The Saint's Remnant Soul remained silent.
Looking at the young man's smiling face before him, he felt that the other party was probably joking with him.
However, considering the events that had just occurred, the other party's jest didn't seem like a joke at all, and even the smile on his face seemed to be laden with profound meaning.
But if that were truly the case,
since embarking on this journey, in many respects, Xu Yuan's behavior had seemed like that of a clueless newbie, hadn't it?
When witnessing the gore of common village women and old men losing limbs to Demonic Beasts, he would avert his gaze.
Upon his first encounter with bandits blocking the road, he personally took action, and when blood splashed on his face, his heart would race, and he would even feel nauseous and gag.
And during his cultivation, he would also make some of the common mistakes that beginners often make.
All these actions didn't at all resemble those of a deeply scheming monster.
However, maybe all these things were just part of this guy's act…
Xu Yuan interrupted Old Man Luo's thoughts, smiling and saying,
"I've discovered you're quite gullible, old man.
I am not some old monster, of course.
Though, if you insist on calling me 'senior,' I wouldn't refuse."
"Hehe," the Saint's Remnant Soul chuckled, noncommittal.
"You don't believe me?"
"What do you think?"
"It seems you don't believe me."
"Naturally."
Xu Yuan spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness,
"Then what if I told you I've possessed someone's body, would that make you feel any better?"
"….."
After a moment of contemplation, the Saint's Remnant Soul shook his head, "No, that would feel even worse."
"…" Xu Yuan.
After a second of silence,
Xu Yuan stopped in his tracks, turned back intending to pat the Saint's Remnant Soul on the shoulder, speaking earnestly,
"Old Man Luo, let me tell you…"
Before he could finish, his hand passed right through the soul body of the Saint.
"…"
The soul body of the Saint glanced over.
Xu Yuan smacked his lips.
"Use Origin Qi," the Saint's Remnant Soul reminded.
Xu Yuan coughed lightly, wrapped his palm in Origin Qi, and then patted the shoulder of the middle-aged scholar's soul body,
"In any case, Old Man Luo, I've merely come across some opportunities, you don't need to overthink it.
As for Secret Techniques like soul refining, I don't know any of it."
"…" the Saint's Remnant Soul.
There was a silent gaze,
Suddenly, the Saint's Remnant Soul chuckled with a laugh deep as a bass drum,
"Since you say so, Xu lad, I shall trust you for the time being," he said.
Xu Yuan responded similarly, "Then I'll take it that you do believe me."
With that said,
An old man and a young one exchanged a smile.
After the laughter subsided, they continued walking in silence into a hollow beneath the cherry tree.
The hollow was much like those underground chambers in the Xu Residence, gloomy, narrow, and of unknown depths.
Xu Yuan walked slowly on the staircase, silently calculating in his mind.
He had been prepared for a long time for the Saint's Remnant Soul to notice something off about him.
Without this old man, he would not dare to venture deep into the Secret Realm, even with Ran Qingmo by his side.
With his current strength, entering these Secret Realms was akin to a Level 30 character from Cang Yuan attempting a Level 80 dungeon.
Take, for example, the Enchantress Divine Sakura Tree and that Leech King, both being Level 85 Bosses in Cang Yuan, but in the particular environment of Sakura Leech Lake, even Level 90 ordinary players might not be able to defeat them, rounding it up to roughly equivalent to a First Grade Mortal Transcendence in reality.
Without the Saint's Remnant Soul, would he, Xu Yuan, dare to come?
Just like in Cang Yuan, it was indeed possible to play using an unorthodox method to clear the level, but one had to have the strength to reach this place first.
If one were unlucky and teleported to some other place, encountering "minor monsters" along the way, without the protection of the Saint's Remnant Soul, with such strength, he probably would have to say goodbye to this world with just a graze.
This time he, Xu Yuan, had just been lucky, transported directly to this Sakura Leech Lake…
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
Thinking of this,
Xu Yuan's train of thought paused slightly, he mused for a moment, and then shook his head with a playful expression.
Being transported here, in fact, should probably be considered terribly unlucky.
After all, the Leech Cherry Lake was almost one of the most dangerous places in the Dome Palace, and he had been directly transported into that soul-bewildering corridor upon arrival.
He managed to pass through so easily only because he knew its secrets.
If he hadn't known, even with a Saint's Remnant Soul protecting him, ninety-nine percent likely he would have died here.
Tsk, a luck value as high as three points, truly does not deceive him.
In the future, he would need to pay more attention to this matter.
Next time there was random teleportation, he would have to take Big Ice Lump along with him.
During these thoughts,
Xu Yuan and the Saint's Remnant Soul had already reached the bottom of the tree hollow.
After tens of thousands of years, the roots of the Enchantress Divine Sakura Tree had deeply penetrated the secret chamber; its complex network of roots intricately entwined within the stone room, but fortunately, the formation patterns seemed to be undamaged.
Extending his will-spirit slightly, Xu Yuan found that these were formation patterns he had never seen before, and he conjectured in his heart that they should probably be part of the Transmission Formation, turning to look at the Saint's Remnant Soul:
"Old Man Luo, how is this transmission formation used?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul stared at him without speaking, his gaze as if saying:
Go ahead, keep pretending, let's see how long you, old rascal, can keep it up.
Xu Yuan's eyelid twitched.
And at this moment, the Saint's Remnant Soul suddenly spoke:
"Xu boy, you knew there was a transmission formation here, yet you don't know how to use it?"
Xu Yuan rolled his eyes and said in a low voice,
"Nowadays, under the blazing sun, transmission formation patterns have become extinct, where would I have used this?"
"Alright."
The Saint's Remnant Soul didn't show whether he believed or not but nodded and waved casually.
The intricate formation patterns carved in the stone chamber immediately filled up like water flowing into a channel, and the emitted flickers of white light illuminated the dim tree hollow.
Seeing this, Xu Yuan suddenly asked,
"Old Man Luo, do you know why the transmission formations have become extinct in the outside world?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul replied, gleeful and casual while initiating the formation,
मधुमेह हमेशा के लिए ख़त्म हो जाएगा! सोने से पहले करें ये काम
संभोग 2 घंटे तक चलेगा; सोने से पहले बस ये करो
"They've been lost."
"Lost?" Xu Yuan frowned.
The Saint's Remnant Soul looked at Xu Yuan's expression, feeling an urge to make a quip, but simply explained,
"Engraving some special formations requires certain special resources, but throughout the ages, the extraction by cultivators and the changes in Origin Qi have caused some resources to become extinct.
Without these resources, many formations can no longer be engraved, and as time passed, they naturally faded into obscurity."
Xu Yuan listened carefully and understood, asking no further questions.
However, the Saint's Remnant Soul marveled,
"The formation in this tree hollow is quite ingenious; in addition to the transmission formation, there seems to be other greater arrays."
Saying this,
he cast a meaningful glance at Xu Yuan.
