Translator: CinderTL
Northeast of Endless Central City, Luo Qingwei, clad in a black robe and wielding a sword, led her two disciples as they raced toward the city's northern district. She sent out urgent messages, summoning all available forces to converge on the north.
Her brother was in danger, and her anxiety burned hotter than anyone else's.
"Faster, faster! Brother, you must hold on!" Luo Qingwei stared at the mother-child stone in her hand. She had sent multiple messages, but received no reply from her brother, only intensifying her unease.
"Awooo~"
Suddenly, a corpse demon materialized ahead, its pale, lifeless eyes fixed on the trio.
Luo Qingwei gritted her teeth. The closer they got to their destination, the more likely unexpected obstacles became. Her brother's fate remained uncertain, and now they faced this corpse demon.
"Attack together! We need to deal with this quickly!" Luo Qingwei glanced at her disciples behind her.
"Yes, Master."
Xu Sanyan was meditating with his eyes closed when the mother-child stone in his lap warmed slightly. He pulled it out and glanced at the message:
"Holy Son, this disciple has spotted Qi Liang leading a group to hunt down Luo Changtian."
Xu Sanyan's eyebrows twitched. What grudge could they possibly hold against each other?
"Stay put, prioritize your safety, and report any developments immediately."
"Understood."
Xu Sanyan frowned in contemplation, wondering if he should intervene.
The problem was he didn't know what they were after. Was it a treasure? Or a personal vendetta?
His gaze drifted through the window to the corpse demon soaring through the night sky, his thoughts in turmoil.
Just then, the mother-child stone warmed again, displaying a series of urgent messages:
"Holy Son, this old man has observed a large group from the Harmonious Mountain Praying Dao Sect heading north. A treasure may have appeared there."
"Holy Son, this disciple has seen Lu Wang leading his men into a Daoist temple west of the city."
"Holy Son, a Flower Pavilion has appeared south of the city. Those who enter never emerge. Many are gathering to observe."
Xu Sanyan's frown deepened. Situations were erupting simultaneously across the city, leaving him torn between multiple crises. He sent a telepathic message to the old man:
"Senior, what do you think?"
The old man, having also seen the inscriptions on the mother-child stone, slowly replied, "It depends on your choice. The Daoist temple is the most dangerous, housing a 'Nightmare,' but its treasure is also the most valuable—a top-tier cultivation method that leads directly to the Great Dao."
Xu Sanyan shook his head. Cultivation methods held little appeal for him.
Noticing his lack of interest, the old man continued, "The Flower Pavilion is also a good option. It's an illusionary realm. If you can break through it, you'll gain spiritual essence to nourish your body. Conversely... you'll expend a vast amount of essence, though it won't be fatal. Moreover, experiencing its depths can be quite enlightening."
Flower Pavilion...
Also known as the Flower Tower.
As a righteous gentleman, Xu Sanyan had always scorned such places.
"Are there many women there?"
"Yes, and they seem quite real," the old man nodded.
Xu Sanyan pondered silently. After retrieving the Nether Phoenix Essence, perhaps he'd pay it a visit.
He then asked, "What's north of the city?"
"North of the city... if I recall correctly, there are two half-treasures there. One is a magic artifact embryo of decent quality."
"Secondly, there's a sword dao mystical art with considerable power."
"As for the half-treasure... it's nothing particularly useful. Just some insights into the Great Dao that I wanted to preserve as a memento."
Xu Sanyan's heart jolted. The Great Dao?
"Senior, what realm were you at before...?"
The old man's voice carried a deep sense of loss. "I was just a step away from entering the Immortal Path. Alas, the heavenly tribulation destroyed my millennia of cultivation in an instant."
"Head north immediately!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Xu Sanyan retrieved his mother-child stone and sent a message to everyone:
["Proceed to the northern district at once. No delays permitted."]
The Nether Phoenix, the Flower Pavilion—all would have to wait.
The old man blinked, then realized, "You... you have no records of the Great Dao?"
