After Transmigrating as an Immortal Master, I Hold a Group Meeting - Chapter 95

Spirit Master Voidless’s narrow eyes widened at the words. His voice carried a hint of unnatural tension. “Qi Miancheng?”

That one sentence was enough for Ning Mingmei to realize that Spirit Master Voidless had originally planned to take advantage of Qi Miancheng’s unconscious state to imprison Ning Mingmei in the forbidden grounds.

At that moment, the crushing spiritual pressure pressing down on Ning Mingmei suddenly weakened.

Ning Mingmei turned his head and saw a figure in white robes, drifting in like an immortal descending from the heavens; just as Qi Miancheng had once done in the depths of the mine, descending with three swords in hand.

However, if back then, his presence had been graceful and ethereal, now, it was sharp and unyielding. Like the winter frost-laden wind, carrying blades and swords, cutting through the stark black and white of the Discipline Hall.

Spirit Master Voidless casually withdrew his spiritual pressure.

Qi Miancheng, clad in white robes with a black gauze outer layer, stepped to Ning Mingmei’s side. He turned to look at Ning Mingmei and smiled gently. “Junior Brother?”

Ning Mingmei immediately responded, “Senior Brother.”

Whatever had passed between them in private was one matter.

However, here, in front of Spirit Master Voidless, standing united with his senior brother was the only course of action.

Ning Mingmei exchanged a glance with Qi Miancheng to send a signal.

Senior Brother, while you were away, this man tried to seize your power! As a so-called ‘retired official,’ he has taken it upon himself to act as headmaster in your absence. Not only that, but he also wants to remove your trusted aides and dismantle the network of influence you built within the Supreme Clarity Sect.

Senior Brother, if you don’t take action now, where will your authority be? Where is the dignity of your position as headmaster? You took a three-day sick leave and a Grand Elder already dares to snatch your power. If one day you were to take maternity leave, wouldn’t just any random cat or dog dare to climb over your head?

Ning Mingmei quietly but intensely hinted at all of this with his gaze. And sure enough, no one could tolerate the provocation of having their position stripped away after just a brief absence, especially not when combined with the silent, compelling persuasion in Ning Mingmei’s eyes.

Qi Miancheng turned toward Spirit Master Voidless, his lips still curved in a smile, though there was no warmth in his eyes. “I had just woken up when I heard that, in the middle of the night, Spirit Master Voidless was making a great fuss in the Discipline Hall. Not only was Junior Brother Mingmei summoned, but Junior Brother Xiang and Junior Brother Chang were also implicated,” Qi Miancheng said. “So, despite my injuries, I hurried over to assist Martial Uncle in resolving the matter.”

Ning Mingmei: Oh ho.

That phrase—‘despite my injuries, I hurried over’—was not something an ordinary sect master would dare to say.

Spirit Master Voidless was clearly caught off guard by the remark. He replied, “It is good that Martial Nephew Qi has awoken. I was merely concerned that if you remained unconscious for too long, the sect would become unsettled and certain individuals with ulterior motives might use the situation to stir up trouble…”

Qi Miancheng’s voice remained gentle. “So Martial Uncle was worrying on my behalf? I had thought it was I who should be worrying for Martial Uncle instead.”

His words were layered with meaning, carrying a subtle but unmistakable accusation, implying that Spirit Master Voidless, as a senior, lacked virtue.

Cultivators highly value detachment from worldly power, especially Grand Elders, who are supposed to embody the highest ideals of their sect. Spirit Master Voidless’s expression darkened. “Martial Nephew Qi, are you saying I am overstepping my bounds?”

“Martial Uncle is a Grand Elder now, while I am the master of the Supreme Clarity Sect,” Qi Miancheng replied at an unhurried pace. “Managing the sect is my responsibility. How could I trouble someone as detached from worldly affairs as Spirit Master Voidless with such trivial matters? Fortunately, I awoke just in time. I had only been unconscious for three days, yet Martial Uncle was already in such a hurry; so much so that, without even taking the time to investigate properly, you hauled people in for questioning in the middle of the night. I imagine your deductive skills must be quite extraordinary, Martial Uncle. You must have already reached your own conclusions, haven’t you?”