Xu Yuan ignored him.
After a short while, the glow within the tree hollow suddenly returned to stillness.
Xu Yuan asked,
"Did it succeed?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul shook his head,
"This formation requires a Soul Key to activate.
Forcing it will trigger the formation's backlash."
"…."
Xu Yuan's eyes took on a strange expression.
Were the formation activations in this world of cultivation also password-protected?
After pondering for an instant, he quickly came to terms with it.
In this world, many of the crucial locations' major formations were akin to the nuclear launch codes of his previous life; it would be illogical if just anyone could operate these central hubs of power.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Xu Yuan spoke softly,
"Old Man Luo, try controlling my body."
"Hmm?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul sounded puzzled but, recalling the sakura emblem that had merged into the boy's forehead just before, cheerfully burrowed into the Soul Ring.
After a second of silence,
Xu Yuan casually waved his hand, and the formation activated again.
Approximately the time it took to brew a cup of tea later, Xu Yuan's forehead suddenly revealed a sakura emblem.
With this emblem's appearance, the formation seemed to unlock a crucial link, emitting a sonorous hum!
The next instant,
the entire tree hollow was illuminated by the light emitting from the formation patterns as bright as daylight!
////119///
Xu Yuan knew there was a Transmission Formation under the Enchantress Divine Sakura Tree.
He also knew that from here, one could go to many places: Wenyuan Pavilion, Treasure Rooms, and even the Sect Master's sleeping quarters.
In Cang Yuan, the way it appeared was very simple, jumping into a map where players clicked with the mouse to choose their destination.
But now, as his Will-spirit connected with the Formation, the scene before Xu Yuan slightly startled him.
His consciousness seemed to be uploaded into the celestial dome above the Dome Palace, clearly observing everything below.
The hidden Jade Towers shrouded in mist, the drifting clouds with the wind, the mystical creatures wandering through the clusters of palaces…
Xu Yuan didn't rush to teleport but instead searched the vast Dome Palace for the figure of a woman in black.
Upon entering the Secret Realm, he had purposefully let go of Ran Qingmo's hand, causing her to be teleported to another location.
However, he had already informed her of some things within the Secret Realm beforehand.
At this moment, perhaps Big Ice Lump had already entered this space.
After searching for a while, Ran Qingmo was yet to be found, but Xu Yuan did find a barefooted girl dressed in light red palace attire.
She was currently hopping around barefoot, strolling curiously through the vermilion corridors, looking left and right, not like she was entering a deadly place, but more like she was on a jaunt.
Tianyan…
Tianyan also entered,
and moreover,
this woman had already reached the Bewitchment Corridor by the Yan Leech Lake!
And as he watched, what was even more shocking was that this woman seemed to know her way, as she walked straight towards the Enchantress Divine Sakura Tree.
Slightly silent.
Suddenly,
Tianyan abruptly looked up at the sky.
Those golden eyes were still dazzling.
Though it was only a moment, Xu Yuan inexplicably felt as if the other party could see him.
While Xu Yuan was hesitating, the barefooted girl raised her hand, smiling and waving towards the sky, her red lips parted as if saying:
"Xu Changtian, I found you…"
Xu Yuan frowned and let out a light snort.
He was preparing to manipulate the outside Illusion Array using the "Soul Key" granted by the Enchantress Divine Sakura Tree.
The previous Bewitchment Corridor was merely on standby; if it were truly activated, the vermilion corridor would transform into a thorough Trapping Formation.
Once someone entered, unless they broke the Formation with brute force, there would be no other way out.
But just at that moment,
"Kid, run!"
An abrupt booming voice rose within Xu Yuan's heart, the Saint's Remnant Soul quickly said:
"That's a fake!
She's already at the entrance!"
Xu Yuan's pupils contracted slightly; he believed the Saint's Remnant Soul wouldn't deceive him on such a matter.
Without any hesitation, his Will-spirit immediately locked on to the Wenyuan Pavilion of the Dome Palace…
The next instant,
"Hmm—"
A humming sound and a flash of white light later, Xu Yuan's figure disappeared in an instant.
And the tree hollow that was as bright as day gradually dimmed, returning to tranquility after a moment.
After a while,
"Tap…
tap…
tap…"
The sound of bare feet on the stone floor was subtle yet distinct.
Tianyan walked down the tree hollow at a leisurely pace, looking at the spot where Xu Yuan had disappeared, her willow-leaf shaped eyebrows knit slightly in frustration:
"I clearly could have caught up, why…
did I miss again?"
…
…
The library in the Dome Palace is called Wenyuan.
It has thirteen levels, each guarded by a Formation and mystical creatures, with three methods to ascend.
The first method, break the Formation with brute force, fighting your way up level by level.
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
The second, use the token dropped by that madwoman.
The third, directly through the Transmission Formation beneath the Enchantress Divine Sakura Tree.
Due to the short teleportation distance, Xu Yuan did not lose consciousness this time.
After a brief moment of dizziness, he looked up and surveyed his surroundings.
The room was vintage in style, filled with a unique fragrance that seemed to originate from paper doors; three rows of bookshelves were neatly arranged in the center of the room.
At that moment, a young woman was quietly standing in the corridor between the bookcases, dusting off the secret techniques.
Seeing this, Xu Yuan's gaze slightly sharpened.
The young woman's lower half was clad in a jade-green silk skirt that did little to conceal the pertness of her curves, while her upper half comprised only a traditional-style chest wrap and a semi-transparent black gauze clothing, revealing a generous expanse of her snowy and radiant skin.
She seemed to have noticed Xu Yuan, who had suddenly been teleported there.
At this moment,
The cherry blossom mark on Xu Yuan's brow once again became visible.
The young woman glanced at it, her murderous intent dissipated, and her eyes and brows conveyed a thick suggestion of seduction; she half-squatted and bowed, revealing ample springtime splendor:
"Saintess, you have arrived."
Xu Yuan was taken aback by the words, but then he understood.
Yuchu, who had been sacrificed in a blood ritual, was once the Saintess of the Qionghua Sect.
The soul key she had given him naturally belonged to the Saintess as well.
With that realization, Xu Yuan let out a long breath.
He should be safe for the time being.
Wenyuan Pavilion had a total of thirteen floors, and each floor had a boss.
The bosses from the first to eighth floor were all above level seventy, while those from ninth to twelfth were above level eighty.
In other words, right now, right below the building, there were eight Great Grandmasters and four from the Primordial Realm guarding the door for him.
Xu Yuan did not believe that these bosses, after becoming reality, would act the same as in the game, foolishly standing in their boss rooms, not venturing out, waiting to face intruders in a one-on-one duel.
Eight Great Grandmasters and four from the Primordial Realm, plus the young woman at the peak of the Primordial Realm on the top floor.
Xu Yuan felt that even Xu Changge might not be able to fight his way through.
