Chapter 57: Inexplicable

Outside the Hall of the Profound Mysteries Sect.

Ye Jiuyao and the others waited outside, the senior disciple who had led them here already gone. He had claimed to report back, but his eyes had held a strange look. None of them commented; after all, this was their first arrival, and rules had to be observed. Patiently, they stood before the hall.

A deep voice echoed from within, “Come in.” Ye Jiuyao and his companions stepped forward and entered.

Ye Jiuyao, his eyes half-closed and listless, surveyed the surroundings as he walked in, moving with the languor of an old man at dusk.

“Our sect is small—forty-five members in all. Our strength isn’t great, but we could easily defeat the other two sects. Still, we prefer to keep a low profile,” a brash voice rang from within the hall.

Hearing this, Ye Jiuyao felt he had come to the right place, while the four Mo brothers could barely contain their excitement. Su Wuquan and Cao Youshi exchanged silent glances, unimpressed, while Xing Juexing and Zhong Shaoshan showed little reaction, as if long accustomed to the ways of the Profound Mysteries Sect.

Indeed, for a ninth-rank sect to endure so many years with only a handful of disciples, there had to be an underlying reason for its existence.

“Come closer.”

They moved further in until a chair atop the dais came into view, where they halted. The man seated there slowly turned to face them.

“Welcome to the Profound Mysteries Sect. I am your sect leader—Emperor Hengdiao.”

“Low profile, indeed?” Ye Jiuyao muttered under his breath, glancing up at the middle-aged man on the chair. As expected, he looked exceedingly unassuming.

The middle-aged man wore azure robes that lent him an air of scholarly elegance. His easy laughter was like a spring breeze, and the handsome features, marked by the passage of time, seemed to possess an irresistible charm.

“A striking man!” That was the first thought in the minds of Ye Jiuyao and his companions.

“Surprised by my looks, are you?” the man said.

“Mm-hmm...” everyone but Ye Jiuyao replied, heads lowered.

“You look much as I did before I’d grown into my features...” Ye Jiuyao replied coolly, drawing Emperor Hengdiao’s attention with this unexpected remark.

“Are all of this year’s recruits so bold? I suppose the selection exceeded three thousand this time. Your cultivation may be lacking, but I admire your courage,” said Emperor Hengdiao, a sharp gleam in his eyes as he quickly sized Ye Jiuyao up, wearing a knowing expression.

Yet those present looked at him with odd expressions, faint disdain on their faces, as if to say, “Is this really the demeanor of a master?”

Noticing this, Emperor Hengdiao felt a twinge of awkwardness, while Ye Jiuyao simply chuckled, his scorn undisguised.

“What’s this? Did I guess wrong?” the sect leader asked.

“No, you didn’t. The error is mine—blame my excellence, like gold among sand...” Ye Jiuyao replied, feigning a sigh of sorrow. Emperor Hengdiao took another long look at him, his eyes sweeping over Ye Jiuyao like a scanner.

“Take your time. Are you all going to sleep? I’m exhausted...” Ye Jiuyao yawned elaborately, making as if to lie down, leaving everyone momentarily stunned.

Within seconds, Ye Jiuyao’s snores filled the hall. Emperor Hengdiao’s surprise slowly gave way to anger. He, the sect master, was being so blatantly ignored.

“The rest of you, take these and study them. Our sect has no restrictions, you may go wherever you wish. If you wish to learn something, seek out whoever you need...” he ordered.

“Yes!” The group, seeing Emperor Hengdiao’s growing anger, hurried to take the scroll that Zhong Shaoshan received, and quickly left, as if afraid of becoming collateral damage.

Soon, only two remained in the hall.

“Boy, stop pretending to sleep, or I’ll slap you awake!” Emperor Hengdiao threatened.

“Go ahead and try. No one but me can save the injuries within your body—or perhaps you don’t even need saving anymore. The Seven Steps Soul Severing Palm must already be taking effect...” Ye Jiuyao replied.

“What? You know about the Seven Steps Soul Severing Palm?!”

“What’s strange about that? If you’d met me sooner, you might have survived, but now... you’re already dead.”

“Sigh...” Emperor Hengdiao let out a deep sigh, acknowledging the truth of Ye Jiuyao’s words.

The Seven Steps Soul Severing Palm—each step severs the soul, and after seven, the soul returns to the netherworld. At first, he hadn’t cared, but by the time he realized, it was too late. If not for his own formidable cultivation, he might already be dead, his body starting to decay.

“Boy, I know you’re from the Newborn Realm. Coincidentally, I know Qin Yu as well, and more coincidentally, he’s the one who injured me.”

Having been exposed, Emperor Hengdiao no longer hid his condition, his sickliness now plain, as if he might die at any moment.

Ye Jiuyao pondered his words, a wary look flickering in his eyes. Though not overt, his aura fluctuated—he did not trust Emperor Hengdiao. After all, this was their first meeting, even if he found himself liking the man.

“You bristle like a porcupine. Don’t worry, I won’t harm you. In fact, tomorrow I intend to hand the position of sect master over to you. I just want to linger a few days as an elder...”

“Bah! So that’s your plan, looking for someone to take over. The others in the sect must know, but they lack the right mind, and since you’re aware of the selection, you picked me as soon as I arrived?”

“Very astute, but you missed the point. The Profound Mysteries Sect has long ignored worldly affairs, and I’ve been seeking a successor for some time. The first moment I saw you, I felt you were suitable, so I decided to pass it to you. That’s all.”

Ye Jiuyao fell silent. He hadn’t expected to become sect master on his first day. Was he meant to follow in the footsteps of other protagonists, leading a band of misfits to train, fight, and grow stronger?

His thoughts were a tangled mess. He was vexed—having just escaped a group of incompetents in the Great Zhou Dynasty, he now faced another. How was he supposed to “cultivate” in peace?

“No, no—Zhong Shaoshan is decent, strong in both skill and cultivation. I’m too lazy for this...”

“Catch,” Emperor Hengdiao said suddenly, his tone gentle.

Ye Jiuyao caught the object thrown to him on reflex.

“You... you tricked me...”

“Heh, soon you’ll see the benefits of being sect master. Do well. It’s not your first time, anyway...” With these words, Emperor Hengdiao, dragging his frail body, vanished from the hall, leaving Ye Jiuyao alone and bewildered.

Who am I?

Where am I?

What is this place?

Countless questions surged through Ye Jiuyao’s mind. Whether the selection of the three sects or the current events, it felt as if someone was leading him by the nose, an invisible hand swiftly propelling everything forward.

Everything was unfathomable.

His identity, Qin Yu, the black-robed man Emperor Hengdiao mentioned—none of it made any sense.

“Oh well, I’ll play caretaker once more and do my best to train this group of misfits,” Ye Jiuyao sighed, taking up the sect token before falling into a deep sleep, entering the world of the Canglang Diagram.

At this moment, the Canglang Diagram was quieter than ever before.

“Where is everyone? Sun Qigang, where have they gone?”

“They said something...” Sun Qigang, startled by Ye Jiuyao’s sudden appearance, tried to answer, but couldn’t recall what Xuan Niang and the others had said before leaving.