"I don't know." Xu Sanyan shook his head. He had only glimpsed the Great Dao during his cultivation of the Holy Scripture, experiencing it vaguely within illusory realms. Even then, his understanding remained fragmentary.
Whether the sect possessed more detailed records of the Great Dao was information he wasn't authorized to access.
"Could it be... that the heavenly tribulation destroyed all records of the Great Dao?" the old man murmured to himself.
In their era, records of the Great Dao were not secret. Even ordinary disciples could access them by spending Merit Points. This allowed disciples to deepen their understanding of the Great Dao, making their cultivation paths clearer. They simply needed to set their sights on their goals and cultivate diligently.
What kind of lives are these cultivators living now? the old man sighed. This is their own fault. They recklessly exploited resources, draining the pond to catch all the fish, and ultimately suffered the backlash of the heavenly dao, leaving behind this mess.
Qin Manyang looked at Xu Sanyan. "What's wrong? Aren't we going to the city?"
Xu Sanyan shook his head. "We'll go to the north of the city first."
The group of six immediately set off without delay.
From a bird's eye perspective, it could be seen that many people within the city were converging on the northern district, not just Xu Sanyan's faction.
The Luo Family Siblings from the Harmonious Mountain Praying Dao Sect, Fang Qingge from the Source Worship Sect, Qi Liang's faction, Jiang Qinqin's faction, Fang Xiang's faction, Wei Xunzhi from the Wei Clan, and numerous other forces drawn by curiosity were all heading in the same direction.
Like ants returning to their nest, they all converged on a single point.
Before a wooden pavilion west of the city,
Zuoqiu Shu gazed at Mo Xianxian, who in turn looked at Jiang Yan beside her. Jiang Yan's gaze drifted upward to Huan Xi'er perched in a tree, picking his nose and staring at the large glob of mucus on his fingertip. He tentatively stuck out his tongue and licked it.
Jiang Yan silently averted his eyes.
Behind Zuoqiu Shu stood the members of the Zuoqiu Clan, while Mo Xianxian remained solitary. Jiang Yan led four members of the Jiang Family, and Huan Xi'er was also alone.
Logically, Shangyin Mountain had sent a considerable number of people, but Mo Xianxian's solitary habits meant no one accompanied her. Huan Xi'er, though a disciple of Shangyin Mountain, was avoided due to his mental deficiencies, leaving the sect in an awkward leadership vacuum. The elders were left to manage the overall situation.
The atmosphere was momentarily still, no one speaking. Jiang Yan finally broke the silence. "Jiang Yan of Southern Heaven Valley. Greetings to you all."
"Zuoqiu Shu of Huai Lake. Greetings."
Mo Xianxian's crimson lips parted slightly. "Shangyin Mountain. Mo Xianxian."
Huan Xi'er remained perched in the tree, still picking his nose.
Jiang Yan pointed to the spirit liquid hanging in the center of the wooden pavilion. "Our factions have always maintained friendly relations," he said. "There's no need to draw swords over a mere barrel of spirit liquid. Why not simply divide it equally?"
Zuoqiu Yi nodded. "This humble daughter has no objection."
Mo Xianxian also nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, Huan Xi'er threw a fit. "Why should I share? It's all mine!"
Knowing Huan Xi'er's mental limitations, Jiang Yan ignored him. "Since everyone agrees, let's settle it this way."
"I don't agree!" Huan Xi'er flipped down from the tree, glaring furiously at Jiang Yan.
"Go back!" Mo Xianxian snapped, her patience wearing thin.
"Hmph, who do you think you are..."
Before Huan Xi'er could finish, Mo Xianxian interrupted, "If you don't behave, I'll tell Master when we get back that you were bullying me!"
"You shameless liar!" Huan Xi'er exploded, his face contorted with rage. He flipped back up into the tree and huffed indignantly.
Mo Xianxian's Master was Huan Xi'er's nominal godmother, but in reality, she was his biological mother.
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (HB) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c254. [+2]
🔑Early Access at $5.
✍Translated (6) Series, (4.1K+) Chapters, (5.8M+) Words.