Feeling relaxed, Xu Yuan simply sat down on the stone steps behind him, and his gaze unconsciously fell on the only woman in the study.
A few breaths later,
Pubfuture Ads
The young woman noticed Xu Yuan's gaze and smiled at him, slowly walking over.
The curtain swayed lightly, the sway of her hips gentle; her slender waist, flat abdomen, and thighs were occasionally and appropriately revealed.
As the young woman approached, an enticing, intoxicating sound even began to ring out in the surroundings.
Finally,
The seductive young woman considerately knelt in front of Xu Yuan, every subtle action of hers exuding a scent of longing.
At that moment,
Xu Yuan suddenly remembered,
The Qionghua Sect was similar to the Hehuan Sect in practicing dual cultivation.
And dual cultivation was not necessarily limited to one man and one woman.
Swallowing his saliva, Xu Yuan was about to speak,
When he suddenly heard the Saint's Remnant Soul chuckle in his mind:
"Heh…
I'm starting to believe your words now."
Following that chuckle,
The scene before Xu Yuan's eyes altered.
The pavilion remained the same, the bookcases still as they were, the only change lay in the young woman kneeling before him.
It was a movable stone sculpture, a lifelike portrayal of a young woman.
But perhaps due to the passage of time, the surface was faintly cracked; however, the eyes of the sculpture still held their original captivating allure.
Xu Yuan's eye twitched, and he drew back a little.
He shouldn't, at least he shouldn't.
Clearing his throat, Xu Yuan stood up and said:
"I have come here to search for a cultivation technique."
Seeing his reaction, the young woman sculpture didn't linger, but slowly stood up and bowed:
"Yes, Saintess.
Which cultivation technique would you like to find?"
Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then said softly:
"Nine Elemental Calming Art."
"Understood."
The eyes of the young woman sculpture flickered with a hint of light, and she set off towards the bookshelves.
As she moved,
Her hips still swayed with a hint of allure.
///120////
"It's these dual-cultivation evil path sects that are interesting—creating spirit puppets so lifelike.
This buttocks, this waist, these legs, heh heh….."
The disrespectful Saint's Remnant Soul ogled the departing figure of the stone-carved woman, clicking his tongue in amazement.
Xu Yuan's eyes twitched at the comment,
People shouldn't…
Oh,
this old fellow isn't human anymore, so no harm done.
Xu Yuan chuckled and gave him a glance:
"Old Man Luo, you really have extravagant tastes, but isn't this stone-carved woman a Spiritual Charm?"
A Spiritual Charm—a naturally born oddity, which included famed swords that harbored Sword Spirits within.
Of course, although they were said to be naturally born, as the path of cultivation developed over time, and cultivators unraveled the mysteries within, Spiritual Charms could then be artificially created.
The Enchantress Divine Sakura Tree was such.
By employing artificial means, the soul of the Saintess Yuchu was infused into the Enchantress Divine Sakura Tree.
This method appeared evil, but in fact, the soul-refining technique itself was not inherently aligned with good or evil.
Nowadays in the Dayan Empire, there would be officials whose lives were nearing their end, or esteemed elders well-regarded in society who would willingly be transformed into Spiritual Charms, offered to temples such as the City God Temple or Mountain God Temple to protect the peace of the region.
Upon hearing the question, the Saint's Remnant Soul glanced at Xu Yuan and said with a light laugh:
"If she truly were a Spiritual Charm, she would have attacked you the moment you met.
How could you, a man, be the Saintess?
Only a spirit puppet would follow the rules such meticulously."
Xu Yuan pondered briefly and nodded:
"That makes sense."
The corner of the Saint's Remnant Soul's mouth curled up in a smile:
"Back in my day, when I consulted the ancient texts in Jiatiange Pavilion, I learned that many disciples of the flourishing Hehuan Sect liked to cultivate a spirit puppet to accompany them—useful at all times, day or night.
Now that I see it myself, it does seem rather practical.
Xu boy, is there a way for you to take this Second Grade spirit puppet with you?"
Xu Yuan rolled his eyes:
"No."
Could you possibly kidnap the boss from its room?
Seeing his reaction, the Saint's Remnant Soul sighed softly and murmured:
"Such a pity, if this spirit puppet could be taken outside and repaired, I estimate it could barely pass for half-step Mortal Transcendence."
Xu Yuan frowned upon hearing this:
"Repaired?
Is it damaged?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul immediately explained:
"It has been too long; even in the absence of battles, the ravages of time have almost caused the formation pattern structure inside the spirit puppet to collapse."
"So, what strength does it possess now?" Xu Yuan asked the question he was most concerned about.
"Primordial peak strength, but another move would probably break it apart." The Saint's Remnant Soul had already investigated the condition of the other party.
Xu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.
Even just once would be enough to stop Tianyan.
Still, the gap between reality and games was indeed considerable.
In Cang Yuan, you couldn't kill the boss without completely depleting its health.
No matter how much health it had left, the next time you entered, it would be waiting at full health.
The Saint's Remnant Soul, however, was staring at the intact Wenyuan Pavilion all around, and after a long pause, he seemed to sigh as he said:
"I wonder what happened to the Qionghua Sect back then, how it could be utterly destroyed despite the gate being intact….."
While speaking,
the Saint's Remnant Soul gave Xu Yuan a meaningful look, his eyes concealing a certain depth, as if hoping Xu Yuan could clear his confusion.
Xu Yuan indifferently shrugged his shoulders:
"Don't look at me, I don't know either."
He truly had no idea.
In Cang Yuan's maps, this is simply how it appeared.
Managing the boss's rewards and side stories in this dungeon was complex enough—who would delve into why this Sect's map was so intact?
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
However, the Saint's Remnant Soul's musings did prompt Xu Yuan to realize another issue.
There are too many powerful beings in the Dome Palace.
Counting the Enchantress Divine Sakura Tree and the Blood Leech King at Sakura Leech Lake previously, Xu Yuan now knew of three Second Grade Origin Initial peak powerhouses, four Second Grade Origin Initials, and eight Third Grade Great Grandmasters within the Dome Palace.
Back when it was a game, one naturally wouldn't think too much of it, after all, it was an 80th level instance.
If the BOSS levels were low, they would be giving themselves away to the players.
But, were it to become reality, such power brought a chill to the mind.
Moreover, this was just two locations within the vast Dome Palace.
Besides these two places, there's still the Sect Master's chamber and the back mountain of the Sects.
After a pause, Xu Yuan asked the Saint's Remnant Soul in a low voice:
"Old man, how many powerhouses do you think the Qionghua Sect had back in the day?"
The spirit puppets and Demonic Beasts present now are merely what remained after the destruction of Qionghua Palace.
Before its downfall, the grandeur of the Qionghua Sect was almost unimaginable.
"Hmm?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul asked with a light note of doubt, smiling as it replied, "Isn't this your sect?
Why are you asking me?"
