Chapter 208, Banished Immortal

Translator: Tamon

 

[Look out?]

 

[For what?]

 

He noticed Cajal lunging at him. Wang Qi’s hand felt like lead, unable to lift it to block. Then again, would an Unfettered ever made mistakes when attacking? Cajal’s finger touched his forward like everything was natural.

 

[What’s going on? What question did I miss?]

 

[All I said was the truth.]

 

[What…]

 

“Relax.” Chen Jingyun showed a rare smile to the unmoving Wang Qi. “Your answers were perfect. Whether it’s myself or Jiaxuan, we gave you the highest evaluation…”

 

“The breaking of illusions touched a chord.” Deng Jiaxuan added.

 

Chen Jingyun shook his head. “You’re partial towards the ‘applied’ path. But that’s fine. Master Neumann did start out from ‘usage’ after all and still aspired to greater math, earning his People’s Champion’s title.”

 

[Pure math vs. applied math philosophical debate?]

 

“W-why?” Under Soul’s Origin Cajal’s restriction, Wang Qi barely squeezed a word out.

 

“Your origin is unclear.” Chen Jingyun was blunt. “Just days after joining the Immortal Institute, you solved the problems in the back of the Arts Archive, which is something incomprehensible. We all suspected you of being tied with Daoist Proscribe or a devil parasite taking you over, hence the sudden testing.”

 

Wang Qi’s gaze was on Cajal’s finger, showing his confusion.

 

“This investigation is a must.” Daoist Proscribe explained. “You’ve been in contact with a devil within the Argent Mountain and have yet to become erratic. Despite your intent to hide things in the heart trial, no lies were spoken, proving you and Daoist Proscribe are nothing to each other. In other words, you’re 99% clean. Now we’re looking into the final possibility.”

 

“Your talent is even higher than some Unfettered, and will become the focus of the entire Immortal Alliance to groom you upon joining a sect. This only makes asserting your history that much crucial.”

 

[Tch, my cover got blown the second I entered…]

 

Wang Qi realized his mistake, his heart racing.

 

Deng Jiaxuan was gentle, smiling despite Wang Qi’s displeasure. “Don’t worry too much. Your talent is exceptional for modern cultivation, and very unlikely to become Immortal Alliance’s enemy no matter how bad you are. Once this test is over, the Immortal Alliance will have another Unfettered a hundred years from now.”

 

[Immortal Alliance’s enemy?]

 

[You mean the Immortal Alliance has enemies?]

 

This was the second time Wang Qi heard this, and not from Zhen Chanzi, an ancient Great Ascension, but from Deng Jiaxuan, a paramount Unfettered in the Immortal Alliance.

 

Brushing aside Wang Qi’s obvious train of thoughts, Deng Jiaxuan turned to Chen Jingyun. “Myriad Arts Sect just gained another genius…”

 

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves…” Cajal sounded harsh. He put the finger away, giving a bitter smile. “The situation is strange.”

 

Wang Qi’s heart sank.

 

[What did he find?]

 

Deng Jiaxuan was the first to react, “Fellow Daoist, what is going on?”

 

Cajal stared at his finger in utter disappointment. “The kid’s soul feels… off. Maybe my arts are lacking, but I couldn’t see through it. Only five parts of his soul is human. The other five… are hidden from me…”

 

He was vague, but Chen Jingyun’s face fell. “Banished Immortal?”

 

“An actual banished immortal?” Zhen Chanzi cried out from his ring.

 

Wang Qi was quick to question the only responsive person around. “Old man, what the heck is that? What’s with their strange looks?”

 

“In times of yore, some cultivated Fortune, with their spirit gaining a trace of divinity that allowed them to be reborn even after complete annihilation. When the reincarnated individual solved its riddle, they would reemerge!”

 

[In other words… he saw that I crossed over?]

 

At Chen Jingyun’s question, Cajal lowered his head. Chen Jingyun stood, stressing each word. “Fellow Daoist, is he a banished immortal?”

 

Cajal sighed at long last. “There are too few of them in the world. Without a subject, I have no way to form a general guideline. Therefore, I am also unclear. Maybe his soul is innately different.”

 

“This isn’t a joke.” Chen Jingyun snapped. “This matter affects… affects the very foundation of my Myriad Arts Sect!”

 

“Fifty-fifty, that’s all I can say.” Cajal’s gaze on Wang Qi lost its previous interest. “Little brother, sorry.”

 

And left.

 

Soul’s Origin’s departure restored Wang Qi’s movements. But at the same time, he broke out in cold sweats.

 

[Killing intent!]

 

Chen Jingyun and Deng Jiaxuan stared with unmistakable killing intent.

 

“Immortal Alliance doesn’t like banished immortals?” Wang Qi eased a breath and asked the two.

 

Deng Jiaxuan rose an eyebrow and gave a forces smile. “Can’t you tell we want to kill you? Why the eased stance?”

 

“You wouldn’t have let me sense your killing intent if you did.” Wang Qi pointed at his nose. “I’m just a Qi Refining cultivator anyway.”

 

Deng Jiaxuan shook his head. “That’s a good trait, being able to talk despite our pressure. It only makes this harder to accept.”

 

“Why?” Wang Qi asked.

 

“Ask that ancient soul fragment in your ring. See how ancient cultivators judged banished immortals.”

 

Wang Qi turned to the ring and Zhen Chanzi explained without being prompted. “Banished immortals have an innate insight about them, making cultivation a breeze. No, not just a breeze, for a talented banished immortal can achieve in a year what others do in five, if not ten years. That innate insight also helps in overcoming any cultivation speeds in no time at all…”

 

Zhen Chanzi didn’t try to hide from the two cultivators. Deng Jiaxuan continued where he left off. “Your knowledge of the modern cultivation system should make it obvious why the modern and ancient systems are at odds. Banished immortals make a breeze of cultivating the ancient way, while the modern way would feel the exact opposite. Trudging along is actually fast.”

 

Wang Qi didn’t accept it. “Just now you said I could become an Unfettered. So you can’t accept it if it ends up taking five to ten times longer?”

 

Chen Jingyun was cold. “To be frank, no banished immortal passed Primordial Spirit’s threshold.”

 

[No one?]

 

Wang Qi felt dizzy.

 

[Am I destined to be stuck at Golden Core?]

 

[Just some lame Golden Core?!]

 

[What cant Golden Core do? Can it destroy Imperial Celestial Rift Sect, the ancient cultivators? Can it live forever?]

 

[If I can’t struggle, what joy is there to be talked about? If there’s no eternal life, wont’ that me my pursuit a joke…]

 

“The notions and understanding a banish immortal had from the previous life becomes part of them, and innate clashes with modern cultivation. Even the body will have a severe reaction to modern cultivation…”

 

Chen Jingyun’s voice drifted into Wang Qi’s ears.

 

[Hold up, maybe it’s not all that hopeless and despairing…]

 

[Banish immortals can’t go higher due to their past insights… but I’m a transmigrator! All the insights and notions I have from my past life are scientific…]

 

[I might resemble banish immortals, but technically I ain’t one, not fully. That means Primordial Spirit’s threshold got nothing on me!]

 

Chen Jingyun’s next word plunged Wang Qi into despair. “That’s why I can’t let you join Myriad Arts Sect.”