Chapter 2: Well Played, Heavenly Dao!

Core Territory of the Qingxuan Sword Sect, Zhenling Peak

At this moment, all thirteen Grand Elders of the Qingxuan Sword Sect had gathered here. Using the secluded cultivation chamber of the Sect Master within Zhenling Peak as the formation’s core, they jointly activated the Heaven-Gazing Grand Formation.

As its name implied, the purpose of this formation was to glimpse the secrets of the heavens.

After the Sect Master’s previous three failed tribulations, she had attributed her failures to insufficient preparation, believing she had been unable to withstand the cleansing force of heavenly lightning.

In response, she dedicated herself to tireless cultivation, sharpening her strength day and night.

At the same time, the entire Qingxuan Sword Sect mobilized to gather heaven-grade materials and spiritual treasures to support her in facing the tribulation once more.

And yet…despite having prepared more thoroughly and perfectly than ever before, her fourth failure had been even more devastating. It was then that this peerlessly powerful Sect Master finally realized.

What blocked her path to ascension was not a lack of cultivation… nor the destructive might of the heavenly tribulation…

It was the shackles of the Heavenly Dao itself.

After a thousand years spent in the mortal realm and having endured countless trials set by the Heavenly Dao, there was likely only one final test remaining. Only by completing that last Heavenly Dao trial could she attain true perfection in the mortal realm and ascend as an immortal.

But the problem was… she could not divine the specific details of this final trial.

Had she not faintly grasped the rhythm of the world’s laws after that fourth tribulation, she might never have sensed that the Heavenly Dao had left a final trial upon her.

But now, Jiang Qinglian was certain.

And certainty meant that, through the Heaven-Gazing Formation, she could forcefully unveil the mystery of this final trial!

Come, then!

At the heart of the formation, Jiang Qinglian could feel the boundless spiritual energy being poured in by the thirteen Grand Elders of the Qingxuan Sword Sect like the East Sea pouring into a river.

With that power, she summoned sword intent strong enough to pierce through the laws of heaven and earth, preparing to tear open the heavens and see clearly the “shackles” the Heavenly Dao had placed upon her!

As Jiang Qinglian pushed the Heaven-Gazing Formation to its limit, the skies above Zhenling Peak underwent a dramatic shift. Dark clouds surged forth, and rolling heavenly might descended with thunderous roars, crashing down upon the peak…

But Jiang Qinglian felt no fear.

She stirred the World-Severing Sword Intent within her divine sea and thrust her hand toward the sky with a sudden, powerful motion.

“Break!”

With a thunderous shout that echoed through the heavens, an overwhelming surge of sword intent burst from her fingertip, piercing through the sky itself.

The layers of dark clouds gathered above Zhenling Peak were completely torn apart, forming a huge vortex.

Sunlight streamed through the gaping rift in the clouds and spilled down upon Zhenling Peak, illuminating Jiang Qinglian’s stern, elegant face and casting a glow upon the sacred lotus-shaped sigil at the middle of her brow.

And when Jiang Qinglian saw the line of golden text that was visible only to her….she knew it:

Her collaboration with the entire sect to pierce the heavens had succeeded.

The final shackle placed upon her by the Heavenly Dao… had now at last revealed itself before her eyes.

“Congratulations, Sect Master, for glimpsing the secrets of heaven!”

The thirteen Grand Elders of the Qingxuan Sword Sect stepped forward to offer their congratulations.

Most of these elders were women since the Qingxuan Sword Sect itself was a sect predominantly composed of female cultivators.

Jiang Qinglian was the most prominent female cultivator in all of the Great Li Dynasty and perhaps in all of Shenzhou.

Many of these elders had traveled from far and wide to join the Qingxuan Sword Sect out of admiration and reverence for her.

Now, after four failed ascension attempts, their peerless Sect Master had finally uncovered the last secret of the Heavenly Dao.

The entire sect was brimming with renewed morale.

“Sect Master, may we ask… what is the final trial the Heavenly Dao has left for you?”

“Surely it must be another great act of salvation! Just recently, the miasma returned in the southern borderlands. I imagine the Heavenly Dao wishes for Sect Master to once again rescue the people and leave behind another mortal legend before ascending.”

“Or perhaps it’s to cleanse the world of demons! The Sect Master still has unfinished enmity with the Demon Lord of the Southern Flames. I suspect the Heavenly Dao’s final task is for her to settle that grudge once and for all.”

In front of their Sect Master Jiang Qinglian, the thirteen Grand Elders of the sect seemed to revert to giddy young girls, quietly whispering and speculating about what kind of final trial the Heavenly Dao had set for their revered leader.

“Does it matter what the trial is?” Jiang Qinglian replied calmly, her voice cool and composed.

“There is nothing in all of Shenzhou… that I cannot accomplish.”

That simple statement, brimming with confidence bordering on dominance, felt entirely natural coming from her lips.

“The Sect Master speaks the truth!” The other elders echoed in agreement, voices full of admiration.

Whether it was cleansing the lands of poisonous miasma to save the masses or cutting down demonic overlords to restore peace to the world….such feats were mere trifles for the Sect Master of the number one sword sect in all of Shenzhou.

So what exactly was the final trial the Heavenly Dao had set for her?

Was it to rescue all living beings? Or to vanquish evil and bring justice to the land?

Put more plainly….where did she need to go? Whom did she need to save? Whom did she need to kill?

Whatever it was, she had already done it countless times in her long cultivation journey.

Just as she had declared moments ago. No matter what kind of trial the Heavenly Dao had prepared, in today’s world, there was nothing she couldn’t do and no one she couldn’t defeat.

With that absolute confidence, born of unparalleled strength, Jiang Qinglian finally saw the details of her final Heavenly Dao trial.