Xu Yuan glanced at him, his words tinged with resignation:
"I've already told you, I'm not like you.
I just happened to come into some fortune and learned of this Secret Realm."
The Saint's Remnant Soul pondered for a moment before analyzing:
"Okay, judging by these remaining spirit puppets and Demonic Beasts, the Qionghua Sect before its destruction…
hm, probably wasn't weaker than your Prime Minister's Mansion."
"…" Xu Yuan's pupils contracted slightly.
However, the Saint's Remnant Soul was unfazed, speaking with an air of nonchalance:
"What's so strange about that?
Ten thousand years ago, aside from the Pavilion Master and Elders, our Jiatiange also had more than a dozen Saints."
Xu Yuan felt a shock in his heart and tentatively asked:
"Old Man Luo, the cultivation of your Jiatiange's Saints was…."
"Naturally, Saint."
"…." Xu Yuan.
The Saint's Remnant Soul stared into Xu Yuan's eyes for several breaths, and after finding no cracks, gently shook its head:
"Actually, you shouldn't think too much about it.
The overall strength of an era is influenced by the Origin Qi of heaven and earth.
Back then, during our time, it just so happened to be a surge of Origin Qi, which was what created that prosperous age.
"Moreover, every generation has its advantages and disadvantages.
If I could choose, I might actually prefer to be born in this current era."
When the Saint's Remnant Soul spoke of the past, his tone was leisurely, carrying a trace of nostalgia.
"Why?" Xu Yuan immediately followed up.
"Hehe….." The Saint's Remnant Soul gave him a glance and giggled.
"….."
Xu Yuan's eye twitched, sensing that the old spirit was getting enigmatic again.
Fortunately, after the Saint's Remnant Soul finished laughing, it let out a phrase:
"Because now, at least Cultivators don't live in constant fear of their lives."
Xu Yuan stared at the Saint's Remnant Soul without speaking, waiting for what would come next.
The Saint's Remnant Soul weighed his words before speaking softly:
"Kid, have you ever heard of the Spectral Wraiths?"
Xu Yuan was startled by the question and nodded, "Of course, I've heard of them."
Those creatures made their appearance in quite a few secret instances in Cang Yuan, like the Changhong Valley that the previous protagonist had visited.
Complex emotions flickered through the Saint's Remnant Soul's eyes as it said leisurely:
"Ten thousand years ago, our Pavilion Master suddenly summoned a group of us Saints for a meeting, saying that she could no longer see into the future and that we needed to investigate."
The voice of the Saint was casual and light.
Xu Yuan suddenly spoke up:
"Just like Tianyan was to me?"
"Not sure, but it's probably not the same.
That girl just showed that she could still see brief snippets of the future, whereas when our Pavilion Master employed the method of Tianyan to divine the future, what she saw was complete, utter darkness."
"And then the Spectral Wraiths appeared?"
"Yes, even back when there were plenty of powerful beings, much of the world was still slaughtered empty by those creatures."
///121///
The vast Wenyuan Pavilion was silent, with neither of the two making a sound.
It wasn't until the spirit puppet woman brought over the Nine Elemental Calming Art that Xu Yuan needed:
"Saintess, here is the cultivation technique you requested."
This handwritten scroll of about a dozen pages shimmered with a faint halo around the text.
Xu Yuan took it, glanced over it briefly, and then stored it in the Sumeru Ring.
At that moment, the Saint's Remnant Soul suddenly interjected with praise:
"The secret technique here is indeed profound, allowing someone who has just started their cultivation to maintain their state.
You came specifically for this, didn't you, young man?"
Xu Yuan ignored the Saint's Remnant Soul's probing and instead continued to ask the spirit puppet woman:
"May I select a few more cultivation techniques?"
In Cang Yuan, if one chose to forcefully kill her, this spirit puppet woman would drop a random cultivation technique after her death, and the Nine Elemental Calming Art was just one of them.
The spirit puppet woman bowed respectfully and shook her head:
"According to the rules, Saintess, you can only choose one technique within this pavilion every ten years."
Seeing this, Xu Yuan nodded slightly and turned to walk towards the transmission formation behind him.
His goal for this visit had been achieved.
Although there were other treasures in the Dome Palace, they were too dangerous for him at this time, and it was not worth the risk of dying to obtain them.
After finding Ran Qingmo using the transmission formation, he planned to make a strategic retreat, especially since Tianyan was still hot on his trail.
But just as he was about to step onto the transmission formation, the spirit puppet woman abruptly appeared before Xu Yuan, her voice still respectfully coy:
"If the Saintess wishes to leave, please return the secret technique to me."
Xu Yuan's heart sank a little.
Were there hidden constraints on the cultivation techniques within the Wenyuan Pavilion?
Just then, the Saint's Remnant Soul suddenly interjected:
"I've more or less memorized the secret technique.
I can inform you of it once we're outside."
Xu Yuan glanced at him sideways.
The Saint's Remnant Soul was all smiles.
With a huff, Xu Yuan sat down directly on the stairs of the transmission platform and began to pore over the technique in detail.
He did not trust Old Man Luo.
A cultivation technique can be utterly ruined by the slightest error; even a single byte's change could lead to unimaginable consequences.
Seeing that he couldn't hoodwink Xu Yuan, the Saint's Remnant Soul said no more, only reminding him:
"Young Xu, you'd better hurry up.
Tianyan could arrive at any moment."
Xu Yuan frowned, flipping through the secret technique and responding nonchalantly:
"Tianyan should be, at most, a Second Grade cultivator, right?"
"Pretty much."
After the previous clash of mantras, the Saint's Remnant Soul also had a rough grasp of the opponent's strength and murmured, "It seems Tianyan is likely just a Saintess of Heaven's Watchtower, not the Pavilion Master."
Xu Yuan answered offhand:
"If she's Second Grade, do you think she can defeat so many spirit puppets in the Wenyuan Pavilion?"
"So many?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul frowned, glancing at the spirit puppet woman standing beside Xu Yuan.
The Chaotic Inheritance Formation was still active inside the pavilion, limiting his will-spirit's ability to sense too far.
Xu Yuan's gaze stayed on the secret manual, casually pointing downward:
"There are four Second Grade and eight Third Grade on the floors below."
The Saint's Remnant Soul's pupils contracted slightly.
It wasn't the number of spirit puppets below that surprised him; it was that Xu Yuan knew their exact numbers.
He was beginning to find the depths of this fellow before him somewhat baffling.
Seeming like an old monster, yet also like an ordinary person.
After a pause, the Saint's Remnant Soul sighed and said in a low voice:
"Not necessarily."
Xu Yuan frowned and looked up:
"What do you mean?
Are you saying Tianyan can withstand so many Primordial beings' assault?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul spoke softly:
"Spirit puppets are not real people and differ greatly from true Primordial beings.
Besides, there are some secret techniques in the Yantian Art that even I am unaware of."
