The Flower Bright Moon cast a dim light through the mist, and lanterns swayed gently in the air.
A dense crowd of people had surrounded this street to the point where not a drop could seep through. Vaguely, Su Bei could see what appeared to be a huge stone tablet placed on an open space not far away!
While strolling along, the two inadvertently arrived at the very heart of Wu City, before the stone tablet called the Mysterious Stone, which was surrounded by quite a few powerful individuals. Su Bei recognized over ten of them at a glance.
There was Lin Duo, with that smug look on his face and narrowed eyes, and a group of elders from various Great Sects who had attended the Sword Sect’s eight-hundredth-anniversary feast.
With a sweep of her eyes, she even caught sight of Yu Hongxiu, in her bright red dress and soft moonlight gauze, curiously examining the Mysterious Stone.
Seemingly afraid of catching Yu Hongxiu’s attention, Su Bei subconsciously lowered her head.
Beside her, Dan Wulan gazed thoughtfully at the distant Yu Hongxiu.
At this mont, a Sacred Land Female Disciple dressed in a golden Glazed Porcelain Yarn Robe stood before the Mysterious Stone. Looking at the cultivators and civilians gathered there, she coughed heavily and announced loudly,
"This Mysterious Stone was acquired by the Saintess five hundred years ago in Inverted Heaven, and it is said to contain many secrets! It could be so mysterious Cultivation Technique, perhaps a prophecy, or even an insight into a certain Great Dao."
"The Saintess has decreed that whoever can unravel the secrets of this Mysterious Stone will be personally received by her. Not only will she bestow a Token of the Sacred Land upon them, but she will also offer personal guidance..."
Before the Female Disciple could finish speaking, the crowd erupted with chatter.
Many eyes in the crowd instantly brightened, followed by a fleeting look of greed at the corners of their mouths.
When speaking of the most mysterious figures in the world, the old Sect Leader of the Sword Sect, whose fate and whereabouts were unknown, would be one, and the Sacred Land’s Saintess would be the second.
However, unlike the old Sect Leader of the Sword Sect, very few people were said to have seen the true appearance of the Sacred Land’s Saintess. Furthermore, it was rumored that her cultivation had already reached the Late Stage Tribulation-Crossing five hundred years ago. By now, she was likely just a step away from the Mahayana Realm, or perhaps she had already reached it.
Receiving guidance from such a powerful figure would undoubtedly surpass a hundred years of one’s own arduous cultivation, not to ntion obtaining that Token from the Sacred Land.
The woman from the Sacred Land watched the scene unfold with a smile in her eyes. This was not the first ti the Saintess had presented this Mysterious Stone; every opening ceremony featured such an attraction. However, the outco was always that no one could fathom its secrets.
Over ti, even the Saintess ca to believe it was nothing more than a peculiar stone, albeit one that contained so indefinable energy.
Su Bei looked at the stone, a curious glint flashing in her eyes. She turned to Dan Wulan and asked softly,
"Do you know about this stone?"
Dan Wulan shook her head; this was also her first visit to the Sacred Land.
Suddenly, a disturbance broke out among the crowd, and all eyes turned in one direction. Following their gaze, Su Bei saw a bald, middle-aged monk in a bright red kasaya, smiling benignly as he approached the Mysterious Stone,
"Amitabha! This humble monk has co from the Dongfeng Ancient Country, on a pilgrimage to the Sacred Land to worship and seek scriptures..."
"..."
As soon as the monk appeared, he captured everyone’s attention, followed by a murmur of discussion:
"This appears to be an eminent monk from the Great Thunderous Buddha Sect. It’s said his Dharma na is Fa Jiang, Master Fa Jiang. His cultivation had already reached Peak Refining Void two hundred years ago..."
"Shouldn’t soone like him be in seclusion, striving for the Dao Integration Realm? Could he also be vying for the title of the world’s number one Sect?"
"Why would a man of religion care so much about fa and profit?"
"Unspeakable, unspeakable!"
The Sacred Land Female Disciple stepped back to make way.
Master Fa Jiang instantly released the Spiritual Energy around him. A solemn aura, like the resonant chis of great bells, enveloped the entire Mysterious Stone as his hands swiftly ca together in a prayer gesture.
The large string of prayer beads around his neck soared into the sky, emitting a dazzling light, while a sacred chant resonated from above.
A hubbub imdiately filled the crowd.
"Master Fa Jiang is already at the Half-Step into Dao Integration Realm! He truly has co for the Ascension Platform!"
"With such a realm, he must be able to unravel the secrets within this stone!"
Soone watched all this with a quiet smile, gently shaking their head before speaking in a aningful tone,
"This stone has been presented at the opening ceremony six tis already."
If even the Saintess couldn’t decipher this stone, how could it be so easy for others to crack? Is the Sacred Land’s Token so easily obtained?
「...」
In a towering building at the center of Wu City, with green bricks and white tiles, serene and elegant, several layers of colorful window screens overlapped and hung.
It was a typical Jiangnan-style building, with winding paths leading to secluded spots. A warm pavilion, bathed in moonlight, was constructed entirely from large sandalwood logs, unmixed with any other materials. It was a work of ingenious craftsmanship and also of inestimable value.
It exuded an air free from worldly dust and any hint of opulence, possessing only an elegant and noble grace.