“Enter into a romantic relationship with the Qingxuan Sword Sect’s servant disciple Ning Qing without breaking up.”

…What in the hell?

In that moment, the Sect Master of the number one sword sect who had lived for over a thousand years and experienced all the world had to offer….completely froze.

Her mind, for several long seconds, went totally blank.

But no matter how many times the Sect Master compared it, the final Heavenly Dao trial still boiled down to just one thing:

“Enter into a romantic relationship”.

“Enter into a romantic relationship without breaking up”.

At that moment, Jiang Qinglian was completely lost.

In the thousands of years she had spent cultivating the Dao, she had practiced a path focused on severing worldly ties and extinguishing human desire.

As a result, she had never once engaged in anything remotely romantic. Not even the slightest brush with male affection.

Even though many male cultivators of the same rank, powerful True Lords in their own right, had harbored feelings of admiration toward her…

Jiang Qinglian had always dismissed them with one line:

“I seek immortality. Men only get in the way.”

And now, with the path to ascension finally within reach…

The Heavenly Dao’s final trial was to have her enter a romantic relationship?

And not even with someone renowned or powerful…but with a completely unknown servant disciple?

She would’ve preferred being told to slaughter every last demon lord in the world!

At least demon-slaying was familiar, straightforward and would bring even more glory to the Qingxuan Sword Sect.

But this trial?

Was it meant to broadcast to the world that the Sect Master of Qingxuan Sword Sect had become a cougar chasing after a tender young disciple?

To turn her into a laughingstock among the cultivators of Shenzhou?

You damn Heavenly Dao….are you messing with me?!

Jiang Qinglian’s expression darkened, flickering between disbelief and anger.

The thirteen Grand Elders nearby saw the terrifying change in her face and quickly stepped forward, full of concern.

“Sect Master, is the final trial too harsh?”

“No matter how harsh it is, you need not fear! Everyone in the Qingxuan Sword Sect stands ready at your command! As long as it helps you complete the trial, we’re willing to go through fire and water for you!”

“That’s right, Sect Master! No matter what kind of Heavenly Dao trial it is, we’ll give you our full support!”

Looking at the faces of these thirteen Grand Elders, so full of righteous resolve and unwavering loyalty, Jiang Qinglian’s expression only grew darker and more stifled.

How exactly are you all planning to “fully support” me in… courting a man?

Are you going to form a matchmaking girl squad and start throwing out strategies?

If so… that would probably just make things even more of a mess.

Of course, Jiang Qinglian wasn’t thinking that at all. She only knew one thing for certain: this final Heavenly Dao trial absolutely couldn’t be revealed to anyone. If it got out, it would ruin her lifelong reputation in an instant.

“You are all dismissed for now. Focus your efforts on the upcoming Spiritual Vein Battle. I need some time to rest and recover from internal injuries.”

Jiang Qinglian dismissed them with a weary wave of her sleeve. The thirteen Grand Elders did not press the matter any further. They each gave a respectful bow to their Sect Master before departing. Some stepped onto clouds and others flew off on swords as they left Zhenling Peak behind.

Once the Elders were gone, Jiang Qinglian retreated into the secluded chamber where she usually healed and cultivated. After taking her seat atop a meticulously arranged Spirit Gathering Formation, she called out softly—

“Jiu’er.”

“I’m here, Master.”

A young girl appeared before Jiang Qinglian, clad in a dazzling yellow robe, with brightly colored feather markings on her ears.

She was the sword spirit of the World-Severing Sword. It was Jiang Qinglian’s faithful companion from the very start of her cultivation journey, who had fought and endured countless trials alongside her.

Her true name was Mingqiu, but Jiang Qinglian affectionately called her Jiu’er.

Mingqiu was originally the offspring of the Supreme Auspicious Beast of Shenzhou, the Nine-Colored Plume Phoenix. After being rescued by Jiang Qinglian during a fateful incident, her soul had taken residence within the World-Severing Sword. It had already been nearly six or seven centuries since they’d begun traveling together.

It could be said that this young girl was the one person the Sect Master trusted and cherished the most.

“The final Heavenly Dao trial they’ve given me… is of such a nature. Jiu’er, do you know of any way to resolve it?”

Jiang Qinglian revealed the contents of the final trial to her sword spirit, hoping she could offer some insight or advice.

“The final Heavenly Dao trial Master must face… is one of love and emotion? No wonder your expression looked so awful. The Heavenly Dao really doesn’t hold back when it comes to making things difficult…”

After reading the words Jiang Qinglian had written in midair, Mingqiu let out a quiet sigh. But once she finished, she floated upward, resting her chin lightly on her hand as she looked down at her master.

“But in Jiu’er’s humble opinion, Master, completing this Heavenly Dao trial is actually quite simple and easily done.”

“Truly? I may have lived a thousand years without once dealing with mortal affairs of love, to the point that I’ve nearly forgotten what the word even means… Still, when it comes to romance, this trial doesn’t seem that difficult to me. The real issue is the condition about not breaking up.”

What truly troubled Jiang Qinglian wasn’t the idea of falling in love…it was having to endure a romance that couldn’t end.

“I’m someone on the path to immortality. Where would I possibly find time to get entangled in such frivolous mortal emotions?”

“Don’t panic, Master. Just listen to Jiu’er break it down. These Heavenly Dao trials… there’s always a loophole somewhere.”

Mingqiu smiled slyly as she spoke.

“From what I can see, as long as you can get this young man Ning Qing to confess his feelings for you….that is, express his love, then the trial should be considered complete. There’s no actual restriction requiring a real relationship or whether you stay together or not.”

“Why would his confession alone count as completing the trial? Jiu’er, explain this to me in detail,” Jiang Qinglian asked urgently.