Xu Yuan's brow furrowed deeply, and he no longer looked at the technique in his hands, instead raising his eyes:
"Old Man Luo, didn't you cultivate the Yantian Art?
How could you not know?"
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
The Saint's Remnant Soul rolled his eyes:
"Xu, do you think the Yantian Art is as common as cabbage, available for anyone who wants to cultivate it?"
Xu Yuan's gaze was smeared with doubt as he fixed his eyes on the Saint's Remnant Soul.
The Saint's Remnant Soul, with the expression of a rascal, said,
"Actually, you guessed right before.
I did steal the Yantian Art, but I only managed to steal the Heavenly Word Scripture from it.
"Tsk…
Don't look at me like that, kid.
There's no reason for me to lie to you about this.
Just stealing that scripture almost cost me my life in that 'Heaven's Watchtower'.
Back then, there were more than a dozen Saints."
Xu Yuan sighed and decided not to delve deeper into the matter, then spoke up,
"Alright, what does Tianyan want with me then?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul grinned in response and explained,
"To put it simply, although the Yantian Art can deduce everything, there are three situations where it cannot make calculations.
"The first is some special physiques.
"The second is some old monsters powerful enough to conceal themselves.
"The third is when a catastrophe descends upon the world, and all the Yantian Art can see is darkness."
After hearing this, Xu Yuan fell into silence for a moment, then asked,
"So, the Yantian Art cannot deduce my Innate Taoist Body?"
"The Innate Taoist Body, the Yantian Art can deduce."
Having said this, the Saint's Remnant Soul stared at Xu Yuan.
Unfazed, Xu Yuan spoke with admiration,
"Wow, I, Xu Changtian, am actually a great catastrophe of the world?"
"…." The corner of the Saint's Remnant Soul's lips twitched.
This kid, he really has no shame.
Xu Yuan, as if nothing had happened, directly moved past the topic and asked in a low voice,
"So what does her wanting to follow me have to do with all this?"
Because of the previous tacit understanding reached, the Saint's Remnant Soul did not tangle further with the previous topic, but this time his tone was somewhat uncertain,
डायबिटीज रोगी इसे पढ़े बिना एक दिन भी न बिताएँ!
आसनसोल के विशेषज्ञो ने खोजा, डायबिटीज को जड़ से ख़त्म का तरीका
"Nothing much.
It's mainly about setting up an anchor point on you."
"Anchor point?" Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow.
Speaking in a low voice the Saint's Remnant Soul said,
"I don't know the specific details, but the records in Jiatiange show that whenever a variable appears, the Heaven's Watchtower Master or the current Saint Heir and Saintess will go to the side of the person where the variable has emerged and shadow them."
After a brief contemplation, Xu Yuan then asked,
"What usually happens to these people who are shadowed in the end?"
The corner of the Saint's Remnant Soul's lips revealed a playful smile,
"Generally, there are two outcomes.
"Either they join Jiatiange or they end up dead."
Xu Yuan remained quiet for a few breaths, then suddenly laughed softly,
"So authoritarian?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul shrugged his shoulders, giving a straightforward answer,
"To Jiatiange, a variable is not permitted.
Back in the day, Jiatiange had the strength to act in such a manner, but it's not necessarily the same now."
"Hmm…"
Xu Yuan chuckled and set aside the thoughts in his mind, turning his attention to earnestly study the secret technique in his hand.
In the antique Wenyuan Pavilion, time passed quickly, and an hour went by in a blink of an eye.
By now, Xu Yuan had also roughly understood the principle behind the Nine Elemental Calming Art.
Once a cultivator steps into the Primordial Realm, the meridians in the body can, like the tides of the sea, endlessly absorb the Origin Qi from the outside world.
An exceptional genius created this secret technique based on this principle, allowing lower-rank cultivators to achieve the cycle of breath throughout all hours.
Of course, the limitations were also substantial.
Out of the one hundred and twenty-seven meridians in the human body, this cultivation technique required the use of one hundred and nine of them.
Even if one meridian is not clear, this method cannot be practiced, and the requirements for the will-spirit are also very high.
However, for Xu Yuan with his Innate Taoist Body, none of these things were a problem.
Understanding the principles, Xu Yuan began to memorize the activation sequence word for word.
Tianyan was still hot on his heels, so he did not have the time to practice here.
He could only memorize it now and practice it later.
Another hour passed,
Xu Yuan returned the technique to the young woman, ready to head towards the Transmission Formation to make his escape.
Suddenly, the Formation Patterns on the platform flashed,
and then,
a graceful figure appeared on the platform, as the familiar, serene voice reached him,
"Xu Yuan, I just saw Tianyan outside fighting with a crazy woman."
///122///
Ran Qingmo arrived.
Her clothing was somewhat torn, exposing slight patches of her fair skin on her shoulders and waist; however, her aura was stable at the moment, not showing any signs of injury.
Xu Yuan watched the woman draped in black, her eyes like autumn water, occupying the transmission platform, and was slightly stunned.
Going at it with the crazy woman…
Tianyan went to the Sect Master's bedchamber in the Dome Palace?
No, that's not right,
Why could Ran Qingmo also use the Transmission Formation?
With that thought,
Xu Yuan subconsciously glanced at the spirit puppet young wife nearby.
But this woman showed no intention of attacking Ran Qingmo, instead gracefully performed a courtesy:
"Great Elder, you've arrived."
"….." Xu Yuan.
Great Elder…
What Great Elder?
Xu Yuan fell silent for a moment.
From the information he knew, there were only two ways to utilize the Transmission Formation.
The first was to receive the blessing of the Enchantress Divine Sakura Tree.
The second was to kill the crazy woman and loot the token from her body, other than that, there was no other method.
Xu Yuan looked at Ran Qingmo with a strange expression and asked softly:
"Ran Qingmo, where did you come from?"
Ran Qingmo stepped down from the transmission stage thoughtfully and said:
"Hmm…
seems like it was some sort of Elixir Collection chamber."
"Elixir Collection chamber?"
Xu Yuan's expression was odd, there was no such map in Cang Yuan.
Ran Qingmo nodded, then she took out a jade bottle from the Sumeru Ring and handed it to Xu Yuan:
"Xu Yuan, do you recognize this Elixir Medicine?"
Xu Yuan subconsciously took it and looked down.
Inside the small jade bottle, there were only five white Elixir Medicines, with faint patterns spiraling around them, clearly not ordinary.
Before Xu Yuan could speak, he heard the Saint's Remnant Soul emit a sound of admiration:
"Tsk tsk…
Seven Treasures Solidifying Elixir, this young lady has quite the luck."
Upon hearing the name, Xu Yuan's eyes flashed sharply:
"This Elixir Medicine is precious?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul answered casually:
"Hehe…
This Elixir Medicine is not too precious, it's just that the materials for refining it are quite rare."
Xu Yuan felt slightly surprised and asked:
"What is the effect of this elixir?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul chuckled:
"To extend life and preserve youth."
