Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband

Dean Yu and Elder Yi stood at a distance, observing the scene before them. They, along with other senior members of the academy, had expected Chi Changye to retreat into seclusion after overcoming his heavenly tribulation to stabilize his cultivation. Instead, after merely recovering from the injuries caused by the lightning tribulation and replenishing his spiritual energy, Chi had joined Gu Yao in cleaning up the aftermath. He hardly resembled the dignified and aloof Golden Core masters revered across Tianlin Continent.

Fortunately, the area had been cordoned off and the students dispersed after being warned of the dangers. This minimized the number of onlookers, preserving Chi Changye’s image somewhat.

A Martial Peak elder arrived to complain tearfully, which only made Elder Yi beam with pride while Dean Yu shook his head in amused disbelief. Chi Changye’s remarkable feat of both enduring a heavenly tribulation and defeating ambushing Golden Core cultivators left him an unrivaled figure of admiration among the academy’s younger disciples.

If outsiders were in awe, how could the academy’s own students—who had witnessed the spectacular battle firsthand—not revere him even more?

Seeing Gu Yao start concocting antidotes on the spot, Chi Changye stepped aside, washed his hands, and pulled out some beast meat to grill. Elder Yi’s face twitched, finding the sight difficult to bear.

Dean Yu chuckled heartily. “Chi Daoist is still young, unlike us old-timers. Maintaining this carefree mindset helps fuel his drive for progress—it’s admirable. Didn’t you also act impulsively under the influence of Alchemist Gu Yao? Now that Gu Yao is taking responsibility for cleaning up the aftermath, it’s all balanced out.”

Elder Yi awkwardly wiped his face. “Well, it’s just… detoxifying isn’t exactly my strength.”

As a sword cultivator, he knew little about toxins, let alone how to neutralize them. “But Dean, since Chi Changye has successfully formed his Golden Core, shouldn’t we host a celebration banquet for him?”

Dean Yu and Elder Yi walked back, chatting along the way. Dean Yu knew that his presence could never escape Chi Changye’s heightened senses, especially now that he had formed his Golden Core. Therefore, he and Elder Yi made no attempt to hide their open observation.

Dean Yu remarked, “We should ask Chi for his opinion on the celebration. He seems rather busy lately.” What was keeping him busy hardly needed explanation, as Elder Yi could plainly see it for himself.

After a brief pause, Elder Yi asked, “Have we confirmed the identities of those two scoundrels from that day?”

Two Golden Core cultivators suddenly appearing was alarming. Prior to Chi Changye’s breakthrough, the continent had only three known Golden Core masters: Hu Ting, still at the Alchemist Guild headquarters, Meng, the City Lord of Shifang City, and Hong, the Sect Master of Qianxue Sect. So which of them had been seriously injured and poisoned? Or was it an unknown Golden Core expert lurking in the shadows?

Hiding one’s cultivation at the Golden Core level was nearly impossible since forming a core involved a heavenly tribulation that was impossible to conceal. News of any tribulation quickly spread across the continent. Only outsiders might manage to evade detection and remain hidden.

Hu Ting was clearly not a suspect; he had been seen at the Alchemist Guild during the tribulation and had even stepped outside to observe it. That left Meng and Hong.

Dean Yu stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Both were in seclusion, so both are suspect. However, Meng has been secluded for a long time, while Hong recently stabilized his cultivation and abruptly went back into seclusion, which seems more suspicious. But without seeing them in person, we can’t identify the culprits for sure. We also can’t control how outsiders interpret the situation.”

Dean Yu’s expression turned serious. “Two Golden Core cultivators storming Tianfu Academy shows blatant disrespect not just to us but to the entire Tianlin Continent. Otherwise, how could they act so recklessly?”

The news of the attack had spread far and wide, sparking intense criticism and speculation about the ambushers’ identities. With Hu Ting ruled out, suspicion fell heavily on Meng and Hong.

Hong, in particular, drew the most doubt. Having only recently completed his core formation, tensions between Qianxue Sect and Tianfu Academy had escalated into outright conflict. Hong feared Chi Changye’s successful breakthrough most of all, as retaliation could potentially force Qianxue Sect to abandon its territory entirely. No sect could tolerate a dangerous neighbor constantly plotting against them.

Before Hong could clear his name, public opinion had already condemned him. The sect’s disciples faced widespread ostracism wherever they went. Despite the growing pressure, Hong remained unseen. The sect’s official statement claiming their master was in seclusion was met with widespread skepticism and ridicule.