Spirit Master Voidless stiffened. “You—!”

He was flustered.

Not just flustered but humiliated and enraged.

Qi Miancheng’s words were impeccable on the surface, yet every sentence struck directly at Spirit Master Voidless’s weak points.

A Grand Elder vying for power with the sect master, seeking fame and personal gain, all while harboring premeditated suspicions.

Qi Miancheng raised an eyebrow. “Me?”

“…Sect Master Qi.”

At last, Spirit Master Voidless gritted his teeth and forced out the formal title.

To admit, in front of juniors, that he had overstepped his bounds, was a complete defeat.

“I have always known that Martial Uncle is willing to sacrifice himself for the good of the sect,” Qi Miancheng continued. “Had I remained unconscious any longer, you might have been so self-sacrificing that you would have forgotten I am still the rightful leader. How could I trouble you with such a burden? That would be most disrespectful of me.” He sighed before turning to Ning Mingmei. “Junior Brother Mingmei, tell me, what exactly did Spirit Master Voidless say just now?”

Ning Mingmei quickly repeated Spirit Master Voidless’s words, making sure to emphasize one particular part, “Spirit Master Voidless said I should be confined to the forbidden grounds.”

“That is quite the misunderstanding,” Qi Miancheng remarked. “Spirit Master Voidless has been in seclusion in the Heavenly Cave for too long; he is surely out of touch with external affairs. Junior Brother went to Yaochuan under my orders. Junior Brother went to Liuyue Lake because the Merit and Virtue Hall had a backlog of unresolved cases, and he led Jade Pavilion Peak and Assembled Virtues Peak to resolve them on behalf of the sect. As for Junior Brother’s guidance of the disciples, I have personally witnessed it and greatly appreciate it.”

Qi Miancheng’s tone remained mild, but his words were sharp. “I wonder, Spirit Master Voidless, where do all these biases of yours come from? Could it be… that you have some ulterior motives?”

Spirit Master Voidless was choked silent by these words, unable to retort. His expression darkened, and after a long pause, he finally said, “Sect Master Qi, since you are aware that your junior brother holds the title of Elder Swordbearer, you should ensure that he remains within the sect and properly oversees the matter of the seal.”

Qi Miancheng replied, “I have my own arrangements. Spirit Master Voidless, you have exhausted yourself worrying so much over the sect. I’m afraid it might even hinder your own breakthroughs. That truly concerns me.”

Spirit Master Voidless: …

“Oh?” Spirit Master Voidless sneered. “Just don’t forget, your junior brother, he…”

Qi Miancheng interrupted, “It’s getting late. I’ll discuss matters with my junior brothers and sisters tomorrow. If Spirit Master Voidless has nothing else to add, please return to your Heavenly Cave and rest. Another day, I’ll bring wine and dishes to your residence and we can have a proper conversation. Rest assured, Martial Uncle, I remember everything, and I have my own plans.”

Rank always prevails. The authority of an official position is undeniable, even in the world of cultivation.

“Good thing I have connections,” Ning Mingmei commented to the system.

“Very well. I’ll be watching to see how you handle things,” Spirit Master Voidless said before glancing at Ning Mingmei. “Reinforce the seal once every ten years, don’t forget it.” Spirit Master Voidless stood up and, surrounded by his summoned disciples, strode away.

Just before leaving, he called out, “Chang Feichang.”

The gray-robed youth standing among the crowd raised his eyes.

Spirit Master Voidless: “Don’t forget your duty.”

Suddenly, Ning Mingmei spoke up. “Spirit Master Voidless.”

?

