Xu Changge at the other end! Yet Xu Changge remained seated where he was, quietly watching the blood-red fire reach the end and letting the eerie flame dance in his palm. Gazing at the flame, a flicker of surprise passed through Xu Changge's deep eyes. With a casual pinch of his fingers, the flame dissipated in an instant. "A fine cultivation art." Xu Yuan parted his lips, about to say something, but before the words could leave his mouth, Xu Changge stood up and waved his sleeve toward him. In an instant, gales erupted out of nowhere from every direction. Xu Yuan's body was swept along like a lone skiff caught in a maritime tempest, flying uncontrollably toward Xu Changge. In the end, he was left suspended in the air two meters away from Xu Changge. Xu Changge stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at him with an even expression. Xu Yuan struggled, trying to speak, only to discover that Xu Changge had suppressed him so completely that he could not move even a single finger. Silence. A locked gaze. After a long while, Xu Yuan yielded to self-preservation and averted his eyes. He had a faint feeling that if he kept staring him down, this elder brother of his was going to string him up and beat him. As Xu Yuan's thoughts drifted, Xu Changge also shifted his gaze. Turning to Juexing beside him, he said softly, "Master Juexing, please trouble yourself to examine Changtian's body." Hearing the name Juexing, Xu Yuan's wandering thoughts snapped back, and his heart gave a sudden jolt. The monk Juexing was one of the few cultivators capable of detecting any mismatch between an intent-soul and a body. Xu Changge called it an examination of his body, but he was actually doubting his identity. Why? Was it because of his cultivation art? Or because he had threatened his own life? Yet in his memories, the original host had pulled absurd stunts like threatening suicide before as well. Before he had time to think further, a bald monk with a kindly expression walked slowly up to the suspended Xu Yuan. Bowing slightly, he pressed his palms together toward Xu Yuan in greeting. "Third Young Master, forgive this poor monk the offense." Raising a hand slightly, an inexplicable stream of Source Qi breached Xu Yuan's body from across the air. This Source Qi did not travel along his meridians; instead, it moved through his body along an eerie path. Though he knew Juexing would most likely find nothing, to stay in character with the original host, Xu Yuan still began circulating his art to resist the intrusion of this Source Qi. Naturally, it was futile; the strange Source Qi continued to seep into his body regardless. For a time, silence fell over the mountain summit. As the peculiar Source Qi penetrated deeper into Xu Yuan's body, the expression on Juexing's face grew increasingly astonished. Watching Juexing's changing countenance, Xu Changge's eyes grew darker and darker. After quite a while, Juexing slowly took a step back and bowed apologetically to Xu Yuan once more. Turning to Xu Changge, Juexing seemed hesitant, as if wanting to speak but holding back. Xu Changge seemed prepared for the worst. Taking a deep breath, his voice was calm yet laced with a chilling edge: "Master Juexing, whatever you have discovered about Changtian, feel free to speak plainly." As he spoke, he cast a sideways glance at Xu Yuan in midair. Hearing the Eldest Young Master's tone, Juexing started slightly, then immediately realized his expression had caused a misunderstanding. He quickly said, "Eldest Young Master, the Third Young Master's body is unharmed. It's just..." Hearing that he was unharmed, it seemed as if a weight lifted from Xu Changge's heart. His eyes instantly smoothed into calm, and he asked: "Just what?" Juexing glanced sideways at Xu Yuan hanging in midair. After some deliberation, he said softly, "It's just that the Third Young Master, um..." Pausing for a long time, Juexing finally said with some hesitation, "The Third Young Master seems to... um, seems to have become an Innate Dao Body." "What?" Hearing "Innate Dao Body," the jade-like, courteous gentleman Xu Changge finally showed a look of astonishment. The next instant, Xu Yuan felt the pressure vanish from his body, and he plummeted straight downward. Before he could hit the ground, however, a gentle gust of wind caught him. Immediately after, an immense torrent of azure Source Qi flooded into his body. The familiar sensation of invasion returned; Xu Yuan didn't even care to resist anymore. Lately, it seemed like anyone he met could just send Source Qi into his body to take a couple of laps. A moment later, the azure Source Qi withdrew. Xu Changge took two steps back, staring intently as he looked Xu Yuan up and down. Having regained his freedom, Xu Yuan stiffened his neck and glared back at his elder brother, mimicking the original host's tone: "Xu Changge, what are you looking at? Once my cultivation catches up to yours, you're dead meat!" Hearing this, the corner of Xu Changge's thin lips twitched almost imperceptibly, as if suppressing a smile. In the end, he flicked his sleeve and let out a cold snort through his nose. "You, a good-for-nothing like you? "Get a bit of fortune and your tail curls right up into the heavens! All because of the disgraceful messes you made in Jingjiang City, Father had to mobilize such immense forces just to rescue you! "...Never mind, wasting words on you is pointless. Ying'er! Bring me my whip!"