The Eastern Sea.
The fierce battle on Green Pine Island had raged on for a long time. With the grotto heaven finally leaving the mortal realm, the rogue cultivators dispersed like a swarm of bees. The spiritual energy, which had shone as bright as the sun, gradually began to wane, returning to the normal state of an average grotto heaven.
Meanwhile, in the boundless vastness of the Great Void, streams of radiant light rose and wove together. The Green Pine Temple's grotto heaven had completely detached from the mortal world, vanishing into the blackness of the void. It transformed into waves of multicolored light before sinking into the infinite emptiness.
The multicolored lights of divine abilities flowed across the great void, with several figures standing silently in a circle, staring at the two jade boxes suspended at the center. Not a single person spoke.
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense until a northern figure broke the silence with a soft voice, "The jade boxes from Hengzhu Dao Gate and Mount Changhuai were empty from the start. As for the missing two, they belonged to Azure Pond Sect and Purple Smoke Gate."
Nearby, the multicolored light condensed into an azure-gray glow. Yuan Su stood in the great void and sneered coldly, "A bunch of fools squabbling over nothing. Hengzhu Dao likely knew their box was empty all along—otherwise, why would they refrain from sending even a single Purple Mansion Realm cultivator?"
"The remaining two jade boxes belong to Sword Gate and Great Xiukui Temple, neither of which are easy to deal with. You had better settle this carefully!" Yuan Su's reputation was not stellar, and his temperament was notorious. Knowing he was near the end of his lifespan, he had little regard for social etiquette. Though his words provoked a few snorts of derision from the Purple Mansion Realm cultivators, no one openly rebuked him.
Not one of the assembled Purple Mansion Realm cultivators brought up the aftermath of the so-called fate bearers, as if some unspoken agreement had been reached beforehand. Only a sword-wielding cultivator spoke up, "I only wish to retrieve the jade box that rightfully belongs to me."
His statement was immediately met with scornful interruption, "You Sword Gate folks take all the benefits. What are the rest of us supposed to be here for? To watch?"
The sword-bearing man paused before responding, "I am willing to offer some compensation. The jade box contains an artifact from my sect's founding ancestor—naturally, I must take it back."
The great void fell silent once more until a black-robed man finally broke the stillness, "My Xiukui Temple says the same."
The spiritual senses of the Purple Mansion Realm cultivators collided, a hushed exchange seemingly taking place. Yuan Su, meanwhile, lowered his head, silently observing the jade boxes. He seemed to be waiting for something, his eyes fixed on the boxes with meticulous scrutiny. Sure enough, from the depths of the void, a figure began to emerge.
The man in the white robe had a sword at his waist, housed in a wooden scabbard with a hilt made of reddish-brown pinewood. He strolled forward leisurely, his movements unhurried yet steady, and stopped before the two jade boxes.
His features appeared indistinct, and each step he took rippled with waves of white light beneath his feet, as if he were walking on water.
"Shangyuan!" The collective murmurs echoed among the group of Purple Mansion Realm cultivators.
All activity ceased as the eleven Purple Mansion Realm cultivators fixed their attention on him. The myriad Divine Abilities and perception techniques they had been wielding wove across the Great Void, scanning and measuring the white-robed figure as if they were trying to pierce through his robes to see what lay beneath.
They showed no signs of surprise. Instead, they seized every second to carefully measure the figure before them with their Divine Abilities. The earlier disputes and murmurs seemed to vanish as if they had never taken place. It was clear that these eleven Purple Mansion Realm cultivators had all been waiting for this one person.
Daoist Master Shangyuan reached out and picked up one of the jade boxes.
The jade boxes, fought over so intensely moments before, now seemed as ordinary as wooden chests in his hands. Without hesitation, he casually flicked open the box, revealing a short, blade-like shard within.
He retrieved the shard and appeared unimpressed. With a nonchalant flick of his fingers, he sent the shard flying toward the swordsman who had been standing off to the side. "Keep it safe," Shangyuan said lightly.