“Spirit Master Voidless, take care on your way,” Ning Mingmei said, half-smiling. “I have learned from your teachings. From today onward, I will make an effort to honor you by staying in the Supreme Clarity Sect and bringing about a fresh new atmosphere for the sect. Martial Uncle can take his time watching the changes unfold.”

Spirit Master Voidless merely glanced at him and didn’t take the words to heart.

With that, Spirit Master Voidless left. Inside the Discipline Hall, only Qi Miancheng, Xiang Wuxing, Chang Feichang, Ning Mingmei, and Bai Ruoru remained. They slowly made their way to the entrance.

Bai Ruoru let out a breath of relief. “Thank goodness, Senior Brother, you woke up just in time. Any later and there would’ve been serious trouble!”

Xiang Wuxing spat in frustration. “These old geezers… When we were disciples, we were controlled by them, and now that we’re elders, we still have to put up with their nonsense?” He was clearly still furious. It seemed he had suffered quite a bit under those elders back when he was a disciple.

Qi Miancheng shook his head. “Seniority comes with time. It can’t be helped.”

The group chatted idly, but only Ning Mingmei lifted his head to look at the sky outside.

In just half an hour, the sky had darkened, thick clouds now looming above. Faint flashes of lightning streaked across the heavens, filling the sky…

Did my transmigration really have to come with such an intense atmosphere? Even nature is providing dramatic background effects.

Bai Ruoru grew worried. “Senior Brother, how are your injuries?”

“I’m fine,” Qi Miancheng replied. “You all should go rest.”

Xiang Wuxing, Bai Ruoru, and Chang Feichang left one after another. As he walked away, Chang Feichang kept his head lowered, as if the good mood from their earlier drinking and feasting had completely vanished.

Ning Mingmei, however, remained standing. Qi Miancheng turned to him with a warm expression. “Junior Brother, is there something else on your mind?”

Ning Mingmei said, “Senior Brother, I’m just worried about you. That Spirit Master Voidless clearly has bad intentions. Good thing you woke up in time. If you had been any later, he might have already declared himself sect master.”

It wasn’t much, just a little extra fuel on the fire.

Qi Miancheng sighed. “Spirit Master Voidless has long held a grudge…” He hesitated, as if there was more he wanted to say but chose not to.

Ning Mingmei wanted to add more to his subtle manipulation, but Qi Miancheng had already lifted his gaze toward the sky.

The dark clouds pressed heavily over the sect and faintly, thunder rumbled in the distance. Suddenly, Qi Miancheng spoke. “Junior Brother.”

“Hmm?”

Qi Miancheng: “Junior Brother, hold on a moment. What I mean is, I need to go undergo tribulation first.”

Oh.

…Wait, what??

“Undergo tribulation?”

“Junior Brother, you’ve seen my vulnerable side once again. I was unconscious for days, but early this morning, my spiritual core surged, awakening me. I had reached the threshold to break through to the Void Refinement Stage. If it weren’t for Junior Sister Bai coming to find me, I would have already left for the wilderness outside the Supreme Clarity Sect to undergo my tribulation.”

Qi Miancheng continued, “That means I arrived at the Discipline Hall while I was in the middle of my tribulation, right when the thunderclouds had already begun gathering. In other words, if Spirit Master Voidless had wasted any more of my time, I might have just ended up blowing the entire Discipline Hall to pieces.”

Ning Mingmei: ??

So he nearly brought down a heavenly thunderstorm with him?

Wouldn’t that have blasted the entire Discipline Hall and everyone in it into oblivion?

Qi Miancheng sighed. “Thankfully, Spirit Master Voidless saw reason in time.”

…Shouldn’t the one seeing reason be you?!

Take your hundred thousand volts and get away from me!

Why is it that Qi Miancheng seems so dignified when he’s around others, but the moment it’s just the two of us, he starts speaking nonsense?

Ning Mingmei took a step back. “Senior Brother’s righteousness is beyond our reach.”

