Fallen At A Glance Chapter 30
byPreparations for the Fairy Gate Conference
As dusk fell, the silhouette of Hanying Sect became increasingly majestic and cold in the afterglow of the setting sun.The mountains are shrouded in clouds and mist, wrapping around the green peaks like a veil. The iconic Starry Square stands quietly in the dusk, like a silent watcher.
A gust of mountain breeze blew by, bringing waves of pines and the fragrance of vegetation.Amidst the sound of wind and pines, a figure dressed in white and snowy, slowly appeared in front of the mountain gate with the last ray of sunset.
It’s Lian Mu.
…
The last ray of sunset on the horizon is about to disappear, and the night in Luofeng Valley is smeared like ink.Chiyan was squatting boredly on the stone railing in front of Wangyue Palace, teasing his hanging hair with his fingertips, but his eyes drifted towards the mountain gate from time to time, muttering in a low voice: “It’s been a few days, why haven’t you come back yet? Could it be that there is something delicious under the mountain to tempt Lian Mu?”
Before he finished speaking, his keen hearing caught a slight movement from outside the mountain gate – it was the sound of clothes being blown by the mountain wind, clear and familiar.
Blazing eyes lit up instantly, like stars suddenly lighting up in the dark night.He didn’t even have time to maintain his human form. His body flashed and turned into a stream of red light, flying towards the mountain gate like an arrow from a string.
“Lian Mu”
The crisp sound broke the silence in the mountains.The red stream of light stopped steadily in mid-air and turned into a young man wearing red clothes.His face was filled with undisguised joy, and his eyes were bent into crescent moons. He jumped in front of Lian Mu in a few steps, looked at him up and down, and kept talking in his mouth:
“Lian Mu, you are back! If you don’t come back, I will think that you are fascinated by the delicious food at the foot of the mountain.”
We haven’t seen each other for many days, but Chi Yan is still so chatty. Lian Mu sighed secretly, it was his family’s good intentions.
After Lian Mu returned to Hanying Sect, he immediately devoted himself to the preparations for the Immortal Sect Conference the next day.
He first went to the meeting hall to discuss the specific procedures and arrangements of the conference with the elders. As an upcoming grand event of the Immortal Sect, the Immortal Sect Conference is not only related to the safety of the people in the world, but also an important platform for exchanges and discussions among various sects. Therefore, no detail can be sloppy.
In the meeting hall, the green smoke rising from the incense burner lingered.After determining the macro process of the conference, the discussion entered a more specific link – the daily arrangements and final assessment of the disciples of each sect who came to communicate.
Lian Mu sat in the main seat, the white jade seat under him was cold and hard, just like his expression at the moment.On the long desk in front of him, there was a huge volume of “Ritual Plan of the Immortal Sect Assembly” spread out, with every link and position densely marked with cinnabar and ink lines.
The Great Elder opened a thick book and frowned slightly: “Young Sect Leader, there are about three hundred disciples from the outer sect who are coming to listen to us this time. They have different qualifications and practice different techniques. We have discussed that as usual, we can arrange for them to study the “Cold Shadow Sensing Chapter” and “Star Chart Basics” of our Hanying Sect one month ago, and they will be taught by a few deacons and elders. What do you think?”
Lian Mu was lowering his head and stroking a warm jade slip. When he heard this, he did not immediately raise his head, but just said lightly: “”Cold Shadow Induction” talks about the nature of the mind, and “Basics of Star Charts” talks about the theory. These are important, but if they only stay on paper, for those disciples from other sects, especially those with different cultivation paths such as Ghost Qi and Resentment Qi, it is just scratching the surface.”
He raised his eyes, his eyes clear and sharp, and scanned the several elders present: “They come to Hanying Sect not to listen to our great principles, but to see the essence of our ‘skill’ and the application of ‘Tao’. If they cannot learn anything substantial, they will only think that I, the Hanying Sect, have a false reputation when they return.”
As soon as these words came out, several elders looked embarrassed.The second elder hesitated and said: “But, young sect leader, the core techniques of our sect are all secrets that are not taught to others. How can we easily teach them to outsiders? This is not in line with the ancestral system.”
“The ancestral system is dead, but people are alive.” Lian Mu’s tone was calm, but with an undeniable power. “I don’t want to reveal all the core secrets. What I mean is to open a general course.”
He stood up, walked to the sand table in the center of the hall, and used his finger as a pen to draw a complex rune on the sand table: “This class does not teach specific moves, but analyzes the essence of the techniques – wind, fire, thunder, electricity, water, earth, as well as time, space, and spirit. Elders from each peak who are good at different attributes are invited to explain the principles of these basic elements, and how to communicate and control them with their own spiritual power.”
