Chapter 5

Hearing the mysterious old man's words, Nie Tianxing immediately became excited, as if he were in a dream.

"Whoosh!"

At this moment, a sound of something breaking through the air echoed, and an old man with white hair and beard, dressed in a white robe, appeared, looking at Nie Tianxing with surprise.

"Greetings, Elder Yuan!" Gu Qiuxue and the disciples of Tian Dao Sect immediately greeted respectfully, all secretly shocked that even Elder Yuan had been alarmed.

"Little brother, what is your name?" Elder Yuan asked, looking at Nie Tianxing.

"Nie Tianxing!"

"Nie Tianxing?" Elder Yuan's expression changed slightly, clearly knowing of this person's existence, and his expression became even more puzzled.

After looking at Nie Tianxing for a moment, Elder Yuan couldn't help but frown and ask, "Why did that true essence force disappear just now? I can't detect any true essence force fluctuations in your body at all! What's going on here?"

The terrifying true essence force had alarmed this elder, and Nie Tianxing couldn't help but feel extremely excited. Perhaps this Elder Yuan could really help him erase the name of a waste.

"Little brother, can you completely hide your true essence force?" Not seeing any true essence force fluctuations in Nie Tianxing's body, Elder Yuan asked, somewhat confused.

"Elder Yuan, he... is he really at the Core Formation stage?" the senior brother couldn't help but ask, finding it hard to believe that a fifteen-year-old boy could be at the Core Formation stage. No one would believe it if it were said out loud.

Seeing Nie Tianxing hesitate, Elder Yuan also noticed his difficulty and immediately said, "Qiuxue, Iron King, I only take two disciples, Nie Tianxing and this little brother. The rest, you can let the Sect Master arrange."

"Elder Yuan, this junior is called Kuangmie." The elder said, referring to the large young man.

"Kuangmie? What a presumptuous name, but I like it! Follow me." Elder Yuan was slightly surprised, then nodded and smiled, gesturing for the two to follow him.

"Xingyun, go and investigate Nie Tianxing's background immediately. This boy is a bit strange." Situ Nan muttered to himself, his voice low, and he was speaking to the air.

"Yes, Young Master! I will investigate immediately." A respectful voice echoed in Situ Nan's mind.

"The Tian Dao Sect's once-every-five-years disciple recruitment has ended. Please return. If the journey is far, you can rest at the Tian Dao Sect for a night." Iron King loudly announced to the crowd in the square and then left.

The Tian Dao Sect is vast, with the main palace and surrounding palaces. The surrounding mountains are the places where the elders cultivate, with a total of six mountains, each connected to the main peak by a sky bridge.

Each mountain has a grand palace, and each palace has a palace master who manages the affairs of the mountain, while the elders rarely appear.

The mountain where Elder Yuan resides is called Qingyun Peak, and the palace is called Qingyun Palace. Qingyun Palace is an exception, as the grand palace has no disciples, not even a palace master, only Elder Yuan. Now, with Nie Tianxing and Kuangmie, there are only three people.

Arriving at the square of Qingyun Palace, seeing that the vast square was completely empty, Nie Tianxing and Kuangmie were stunned. Kuangmie couldn't help but ask, "Elder Yuan, why is there no one here? Are all the disciples of Qingyun Palace in seclusion?"

"I have never taken disciples, and there is no position of palace master in Qingyun Palace. I like to cultivate in a quiet place." Elder Yuan smiled slightly and then introduced them, "Your living place is on the back mountain, and you will also cultivate there. On the left is a bamboo forest, where the spiritual energy is abundant, and you can also cultivate in the bamboo forest. On the right is a garden of flowers and herbs, do not touch them, as they are used for refining pills."

"Yes!" Nie Tianxing and Kuangmie nodded respectfully.

"Your task is to familiarize yourselves with everything here. In the future, you can cultivate with peace of mind. Kuangmie, familiarize yourself with the surroundings first. I have some things to ask Tianxing." Elder Yuan smiled, knowing Nie Tianxing's difficulties, so he sent Kuangmie away first.

"Okay!" Kuangmie nodded, glanced at Nie Tianxing, and then turned to leave.

A month passed, and the mysterious old man did not appear again, which made Nie Tianxing disappointed once more.

Nie Tianxing walked aimlessly, and the helpless and desperate him couldn't help but think of what had happened in the bamboo forest of Xianyun Sect. Unconsciously, he arrived at the bamboo forest.

Thinking of the happy conversations with Ling Yue in the bamboo forest, the beating by Yang Yuntian and others, Ye Feng's angry rush towards Ling Yue, and Ling Yue's last words before she died, the scenes of their time together kept playing in his mind. Tears rolled down, and his heart ached as if countless heart-eating worms were devouring it.

Nie Tianxing stood quietly in the bamboo forest. As his sorrowful aura spread, the bamboo forest seemed to be dyed with it, and a large number of bamboo leaves fell, spreading a sorrowful atmosphere.

