Chapter 9: The Resolve of Rebirth
The sky gradually darkened as a spacious and brightly lit dining hall appeared especially lively at nightfall. The hall's lights illuminated the white walls and wooden tables and chairs, warm and cozy. The air was filled with the aroma of various foods, making one's mouth water.
In the dining hall, more than ten senior brothers and sisters were already seated, waiting. The family of Luo Qingfeng had not yet arrived. Zhou Xuchen greeted the junior brothers and sisters familiarly and arranged for Feng Xuanyi to sit at the last seat. where a raised chair had been prepared for him beforehand. After instructing the nearby junior brother to take care of Feng Xuanyi, Zhou Xuchen took his seat at the secondary seat.
Feng Xuanyi sat awkwardly on the high chair, feeling uncomfortable all over.
Next to him was his sixteenth senior brother, a young man in his mid-twenties named Zeng Qihang, who was chatting with Feng Xuanyi as if they were old acquaintances.
What he said was nothing but some strange and bizarre anecdotes, but he had a way with words, and combined with his expressions, he made it all sound intriguing and amusing. Feng Xuanyi also readily joined in and occasionally exclaimed in amazement.
"Qihang, give it a rest. You're always bragging. With your abilities, have you really seen the Azure-eyed Golden Ape? If you ever do meet one, we won't have a chance to see you again. Little Feng, don't believe him," a young man with a sharp face and monkey-like cheek across the table couldn't help but interject.
The senior brothers and sisters burst into laughter upon hearing this. The speaker was Su Mingyang, ranked fourteenth, who enjoyed bantering with Zeng Qihang.
Zeng Qihang blushed and bantered back with the other senior brothers.
Feng Xuanyi also took this opportunity to familiarize himself with his senior brothers and sisters again, feeling like he was reintegrating into the big family of the Infinite Hall.
Shortly after, Luo Qingfeng led the way into the dining hall, followed closely by He Xinyi and Luo Yuqian, who was happily bouncing around while cradling a white cat. Bringing up the rear were four young maids, all around sixteen years old, adorned in colorful dresses. These maids were not disciples of the Wen Tian Sect, so their attire was not particularly refined. Instead, they had come as part of He Xinyi's entourage from the Hua Yun Pavilion, tasked with managing the household affairs.
As the disciples rose to respectfully greet them, Luo Qingfeng acknowledged them with a slight nod before taking his place at the head of the table. He Xinyi settled beside him, while Luo Yuqian perched herself on the raised chair, handing the white cat to the maid following behind her.
He Xinyi gave a brief command to the servants nearby, and soon steaming dishes were placed on the table.
Platters of assorted spiritual fruits, fragrant fruit wines, and mysterious, spiritually infused meats were brought forth, filling the room with a delightful aroma and vibrant colors, tantalizing both the senses and the appetite.
Luo Qingfeng glanced around the room and then waved his hand, saying, "Alright, since everyone is here, let's start the meal." During the meal, Luo Qingfeng inquired about the cultivation progress of each disciple, and they took the opportunity to ask questions about their cultivation, to which Luo Qingfeng casually provided answers.
Lu Qingfeng glanced at Feng Xuanyi and also inquired briefly about his situation. To which, Feng Xuanyi naturally reported truthfully.
Luo Qingfeng then said, "Little Feng, although talent is important in cultivation, diligence is equally vital. With your efforts, you will naturally see results."
"Yes, Master, I understand," Feng Xuanyi replied respectfully, which slightly softened Luo Qingfeng's expression.
He Xinyi looked at Feng Xuanyi, who appeared flattered and surprised, and felt pity for his situation. Perhaps due to recently becoming a mother, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him and said, "Qingfeng, look at Xiaofeng. He's still young and growing. Let her eat with us normally. But adding another set of tableware, and will make it easier for us to take care of him too."
Lu Qingfeng, upon hearing this, appeared hesitant. It wasn't just a matter of adding an extra set of tableware; it was the treasure of heaven and earth. Moreover, he wasn't particularly fond of this disciple, but he didn't want to dampen his wife's mood, so he reluctantly agreed with a grunt.
Seeing Lu Qingfeng's reaction, He Xinyi smiled brightly and said to Feng Xuanyi, "Little Feng, why don't you thank your master?"
Feng Xuanyi hurriedly expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Master, thank you, Mistress. Your kindness will never be forgotten by your disciple."
He Xinyi shook her head and said, "What kind of great kindness is this? Being all alone, it's not very convenient for you to take care of your daily life. I'll arrange for a maid to take care of you later.