"Is that all?" Xu Yuan asked.
"The Elixir Medicines developed by the Hehuan Sect naturally won't have just this single effect, for women, it nourishes yin, and for men…"
At this point, the Saint's Remnant Soul paused:
"Men who take it can strengthen their yang."
"…" Xu Yuan's eye twitched slightly.
Coughing lightly, Xu Yuan handed the jade bottle back to Ran Qingmo and said:
"This is the Seven Treasures Solidifying Elixir."
Ran Qingmo's eyes flickered as if she had realized its effects and looked somewhat enlightened:
"Oh, good."
After saying that,
she opened the bottle, took out one Elixir, and then handed the remaining four to Xu Yuan, saying:
"Xu Yuan, these are for you."
"Tch…"
Before Xu Yuan could speak, the Saint's Remnant Soul already burst out laughing:
"Four pieces…
Xu, kiddo, your little sweetheart seems really worried about your abilities, but thinking about it, you do have another Enchantress Divine Physique lover, so in the future days…"
"…."
The Saint's Remnant Soul started babbling again, and seeing this, Xu Yuan directly disconnected the Will-spirit link.
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
Unlike the main character in the plot who can only passively endure Old Man Luo's prattling, Xu Yuan can actively disconnect the Will-spirit link.
This restriction was placed on the Saint's Remnant Soul by that elder brother; when necessary, it could even seal all five senses within the Soul Ring, preventing them from coming out.
Peace returned to his ears, and Xu Yuan did not refuse Ran Qingmo's kindness.
Taking the jade bottle, he passed the Frostfall Bead, which the leech king gave him before its demise, to Ran Qingmo.
Ran Qingmo seemed to practice ice-based sword techniques, and since the Frostfall Bead was an ice-type treasure, it might be useful to her.
At the sight of the bead, Ran Qingmo's serene eyes widened slightly, but she did not accept it and instead said with a tinge of dejection:
"I don't have anything else to exchange with you."
The value of the Frostfall Bead was only higher, not lower, than the Seven Treasures Solidifying Elixir Medicine—it was especially so for her.
Xu Yuan did not speak; instead, he grabbed her white wrist, intending to stuff the bead forcibly into her hand.
Ran Qingmo's eyes, as clear as autumn waters, remained slightly stubborn and unyielding.
Xu Yuan frowned and said deliberately:
"Listen."
"…"
After a moment of silence,
Ran Qingmo lightly bit her lip and nodded:
"Okay…"
Xu Yuan walked slowly and sat down on the steps, then patted the spot next to him, signaling Ran Qingmo to sit as well.
Since Tianyan and the crazy woman had started fighting, Xu Yuan was not in a hurry.
That crazy woman was the only Level 90 BOSS in this Dome Palace.
Ran Qingmo obediently gathered the torn black robe and sat next to him.
Xu Yuan glanced at the damaged parts of her clothing.
It seemed that the Big Ice Lump hadn't had an easy time in the Dome Palace during the week he hadn't seen her.
As he looked, Xu Yuan asked:
"Did you encounter the protective charms in this Dome Palace before?"
"Yes." Ran Qingmo nodded.
"Where?
The Elixir Collection Pavilion you mentioned before?"
"No, after I entered, I was teleported to an Underground Palace."
"Underground Palace?" Xu Yuan was surprised by this, as Cang Yuan did not have this map, just as it lacked the Elixir Collection Pavilion.
Ran Qingmo pondered for a moment and said quietly:
संभोग 2 घंटे तक चलेगा; सोने से पहले बस ये करो
Iconic Moments That Turned Dua Lipa Into Showbiz Royalty
"That Underground Palace was vast.
Inside, I encountered five Third Grade protective charms, but they were quite stupid.
A few sneak attacks and they were all broken."
Understanding her point, Xu Yuan asked with a smile:
"So, you've been exploring that Underground Palace these past few days?"
Ran Qingmo shook her head, then said seriously, "I've been cultivating."
This unexpected answer made Xu Yuan furrow his brow:
"Cultivating?"
A hint of regret flashed through Ran Qingmo's dark eyes as she said:
"After entering that Underground Palace, I found the Elixir Collection Pavilion on the same day.
However, most of the Elixir Medicines inside were damaged, only a small portion were still usable."
"…." Xu Yuan.
He didn't understand, not at all.
The Elixir Collection Pavilion should be as important within a Sect as the scripture library.
With so many protective charms in this scripture library, there weren't any in the Elixir Collection Pavilion?
Xu Yuan wore a bizarre expression and asked:
"There were no protective charms in the Elixir Collection Pavilion?"
"There were, but most of them were broken."
Ran Qingmo replied, saying seriously, "There was only one functioning charm with about Second Grade power, but it broke halfway through the fight."
"..." Xu Yuan remained silent.
Ran Qingmo seemed to recall something and took out a token from the Sumeru Ring, saying:
"Oh, I also found this token in the innermost part of the Elixir Collection Pavilion.
It seems to control the formations within these mountain gates."
"….." Xu Yuan.
Is this the treatment for being lucky number ninety-three?
Xu Yuan exhaled, laughing softly:
"I think I understand, but what's this about Tianyan fighting a crazy woman?"
Ran Qingmo hesitated slightly but then recounted in detail:
"I was cultivating at that time.
When there was a fluctuation in the formation outside, I used the token to look through the Sky-Peering Formation and saw them fighting."
"In the Sect Master's sleeping chamber?" Xu Yuan.
Ran Qingmo shook her head:
"Next to a withered cherry tree.
"And,
"It seemed that Tianyan couldn't defeat that woman."
////123////
The ninetieth level is roughly equivalent to just entering the Mortal Transcendence realm, and this cultivation level might have slowly dropped due to the erosion of tens of thousands of years.
As a Second Grade Origin Initial, Tianyan couldn't defeat that crazy woman, which didn't surprise Xu Yuan.
He guessed that the death of the Enchantress Divine Sakura Tree had triggered some reaction, causing that crazy woman to run out from the "BOSS room," and Tianyan was directly blocked inside the Sakura Leech Lake.
At this thought, Xu Yuan felt a vague sense of excitement.
He wanted to help.
Of course,
it was not to help Tianyan, but to help the crazy woman kill Tianyan.
He and Ran Qingmo were now wearing a layer of skin, one as the Saintess of Qionghua Sect, the other as the Great Elder of Qionghua Sect; perhaps they could use these identities to lend a hand.
Although he had found his "picnic" on the grass with Tianyan rather pleasant these days, and the other party didn't show any intention of attacking him for the time being, who could know about the future?
From some previous information and the recent conversation with the Saint's Remnant Soul, Xu Yuan roughly deduced Tianyan's purpose in finding him.
Jiatiange, hidden in the shadows, was not merely predicting the future.
The fact that Tianyan personally appeared to lure Ran Qingmo to kidnap him was evidence.
