At this moment, the three disciples sent by the Celestial Master’s Mansion had descended from the mountain to make connections.
Each of the three held a jade token.
Each jade token had nine holes, of which seven corresponded to the seven stars in the sky.
The position of the eighth hole pointed to an intermediary relay station, while the ninth hole’s position was the final destination!
The three of them headed north along three different routes.
On the left route, the disciple traveled through Beihu Province, exiting Hanwu City and heading all the way north!
The middle route went straight through Hui’an Province, taking a direct line north!
The right route moved through Jiangzhe Province, passing through Hang City!
Though the routes seemed different, their final destination was the same, and they would ultimately converge at the same point, the final destination!
In fact, from the moment they descended, the Celestial Master already had it all figured out.
The rough direction indicated by the three jade tokens was to the north!
The destination would eventually emerge in the northern region!
But what kind of force they would ultimately connect with, that he did not know. It would depend on the positions indicated by the holes carved in the tokens left by successive sect leaders.
...
That day, the three disciples from the Celestial Master’s Mansion successively arrived at the location indicated by the eighth hole on the jade token.
Combining the jade tokens with the compass and the star map in the sky, they accurately found the intermediary station!
The intermediary station on the right route was a dilapidated Daoist Temple, standing amidst the mountains, surrounded by desolate wilderness and devoid of human presence.
However, the Daoist Temple’s architecture was quite ancient, its style consistent with that of the Celestial Master’s Mansion.
Looking inside from the entrance, the surroundings were overgrown with weeds, and vines spread over the walls, showing it had fallen into disrepair.
It was hard not to suspect whether anyone still lived in the temple.
On the left side of the entrance, there were a few acres of farmland, planted with various vegetables and flowers.
The main gate was open wide, and above it was a plaque with three large characters carved on it: "Qing Daoist Temple."
Upon entering the temple, the surroundings were encompassed by ancient pavilions and tile-roofed houses. The walls were beginning to crack, clearly showing the ravages of time.
"Is anyone there?"
"Is anyone there?"
"Is anyone there?"
...
The disciple looked around inside the house but saw no one respond, which immediately made him feel a chill.
After several generations of sect leaders, the ancient methods of communication and relay stations had likely ceased to function, having not been updated for centuries!
If that were the case, the jade tokens might also have become useless!
The final contact point could be as abandoned as this temple, dissipating through the tides of time and human affairs.
If they could not reach the position indicated by the ninth hole, the three could not reunite!
Who then could unravel the secret of the Celestial Master’s Mansion’s black hole?
Thinking of this, he became a bit unwilling. He searched the courtyard and fortunately found some traces of human activity.
Inside the main hall, candles and incense were still burning before the Daoist deity’s statue, and there were wooden meditation stools around, though everything appeared old and dilapidated!
Even though no one responded within the temple, the disciple did not leave. Instead, he sat in meditation before the deity’s statue until the sky outside began to darken, when he finally saw someone arriving with a lantern and a bundle of firewood, approaching the temple from the mountain.
In this secluded, isolated mountain, without electricity or the internet, and far from worldly dust, it was indeed quite tranquil as well.
As the figure approached, he saw it was an elderly white-haired man, over eighty years old, his face deeply lined with the passage of time.
Though thin and frail, carrying the heavy firewood, he looked as if a gust of wind could blow him down, yet still he carried the lantern back to the temple, placing the firewood in the kitchen.
As the old man passed by the main hall’s entrance, he was surprised to see someone meditating inside, solemn and sincere, seemingly praying earnestly without noticing his arrival.
"It’s late. Who might you be?"
"How did you find this place?"
The old man tapped his shoulder, awakening the meditating disciple, who then opened his eyes wide with excitement, examining the elder carefully!
From the old man’s attire, he saw the clothing of Daoism, and this sight felt very familiar to him!
"Greetings, elder. I am a disciple from the Celestial Master’s Mansion, sent by the Celestial Master with the jade token to establish contact, and thus I found this place!"
"..."
The old man was instantly speechless. At the mention of the Celestial Master’s Mansion, his body froze like a puppet, his eyes lost in reflection!
The wrinkles on his already weathered face deepened further, his expression filled with shock as he intently stared at the ancient jade token in the disciple’s hand!
His trembling hands took the token, examining it repeatedly under the candlelight, his initial suspicion turning to astonishment!
The old man found it incredible, stepping outside while holding up the jade pendant, aligning the holes with the seven glowing stars in the sky!
He then took out a compass, quickly toggling several switches, and a moonbeam aligned with the eighth hole on the jade token, falling right onto the compass!
The compass needle spun accordingly, after which he retrieved a parchment map and searched it repeatedly.
Finally, he let out a long sigh, looking heavenward.
The eighth hole on the jade token precisely corresponded to his current location!
The elderly man’s frail body collapsed onto the stone steps at the main hall’s entrance, his face filled with a grave expression as he looked at the bewildered disciple inside.
"It has been hundreds of years. I am already the fourth inheritor."
"Times have changed, and dynasties have altered. Nothing now is like it was back then!"