"Brother Tianxing, Yue will always be with you."

"Brother Tianxing, when Yue grows up, I will marry you. I will marry no one but you."

"Brother Tianxing, you must work hard to cultivate. Yue will always be with you, and you will definitely become a super genius in our empire!"

"Brother Tianxing, you are the best. You are definitely not a waste. Yue believes in you! You must cheer up and not give up."

Nie Tianxing's mind was filled with Ling Yue's laughter. Each memory made him happy, but also filled him with deep self-reproach.

"What was that voice? Was it just an illusion?" Nie Tianxing smiled bitterly, his face full of sorrow.

"Tianxing! Tianxing!" Soon, Kuangmie came to the bamboo forest, called out twice, and saw Nie Tianxing standing motionless in the bamboo forest.

Running up, he sighed in relief, "Tianxing, I finally found you. I'm glad you're okay. I've already prepared your meal. Eat something; it will help your cultivation."

In the past month, Kuangmie had taken very good care of Nie Tianxing. Even though Nie Tianxing rarely spoke, Kuangmie still cared for him a lot.

From that day on, Nie Tianxing never left the bamboo forest, staying there for half a year. Only in the bamboo forest, thinking of Ling Yue, did Nie Tianxing manage to hold on. Without the memory of Ling Yue, he would have given up long ago.

In the past half a year, Kuangmie, besides cultivating every day, would also bring meals to Nie Tianxing on time, without interruption. For this, Nie Tianxing was extremely grateful, but he had no strength to cheer up, instead becoming more and more depressed and hopeless.

The double blow of the name of a waste and the death of the one he loved would have made anyone lose the courage to live if they were not strong-willed.

In the half a year, immersed in sorrow and despair, the sixteen-year-old Nie Tianxing had grown a head of white hair, looking extremely haggard and frail.

Wearing a white robe, his white hair fluttering in the breeze, from the side, he looked somewhat handsome, but from the front, his face was full of despair, devoid of any color.

The quiet bamboo forest was suddenly broken by a noisy sound of footsteps, and several Tian Dao Sect disciples appeared in the bamboo forest.

"Senior brother, why are we here for bamboo?" a disciple asked.

"The sect's jade slips are made from the Immortal Bamboo of Qingyun Palace. Immortal Bamboo contains spiritual energy, and the bamboo forest is also a good place for cultivation. Since the elders asked us to get bamboo, it must be for making jade slips, and only Qingyun Palace has Immortal Bamboo." A senior brother explained.

"Hey! Senior brother, look, there's an old man!" A disciple suddenly saw Nie Tianxing with his white hair, mistaking him for an old man.

"Is it him? This... What happened?" Situ Nan looked at Nie Tianxing in surprise, hardly believing his eyes. In just half a year, Nie Tianxing had become this way.

"Do you know him, junior brother?" A senior brother asked.

Situ Nan nodded, "Senior brother Changfeng, he is the waste Nie Tianxing from the Divine State Empire who can't cultivate true essence force. I had already sent people to investigate him half a year ago. In just half a year, he has grown a head of white hair."

Yang Changfeng was shocked, "So he is Nie Tianxing. What's so special about a head of white hair? It's just because he can't cultivate true essence force, leading to despair." A disciple sneered, naturally mocking the waste.

Situ Nan slowly walked to the depressed Nie Tianxing, glanced at him coldly, and said with a sneer, "Nie Tianxing, I didn't expect a waste from the Divine State Empire to come and join the Tian Dao Sect. It seems even Elder Yuan can't help you get rid of the name of a waste. In just half a year, you've become this ghostly figure."

"My business is none of yours. Get lost!" Nie Tianxing glanced at Situ Nan with a depressed look, his voice cold, with a hint of anger.

"Wow? Quite a mouth, daring to look down on the young master of the Situ family! What's so great about being a waste?" A disciple sneered.

"Nie Tianxing, you came to the Tian Dao Sect alone from the Divine State Empire, which I have to admire. But if you want to avenge Ling Yue, not only in this life, but even in the next, you won't be able to. Although I'm not from the Divine State Empire, I have investigated your background. You couldn't cultivate true essence force since childhood, were expelled by the Nie family, and sent to Xianyun Sect as a laborer. It has been like this for fifteen years." Situ Nan mocked, his eyes full of disdain.

Situ Nan's words deeply tore open the wounds in Nie Tianxing's heart. Anger surged in his heart, and his mind was in excruciating pain, almost exploding. The various mockery and humiliation he had endured in the past kept playing in his mind, especially the scene of Ling Yue's death, which he could never forget. The more he thought about it, the more painful it became.

"Ah!" In pain, Nie Tianxing suddenly roared to the sky, his eyes filled with bloodshot, and the birds in the bamboo forest were frightened and flew away.

"What? Did I hit a sore spot? Nie Tianxing, I'm telling you, you will never escape this in your life. You will live in pain for the rest of your life, until you die in pain." Situ Nan laughed coldly, satisfied.