They were interfering with the future, steering it towards what they wanted to see.
After the calamity brought by the alien specters,
the world had already shifted from being divided among the Sects to being under the rule of the Imperial dynasty.
For Jiatiange, which had declined to its present state, to restore its former prosperity, it would need to go through another reshuffling, and the behavior of the Prime Minister's Mansion to reorganize the Sects happened to align with their interests.
Steering events from the shadows, but in such a situation, Xu Yuan, this variable, suddenly appeared.
Perhaps due to the time travel, or perhaps due to something else, he disrupted the future that Jiatiange wanted to see, rendering the future that the Yantian Art could predict no longer clear.
Thus, Tianyan came to his side.
Old Man Luo had said that Jiatiange had two ways to deal with variables.
Recruitment and death.
Now that Jiatiange was no longer as prosperous as in the past, what could they offer to make him, the Third Young Master of the Prime Minister's Mansion, willingly accept recruitment?
To have Tianyan seduce him?
Xu Yuan thought that the most likely reason for Tianyan following him was to establish a point of reference, continuously assessing the impact of eliminating him, the variable, on the future.
Although he couldn't be one hundred percent certain of this speculation, Xu Yuan was one hundred percent sure that allowing Tianyan to continue following him would definitely bode no good.
Seizing the current opportunity to take out Tianyan was undoubtedly the safest decision.
After a moment of contemplation, Xu Yuan unsealed the Saint's Remnant Soul's ability to speak:
"Hey, Old Man Luo, I'm going to ask you something."
"You're asking me something?"
The voice of the Saint's Remnant Soul sounded rather somber, "Nowadays, young people, when they don't need you, they just silence you.
Only when they need something do they remember this old man."
Xu Yuan rolled his eyes and asked directly:
"Is the Yantian Art strong in combat?"
"What do you need it for?" the Saint's Remnant Soul asked leisurely.
Xu Yuan replied softly:
"The crazy woman I mentioned earlier should be considered to be in the Mortal Transcendence realm."
"A First Grade puppet?
The Qionghua Sect actually has a First Grade puppet?"
The voice of the Saint's Remnant Soul was slightly surprised, then quickly caught on and said cheerfully:
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
"Xu lad, are you thinking of using this First Grade puppet to kill Tianyan?"
"Pretty much," replied Xu Yuan.
"Dismiss the idea immediately.
A Mortal Transcendence puppet is unlikely to be a match for Tianyan."
"What?" Xu Yuan felt a bit astonished.
The Saint's Remnant Soul nonchalantly said in a soft voice, "Even a true First Grade Mortal Transcendence might not be a match for Tianyan, let alone a spirit puppet."
"…"
Xu Yuan's heart sank, and he stared at the Saint's Remnant Soul without speaking.
The Saint's Remnant Soul sighed lightly and spoke slowly, "The reason a First Grade Mortal Transcendence is called 'Transcendence' is that they can deploy a Dao field…
Kid, don't tell me you don't know what a Dao field is?"
Xu Yuan remained unruffled, "I've never cultivated to First Grade.
How would I know what a Dao field is?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul smacked his lips and said in a low voice, "It's roughly equivalent to creating a domain that suits oneself."
The Saint's Remnant Soul then glanced at Ran Qingmo, "Take this little girl for example.
If she could cultivate to First Grade, her Dao field would probably be an icy world of snow."
Saying this, the Saint's Remnant Soul steered the topic back, "And a spirit puppet, this kind of puppet without spiritual intelligence, simply couldn't possess a Dao field.
Their strength lies only in the physical robustness and their capacity to utilize Origin Qi to reach the Mortal Transcendence benchmark."
"Moreover, Xu kid, you're underestimating Yantian Art too much.
Just with one chapter of the Heavenly Word Mantra, one could achieve invincibility on the same level, not to mention Tianyan who has learned all four chapters."
After a pause, the Saint's Remnant Soul's tone became slightly more solemn, "In terms of actual combat, let alone a spirit puppet, even a real First Grade Mortal Transcendence might not be able to handle Tianyan."
Pubfuture Ads
Xu Yuan frowned, "You mean Tianyan can fight beyond his grade, from Second Grade to challenge First Grade?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul took a deep breath, his tone becoming indifferent once again, "That's roughly the idea, yes."
"…." Xu Yuan's breathing became slightly constricted.
After a moment of silence, the Saint's Remnant Soul sighed heavily, his voice earnest, "Xu kid, don't be too superstitious about cultivation levels.
Cultivation levels are also set by humans.
If victory could be determined solely by the level of cultivation, then upon meeting, shouldn't one just reveal their cultivation level, and the one with the lower level commit suicide?"
As he spoke, the Saint's Remnant Soul glanced again at Ran Qingmo, who was quietly listening, and chuckled lowly, "When we were at your place, I had the spatial ability to take Qin Mo away from some Second Grade Origin Initials, but she froze us with a single sword strike.
Aren't you curious about the reason?"
"At the Primordial and Mortal Transcendence levels, there is indeed a gap, and a significant one, but in fact, both sides have the ability to annihilate each other."
"Take your eldest brother Xu Changge's swordsmanship, for example.
Under specific conditions, like an ambush, some relatively strong Mortal Transcendence might not even have the chance to resist before being killed by him."
"On the other hand, let's take the Second Grade Origin Initial who wanted to save me and Qin Mo above your house as an example,"
"Do you know why it took your big brother so long to kill them?
He obviously could 'overcome a level' to kill a Mortal Transcendence."
"…" Xu Yuan fell silent.
The Saint's Remnant Soul chuckled lightly, "Because even though your big brother had the power to instantly kill them, with their trump cards not yet revealed, those two also had the power to kill him.
In battle, many things can hinge on the smallest details, and one must be cautious to the utmost."
Xu Yuan roughly understood the Saint's Remnant Soul's point.
It was like the games from his previous life.
It would be very easy for a level eighteen assassin with six godly equipment pieces to kill a level sixteen assassin with four godly equipment pieces, but vice versa, the four-godly-equipped could also instantly kill the six-godly-equipped, only the difficulty would be much greater.
After a pause,
Xu Yuan looked back at Ran Qingmo and asked, "Ran Qingmo, was that madwoman a spirit puppet?"
Ran Qingmo pondered briefly, then shook her head, "She shouldn't be.
Earlier, when I used the Sky-Peering Formation, it seemed like she was…
deploying a Dao field."
////224///
The air fell silent for a moment,
the existence of the Dao Domain indicated that the crazy old woman wasn't a spirit puppet but an intelligent "life."
However, according to what the Saint's Remnant Soul was saying, this Qionghua Sect had already been destroyed for ten thousand years during the era he had lived in.
But this crazy woman had lived too long.
Twenty thousand years….