The Sword Gate's Daoist Master, cupped his fist repeatedly in gratitude, his tone deeply respectful. "Senior… When do you plan to make your breakthrough? Have you decided on the method yet?"
Daoist Master Shangyuan seemed to share some familiarity with him. Ignoring the rest of the Purple Mansion Realm cultivators present, he chuckled and said, " Jade True follows the archaic methods. I take neither yin and yang nor the five elements, but rather affirm the metallic essence through the interplay of void and reality."
He turned his gaze to the Daoist Masters from the Great Xiukui Temple nearby and said softly, " Hengzhu and Xiukui both follow archaic methods. You might as well come and observe—it would bring you much benefit."
As he spoke, he picked up the other jade box and tossed it to the Daoist Master without waiting for his thanks. With that, he vanished into the void.
The cultivators from Sword Gate and the Great Xiukui Temple, having received such treasures, were elated beyond measure. They had no intention of lingering in the great void any longer. With their goals achieved, they disappeared swiftly and completely from sight.
The other nine Purple Mansion Realm cultivators stood silent, helplessly watching him distribute the two jade boxes as if by divine right. No one dared to object. Only the one in the center sighed softly and, with a gentle wave of his hand, summoned a dazzling array of treasures into the air.
There were numerous items on display—at the very least, each one was a top-grade treasure of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Scattered among them were some ancient artifacts from the grotto heaven. That Purple Mansion Realm cultivator declared, "Twenty-six dharma artifacts, two Purple Mansion Realm spirit artifacts, six transmission records, nine clues to relics, and various long-lost items—take your pick. If any item's value exceeds your selection, leave something in return as compensation."
He raised an eyebrow and pulled from the pile a shimmering, water-like crystal block. Its surface rippled with waves and sparkled with points of starlight.
The Daoist Master glanced at it and spoke lightly, "Does anyone want this one? Among the Foundation Establishment Realm treasures, it is considered top-grade. It is called the Celestial Screen of Azure Patterns ."
————
The journey from Mount Azure Pond to Moongaze Lake spanned across half of Yue State. Li Xizhi changed into white robes, and the group rode the wind as they departed. Wishing to avoid being seen, they flew high above the clouds.
This area had sparse spiritual energy, making wind-riding difficult. For this reason, few ventured here. However, all of them hailed from immortal sects, and riding the wind in such conditions posed no challenge to them. Silently, they traveled amidst the rising glow of dawn.
The clouds displayed a kaleidoscope of colors. Within the vibrant glow, Li Xizhi seemed perfectly at ease, gliding through the sky in silence. Days passed in flight, during which the two individuals behind him racked their brains, searching for something to say that might distract him.
Just then, a few feathered beasts descended from the high heavens. They resembled beautifully crafted fish, their colors dazzling. With two wings extending from beneath their ribs, their heads were round, their snouts flat, and their orange-feathered wings flapped nimbly in the air, giving them an agile appearance.
"Such a rare sight! We've encountered some Dawn Rayfish." The Dawn Rayfish paused momentarily within Li Xizhi's rainbow-colored light before quickly disappearing into the clouds. Glancing at them, Li Xizhi remarked, "When the waters rise, Dawn Rayfish emerge. This is likely caused by rain clouds from some clan ancestor, forcing these spirit beasts to fly so low that we happen to see them."
Dawn Rayfish were fond of water and rainbows. Since Li Xizhi followed the Dawn Dao lineage, he was naturally familiar with such creatures. If the two others hadn't been present, the fish would likely have lingered to absorb more of his rainbow light rather than leaving so swiftly.
"They are probably coming from the Northern Sea," he added. "Heading to the Eastern and Southern Seas."
Yang Xiao'er responded, lamenting, "These days, such spirit beasts are becoming scarce. Heaven and earth's upheavals have destroyed who knows how many things..."
"The hardest hit were certainly heavenly thunder and geomagnetic forces," Yuan Chengzhao interjected. "It has been millennia since either has been seen. Not only has heavenly thunder vanished, but even the profound peak can barely be considered Titan Earth anymore, degraded into what we now call Fool's Mountain Chase ."