Feng Xuanyi was taken aback, knowing that he had many secrets that he couldn't afford to be discovered. He quickly declined, " This kind of household chores, I've been doing them since I was young, and I can take care of myself ". But He Xinyi remained unmoved, saying, "You're just a child. How can you handle these things yourself? Besides, with this time, you might as well focus more on your cultivation,"
Seeing that his Mistress' mind was made up, Feng Xuanyi could only helplessly respond, "Thank you, Mistress, for your kindness."
The disciples were all extremely astonished at these words. Such treatment surpassed even that of the direct disciples.
Although the disciples who had not yet qualified to open the peak resided on the main peak and had dedicated menial disciples to take care of their meals, due to the scarcity of female disciples and He Xinyi's disapproval of disciples engaging in romantic relationships, most female menial disciples are stationed in the Enlightenment Courtyard, serving the disciples were male menial disciples.
Perhaps because Feng Xuanyi was relatively young, he was not regarded as a man and was unexpectedly bestowed with a handmaiden. What made the other disciples most envious was that Feng Xuanyi, this fellow, didn't know what stroke of luck he had, but he was fortunate enough to have three meals a day with the Su Qianyi family. Usually, disciples would only dine with their Master after being examined each time, and consult their Master and Mistress about some cultivation questions at the dining table.
In order to strengthen Luo Yuqian's physique, Luo Qingfeng spared no expense, and the food they ate was all precious treasures of heaven and earth. How could it not make people jealous?
This was a truly extraordinary fortune.
After the little interlude, everyone continued their meal, chatting and laughing. The senior brothers were all in high spirits, teasing each other and enjoying themselves.
After dinner, Feng Xuanyi bid farewell to his senior brothers and returned to the exceptionally familiar LunarGlow Courtyard. Feng Xuanyi looked at this familiar place - a small courtyard, a three-story building, which was his home in the Infinite Hall.
At this moment, besides a few lush bamboos, the rest of the courtyard was sparse, with weeds growing everywhere. The small stones paved a pathway in the courtyard, but due to neglect, weeds were growing on both sides, giving it a desolate and lonely feel.
Faint chirping of insects could be heard around, while the sky was filled with stars and the moon shone brightly overhead, casting its gentle light upon him, this reincarnated soul.
In his previous life, he was just an ordinary disciple of the Wen Tian Sect, but fate played tricks on him, and he mistakenly became the Seven-Slay Demon Lord of The Star Sanctum.
When he thought his remaining years would be spent in slaughter and intrigue, fate played another trick on him. In the countless chases and battles with Xue Yanshuang, the two, who were originally on opposite sides of right and evil, ended up together.
However, fate never showed him any kindness, always delivering a fatal blow just when he thought he had found happiness.
After more than two hundred years of secluded bliss near the Wen Tian Sect with Xue Yanshuang. The two were about to set sail together, from then they
Yet, in order to free Lin Qingyan's lingering soul from the control of the puppeteer behind the scenes, he chose to perish with her.
In his final moments, he realized that his entire life had been manipulated by others. The only true choices he made were perhaps falling in love with Xue Yanshuang and perishing with Li Qingyan.
He had thought his life would end there, but unexpectedly, fate gave him a chance to be reborn.
"Fate, are you still unwilling to let me go? But do you think I will still be controlled by you? No matter why I was reborn, since I have returned, this time, I will control my own destiny!"
He muttered quietly, as if reassuring himself, yet also making an oath to the heavens.
Feng Xuanyi had this confidence not only because he was reborn, with knowledge of the future's course, but also because he possessed three of the four top-tier cultivation techniques.
The Wen Tian Sect's "Celestial Nine Scrolls," The Star Sanctum's "Stellar Revelation," and the "Formless Heart Sutra" from the Temple of No Form.
The first two techniques were learned through his own experiences, while the Formless Heart Sutra was a past that Feng Xuanyi preferred not to mention.
Back then, after the Third Great War between Righteous and Evil, he and Xue Yanshuang decided to retire, so they sought help from the holy monk Wisdom Heart of The Temple of No Form.
Seeing his genuine repentance, holy monk Wisdom Heart, risking defying the world, made an exception and allowed him to practice in the Temple of No Form. He even passed on to him the temple's forbidden secret, the Formless Heart Sutra.
Such a compassionate monk, who empathized with the suffering of others, tragically died for no apparent reason within the Temple of No Form. Undoubtedly, this unclear account of events was once again attributed to Feng Xuanyi, this Demon Lord.
However, fortunately, with everything starting anew, he still had the chance to stop it all.