::At Kunlun Mountain::
With a gesture of her hand, Bai Qian negated the magical barricade protecting Kunlun Mountain. She came to stop in front of its Grand Hall. Six hundred years ago, she stood here saying farewell to the memories of her former life before facing the deadly confrontation with Qing Cang.
Thinking back, she really wanted to hit herself in the head for her own ignorance. Her mentor had sacrificed his spirit to appease the Bell of Eastern Emperor and suppressed Qing Cang inside at the same time. Seventy thousand years passed, Qing Cang begun waking up from his forced slumbering and trying to get free. He would have succeed, if she didn't arrived in time.
Yet no one was the wiser about the possibilities. If the seal was broken even just for a moment, did it also mean remnants of her mentor's spirit left behind to ensure its hold was to be released as well? Six hundred years ago Qing Cang went into his dormant again, so was her mentor's spirit inside the crown prince of West Sea. The irony was that nobody knew, and her mentor was alone in his struggle to come back to life.
Bai Qian shook away her melancholy thoughts and entered the Grand Hall. Die Feng said these days her second senior resided here to take care of the sanctuary. She can't lingered here too long.
She knelt down in front of her mentor's seating and reached out to retrieve the sword from its stand. If her senior didn't tell her before coming here, she would have been surprised. Xuan Yuan was already brimming with divine energy as if it knew its master was near and longed to be in his hand once again.
"Soon, you'll be reunited with your master," she promised. "Master, I must ask for your forgiveness for taking this sword without your permission. But I remembered once you told me a story. I could only hope it is still true."
She took the sword in her hand, taking comfort in its familiar essence that once associated with her mentor then left.
::At Yingzhou of the Eastern Sea::
When Bai Qian entered the cave that four mythical beasts: Hundun, Qiongqi, Taowu and Taotie has been guarding. She didn't expect to see anyone, much less her Sixteenth Senior, the Ghost Princess and out of all people - Xuan Nu.
Seeing her senior was under attack, she quickly drew the blade and launched herself at the Beast, forcing it away from the fallen.
"Beasts! I'm Bai Qian of Qing Qiu and Seventeenth Disciple of Kunlun Mountain," she announced herself as was expected of her. "I don't want to harm anyone here, only to retrieve the grass for my mentor, High God Mo Yuan. Please let me through."
Si Lan who crouched down to protect Yan Zhi looked up gaping at the sudden appearance. He was confused how this woman could be his long lost junior, Si Yin. But nobody dare to lie when battle was about to begin, so it must be true.
Seeing the Beasts still advanced, she glanced down at him taking in his injuries, "Get out of here, Senior Si Lan."
Si Lan blinked before helping Yan Zhi stand up. "Go now, Yan Zhi. Here is not safe for you anymore. Go!" He quickly ushered her off the cave. "Seventeenth, I'm coming back for you," he shouted.
Bai Qian was too busy evading the Beasts to care, the four of them had her surrounded. She swung the blade to the side, anticipating their next moves. She looked at each of them in trepidation. One of the beasts was circling behind her, breathing fire in warning. The other one perched on the cliff spread its mighty wings, ready to swoop down at her.
Before the Heavenly Father returned to Nothingness, he charged these Beasts with the protection of Divine Fungal Grass, knowing it could be harmful in the wrong hand. The Beasts also gained half of his power to ensure they would succeed in their role.
Yet in her hand was Xuan Yuan the sword her mentor used for three hundred thousands of years to wage wars against rebels and clansmen across the four seas and eight lands. Historical records said it was passed down from the Heavenly Father to his only son, Mo Yuan. But how it came to be was such a mystery. Many speculated that the Heavenly Father divined the sword and bestowed his power in it. But she remembered asking her mentor once, he said it was partially true but there was more to the story. She beseeched him many times for the tales until he gave in.
She learned Xuan Yuan was one of rare items created from the Ocean of Chaos when Heaven and Earth was beginning to form, dwelling deep inside it was the immense power that could move the world. The Heavenly Father used his own essence to bind it to his command. Her mentor had done the same when he inherited the sword. None but two of them had the power to wield the sword to its fullest extent. When her mentor was gone, it was robbed off of its rightful owner and laid dormant until now.
Bai Qian could only hope it would warrant her a free passage inside. What was the harm in trying? If worse came to worst, she would just continue to evade the Beasts, made a grab for the grass and run for her life.
"Beasts, you have inherited Heavenly Father's essence, you should recognize this sword belongs to him," she raised the blade high in the air and let them see it properly.