Qi Miancheng said, “It’s time for me to take off. I just don’t know how far I can fly after all this delay.”

Ning Mingmei: “Senior Brother, I suggest you start flying now and I will also start flying.”

Qi Miancheng summoned his immortal sword and stepped onto it. But instead of taking off immediately, he turned to look at Ning Mingmei.

His gaze was outwardly calm, yet there was an unusual glint beneath the surface.

“What is it, Senior Brother?” Ning Mingmei asked. “Your tribulation is urgent; you should hurry.”

“Junior Brother.” Qi Miancheng gently patted his shoulder. “The days ahead are long. Wait for me to return.” Then he shot into the sky at high speed, chased by a mass of dark thunderclouds.

Ning Mingmei stood at the entrance of the Discipline Hall, watching the scene unfold. “You haven’t even started playing Fleeing by Night, yet you’re already playing Disguised Madness,” Ning Mingmei muttered to himself. Even in the dim light, the golden embroidery on his robes shimmered faintly, outlining his tall, slender frame like a withered bamboo stalk. |40|

The system asked him, [What is Fleeing by Night? What is Disguised Madness?] |41|

Ning Mingmei merely hummed softly.

“When false is taken as true, the true becomes false. When something exists in nothing, nothing exists in something,” he murmured. “The horse moves in an L, the elephant moves diagonally across fields, the chariot moves straight, and the cannon jumps over pieces. The advisor moves diagonally to guard the general, while the pawn, once forward, never retreats.”

The system recognized the latter sentence.

Why is he reciting a chess formula now?

Ning Mingmei tucked his pale hand into the sleeve of his black robe, his exposed arm stark white against the night. His eyes were half-lidded, his expression unreadable; whether weary or intrigued, it was hard to tell. He gazed into the distance. “He hasn’t flown out of the Supreme Clarity Sect’s territory. What’s over there?”

The system pulled up a map. [The Heavenly Cave.]

At that moment, a massive golden lightning bolt, as thick as a tree trunk, came crashing down.

Boom—!

Fortunately, the Supreme Clarity Sect was vast and had a stable protective formation. Even within its boundaries, Qi Miancheng had flown far enough away.

However, the place where the lightning struck seemed to have suffered.

The system hesitated. [Wait a second.]

Ning Mingmei: ?

The system: [I think that’s above Spirit Master Voidless’s residence.]

Spirit Master Voidless, your house just got obliterated.

“Senior Brother, you are truly wicked,” Ning Mingmei murmured.

And that was only the appetizer. More powerful lightning was yet to come. Ning Mingmei turned away, uninterested in experiencing the shockwaves that Qi Miancheng was bound to bring.

Just then, he noticed something falling behind him.

A few white petals.

He glanced back. The path leading out of the Discipline Hall was lined with Seven Miles Fragrance trees, their branches thick with blossoms. A few petals had landed on his shoulder, though he had been too focused on watching the sky to notice.

So, when Qi Miancheng left earlier, he had brushed a few petals off his shoulder.

***

Boom!

Boom!

“The seventeenth strike!”

“The nineteenth strike!”

…

“The thirty-third strike!”

“Spirit Master Voidless’s residence is probably nothing but an empty land by now.”

“It’s been striking all night! How is it still going?!”

“It’s so loud!”

Will this ever end? It’s the middle of the night! Do they not know noise levels shouldn’t exceed 45 decibels?! Other people’s tribulations are about fate and romance; Qi Miancheng’s tribulation is just public noise pollution, disturbing the peace of the Supreme Clarity Sect.

Since he was already too annoyed to sleep, Ning Mingmei simply threw on a coat and went to check on his hardworking disciples in the small pine forest.

To his surprise, a whole group of them was perched atop a high pile of logs, gazing up at the flashing thunderstorm over the Heavenly Cave.

“That lightning is golden! As expected of Sect Master Qi, this level of quality is something you only see once in a thousand years!”

“Thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six… Thirty-six strikes! Thirty-six!”

“I’m so jealous. I wish I had that much lightning, too.”

“The more lightning there is, the higher the quality of the breakthrough!”

“Forty strikes! Forty! I’m about to win my bet!”

…Some types of competition just aren’t worth participating in.

Not only were disciples from Misty Peak watching Qi Miancheng undergo tribulation firsthand, but those from Assembled Virtues Peak and Jade Pavilion Peak were watching too. Even Mu Hanshan was watching. Chang Feichang was sitting on a panda, watching.

Even the disciples of Smoky Cloud Tower on White Cloud Peak were watching.

“Sect Master Qi is breaking into the Void Refinement Realm and into the middle tier of cultivation with this tribulation.”

“We should report this to our tower master.”

“Damn, once Sect Master Qi breaks through, the morale of the Supreme Clarity Sect is going to skyrocket! The conference is next week; we absolutely cannot lose to the Supreme Clarity Sect!”

“We must uphold the reputation of Smoky Cloud Tower as the number one sect! We will not lose to the Supreme Clarity Sect!”

Under the watchful eyes of thousands, Qi Miancheng finally completed his tribulation, officially stepping into the Void Refinement realm. And due to his unique cultivation method, he advanced straight to the mid-stage.

Now, Qi Miancheng was undoubtedly the top middle-tier cultivator of his generation across all major sects.

As he emerged from the pitch-black, charred ruins of the Heavenly Cave’s once-grand residence, he was radiant, his presence divine. The entire sect erupted in celebration except for Ning Mingmei, who just grumpily ran back to his snow cave to catch up on sleep.

Thus, he missed the spectacular scene of Qi Miancheng walking out from the wreckage, glowing like a deity.

When he finally woke up, Bai Bugui, ever the informant, whispered about a small rumor spreading within the inner sect.

It was said that Sect Master Qi and the Elder Swordbearer went on a journey together. After the trip, Sect Master Qi mysteriously fell into a coma. The moment Spirit Master Voidless tried to pick a fight with the Elder Swordbearer, Sect Master Qi suddenly woke up.

The moment Sect Master Qi recovered from his serious injuries, he went straight to find his junior brother. Immediately after, he was struck by divine lightning, so much so that he advanced two entire stages!

How on earth does that even work?

“The Ruthless Path!”

“Could it be that during that one meeting with the Elder Swordbearer… Sect Master Qi comprehended the Ruthless Path?”

Ning Mingmei: …

Workplace scandals are bad. He asked Bai Bugui, “Who started this?”

Bai Bugui: “No idea. But Peak Lord Fang from White Cloud Peak was absolutely furious. He punished several gossipers by sending them to the Cliff of Repentance for hard labor. Now, no one dares to speak of it anymore.”

Oh? Well, thanks to Mister Fang for sending a rocket their way. |42|

Ning Mingmei recalled how Fang Wuyu used to look at him like a thief. He could only imagine how furious the man must be now.

Since Sect Master Qi’s promotion was a momentous occasion, the fact that Spirit Master Voidless’s residence had been obliterated was brushed aside as a mere ‘gesture of assistance to the younger generation’… a beautiful anecdote, so to speak.

When Qi Miancheng returned from his tribulation, Ning Mingmei casually took some tea leaves from the storehouse and strolled over to Heavenly Terrace Peak to congratulate him. He also brought Wen Siheng and Lin Heting along to make an appearance.

A few months had passed since he last saw Wen Siheng. Even though Wen Siheng managed the disciples’ payroll, he still dressed like he was broke. Meanwhile, Lin Heting had embraced a gothic aesthetic, to the point of looking like a rock musician. The three of them swaggered through the sect, earning countless curious glances.

By the time they arrived at Heavenly Terrace Peak, the place was bustling.

Author note:

“When false is taken as true, the true becomes false. When something exists in nothing, nothing exists in something” — from Dream of the Red Chamber.