Volume One: The Celestial Cloud Palace Chapter Thirty-Nine: In Haste

Chapter Thirty-Nine: In Haste

The Sword Training Square was particularly lively today due to the return of Zhou Hao, Yu Nan, and Su Qing. Though the disciples continued their sword practice, none could resist whispering among themselves or gathering around the trio. The hot topic across the crowd was the narrow escape of these genius disciples.

“Brother, I heard you ran into those people from the Night Palace. The Hall Master and all seven elders made a move together. Are you all right?” Cao Shuang asked with sincere concern etched across his face.

Zhou Hao shook his head with a sigh. “No one expected the Night Palace to be plotting again this time. The Hall Master and the elders truly paid a steep price to rescue the three of us!” His gaze drifted involuntarily to the magnificent golden hall behind them. His master, Yun Fang, hadn’t returned last night—most likely tending to the Hall Master’s injuries.

He had heard Yun Fang mention more than once that a century ago, Immortal Yun Miao’s cultivation had regressed from late to mid-stage, her wounds from poison still unhealed, her remaining lifespan less than a thousand years. In just a few more years, she would enter the most terrifying phase of the Five Decays of Immortality: the decay of the soul. At that time, Yun Miao would have to step down, either replaced by a newly ascended immortal within the hall or reported to the Immortal King of this star domain, who would then appoint a new master to the Yun Miao Immortal Hall.

As Yun Fang saw it, this “few more years” would coincide with the opening of the so-called Great Immortal’s Cave—then, all would become clear.

“With the opening of that cave drawing near, the Night Palace had to stir up trouble now of all times. Fortunately, the Hall Master’s immortal arts are formidable, or else you three…” Cao Shuang’s words trailed off, glancing at Yu Nan as he recalled Yu Yang.

Yu Nan, meanwhile, was surrounded by many disciples—most of them men, her devoted admirers. When they heard she’d nearly lost her life to the Night Palace, their concern was palpable.

Yet Yu Nan’s temperament seemed unchanged. She ignored the concerned glances, watching Zhou Hao intently—her eyes even fixed on his lips as he spoke, finding the movement oddly fascinating.

“No wonder they say if you like someone, you like everything about them. But if I keep staring at Zhou Hao’s lips, will people think I’m a freak?” Yu Nan blinked her large, watery eyes, muttering to herself.

In truth, during their confrontation with the Night Envoy, Yu Nan felt no fear or panic—because Zhou Hao was by her side, and she was with the one she loved. Even if the next moment brought death, to close her eyes together with her beloved was a blessing.

Yu Nan was not inherently bad, only a little spoiled—a princess’s temperament born of a motherless childhood and a father, though an elder, of mediocre talent and little standing among the Immortal Hall’s elders. She learned early the need to protect herself, to hold herself above others, to speak with strength. Fortunately, she was gifted in cultivation, second only to her brother Yu Yang.

After Yu Yang’s death, Yu Nan’s temper only grew. She buried her vulnerability and threw herself into cultivation, feeling she’d lost yet another support. Always self-reliant, only something extraordinary could soften her pride.

Now, that extraordinary thing had appeared—Zhou Hao. Ironically, he was Yun Fang’s disciple, the student of her brother’s killer! Never had she imagined her heart would be wholly captured in one day. Later, she even convinced herself: Zhou Hao and Yun Fang are two different people. Even if Yun Fang is his master, so what? She loved Zhou Hao and hated Yun Fang—so long as she kept this clear.

Thus, Yu Nan brought medicine to Zhou Hao, thus the starstone’s embrace, thus their growing closeness—all proof of her boldness in love and hate. Since she liked him, she would not let him slip away.

“Zhou Hao, things are pretty lively on your side, aren’t they?”

Unable to hold back, Yu Nan finally walked over to Zhou Hao and Cao Shuang; she had no mind for sword practice now.

Seeing her approach, Zhou Hao smiled. He had now truly let go of his prejudices against her. Though he’d always greeted her with a smile before, it was more to avoid offending her. After all they’d endured, he found Yu Nan genuinely endearing. He felt no romantic affection, but liked her character and disposition nonetheless.