"I was here today for his son and my mentor, High God Mo Yuan. Can you not feel his spirit trying to return? Though it was weak at the moment, it was there. Surely you must feel it. I come to ask for the grass in his place. Without it, it would take him thousands of years to come back to life. Then who else will protect the world from Calamity?"
She waited with bated breath, not knowing they would acquiesce to her plea or press for attack. Out of sudden one of the Beast roared loudly, the ground was shaking with its ferocious stomping. The other breathed its fire in response. She was certain the attack will come. Then much to her bewilderment, the two-head beast turned its back and unhurriedly retreated deeper into the cave, the rest simply followed suit.
Bai Qian stared at their unexpected exit for a moment before slowly lowered her sword arm. She quickly gathered the grass as much as she could before stumbling out of the cave and collided with Si Lan who went back in.
"Si Yin," he exclaimed. "What the….?"
"Out, out," she pushed him away, fearing the Beasts would came back. When they were a good distance from the cave, she made a turn ready to leave.
"Si Yin, don't you dare leaving." Si Lan shouted in frustration. "Where have you been all these years? Do you know how long we have been searching for you? I even went to look for you in Mortal Realm."
"There is no time for explanation." Bai Qian turned back to face him. "I must get back to Master quickly. Do you trust me, Senior Si Lan," she asked.
"Master? Is this about Master?" he looked startled. "Is that why you have his sword in your procession?"
"It is," she confirmed. "Master is coming back, Senior Si Lan. But for him to come back, Zhe Yan need this for his medicine." She raised the Divine Fungal Grass in her hand. "Send Yan Zhi back, I'll see you at Kunlun Mountain soon."
"You're not going to disappear again are you?" Si Lan asked skeptically.
"I give you my word," she insisted.
He nodded his head reluctantly, "You'd better be there, or I'll hunt you down, Si Yin."
Bai Qian gave him a reassuring smile then left. However Yan Zhi, who was holding her dying sister-in-law in her arms, decided to put herself directly in her path. She grabbed the Goddess's hand and begged, "Si Yin, please ... please bestow a blade of the Divine Fungal Grass."
Bai Qian looked at her in pity, "You couldn't use it anyway. It's a sacred item of the Celestial Tribe."
"I know but this child is a half-blooded celestial tribesman," Yan Zhi pointed to the small infant in her in-law's arm. "I think that it might work on him. Si Yin, for the sake our friendship in the past, I begged you please bestow a blade of the divine fungal grass to that child."
She glanced back at Si Lan before continued. "We tried to get the grass but the Beasts are too strong. What you now hold in your hand might be that child's last hope. Please, Si Yin."
Bai Qian gave the Princess and the baby who must belong to Li Jing and Xuan Nu's a fleeting look. The baby life was no matter to her but Yan Zhi once tried to sneaking her out of Qing Cang's clutch. She did owe her a debt, she sighed mentally before handing one grass to her.
"I don't think it's going to work. But try if you must."
:: At Kunlun Mountain::
It was by night fall she reached the Kunlun Mountain, Bai Qian hastily made her way inside. If anyone caught sight of her that would simply ask for troubles.
She pushed the grass inside of Elixir Cauldron and began transferring her essence into it. She didn't know how long time had passed but she felt so drained, her consciousness was slipping away. With the last bit of strength she could muster, she sent out another wave of her essence hoping it would be enough. Before she passed out, she thought she heard someone yelling at her.
Chang Shan, the second disciple and keeper of Kunlun Mountain in their mentor's absence was making his nightly round before retiring for the night. Suddenly he saw something moved in the Elixir Cauldron Chamber. When he went to investigate, what he found was not a stranger but a familiar face. Even dressed as a woman, this was without doubt Si Yin who had disappeared without any traces for seventy thousands of years.
After being gone for such a long time, what was he doing in here? And was that their mentor's sword lying on the ground? Only two days earlier he found out Xuan Yuan was missing over the night and immediately sent a missive to notify his senior, Die Feng, in the West Sea. Was he the one that took it away? He asked himself before lifting his junior from the ground.
Something rolled out of Si Yin's hand and caught his sight. It was a freshly made Elixir. He brought it to his nose and knew immediately it was made from Divine Fungal Grass. But to put it to use, one had to sacrifice his own self-cultivation. He looked down at his junior in dismay. Why would Seventeenth do this and for whom?
Chang Shan spent the night keeping vigil beside his unconscious junior. He had a lot of questions until Si Yin woke up he can't do anything but wait. This was going to be one long sleepless night, he sighed.