Eastern Divine Continent, Yunxiao Hall temporary office hub.
Chu Xingchen stood with arms crossed, studying two completely different spirit-vein trend-lines before him. One trend wasn't wrong per se—it was displayed as virtually vanishing.
Then there was the second, showing a shift in a different spirit-vein.
Several nearby spirit veins also exhibited faint, barely perceptible changes.
Judging from these patterns, Xu Linglong's Celestial Demon faction likely realized they couldn't rely on Central Continent's main vein. So instead of going for quality, they were going for quantity.
They were collecting these fine trickle-veins. As long as the volume was sufficient, the total would be quite substantial. And this approach was extremely covert—without the Heavenly Dao Map, tracking it would be very difficult.
Even if these combined veins still weren't enough, there was the most rudimentary method: pile spirit stones for energy.
As long as they were willing to spend, Chu Xingchen believed Xu Linglong's group could probably activate the grand formation and give everyone a look.
Chen Baiqing had studied the trend-lines and made special markings. She had also mapped the nearest points where these spirit veins connected—this was very likely the final activation point of the grand formation.
She had also filtered out several locations that posed some trouble but were sufficiently hidden.
If Xu Linglong's faction played it safe, these hidden spots were more likely to be the activation point.
Daoist Yuyang and Xu Jin stood nearby observing, but clearly neither could think of a solution for the moment.
Chen Baiqing stood before the Heavenly Dao Map, carefully studying every inch. Then she spoke:
"It's not just the Eastern Divine Continent. Northern Julu Continent and Western Niu Continent both show varying degrees of spirit-vein changes."
"Perhaps they don't intend to put all their eggs in one basket."
Chu Xingchen's gaze followed where Chen Baiqing was pointing, then he said with some exasperation:
"They certainly know how to cause trouble. Fortunately, we've already made contact with Yunmeng Pavilion."
As soon as he spoke—
A powerful Dao resonance emerged faintly from outside the door. A streak of white rainbow light arrived in the blink of an eye and landed inside the room.
An overwhelming aura instantly filled the modest-sized chamber.
Bai Xuanling stood with hands clasped behind her back, casting an amused glance at Xie Lingyu—though she didn't ask why this hapless disciple was here. She walked inside naturally, her expression curious as she looked at the Heavenly Dao Map laid out on the table.
After just two glances, Bai Xuanling understood its purpose.
"Spirit veins and water veins, recorded in such detail? The Eighteen Immortal Sects' spirit-vein routes are all mapped—I don't know about the others, but Tianyan Sect's is accurate…" Bai Xuanling murmured as she examined it, then suddenly said with a strange tone:
"Hm… why is it moving?"
Bai Xuanling's eyes lit up. Ignoring everyone else's gaze, she reached out and lightly touched the Heavenly Dao Map on the table. The moment she made contact, she knew this thing was absolutely a spirit treasure.
"Whoa… this has to count as a top-grade spirit treasure, right?" Bai Xuanling clicked her tongue twice, her finger tracing lightly across the Heavenly Dao Map. Then she looked at Chu Xingchen with curiosity: "Where did you get it? Did it fall from the sky onto your face? This thing doesn't look man-made."
Chu Xingchen spread his hands, his tone casual: "Picked it up on the road."
"Which road?" Bai Xuanling asked without missing a beat.
"Sect Master Lü asked the same thing."
"His fortune is terrible—how could a sect master have good fortune? I'm the only living True Immortal. My fortune is invincible. Even if I can't pick up treasures like this, I could at least stumble upon a divine weapon."
"If you put it that way, I can only be honest. Half a month ago, I got bored and randomly picked a mountain for some free-fall entertainment." Chu Xingchen opened his mouth and continued his nonsense:
"I landed headfirst, smashed a big crater, and when I stood up, this thing was sitting in the hole."
Bai Xuanling kept touching the Heavenly Dao Map and pressed further:
"Which mountain? I'll go jump off it later too."
"Are you serious?" Chu Xingchen's expression was disbelief.
Xie Lingyu sighed helplessly: "Of course it's fake. My master just wants to get her hands on more top-grade spirit treasures. She borrowed Sect Master Lü's Yantian Plate before, saying she wanted to use it to calm her mind and suppress inner demons—and kept it for fifty years without returning it."
"It was only when Sect Master Lü was on the verge of tears, calling out the names of every past Tianyan Sect ancestor, that she finally got it back."
"Since then, anything Sect Master Lü can give my master, he assumes he'll never see again. Things he can't give—he refuses to lend, period."
Xu Jin stood nearby, somewhat uncomfortable—listening to gossip about the only living True Immortal in the world did carry some risk.
If Bai Xuanling flew into a rage and performed some memory-erasure technique, that would be a net loss.
Daoist Yuyang turned to glance at Xu Jin. His tightly pressed lips made it clear he was struggling to contain something.
Xu Jin didn't dare look again and turned his head away too—the odds of getting beaten for laughing were doubled.
Bai Xuanling reluctantly lifted her hand, her gaze pained as she looked at Xie Lingyu:
"Your elbow's already turning outward. Remember how your master doted on you back then? And now you're airing your master's dirty laundry."
Chu Xingchen smiled and picked up the thread:
"Don't worry—there'll be plenty of time for you to study this thing. Just don't tell me it makes you sick when you see it."
Bai Xuanling's gaze returned to the Heavenly Dao Map, her tone envious:
"Not everyone can be like you—picking this kind of thing up off the road. And your Wanban, that made me quite jealous too. And those beads from Xuanqing Heavenly Sect."
"Some good things are once-in-a-lifetime finds."
Xu Jin heard this and looked at Bai Xuanling warily.
Though the Primordial Chaos Twin Spirit Beads were also on Chu Xingchen's person and seemed unlikely to ever be returned, they were nominally Xuanqing Heavenly Sect's property.
If they truly ended up in Bai Xuanling's hands, they'd probably never come back.
Bai Xuanling sensed his gaze, and without turning her head said:
"Envy is envy, but I can't use that bead—it'd just be a display piece. Besides, I know perfectly well what I can and can't take."
"Young man, don't underestimate the magnanimity and judgment of a cultivator at my level."
Xu Jin heard this and wanted to flatter her a bit, but seeing Bai Xuanling practically pressing her eyes against the Heavenly Dao Map, the words stuck in his throat.
It wasn't that Xu Jin's face wasn't thick enough.
He was worried the flattery might be taken as provocation, and he'd get pinned down and beaten right here.
Bai Xuanling's reputation wasn't entirely rumor—at least half of it was from things she'd actually done.
There had once been a core disciple who got beaten.
According to Daoist Yuyang, he'd nearly gotten beaten himself back in the day.
Sometimes, not responding was probably the best answer.
Bai Xuanling straightened up and asked with a light sigh:
"Truly a fine piece. Naturally formed, shaped by fortune, containing all phenomena within. There must be True Dao resonance within."
"Do you need this thing urgently?"
"If not, could you lend it to me for a couple days to study?"
Chu Xingchen stared for a moment, then suddenly understood where Qinghe's money-grubbing tendencies came from.
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