Chapter : 6
And She is...?
-----------------
Like this, another two years passed.
The white moon with the dark spot, with the flaw in it's beauty, hung in sky, illuminating the night.
In the same courtyard, with the same flute in his hand, Qing Tian was sitting by the garden near the waterfall, playing softly.
The divine sound of the flute made the place feel like a fairyland, serene and otherworldly.
Qing Tian had grown as well.
Though traces of immaturity still lingered on his face, the calmness he carried was far beyond his age, something that could not be measured by ordinary standards.
Beside him sat another young man, seemingly around eighteen or twenty years old, also playing a flute.
The combination of their music was so divine that even someone who had destroyed countless universes would feel that they needed this moment, this peace.
The young man's skin was neither fair nor brown, but rather a shade of cosmic blue, as if he carried the colors of the starry heavens within him. Upon his head, tucked into his hair, was a single peacock feather that swayed gently in the breeze.
His eyes remained closed as he followed the rhythm of the flute, his expression calm and transcendent. The indescribable charm of his presence, the ethereal handsomeness of his face, it could not be captured by words, for it felt as though he was not of this world at all.
"Brother Lan, I have finally mastered the flute you taught me."
After some time, Qing Tian opened his eyes. His smile was as gentle as ever, and he spoke with kindness.
At his words, the blue-skinned youth slowly opened his own eyes. The depth within them was unfathomable, like the entire universe had gathered inside his gaze.
A faint smile curved his lips.
"Good." he replied simply.
The next moment, his figure dissolved into the starry sky, vanishing among the endless constellations.
Qing Tian stared at the spot for a while and let out a small sigh.
"Alas… tomorrow is the clan competition. I really don't want to participate, but if I refuse, they'll just scold me again."
He stretched his arms and yawned, muttering softly,
"Yaawannn…!"
Watching the place where the blue youth disappeared, he couldn't help but feel both comforted and lonely.
That mysterious person, whom he called Brother Lan, had been with him since the age of three. Qing Tian did not know who he truly was, only that his presence was unlike anyone else. In Qing Tian's heart, Brother Lan's status had long surpassed everyone, even his parents and brother.
If not for him, Qing Tian knew he might have broken down already, either becoming a cultivation maniac desperate to prove himself, or perhaps… giving up on life altogether.
But because of Brother Lan, his heart had been tempered countless times, his mind broadened, and his vision of the world completely changed.
To Qing Tian, Brother Lan was everything:
A teacher when he needed guidance.
A big brother when he needed companionship.
A parent when he felt abandoned.
Letting out another sigh, he gently placed the flute back into his storage ring and finally laid down to sleep.
The Next Morning.
Qing Tian rose early. He washed and dressed himself neatly.
His appearance was like that of a young prince, refined and delicate. But what truly set him apart was the calm, ethereal aura that flowed naturally from him, making others feel at ease. And as always, that same innocent smile hung gently upon his lips.
He combed his hair carefully while gazing into the mirror. For a moment, his reflection stared back at him, serene and composed.
"Sure enough, after mastering the flute and training my heart, my temperament has changed," he whispered with a faint smile.
Although the younger generation of the Qing Clan still despised him. Mocking, bullying, and even beating him, he never allowed hatred to stain his heart. When necessary, he fought back, though he often ended up defeated.
Yet, even those defeats became part of his growth, polishing his patience and his calm.
They could call him waste, laugh at him, or treat him as nothing. None of it mattered. His nature remained the same, gentle, unshaken, and kind.
(Don't worry; he is not a "holy virgin" type. This calm and kindness is his current face, and always be but, when is situation is like, where it is impossible, then, beneath it, a ruthlessness is being tempered, one that will awaken in the future when the time comes.)
Coming out into the courtyard, which had grown more lush in vegetation over the last two years, he had transformed his courtyard into a little heaven for himself.
While he came out of the courtyard, he saw many children of the clan talking to each other and discussing something among themselves.
Qing Tian just glanced at them, ignored it, and walked toward the arena of the main clan, where the clan competition would be held.
Few Moments later.
The arena of the main clan was bustling with life.
