Immortal Paladin

[POV: Da Ji]

The Heavenly Academy was a world of its own. It was grander, colder, and more political than Da Ji expected. She had been here long enough to learn the rhythms of the place. Instructors bartered favors like treasures, students formed cliques around lineages, and the old monsters hidden in the deeper towers kept their eyes half-open, watching everything. Da Ji did well enough. She made friends where she could, charmed the suspicious ones, and offered help to those who needed a little push in cultivation theory. Her background, while half fabricated, half real, gave her a strange sort of leverage. She carried the name of Jia Yun, and because of that, doors opened.

But only halfway.

The Jia Clan itself was an entirely different storm. They refused to acknowledge her standing. Not because they found her false, but because they couldn’t bear the thought of an outsider inheriting Jia Sen’s legacy. In truth, Da Ji saw right through them. They wanted the “power” she inherited from Jia Yun’s father, yet for her to give it up meant to cripple herself completely. They would rather break her than accept her. So she smiled, bowed, and played the role of a dutiful daughter who was “still learning,” all while keeping every shard of her power hidden where greedy hands couldn’t reach.

At the moment, though, she was focused on a far simpler task, drinking tea in the courtyard as two idiots tried to murder each other.

Chen Wei lay face-first on the ground, a wooden sword still clenched stubbornly in his hand. Da Wei hovered over him with the same expression one would give a struggling frog.

“Da Ji. Da Ji. Are you even listening?” Da Wei asked. He kicked Chen Wei lightly in the ribs, just enough to make the man groan.

Da Ji sipped her tea without looking at either of them. “I am listening. Continue.”

While Chen Wei had been used as a living sandbag, Da Wei had been reporting the situation in the Empire. A mysterious blue eye in the sky. Heavenly tribulation falling on Ren Xun and Lin Lim’s newborn. Chaos, panic, and rumors spiraling throughout the eight continents.

Chen Wei pushed himself up on shaky arms. “Why am I getting beaten up? I’m Legend Rank! That’s supposed to be like… Seventh or Eighth Realm, right?!”

“You are Legend Rank,” Da Wei admitted offhandedly, “but your Transcendence is still baby-tier. Meanwhile, I have aura, Spirit Mystery techniques, soul powers, and incredible handsomeness—”

“—that last one does not contribute to combat power,” Da Ji cut in.

Da Wei ignored her. “Anyway, Legend Rank is mostly stat advantage and grand feats. What were your feats again? Surviving outer space… resisting Supreme Void corruption… and oh yeah, calming a Nine-Tailed Fox with the power of love.” Da Wei clicked his tongue. “Honestly, why are you so weak?”

Chen Wei gritted his teeth. “You talk too much.”

He blurred into a Flash Step, his wooden sword slicing toward Da Wei’s head. It would’ve landed, if Da Wei hadn’t vanished. He reappeared mid-air above Chen Wei and kicked him cleanly on the skull.

Chen Wei cratered into the ground.

Da Ji let out a long breath. “This courtyard will need repairs again.”

The spar continued with enough speed to blur the air. Chen Wei finally landed a near-perfect Flash Step behind Da Wei, wooden blade inches from his tormentor’s neck, until Da Wei used an abrupt Castling. They swapped places, and Chen Wei stumbled into the strike he was preparing.

He yelped as Da Wei kicked him squarely on the rear.

“That’s cheating!” Chen Wei shouted. “Castling should only work on allies! We’re supposed to be enemies right now!”

Da Wei sneered. “Then why did it work? Because you didn’t show killing intent, you idiot! This is why you’re losing!”

Chen Wei raised his sword in outrage, only to nearly bisect Da Wei with a Divine Smite fueled entirely by pettiness.

Da Wei dodged with a sharp yelp, tail fluffing in alarm. “HEY! THAT WAS REAL!”

Da Ji finally set her tea down and waved her hand, creating a barrier so the two wouldn’t accidentally destroy the courtyard or her peace.

Da Wei spun toward her, out of breath but grinning. “By the way, news came in. Ren Xun’s and Lin Lim’s baby finally got a name.”

Da Ji raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What is it?”

“Ren Zhe.”