“For example, when we talk about ‘fire’, we don’t teach us the ‘glazed fire’ of the Hanying Sect, but we can talk about the way the fire essence condenses, how to control the temperature of the fire, and how fire and other elements interact with each other. When talking about ‘formation’, we don’t teach about the ‘Nine Palaces Formation’, but we can teach about the cornerstones, nodes and general rules of energy flow of the formation.”
Several elders listened with rapt attention, and their eyes gradually showed thoughts.The second elder stroked his long beard and nodded slowly: “What do you mean…teaching people how to fish, rather than teaching people how to fish? Let them understand and confirm by themselves, so as to draw parallels?”
“Exactly.” Lian Mu raised his lips slightly, revealing a smile of approval. “In this way, it will not violate the ancestral system or reveal the core secrets of our sect, but also allow them to truly gain something. After they return, they may be able to innovate by combining their own skills. This is the contribution of our Hanying Sect to the Immortal Sect Conference this time.”
“This is a wonderful plan!” The great elder couldn’t help but admire.
“So, what about the final trial?” The third elder asked, “In the past, it was a ‘Martial Arts Stage’ where we competed until the point was reached, but you mentioned before that you wanted to change the rules…”
Lian Mu turned around and looked outside the palace, his eyes becoming deep and distant: “The competition on the martial arts stage is mostly a display of personal bravery, lacking collaboration and the comprehensive application of ‘Tao’. The trial I want is called ‘Seeking Tao·Yunhuang’.”
He turned back, his eyes flashing with wisdom: “The location of the trial is located in the “Cloud Desolate Realm”.”
“The Realm of Yunhuang!” When several elders heard this, they all took a breath of cold air.The terrain of this mirror is complex, with natural mazes and countless ferocious wild beasts. Although the wild beasts outside are not too strong, the environment is far more sinister than a martial arts stage.
“That’s right.” Lian Mu said firmly, “I will break up all the disciples and randomly divide them into ten groups of ten people each. Their mission is to travel through the Yunhuang Realm within one month, reach the end point, and bring back a ‘Transformation Fruit’.”
“This…” The second elder looked worried, “The realm of Yunhuang is full of dangers. If an accident happens…”
“I’m here.” Lian Mu spat out three words lightly, but they had the power to calm people’s hearts. “I will leave a ‘mind’s eye’ in the secret realm and keep an eye on them. If there is really a danger of life, I will take action. But before that, I don’t want any intervention.”
He paused and continued to explain: “This ‘Seeking Dao·Yunhuang’ trial not only tests individual cultivation, but also team collaboration, adaptability to the environment, allocation of resources, and courage to face the unknown. They must learn to trust their teammates and use their respective strengths to overcome obstacles together. This is the ability that cultivators need most in the face of real disasters.”
“Moreover,” Lian Mu’s voice had a hint of coldness, “I will also set up some tests of ‘inner demons’. For example, use illusions to create the scenes they fear most, or use benefits to seduce them and let them make choices in front of benefits. What I want to see is their most authentic Taoist heart.”
Several elders looked at each other, shocked by Lian Mu’s bold and careful plan.This is no longer a simple competition, but a real and cruel test of survival and Taoism.
“This trial… I’m afraid some people won’t be able to persist.” Someone among the elders whispered.
“Those who cannot persevere are not worthy of being called the ‘Leaders of the Immortal Sect’.” Lian Mu’s tone did not waver at all. “The road to cultivating immortality is to go against the will of heaven. If you can’t even withstand this test, how will you face bigger storms in the future?”
He sat back on the main seat, picked up the teacup, and blew the foam gently: “That’s it. The course is arranged as I said. The preparations for the trial are personally responsible for the preparations for the trial. The safety of the periphery of the secret realm must be ensured. At the same time, the ‘gold content’ of the trial must also be ensured.”
“Yes!” Several elders agreed in unison, having a deeper understanding of the young sect leader’s foresight and decisive methods.
At the end of the meeting, the elders left one after another.
Lian Mu was left alone in the empty hall. He put down the tea cup and tapped his fingertips unconsciously on the cold white jade table. The figures of those young disciples stumbling on the ancient plains but gritting their teeth and persevering seemed to have appeared in his mind.
This “Seeking Tao·Yunhuang” is not only a test for them, but also a practice and sowing of the concept of “guarding” in his heart?
After the discussion ended, Lian Mu went to the martial arts field without stopping to check on the training of the Hanying Sect disciples.
In order to show the Hanying Sect’s style at the Immortal Sect Conference, Lian Mu had very strict requirements on his disciples. He patiently corrected the disciples’ spell movements and taught them combat experience and skills, hoping that they would achieve excellent results in the conference.
In addition to these, Lian Mu also has to deal with the daily affairs within the sect and approve various documents. His schedule is so full that he barely has a moment to rest.
But Lian Mu always remained calm and focused, handling all matters in an orderly manner, demonstrating his outstanding leadership as the young master of Hanying Sect.