Elders sat on the high seats, their robes fluttering gently in the morning breeze, while the younger disciples gathered in groups.
And there were two groups: the younger generation and the youth generation competition. In this competition, the children of the Qing Clan's main branch would participate in two parts.
One was for those under ten years old, to determine the seeds for the future and focus on them.
And the other was for the competition between ages 11 to 25, which is considered the youth generation of the clan.
This competition was held every year and was also called the annual clan competition. It was not merely a test of strength, but also a place where the younger generation could display their talents and determine the future of the Qing Clan.
And this time, not only the people and elders of the Qing Clan were coming, but also some other clans and sects.
As Qing Tian stepped into the vast sacred arena ground of the clan.
The moment he stepped in, someone who saw him paused briefly.
Some people's eyes carried disdain for him, some ridicule, and some even curiosity.
After all, in the past two years, Qing Tian had almost completely isolated himself from the entire main clan.
Except for going out for some miscellaneous tasks, he rarely showed himself.
Qing Tian slowly glanced around, with a confident smile on his face, as if he didn't even care whether he was weak or strong.
"Hey, isn't that Qing Tian, that waste child, also known as the illegitimate child of the Patriarch? But he was brought into the clan when the young master Qing Long was born."
"Haha… is that waste here to participate? But even if he can participate, what can he do…?"
"Most of us who came to participate have almost reaching the realm of Spiritual Core Condensation, under the age of ten. Although we may not yet be able to break through to the Extreme Foundation Stage, he is still only in the late stage of Body Refinement in the Mortal Foundation Realm. Even if his cultivation has increased in three months, how much could it have increased? At most, around the peak of the Blood Awakening Realm."
[Realm of the first stage : Mortal foundation Realm
Stage of it : Body Refinement Realm, Blood Awakening Realm, Meridian Opening Realm, Origin Foundation Realm, Extreme Foundation Realm (extra realm)]
"There's no way he could compare to us."
The whispers continued among the children of the clan.
Qing Tian ignored their words. His gaze was so calm, as if even the entire world was nothing but a fleeting illusion.
Coming to the resting area, he found a quiet corner near the edge of the arena and sat down, folding his hands over his chest and closing his eyes.
To him, this competition was not about recognition or proving himself to others.
It was simply another chapter in his journey till the end of his life.
Soon, a few moments passed, and the grand voice of the Patriarch of the clan resounded throughout the entire arena.
"Today, the blood of the Qing Clan shall once again be tested in battle with the fist.
Let courage, talent, and destiny decide the pride of the clan!"
As the Patriarch of the clan, Qing Feng, sat on the highest position, he stood up and walked into the middle of the arena, standing in the void as he spoke.
"Hail the Qing Clan!!!"
The moment Qing Feng stopped, there was only one voice, echoing throughout the entire arena.
"Hail the Qing Clan!!!
Nothing else resounded in the sacred grounds.
Woo... Woo...
The sounds in the arena made Qing Tian frown while he was resting.
He didn't like the sound and noise. He opened his eyes, and his rest was ruined.
But he glanced at the man in the void, and then closed his eyes again.
In these years, Qing Tian had almost lost all hope that his parents would ever love him again.
He knew everything in this world is conditional. But a mother loving her other child, who was talented, and although not hating him, never caring about him once he started to walk and speak, he could not accept this.
And looking at his father, he also understood, since as the Patriarch had gotten up, he too had to follow tradition.
"Haha... Brother Qing Feng, looks like the Qing Clan is really lively today."
At this time, space cracked in the void, and a hearty voice came from within.
Soon after the voice, a man around the age of mid-thirties, dressed in blue, with a sword carved on the right side of his chest, came out and gave a hearty laugh.
Behind him, a woman in green, followed and appeared in front of the entire clan.
The moment the man in blue appeared, almost every clan member looked toward the spatial crack.
Some members of the clan were even ready for battle.
"Haha... Brother Yan, haven't seen you for a long time, how are you doing?"
"And she is...?"
Qing Feng said, but then his gaze fall on the woman but her face was covered in mask, then asked to man in blue.