“Of course. I’m a promising talent—naturally everyone’s keeping an eye on me!” Zhou Hao rubbed his nose playfully.

“So full of yourself now. By the way, are your injuries healed?” Yu Nan, of course, needed a reasonable excuse to come check on Zhou Hao.

“More or less. What about you? Are you—” Zhou Hao began, but Cao Shuang interrupted, grinning mischievously.

“Ah, everyone, let’s scatter, let’s scatter! These two lovebirds are about to shower us with their affection—do you all want a taste? Listen to me, time to move along!” With cajoling and gentle shoves, the crowd dispersed, leaving only awkward chuckles behind. Everyone, openly or not, had come to accept Zhou Hao and Yu Nan as Dao companions, though neither had ever made a public announcement.

Seeing everyone leave at once, Yu Nan was secretly delighted, while Zhou Hao was left bewildered, embarrassment writ large on his face: What’s this? Doesn’t everyone leaving just confirm that Senior Sister Yu and I are… that?

“Your… your injury?” Zhou Hao finally managed to get out.

“You care about me?” A glimmer lit up Yu Nan’s phoenix eyes.

“Ahem, of course I do. After all we’ve been through, shouldn’t we look out for each other?” Zhou Hao scratched his chin.

“Oh, really? In that case, shouldn’t you be concerned about Su Qing, too?” Yu Nan eyed him oddly.

“Su Qing?” Zhou Hao glanced honestly in her direction.

But Yu Nan immediately stepped to block his view, pouting with obvious displeasure.

“Why do you keep blocking me?” Zhou Hao tried to look past her, but Yu Nan blocked him again, leaving him completely at a loss.

“Hmph! So, in the end, you think Su Qing is more beautiful and refined than me, don’t you?” Yu Nan shot him a look.

“Yes,” Zhou Hao nodded.

“You—you! You actually nodded! Can’t you comfort me with a white lie?” Yu Nan grumbled.

“You know me. I always tell the truth, haha!” Zhou Hao remained unmoved.

“Tch. Forget it—given how Su Qing risked everything to save us, I won’t tease her. But as for you…” Yu Nan grinned mischievously, her smile carrying an indescribable allure.

“You… what are you up to?” Zhou Hao couldn’t help but take a step back.

“Junior Brother Zhou, since you’re slacking off in sword practice, and I, as your senior sister, have a duty to guide you, today you’ll be practicing the Yun Miao Sword Technique with me—all day!” With a wink, Yu Nan’s playful charm was on full display.

Of course, this had little effect on Zhou Hao. He had seen the most beautiful women in the world during his time as Emperor; even though Yu Nan was an immortal beauty, she wasn’t his type. He had always regarded her as a friend.

“Are you sure you’re not just using sword practice as a pretext to lure me over? Looks like you’re quite the little flirt—you just want to spend time with me under the guise of training.” Zhou Hao cut straight through her ploy.

There was little difference between the mortal world and the immortal realm; when a girl truly liked a boy, she would find every excuse to be near him. Before love, boys are tormented by longing, feeling as if the girl is their whole world. After love begins, the girl becomes almost obsessive, wanting to be by his side every moment—to see his face, hear his voice, follow him to the ends of the earth, for he alone is her world.

Now, Yu Nan was in love for the first time. For someone like her, the effort to keep him by her side was doubled.

Zhou Hao, on the other hand, had spent half his life on the battlefield as a mortal, knowing little of love between man and woman. After he learned of his royal heritage, true love became even more unattainable—his “love” was political, with countless consorts and concubines laughing and weeping for him alone. Maybe, over time, some truly loved him—not just for his status, but for his character, manly bearing, leadership, or looks.

Yet for Zhou Hao, love remained a blank slate. He had never given his whole heart to anyone, never felt the thrill of falling in love—not at first sight, nor over time.

Yu Nan had never thought much of Zhou Hao at first, only approaching him to embarrass Yun Fang. Now, though they understood each other, Zhou Hao still saw her only as a friend.

