Chapter 806 - 40: Luo Xiaohong’s Calamity

Chapter 806: Chapter 40: Luo Xiaohong’s Calamity

Immortal Flying Peak.

A towering pine tree grows slanted on the cliff, reaching the sky.

An old sage with white hair and youthful features sits on the branch, looking down.

Immortal Flying Peak is not only the place with the densest Spiritual Energy on Hongzhou Continent, but also the highest point in the Four Domains.

The sage gazes downwards, resembling an Immortal overlooking the world.

However, all he sees are layers of thick white mist, and it’s unclear whether he can truly see the Lower Realm.

"Xiaohong’s trial has arrived."

After a long time, the sage seems to see something, and suddenly sighs.

The child standing beside him asks, "Master, has Senior Sister Luo always been this gluttonous? I never noticed before."

The sage chuckles while stroking his beard, "That’s why one must experience the world."

The child says angrily, "That Qin Gengyun is full of schemes, always plotting against Senior Sister Luo even though they haven’t met yet. Master, aren’t you worried?"

The sage smiles kindly, "Everyone has their own trials. If Xiaohong’s trial is here, she must overcome it herself."

The child bows his head in thought for a while, then suddenly asks, "Master, did you also experience the world?"

The sage responds nonchalantly, "I am different from Xiaohong. I was born in the world and spent a hundred years there before coming to the mountain."

The child looks at the sage with surprise, seemingly hearing about his master’s past for the first time.

"Master, you mean? You were originally a mortal?"

The sage seems to be in a good mood today, nodding with a smile, "That was ten thousand years ago. I was born at the foot of a great mountain and lived by cutting wood for a hundred years, observing the mountain, and then ascending Immortal Flying Peak."

The child listens with wide eyes, "Observing the mountain for a hundred years, enlightenment in one day..."

The sage laughs, "I was dull in talent, needing a hundred years to be enlightened. Your Senior Sister, however, was different, born as a Tao Spirit Body, but consequently missed observing the world for a hundred years. This will eventually need to be compensated."

The child asks, "Master, if Senior Sister Luo were really harmed by Qin Gengyun... would you intervene?"

The sage answers calmly, "Why need to intervene? In ten days, Qin Gengyun will ascend the mountain himself."

The child claps his hands, "Yes, in ten days they will ascend the Immortal Flying Pavilion. If Qin Gengyun dares to harm Senior Sister, I will not let him off!"

...

"Why do those bamboos grow in the sky?"

At Cloud Bamboo Mountain, Luo Xiaohong looks up at the hundred thousand Cloud Bamboo in the sky with curiosity.

Si Minglan explains, "That’s the origin of Cloud Bamboo Mountain, hundred thousand Cloud Bamboo, swaying in the clouds, it’s quite a spectacle."

Luo Xiaohong stares at the Cloud Bamboo, "Are these bamboos tasty?"

Si Minglan says, "I’ve never tasted them, it’s too troublesome to fly up and cut them."

"It’s not troublesome."

Luo Xiaohong raises her cracked Five-Colored Short Sword, her voice crisp and sweet:

"I want all these bamboos to fall down."

BOOM!

The sky and earth shake, as the hundred thousand Cloud Bamboo fall like a cascading galaxy, crashing down from the sky.

Si Minglan is shocked and quickly raises a Spiritual Power Barrier to deflect the falling Cloud Bamboo.

Around them, Cloud Bamboo continuously falls, either creating deep pits on the ground or being smashed into several pieces.

For a moment, the picturesque Cloud Bamboo Mountain becomes a scene of chaos.

The swaying hundred thousand Cloud Bamboo in the clouds have all fallen, turning into a land of broken bamboo.

Luo Xiaohong stands amidst the ruined bamboos and says to Si Minglan:

"Do you know how to roast bamboo?"

Si Minglan stares at her dumbfounded, eventually responding, "I don’t."

Luo Xiaohong gestures, and over a dozen bamboos fly into her Storage Bag.

"Then let’s go find a chef."

Si Minglan leads her towards the back of Cloud Bamboo, hesitates, then asks:

"Can you make the Cloud Bamboo grow back in the sky?"

Luo Xiaohong replies, "I can, but I don’t want to."

"Why not?"

"If the bamboo is tasty, growing them back would mean having to make them fall again."

Si Minglan says, "This is someone else’s hometown, their relatives are all gone, the hundred thousand Cloud Bamboo are their last memories."

Luo Xiaohong responds with an "Oh," without any emotion.

Si Minglan sighs helplessly, saying no more.

During this journey, she has come to understand Luo Xiaohong to some extent.

This girl is truly straightforward, her heart as pure as her appearance.

Yet, she is more detached than most cultivators.

For she has been taught since childhood about worldly balance, and the Tao being indifferent.

Just like earlier, she severed a hundred thousand Cloud Bamboo with one word, even knowing they were someone’s last memories, she remained unmoved.

For in her heart, all living beings are unimportant.

This is her Tao Heart, and also her true heart.

To Luo Xiaohong, there is no difference between right and wrong in the world, all things are merely tools for the world’s balance.

If useful, then keep.

If useless, then kill.

Rather than saying Luo Xiaohong is ruthless, perhaps the ones who molded her this way are ruthless.

If one can change Luo Xiaohong...

Si Minglan shakes her head, a Tao Spirit Body is the purest existence of worldly Tao Heart, how could it be changed?

Better to proceed with the plan.

Si Minglan soon leads Luo Xiaohong to the back of Cloud Bamboo.

At this moment, the Desolate Mist that had enveloped the area for years has vanished.

"Inside, there is a relic. Let’s go in and have a look, we should be able to find people."

Si Minglan says to Luo Xiaohong, feeling slightly anxious, fearing her intentions might be revealed.

Luo Xiaohong nods, and Si Minglan takes her into the back mountain, swiftly arriving at the bottom of the valley before the Cyan Lotus Sect Relic.

Now, the originally tightly closed two stone doors have also opened.

Si Minglan enters first, followed by Luo Xiaohong without hesitation.

The two pass through the corridor and quickly arrive at the Divine Statue Hall.

"Smells good!"

Luo Xiaohong sniffs, then sprints forward, only to see a woman, her black hair styled in a matron’s bun, sitting beside a campfire.

She’s holding a golden roasted wolf leg in her hands, the enticing aroma emanating from the leg.

Luo Xiaohong rushes to the woman, her eyes fixed on the wolf leg:

"I want to eat!"

The woman turns, her appearance plain, but with a gentle smile:

"It needs to wait a bit longer."

"Oh."

Luo Xiaohong crouches nearby, resting her chin in her hands, watching the wolf leg.

After a while, she looks at the woman again, "You’re very beautiful, more than anyone I’ve met."

The woman pauses her actions, smiling, "It’s ready."

She uses a knife to slice the wolf leg into pieces, placing them in a dish, handing it to Luo Xiaohong:

"You can eat now."

Luo Xiaohong eagerly grabs a slice with her hand and puts it in her mouth, her eyes lighting up:

"It’s delicious!"

She then crouches on the ground, using both hands to continuously grab meat slices and stuff them into her mouth, while asking the woman:

"Can you roast bamboo?"

The woman nods, "I can, but roasting bamboo requires using bamboo leaves for fire, I’ll go pick some."

The woman says as she walks towards the corridor exiting the relic. Si Minglan and she exchange a glance, both quietly walking out.

"Wait a moment."

Luo Xiaohong suddenly stands up, looking at the woman:

"Xia Qinglian, let’s have a fight first, then you can roast bamboo for me."