On the long stone steps, Clara Heart held Aiden Chen's hand, step by step climbing upward. Not far behind, Nathan Young still followed cautiously.
Along the path, flowers and grass trembled gently in the wind. A green caterpillar clung to the tree trunk, slowly twisting its body to seek a new spot.
Clara Heart glanced back at Nathan Young with disdain. He immediately stopped in his tracks, but his gaze remained full of hostility.
Lowering her head, Clara saw that little Aiden's face was already flushed red, panting heavily. Every so often, he would brace his knees with his hands.
"There are barrier formations on this mountain, so we can't just fly up. We have to climb."
Aiden nodded silently.
"Are you tired?"
Aiden shook his head vigorously.
"How about I carry you? It's such a long way, it must be tough for you."
Hearing this, Aiden looked up at Clara Heart with wide eyes. After a long moment, he still shook his head and replied softly, "I... I can walk."
Clara Heart smiled gently, holding Aiden Chen’s hand as they continued to climb upward.
After walking a bit further, she sighed softly, "To be honest, being an immortal isn’t as wonderful as you imagine. Immortals have their own troubles. Happiness depends on the breadth of your heart—even if you become an immortal, you won’t gain any more joy than before... So, cultivation isn’t necessarily a blessing."
As she finished speaking, Clara Heart’s smile grew gentle.
These were words once spoken by Master Sage Subhuti—not to her, but to a woman who, eight hundred years ago, should never have existed in this world.
Whether it was accidental or intentional, those words ultimately became part of her own memory.
Holding Clara Heart’s hand, Aiden Chen asked softly, "Then why do you cultivate, Sister?"
"Because I had no choice. I was taken as a disciple from birth, so cultivation became natural for me. I don’t even know what I’m doing it for."
"That sounds so lucky. Why wasn’t I born as fortunate as you, Sister?"
"What did you want to be, Aiden?"
Aiden Chen looked up, thought for a moment, then clenched his fists and whispered, "I want to be a general."
"Why do you want to be a general?"
"Because generals get to ride horses. Uncle Xiao says soldiers don’t get to ride horses—only generals do."
"Have you ever ridden a horse?"
"No, never," Aiden replied, gently shaking his head and pouting. "But whenever we play war and pretend to ride horses, I’m always the horse... I really want to ride a real horse one day."
Clara Heart couldn’t help but be amused. She reached out and ruffled his hair.
"Mortals truly are simple. Sometimes I think, being mortal isn’t so bad after all." Clara Heart sighed, "Honestly, being mortal is better than being immortal. Many mortals cultivate because they fear death, seeking longevity or even eternal youth."
Aiden looked up, his face full of confusion.
With a faint smile, Clara Heart explained, "Death isn’t frightening at all. When you die, you reincarnate, and all your memories are wiped clean. You get to live a new life, meet new people, and experience new things. What’s truly terrifying is carrying tangled memories from several lifetimes, all jumbled together—unresolved, unclear, and impossible to ignore. And if your lifespan never ends, those knots just keep growing unless you cut them off yourself."
"Do immortals experience that too?"
Clara Heart shook her head, "Normal immortals don’t, only the unlucky ones do. That’s why I’m about to do something—make a clean break, and help two people let go."
"So... Sister, are you a normal immortal or an unlucky one?"
Clara Heart paused for a moment, then smiled playfully, "Me? I plan to be a completely detached immortal. I won’t care about the affairs of the Heavenly Court, or the mortal world, or anything else—just quietly live my own life. You should do the same in the future, and never let yourself get tangled up in romantic troubles. Got it?"
The more Aiden listened, the more confused he became, but he still nodded seriously and said, "I understand, I’ll follow my master’s teachings."
"Master? When did I ever agree to take you as my disciple?"
"Sister, you promised on the way here!" Aiden insisted earnestly.
"I only said that if Monkey refuses you, I’ll reluctantly accept you."
"Then I hope he doesn’t accept me!" Aiden declared firmly.
Clara Heart burst into laughter, reached out to pat Aiden’s head, and said softly, "Based on what I know of him, Monkey probably won’t accept you anyway. Still, we have to go through the formalities: explain your background, show him the hairpin, and let him see Anna’s will. Once provoked, he’ll storm straight to Mount Hua without bothering with apprenticeships. He won’t have time to pay attention to you."
At this, Aiden only half understood, but Nathan Young, trailing behind, was even more bewildered.
Nathan Young stopped, rubbing his chin and pondering, "Just what is Clara Heart really planning?" No matter how he thought, he couldn’t figure it out.
Any further ahead would mean entering the outer barrier formations of Crescent Star Cave. For an outsider like Nathan Young, barging in without notice might not be dangerous, but it was certainly improper.
Helpless, Nathan Young could only sit down cross-legged on the spot, leaning against his own legs.
Before long, Clara Heart and Aiden Chen reached the mountainside and saw the Daoist temple built against the slope.
A bell sounded from within the temple, its echoes drifting slowly across the mountain.
A temple disciple sweeping at the entrance spotted Clara Heart and quickly bowed, "Disciple greets Grand-Aunt Master Clara."
As he spoke, the disciple’s gaze fell on Aiden Chen beside Clara Heart, and he paused in surprise.
Clara Heart stopped before him and asked softly, "Why ring the bell at this hour? What’s happening in the temple?"
