The white steps before the circular hall gleamed brightly, and the four words ‘Palace of Enlightened Dao’ above the hall sparkled with light. The formation around the hall flickered on and off, humming softly.
Buzz...
Both Yuan Xiu and Buzi were late stage Purple Mansion Realm cultivators. Dealing with a formation that was already worn and flawed due to the changes of heaven and earth was effortless for them. It took them less than half a stick of incense’s time to twist several formation nodes and open the formation.
A wave of dense spiritual qi rushed out. Chi Buzi’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked around to see a vast expanse of jade slips stretching as far as the eye could see. The surging spiritual qi caused the jade talismans labeled with technique names to clink together between the racks.
Beneath his feet, countless intricate formation patterns seemed to glow and fade away like breathing. It wound and twisted through the hall like rivers, accentuating the grandeur of the entire hall.
He couldn’t help but express his surprise in a sigh. "The immortal treasury of Ning State truly is as vast as a sea of mist! Backed by the power of a nation and descendants of Golden Core Realm cultivators... This treasury far surpasses that of my Azure Pond Sect..."
He stepped forward and activated his technique, but only floated a foot above the ground before dropping straight back down. He frowned. "What a formidable formation."
Though the formation outside the hall had been broken, each floor within the hall was reinforced with its own formation that protected the jade slips. The formation layers interconnected like Dharma Masters cooperating, locking down the environment completely. Traces of the Water Mansion Dao were evident, so much so that even a Purple Mansion Realm Daoist Master couldn’t fly inside.
He had no choice but to advance quickly on foot. He swept right past the jade slips on the first floor. After climbing several levels, his eyes skimmed over the many slips until he paused, joy lighting up his face, thinking, The Clear Dew Origin Manual... could it really be this?
The jade slip glowed with a pale azure hue, emitting an alluring radiance. Unfortunately, the grotto heaven suppressed spiritual sense, so any external probe dissipated quickly. Chi Buzi formed a seal and gently touched the jade slip. His spiritual sense tried to enter but was blocked by the formation, so he resorted to divination with finger signs.
This formation is powerful, but it has flaws... with enough time, I can deduce its contents.
He focused his spirit entirely on the jade slip, unaware that an old man stood ghost-like nearby, hidden in the glow of the jade slips. His eyes shimmered with dense, intricate patterns.
Si Boxiu had followed him in. His gaze had never lingered on the sea-like treasury, not even for a moment. He was fixed solely on Chi Buzi’s every movement, hiding like a shadow nearby as he coldly watched.
His feet hovered just above the ground without making a sound. Spiritual sense was suppressed in this grotto heaven, making it hard to perceive one's surroundings. Si Boxiu took advantage of the opportunity to inch closer, his old face filled with suspicion and gloom.
He remained hidden in the shadows, his eyes glowing with countless tiny golden runes due to the full exertion of his divine ability. His aged lips trembled slightly, the spell condensed at the tip of his tongue, but remained unspoken.
As Chi Buzi became increasingly engrossed in deciphering the jade slip, joy appearing on his face, his guard dropped to the lowest point. Suddenly, Si Boxiu stepped forward, golden light erupted from his lips, and he let out a thunderous, explosive voice, "Chi Wei!!"
This was a divine sound technique that was terrifying in its force. Had the target been an ordinary Qi Cultivation Realm cultivator or someone in the Embryonic Breathing Realm, they would have been instantly reduced to ashes. The golden shockwave rippled from his lips, but when it struck Chi Buzi, it passed over him like a gentle breeze, doing nothing more than ruffling the green-robed man’s garments.
He tilted his head and responded, "Uncle, you’ve mistaken me for someone else."
The golden runes in Si Boxiu’s eyes seemed about to burst forth, as they condensed tightly within his pupils. He paid no mind to the reply as his divine sense was verifying something.
Dharma light flowed between Si Boxiu and Chi Buzi. The two faced off in silence, the hall bathed in radiance.
Si Boxiu muttered in a low chant-like tone, "Li Jiangqun. Kan Xuyu. Ning Tiaoxiao. Xiao Xianyou."
He recited the names one by one, eyes fixed intently on Chi Buzi, watching for any change in expression. Only after finishing the list did he finally wave his sleeve and return to a composed demeanor, "I’m only concerned for your safety, Buzi. Don’t hold it against me."
"Thank you, Uncle." Chi Buzi’s smile remained gentle throughout the entire event. Si Boxiu nodded slightly and finally turned to leave, going off to browse the techniques in the hall that interested him.
Chi Buzi watched him go, then turned his gaze back to the jade slip in his hand. A flick of his fingers formed spell seals, and the formation light on the slip began to gradually dissolve.
Everything that had just happened seemed not to weigh on his mind at all. He showed a trace of delight as he read carefully, then frowned and gently placed the jade slip back on the desk, murmuring, "Another one that only goes up to Foundation Establishment Realm... Could this divine ability have been made forbidden by some family? What a nuisance..."
He exhaled deeply. The formation before him flickered between light and shadow, causing a slight sense of dizziness.
"Uncle..."
Just as he stepped onto the high platform, he saw Si Boxiu holding a jade slip and reading intently. Chi Buzi took a step forward and called out to him twice, but his expression suddenly froze.
Si Boxiu stood frozen like a statue before him. Spiritual qi shimmered within the dharma light, like mist and smoke, yet Si Boxiu seemed paralyzed.
"Uncle..."
Chi Buzi’s calm smile finally vanished, replaced by a creeping dread. He stiffly twisted his neck, eyes scanning the formation patterns on the platform beneath his feet.
The patterns, which had once glowed faintly along the flow of spiritual qi like a beautiful river, were now frozen in place. The entire hall seemed to hold its breath in terror; even the clinking of jade talismans had ceased. Everything stood in utter silence.
A great terror engulfed his soul. Every divine ability within him ceased functioning. Chi Buzi stood as helpless as a mortal, slowly looking around until he saw a figure quietly seated atop the beam that was glittering like stars.
The man sat neither too close nor too far, yet all the hall’s radiance gathered around him, trembling with fear. Chi Buzi’s gaze traced the hem of his snow-white robe, patterned with suns and moons, slowly upward.
"This..."
The ancient-style garment was dignified and austere, its patterns dazzling to the eyes. Multicolored lights circled his body, swiftly turning into white clouds that manifested the myriad faces of humanity—joy, sorrow, laughter, weeping.
The entire formation above trembled, as if it would ascend with this immortal and vanish into some celestial capital of white jade.
Chi Buzi’s gaze dared not rise past the robe’s hem. The immense fear within him surged like a tide. His thoughts roared with terror, Who is it? The one from Luoxia? Or Ning State’s Golden Core... has that True Monarch not died?
Struggling to compose himself, he slowly knelt to the floor. His voice was hoarse as he said, "This humble cultivator is fortunate to witness such immortal presence. May I know which exalted being I face...?"
The immortal’s voice was light and cold. It drifted gently down like a whisper from the heavens, sending a tremor through all his limbs.
"Weren’t you always longing to meet me?"