A thunderous blast erupted behind Da Wei as Chen Wei fired another Divine Smite fueled purely by wounded pride. Da Wei dove behind Da Ji for cover.

Da Ji sighed into her tea. “Children. The both of you.”

Chen Wei froze when his Divine Smite finally reached its mark, at Da Wei standing defenseless behind Da Ji. The glow of the smite flickered, then collapsed entirely. He lowered his wooden sword with a pained grimace. He couldn’t strike his own mother, even by accident.

Da Wei stuck out his tongue like a particularly rude dog. “Bleh.”

Da Ji arched an eyebrow, flicked her wrist, and used qi telekinesis to hurl her dear brother straight at Chen Wei.

“You traitor!” Da Wei shrieked mid-air.

Chen Wei flinched, barely dodging, only for Da Wei to twist mid-flight and land behind him with elastic grace. Chen Wei spat a curse and fired a chained sequence of smites, but Da Wei treated the barrage like falling leaves. His wooden sword danced with crisp parries, batting Chen Wei’s blade aside over and over.

“You’re cheating again—!” Chen Wei shouted.

“Cry harder,” Da Wei replied, smirking as he dodged another crackling beam.

Da Ji watched them fight, but her mind drifted back to the news that started this entire sparring mess. Magical newborns were quite rare; Chen Wei himself had been one, and the world had nearly ended because of it. He’d been born as the Supreme Void’s intended vessel, an infiltration attempt into the Hollowed World disguised as a baby. The Lost Gods themselves were wrapping their fingers around his future from the moment he took his first breath.

Ren Zhe, however… Ren Zhe was something entirely different.

Tribulation lightning had descended on the child the moment it was born. And not the usual lightning either. A giant blue eye had opened above the Empire, glaring at the newborn like some ancient monster trying to make up its mind. Even stranger, the baby had emerged with two souls woven together, and no clear anatomy to define gender. It had been a disturbing report to receive. If it weren’t for her brother, the infant would’ve probably perished.

Da Ji rubbed her temples. “First monster infants, now giant celestial eyes… every year becomes stranger.”

Her time with Da Wei only emphasized that. Somehow, chaos followed her brother the way sunlight followed dawn.

By the time the spar ended, the courtyard looked like a war zone. Her barrier had protected the academy’s structure, but the ground itself was a battlefield of cracked tiles, scorched lines, and broken practice dummies. Chen Wei lay face-down again, groaning into the stone. Da Wei sat casually on his back like he was resting on a bench.

The reason Da Wei could toss Chen Wei around so easily wasn’t just skill. It was his deepened understanding of the soul. The difference in comprehension was too large to bridge with sheer effort.

Da Wei hopped off Chen Wei’s back and dusted his hands. “Sis, I’ve gotta go. I’ve got disciples waiting.”

Da Ji paused mid-sip. “Disciples? As in plural?”

“Yup. Picked up a new one just recently.” Da Wei winked. “You’ll meet a family relative soon, so you’ll figure it out.”

She frowned. “Before you run off… what’s the Empire’s situation now?”

“Total panic,” Da Wei answered bluntly. “But Nongmin, Lu Gao, Yuen Fu, and Joan are on it. Shouldn’t spiral out of control.”

With that, he gave a lazy salute, vanished into a burst of wind, and Flash Stepped out of the courtyard.

Da Ji finally turned her attention to her son.

Chen Wei’s long elven ears twitched as he lifted his head, face still stuck halfway into the ground. His eyes resembled dead fish floating in a pond. She sighed.

“Wei’er, are you alright?”

He pushed himself up, sat cross-legged, and ignored the dirt clinging to his cheek. His gaze swept over the shattered courtyard, carefully analyzing the afterimages of the battle. “I’m fine… but I need to improve. A lot. I should also start focusing on my Longevity Path soon.”

Da Ji lowered her cup, a thoughtful glint in her eyes. “Then why not ask Da Wei to take you as a disciple? If you don’t hurry, that new disciple of his might steal your position.”

Chen Wei looked at her sharply.

She continued quietly, more to herself than him. “With your origins… and with the current trouble in the Empire… there will be people in your uncle’s circle who may not look kindly upon you. Becoming his disciple would shelter you. I don’t want your life disrupted again. I don’t want anyone using your past against you.”