As for Su Qing, her stunning beauty and ethereal aura had astonished Zhou Hao at first sight, but he had never desired her. “A beautiful woman does not necessarily inspire longing,” he had realized long ago. For him, liking someone was simple and honest—his heart would not lie. The girl who could truly move him was still somewhere far away, waiting to be found.

“So, will you practice or not?” Yu Nan demanded, hands on her hips.

“Your junior brother obeys, Senior Sister!” Zhou Hao replied at once, bowing with exaggerated deference.

“That’s better. Don’t worry—I won’t be too strict. A senior sister should dote on her junior, after all!” Yu Nan laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.

Inside, Zhou Hao was weeping: Why did I ever say she should teach me swordplay? Why did I say all those caring words? Now she’s addicted to it!

Across the square, Su Qing glanced over at Zhou Hao and Yu Nan amid the crowd. A sense of loss filled her, but after a moment, she seemed to reach a decision.

“I never intended to form a Dao bond with anyone. Though I admit I was moved by Zhou Hao, if he’s chosen Yu Nan, I shouldn’t think otherwise. For the sake of my original dream—to become a great Immortal Queen—I must focus on cultivation. At the Immortal Hall Tournament, I won’t settle for the top three; I must take the crown. After this trial, it’s clear Zhou Hao’s strength has become my equal. His cultivation speed is truly enviable!” Su Qing resolved, gazing at Zhou Hao with the feeling, for the first time, that he was her greatest rival.

Soon, another day hurried past. That night, atop Yun Fang’s immortal mountain, Zhou Hao was once again training alone beneath the moonlight.

Aside from the Azure Cloud Art, Zhou Hao’s two trump cards were the Great Sun Palm and the Soaring Void Steps—one famed for ultimate, overwhelming attack, the other for peerless speed. Zhou Hao was confident that, with further mastery, he could defeat even Su Qing.

And to think, this was almost unthinkable. Zhou Hao had cultivated only a little over twenty years; though the Immortal Land’s veins had pushed his power to a century’s worth, he could already rival Su Qing, a genius with three centuries of cultivation.

Ultimately, it came down to Zhou Hao’s innate talent and the Great Sun Palm. He often wondered what cultivation talent truly meant; he never felt he was especially gifted—was it quick learning? Perseverance? Fearlessness? Was that all? One thing he knew: even the Hall Master could not master the Great Sun Palm, yet he could, and its power was astonishing when he used it. Perhaps true talent revealed itself most clearly in the martial arts of immortals.

You can’t master this technique, but I can. We can both use it, but my power is greater. That is cultivation talent—a genius, plain and simple.

Though this view might seem to belittle genius, Zhou Hao saw it as practical, useful, and… simple.

Boom!

Golden light pierced the night sky, brighter than the twelve moons above. Zhou Hao stood bathed in radiance, surrounded by ten golden disks, appearing like a solar deity. His right palm thrust forth, a spinning miniature sun in his grasp.

As his palm struck, a massive golden imprint soared forward with a roar like thunder and rushing waters, blazing a straight, luminous path through the dark sky. The mountains trembled. In the same instant, Zhou Hao vanished, beginning his training in the Soaring Void Steps.

His method was simple: after each palm strike, he would use the Soaring Void Steps to chase after the golden imprint, honing both arts at once. Why not kill two birds with one stone?

In the void, shadow after shadow streaked by at impossible speed; even other immortals could barely see his movement. Zhou Hao was racing his own technique—the Great Sun Palm—to see which was faster.

Anyone witnessing Zhou Hao’s training would surely call him eccentric. The elders of the various peaks, upon seeing this, would pretend not to notice. Though they valued the Great Sun Palm and the Soaring Void Steps, watching Zhou Hao practice them like this, they couldn’t help but feel… a little diminished themselves.

Cultivation was a long, monotonous journey. In the blink of an eye, seven years passed, spring giving way to autumn, and at last, on a bright and sunny morning, the long-awaited Immortal Hall Tournament quietly arrived.