In this pavilion, there was a low desk made of sandalwood and glazed porcelain, with a brocade couch behind it and two chairs placed opposite each other before the desk.
By the door stood an ancient zither. On the low desk was a pot of post-rain clear tea, oddly accompanied by a half-eaten box of candied fruit.
Inside the pavilion, a man dressed in a Brocade Cloud Dragon Robe sat. Opposite him, a woman was seated in a chair, holding a teacup in her right hand and a piece of candied fruit, from which a large bite had been taken, in her left.
The woman wore a white, soft-gauze narcissus dress, revealing a section of her wrist as fair as frost and snow. Her slender, jade-like fingers were as soft and delicate as the tender shoots of spring onions.
Her bright eyes glanced around with a noble and elegant air. However, the mont she popped the piece of candied fruit from her left hand into her cherry-red lips, her beautiful, crescent-moon-like eyes narrowed, her face brimming with happiness.
Ji Nanjue sighed softly as she observed her so-called Master’s current behavior.
So many years have passed, yet she’s still the sa, still loves sweets the most. It seems the greatest happiness in the world for her is to fill her taste buds with sweetness.
Seeing Ji Nanjue’s expression, the woman quickly pursed her lips and said with a playful smile,
"Why the long face, Little Ji? Being an Emperor seems troubleso to . You might as well just co to the Sacred Land and be an elder..."
"If you want to be the Saintess, that’s fine too. Your big sister here is tired of playing that role, anyway."
"..."
Ji Nanjue pursed her lips slightly and gently blew on the steam rising from her teacup, ignoring the woman’s prattle. She then spoke,
"Master, your disciple feels that the chill within my body is becoming increasingly difficult to suppress."
Key Smoke’s eyes trembled visibly. She withdrew the hand that was reaching for the box of candied fruit and said softly,
"Is the Extre Fire Golden Pill no longer effective?"
Ji Nanjue nodded, then shook her head.
"It’s still sowhat effective, but not very much anymore."
Key Smoke stood up gently, magically producing a storage pouch from her storage ring and handing it to Ji Nanjue, saying softly,
"There are another three hundred Extre Fire Golden Pills in here."
She then paused, walked towards the window, and gazed at the crowd before the Mysterious Stone, whispering tenderly,
"If you’re tired, and your body can’t take it anymore, co back to the Sacred Land..."
Sensing a desolate aura emanating from Key Smoke, Ji Nanjue quickly put on a smile. She stepped forward, embraced Key Smoke’s waist from behind, and whispered softly in her ear,
"It’s not as serious as you think; I can still suppress it."
But she knew in her heart that if she couldn’t find the Supre Yang Vein, it was only a matter of ti before the Extre Fire Golden Pills lost their effect completely.
This ti, she, along with Lin Jinyu and a group of experts from the Imperial Palace, had co to the Sacred Land. Without eting anyone else, Ji Nanjue had hurriedly sought out Key Smoke. Seeing that her Master was the sa as ever sowhat eased her mind.
However, her curiosity about her Master’s cultivation realm only grew. How could her own Late Stage Tribulation-Crossing cultivation not see through Key Smoke at all?
Key Smoke turned around, gazed at the disciple before her who assud the appearance of a man, chuckled, and playfully pinched her cheek, saying,
"It feels strange seeing you always in this guise."
"Let have a proper look at you."
To think, even I can’t see through the effects of the Immortal Fate Grass.
Ji Nanjue smiled and wiped a hand across her face, revealing her devastatingly beautiful features. Perhaps due to the lingering chill within her body, her complexion had an unhealthy pallor.
Key Smoke stood alongside Ji Nanjue. Both gazed at the Mysterious Stone not far away, where the monk nad Fa Jiang was now surrounded by an infinite surge of Sanskrit Spiritual Energy, attempting to peer into the secrets of the stone.
"Aren’t you worried that soone might actually decipher this Mysterious Stone?"
Ji Nanjue’s eyes flashed with a strange light. Suddenly, within the crowd, she saw a familiar figure in a white robe embroidered with begonia. She paused for a mont, then smiled knowingly.
He’s from the Sword Sect. As expected, he ca too...
Key Smoke placed a piece of candied fruit into her mouth, a hint of smugness in her muffled voice as she said,
"I’ve displayed this stone here six tis already. If even I can’t decipher this Mysterious Stone, who in this world possibly could?"
She hadn’t even prepared the legendary Token of the Sacred Land. Was it perhaps due to her extre confidence?
Indeed!
Ji Nanjue tilted her head, looking at her. Still her cunning Master, with that sa familiar style.
After a while, Fa Jiang shook his head, looking helplessly at the Mysterious Stone. He took a deep breath, faced the crowd, and said,
"This humble monk cannot decipher it."
"There is an indescribable Spiritual Energy within this Mysterious Stone. If it were to be deciphered, it would surely trigger a celestial phenonon, and that Spiritual Energy would definitely be released."
The Sacred Land Female Disciple, still smiling, looked at the crowd and spoke again,
"Does anyone else wish to try?"
She wasn’t surprised by this outco in the least; in fact, it would be truly strange if soone *had* managed to decipher it.
Surprised murmurs instantly spread through the crowd, evidently in disbelief!
"Look quick! It’s Dao Sect’s Tong Xiu!"
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