Chen Wei’s face softened, but not with agreement. More like resignation.

He shook his head.

“No. I’m not doing that.”

Da Ji narrowed her eyes at her son. “And why not? Give me a proper reason, Wei’er.”

Chen Wei rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. “Because… we’re already family. It would be unfair to the others.”

“Unfair?” Da Ji leaned forward. “How is it unfair when you can earn that position with your own ability? You’re talented enough to stand beside any of his disciples.”

“It’s because we’re family,” Chen Wei insisted. “Even without being his disciple, Uncle Wei will teach me plenty. He always has.”

Da Ji clicked her tongue. “It isn’t that easy.”

Chen Wei hesitated, then lifted his gaze. “Mom… Uncle Wei taught you martial arts and cultivation before, right? Even without a contract. Even without titles. He just did it because you were siblings.”

Da Ji pinched the bridge of her nose. “You… are such a cute, stubborn fool. Exactly like your father.”

Chen Wei went red instantly. “M-Mom… please.”

She hid her smile behind her hand. He cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject.

“I’ll clean the courtyard. You should go meet the visitor.”

Da Ji blinked. “Visitor?”

Chen Wei nodded. “Outside the door.”

He might not have Qi Sense, but his Divine Sense exceeded most early-realm cultivators. Da Ji spread her Qi Sense and yes, someone was waiting quietly by the front steps.

She rose. “Clean up. But take it easy.”

“Yes, Mom.”

Da Ji walked through the manor’s halls, the silence a reminder of her empty retinue. Unlike other instructors, she never hired disciples to serve her for points. The place was bare, tidy, and quiet. It was just the way she preferred it.

With a gentle breath, she used Qi Speech, her voice flowing like mist beyond the threshold.

“Come in.”

The spiritual pressure that responded was unmistakably Ninth Realm. Da Ji waved her hand, and cushions slid across the polished floor through qi telekinesis. A pot of iced tea floated gracefully to the table, one of her few indulgences.

She sat just as the visitor stepped in.

A white-haired woman entered. Despite her snowy hair, her face and posture were youthful, refined, and carried a gentle nobility.

She bowed. “Peng Ru of the Heavenly Spell Pavilion greets Instructor Jia Yun of Cloud Mist.”

“Sit,” Da Ji replied.

Peng Ru obeyed, lowering herself onto the cushion with practiced grace.

Da Ji had heard of the Peng Clan. A lower house of the Heavenly Temple, overshadowed by the upper house and the Six Elders.

The Heavenly Temple’s hierarchy was simple enough:

Heavenly Master at the top. Below was the Six Elders of the Upper House. Below them, the numerous and often politically chaotic Lower Houses. And beneath these were public-facing officials, mortal liaisons, battlefield commanders, and envoys who interacted with the rest of the Hollowed World.

The Peng Clan was not powerful, but they were old and known for producing talented spellcasters.

Da Ji set down her cup. “So. What matter brings you to me today?”

Peng Ru flinched as if the question pinched her physically. “Instructor Jia Yun… I wish to request that you allow Da Boqi… to marry my niece.”

Da Ji nearly sprayed her iced tea. Only her centuries of composure saved the table.

“Excuse me?”

Peng Ru’s expression twisted painfully. “Da Boqi has taken in my niece as his disciple. It’s unbelievable! She swore herself as his disciple, and I… I made a foolish bet with him.”

Da Ji blinked slowly. “A bet?”

Peng Ru held her forehead with both hands, miserable. “I told him if he could help my niece break through to the next realm, I would grant him any single request. And the request he made was permission for their master-disciple bond. Ugh… He even helped my niece rise to the next realm in just a single day! How is that possible? Did they do it already? Is that it? Is that the secret?”

Da Ji stared. “And how exactly does this relate to marriage?”

Peng Ru groaned. “Because Da Boqi keeps taunting me. He looks me in the eyes and tells me to call him Master. Or Elder. Or Respected Senior. He’s doing it on purpose! He knows exactly what he’s implying! Because my niece had become his disciple, he wants to be treated equal, despite being so young!”

Da Ji’s lips twitched.