"It’s nothing special. Master is giving a scripture lecture."
"Oh." Hearing this, Clara Heart nodded silently and led Aiden Chen over the threshold, continuing inward.
Aiden Chen scratched his head and asked cautiously, "Sister, what did he just call you?"
"Grand-Aunt Master."
"Grand-Aunt Master?"
"Yes. He’s Eugene’s disciple, and Eugene is Senior Brother Yi-Yuan’s disciple. So he calls me ‘Aunt Master.’ His own disciples must address me as ‘Grand-Aunt Master.’" Clara Heart smiled. "In the future, whether you become my disciple or Monkey’s, you’ll outrank him in seniority."
Aiden Chen rolled his eyes, thinking hard but still looking bewildered. He probably didn’t understand.
For his age, he was already quite clever, but terms like ‘Grand-Aunt Master’ and ‘Aunt Master’ were far too obscure—ordinary families would rarely hear such things.
Nowadays, Crescent Star Cave’s physical scale was much the same as before, but perhaps because it was even more remote, there were far fewer disciples. Walking from the mountain gate inward for over a hundred zhang, they saw hardly any disciples at all.
Of course, the more important reason was that Eugene was giving a scripture lecture today.
Master Sage Subhuti hadn’t given a lecture in centuries. Of the second-generation disciples, only Clara Heart and Monkey remained. Monkey was self-explanatory, and Clara Heart often shuttled between Tusita Palace and Crescent Star Cave. Now, Eugene, a standout among the third generation, had become the true leader here. His lectures naturally attracted all the disciples, and even wandering cultivators from nearby Daoist caves sometimes attended.
Following a narrow path through a grove of purple bamboo, Clara Heart finally returned to her residence, Stillheart Court.
Though its name included the word ‘Court,’ suggesting grandeur, it was really just two modest houses with a small yard.
One house was Clara Heart’s living quarters; the other was her main workspace at Crescent Star Cave, with a small study and a modest alchemy room—more than enough for a cultivator’s needs.
Whenever she was away, the temple disciples would take care of the place.
Outside, Aiden Chen felt fine, but the moment he stepped into Clara Heart’s home, he froze.
He carefully took off his muddy shoes, then hesitated, unsure if he should step across the threshold.
"What’s wrong?" Clara Heart turned and asked, "Why are you still standing outside?"
Aiden looked down at his dirty socks, craned his neck to peek at the spotless floor inside, then gazed at Clara Heart with a pitiful expression.
"You’re being too fussy!" Clara Heart reached out, grabbed Aiden, and hauled him inside. She tapped his nose and grinned, "If you’re this particular, how will you ever be my disciple?"
Aiden blinked, silent.
Just then, someone hurried in from behind.
Entering, Yvonne Rain quickly bowed, "Disciple Yvonne greets Aunt Master Clara."
She was also surprised to see Aiden Chen.
Clara Heart slowly straightened up.
"What is it?"
"Senior Brother Eugene heard Aunt Master Clara had returned and sent me to see if you have any orders. Also..."
"Also what?"
"Senior Brother Eugene asked me to remind Aunt Master Clara that Master Subhuti is currently in the Hall of Silent Meditation."
Hearing this, Clara Heart froze for a moment. "That old man wants to see me?"
"He didn’t say so directly... but Master Subhuti told Senior Brother Eugene that if Aunt Master Clara returned, he should let you know where he is."
"I understand." Clara Heart nodded, took a deep breath, then gently pushed Aiden Chen forward. "Could you help me with something first? Give him a bath and change him into clean clothes."
Yvonne Rain nodded silently and reached out to take Aiden’s hand, but he quickly hid his hands behind his back.
"What’s wrong?"
"Dad said men and women shouldn’t touch. I... I’ll wash myself," Aiden Chen whispered.
...
Meanwhile, on the Blackwater River, Monkey’s battle was still raging.
He had already used the Heaven-Earth Transformation, becoming a giant hundreds of zhang tall. Even so, the river only reached his chest, and in theory, he could easily wade across without any flight spells.
Unfortunately, the enemy was clearly prepared.
Just as Monkey unleashed his Heaven-Earth Transformation, several raging water tornadoes whipped toward him, trying to block his path.
Monkey immediately swung his golden staff at the water tornadoes.
With a single blow, the tornadoes shattered, turning into a rainstorm that filled the sky.
Yet before his staff could reach the riverbed again, new tornadoes grew from the water—no matter what he did, he couldn’t shake them off.
Gradually, Monkey found himself trapped, every step a struggle.
Under normal circumstances, Monkey could break free easily, but the trouble lay in his Heaven-Earth Transformation.
This spell had its pros and cons, and right now, the disadvantages far outweighed the benefits.
Frustrated, Monkey gritted his teeth and hurled the entire boat toward the opposite shore!
The whole boat, along with its passengers, shot across to the other side like a meteor.
In that split second, Marshal Tianpeng had already slung Xuanzang onto his back and, using Monkey’s momentum, rushed for the shore.
But at that very instant, a giant hand formed from Blackwater suddenly reached out from the river.
Because of the barrier spell, Marshal Tianpeng couldn’t change direction in midair. In that brief moment, both he and Xuanzang were snatched up by the giant hand and dragged into the river’s depths!
Monkey was stunned.
Clearly, he had underestimated the enemy’s preparations...