The other suspect, City Lord Meng, caused some hesitation and division of opinion. After all, Shifang City held an extremely high position in Tianlin Continent. Most of the major forces on the continent had industries and strongholds in Shifang City. City Lord Meng had maintained his status as the continent’s strongest cultivator for decades and earned great prestige. The idea that he might be the culprit was hard for many to accept.

As a result, some began to suspect City Lord Meng, while others started to dig into the possibility of another hidden Golden Core cultivator causing the trouble from the shadows.

The disciples of Qianxue Sect were facing difficult times. After Chi Changye successfully overcame his tribulation, the disciples left behind at the Qiuqiu Mountains received orders to retreat. They came in force but left in disgrace, losing both face and reputation.

It was then reported that their Sect Master, Hong, was one of the attackers. Even they found it hard to accept, and the atmosphere within the sect grew heavy. They had lost all desire to continue their cultivation. Small groups of disciples gathered, gossiping aimlessly.

A group of returning cultivators entered, looking somewhat disheveled. One of them, frowning, said, “Where was this shop that got shut down? Were they chased out?”

Sect leaders also needed to generate revenue, so they would set up shops in cultivation cities to sell various cultivation supplies and collect resources. Usually, shops that didn’t advertise their sect affiliation fared better, as they could keep a low profile and avoid trouble. However, shops openly displaying Qianxue Sect’s banner were targeted and attacked.

A large group of cultivators had gathered outside the shop, smashing and demanding that they leave. Even if someone tried to intervene, it was clear that Qianxue Sect had made too many enemies. As long as Hong, the Sect Master, did not clarify his innocence, this situation would not change.

Eventually, the disciples from the shops had no choice but to shut down their businesses and return to the sect in disgrace.

“Definitely. Recently, it’s best not to leave the sect. Even around Qiuqiu Mountains, it’s easy to be targeted by others,” one disciple commented. “Before, we could hold our own, but now, as soon as anyone notices a disciple from Qianxue Sect, people from Tianfu Academy rush over immediately. It’s better if they just hit us with a dull stick.”

“Are we going to continue like this? Isn’t Tianfu Academy going too far?” The voice trailed off as the speaker realized the futility of speaking out. They remembered how, not long ago, they had acted arrogantly toward Tianfu Academy, and now it seemed like the tables had turned. “Do you think it could really be our Sect Master’s doing? I heard that doing something like this is a huge taboo.”

Disrupting someone else’s tribulation could lead to retaliation. The balance in the cultivation world would be broken if others started following suit.

As outsiders began to label Hong as the culprit, even Qianxue Sect’s own disciples started to question their Sect Master’s involvement. His prolonged absence only fueled their suspicions, and the seed of doubt grew.

When this issue was bluntly raised, no one could provide an answer. After a moment of silence, one disciple lowered their voice and said, “I heard some disciples are planning to leave the sect. Without the sect identity, they could move freely without any problems.”

‘If we could get into Tianfu Academy, that would be even better,’ they thought, but the thought remained unspoken, buried deep inside.

“Isn’t that the same as betraying the sect? If the elders found out, do you think they’d let us off the hook?”

“Maybe some of the elders are already thinking the same way,” one disciple said. “When the big tree falls, the followers beneath it will surely scramble to find their own place to settle.”

Not only were the disciples’ minds changing, but the middle and senior levels of the sect also had their own thoughts. Some of them wanted to get to the bottom of things and find out whether the Sect Master was involved, hoping the Sect Master would come forward and clarify things. As a result, they gathered in front of Sect Master Hong’s closed-door cultivation room. Elder Gan, who had just arrived with the news, was gnashing her teeth in anger, wanting to tear these people apart.

“Elder Gan,” one elder said in a mocking tone, “We know you’re close to the Sect Master, but we’re not in the same position. Have you not seen the situation of Qianxue Sect? As long as the Sect Master speaks up, everything will be resolved. Otherwise, if this continues, all of us will be trapped within the sect.”

Some of the elders were also calculating their own plans. Even if they hadn’t gone to Tianfu Academy that day, they were still disturbed by the thunder tribulation from afar and had witnessed the chaos. They clearly knew how badly the Golden Core cultivator who ambushed Chi Changye was doing. It was likely that even a newly-formed Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn’t be able to handle the situation. If they could use this opportunity to bring down the Sect Master, wouldn’t that open the way for them to take the position?

As for the external crisis, once all the blame was placed on Sect Master Hong, wouldn’t everything be resolved?

“Hah! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re plotting! You people are not even qualified to covet the Sect Master’s position. I’m the first to oppose it!” Elder Gan, though a female cultivator, had a fiery temper. She immediately pointed at several senior sect members and scolded them for their devious intentions.