Peng Ru slammed both hands on the table, bowing her head. “Please, Instructor Jia Yun. Set Da Boqi straight! I’m begging you! If this continues, I might die from stress before my niece even finishes her second lesson!”

Da Ji exhaled very slowly.

This… was extremely on brand for her brother.

Da Ji had never seen Peng Ru lose her composure so thoroughly. The dignified spell elder looked like she had been dragged across three continents by the ankles. It was… delightful.

“You’re quite conscientious,” Da Ji said, lips curving. “Most people would have pretended the bet never happened, especially when it involves someone of lower cultivation.”

Peng Ru groaned into her hands. “If this keeps going, I’ll lose face! The disciples already think I’ve been bewitched by that mutt. If they find out I’m being forced to call him Master, I’ll never recover!”

Da Ji arched a brow. “Then why don’t you show Da Wei—mm, Da Boqi—who’s boss? Put him in his place. You know… top or bottom. Beasts do get rowdy if you let them climb over your head.”

Peng Ru went scarlet. “I tried! But for some reason he always escapes my senses! No matter how I lock onto him, he slips away as if he’s not even in the same world!”

Da Ji hid her smile with her cup.

Peng Ru continued miserably, “And worse—worse!—I made a contract with him using Immortal Qi! I thought it would restrain him. But now I can’t dissolve it without his permission. Jia Yun… I heard rumors you can handle Immortal Qi…”

Da Ji wasn’t surprised. Her ability to shape and control quintessence had been displayed too many times, especially in front of Lord Iron Lake at the Celestial Wall. News always spread through the Heavenly Temple like hungry insects as she’d seen time and time again in her time here.

Besides… she had a suspicion.

The “Immortal Qi” Peng Ru used in the contract? Most likely it was the same one Da Wei asked from Da Ji. Da Wei really did come here with the intention of shoving this problem onto her lap.

Typical.

Or maybe, this was an opportunity…

Da Ji placed her cup down and spoke lightly, “I can’t annul the contract.”

Peng Ru snapped upright. “The Peng Clan will support the Jia Clan in exchange! We’ll help raise your position. Your bloodline has been obscure for too long. This can only benefit you.”

“I’m not interested,” Da Ji said flatly.

Peng Ru blinked. “Not interested? But—”

World Force suddenly spilled from Peng Ru, filling the room with the weight of a collapsing mountain. “Instructor Jia Yun, I suggest you reconsider.”

Da Ji exhaled once. Frost blossomed around her feet. Her quintessence surged quietly, effortlessly suppressing Peng Ru’s world-force until it shriveled like wet ash.

Peng Ru choked, frozen in place.

Da Ji took another sip of iced tea. “Come now. A Ninth Realm should be able to do better than that.”

Peng Ru sat stiffly, eyes trembling. “…What do you want, then?”

Da Ji leaned back, tapping her finger on the table. “I want to become the dean of the Heavenly Academy.”

Peng Ru stared at her as if she had sprouted nine tails. “That’s absolutely impossible! The current dean still has thousands of years of life left!”

“And?” Da Ji asked calmly. “I will manage the dean. You only need to support me when the time comes.”

Peng Ru’s voice shook. “Jia Yun… do you have seditious aspirations?”

Da Ji tilted her head. “Seditious? I merely want to help the Heavenly Academy rise to greater heights. If leadership must change for that to happen, then so be it.”

Peng Ru swallowed hard. There was no way to tell whether Da Ji was sincere or casually plotting a regime change over afternoon tea.

Finally, Peng Ru exhaled. “…We should draft a contract.”

Da Ji smiled. “No need for quintessence this time. Let’s use powerful curse sigils. It ensures neither of us has an easy escape.”

Peng Ru considered, then nodded slowly. “Let’s make it into a conditional contract. If I become vice-dean, I will support your ascension. On top of that, you must void the quintessence you lent Da Boqi that was used in the contract! That way, their master-disciple relationship can end peacefully!”

Da Ji’s grin widened. “Good. Your greed is refreshing.”

They shook hands, one trembling, one perfectly calm.

“As for the curses, do you have any recommendations?” asked Da Ji with a beautiful smile. “I have a few scrolls with me that could serve as inspiration.”