After a brief silence, he turned his gaze towards the Saint's Remnant Soul, and asked in a low voice,
"Old Man Luo, do you know of anything that can live for more than twenty thousand years?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul seemed to be pondering the same question, hesitated slightly, and shook his head:
"I'm not quite sure, aside from ghosts and monsters, even tortoises of longevity couldn't possibly live that long."
Xu Yuan fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked:
"Haven't you lived for tens of thousands of years?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul replied with a sense of helplessness:
"I practice a special cultivation technique and spent most of the time sleeping, moreover…."
At that point, the Saint's Remnant Soul spread his hands, "…I can't even use a Dao Domain right now."
Xu Yuan frowned, "That black cover you created in Jingjiang Prefecture before isn't a Dao Domain?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul smiled wryly:
"What kind of Dao Domain is a half-baked Soul Realm?
I don't even have a body, let alone the ability to refine and store Origin Qi, how can I have a Dao Domain?"
Xu Yuan roughly understood.
This so-called Dao Domain should be a domain formed through the interaction between one's own Origin Qi and Will-spirit.
The Ghost Domain used by Ghost Seven before his death should be similar to this.
With this thought, Xu Yuan reined in his thoughts.
More words now were of no use; better to see for himself.
The Sky-Peering Formation was an extremely practical composite formation, often integrated with various Protective City Formations or Sects' defenses.
It allowed the user's Will-spirit to connect with the formation, thereby manipulating other formations.
The "god's eye view" Xu Yuan experienced while activating the Transmission Formation was a result of the Sky-Peering Formation's effect.
As soon as his Will-spirit connected with the formation, Xu Yuan immediately entered the state he had before, overlooking everything from above the clouds.
However, this time was slightly different from before, for all the operationable formations within the Dome Palace had now been activated!
Stunned for a moment, Xu Yuan quickly realized the cause.
It was likely that the battle between Tianyan and the crazy woman inside the Sect's gates had triggered the automatic activation of the Protective City Formation.
Gathering his thoughts, Xu Yuan began searching through the luxurious pavilions for any trace of Tianyan and the crazy old woman.
His gaze swept across the luxurious pavilions, and he quickly located the Cherry Leech Lake from before.
The Cherry Leech Lake was no longer quiet and peaceful as when he had left it.
The Enchantress Divine Sakura Tree was still that same Enchantress Divine Sakura Tree, but the crimson corridor that encircled it had been cut in half from the middle, collapsing onto the lake's surface.
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
Apart from that, the lotus leaves and blossoms that had previously floated peacefully on the water now were nowhere to be seen; in their place were densely packed leech carcasses.
Looking down from the sky, the entire lake was a dark oppressive mass!
In Cang Yuan's world, these leeches didn't show health bars, but turned into reality, the whole pool of leeches had been slaughtered cleanly.
Scanning around from atop the dome, he saw only the mess left behind, Tianyan and the crazy woman were no longer there.
Following the path of destruction left by the battle's aftermath,
at last,
Xu Yuan found the two on the upper side of a cluster of palaces.
The battle between Tianyan and the crazy woman continued, one majestic palace after the other collapsed under the aftermath of the battle, dust and debris almost shrouding the entire area.
Just as Xu Yuan had expected.
That crazy woman was indeed the boss in the Sect Master's chambers, and her appearance was similar to that in Cang Yuan—dressed in red, with disheveled hair, murmuring nonsensical phrases such as "kill you," "impossible," "all dead."
At the same time, Xu Yuan also saw what was called a Dao Domain for the first time.
With the aid of the Sky-Peering Formation, Xu Yuan could faintly see structures resembling misty pavilions floating around the crazy woman within a hundred yards.
Ethereal music wafted through, beautiful women in thin garments flitted about, their enticing sounds unceasing, rainbows of lust abounded…
Even though he was just using the formation to observe those mists, Xu Yuan's mind wavered, uncontrollably staring at the crazy woman's Dao Domain in a daze.
For a brief moment,
complex desires began to rise within his heart, and his breathing gradually became hurried.
The ancient and elegant Library of Written Origins, the spirit puppet woman still stood by, while Ran Qingmo sat in front of the formation platform, eyes closed in meditation.
Pubfuture Ads
Xu Yuan subconsciously walked towards her, his gaze fixated on Big Ice Lump's clothing, torn to reveal her translucent skin.
Approaching her, he bent down and reached out his hand….
"Spirit Condensation!"
The Saint's Remnant Soul let out a low chuckle.
Xu Yuan instantly snapped back to reality.
Ran Qingmo also slowly opened her eyes, looking puzzled at Xu Yuan's hand reaching out towards her, then freezing mid-air, she asked,
"Xu Yuan… what's wrong?"
Her voice remained cold.
Xu Yuan was silent for a few breaths, then nonchalantly pointed at the hole in her clothing, and said,
"Your clothes are torn; remember to change them later."
Ran Qingmo looked down, nodded her head:
"Oh… okay."
After saying that, she blinked, waiting for his next words.
Xu Yuan cleared his throat,
"That's all."
Upon hearing this, Ran Qingmo simply closed her eyes again to continue meditating.
Xu Yuan took a deep breath, then heard the Saint's Remnant Soul laugh inside his mind,
"The Qionghua Sect truly is worthy of being a successor to the Hehuan Sect.
That crazy old woman's Dao Domain is indeed interesting; one could easily fall into it if not careful."
Xu Yuan responded coldly, "Did you do it on purpose?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul replied, smiling merrily,
"Letting you experience what a Dao Domain feels like, and since it was eventually going to happen anyway, besides, didn't I stop you in the end?"
/////226///
Xu Yuan felt like cursing, but in the end, he held back and whispered:
"Protect my mind later."
The Saint's Remnant Soul chuckled without a word.
Xu Yuan once again immersed his mind into the Sky-Peering Formation.
Tianyan and that red-clothed madwoman were still at their original spot, and the Dao Domain formed from the clouds remained unchanged.
However, at this moment, with the enhancement of the Saint's Remnant Soul's Soul Power, Xu Yuan was no longer influenced by it.
Concentrating his gaze,
Xu Yuan then realized that these lavish Qionghua buildings were merely a facade, with lethal intent lurking within.
Whenever the celestial music played, whenever the women danced with their delicate bodies, wave after wave of shock would explode violently near the Tianyan girl!
The strong gusts made her light red palace garments flutter intensely.
Just as the Saint's Remnant Soul said, Tianyan was indeed very strong.
Even while being enveloped in the red-clothed woman's Dao Domain, Tianyan seemed completely unaffected by the enchanting music, her face cold, not dodging or evading, with slightly parted red lips, and one Heavenly Word Mantra after another being constantly uttered from her mouth.
With each word Tianyan emitted, even within her own Dao Domain, the red-clothed woman was forced to flee in an embarrassed scramble.
And the barefooted girl stood firm on the ground like a steadfast cannon.
Seeing this, Xu Yuan felt slightly puzzled.
Hadn't Ran Qingmo just said Tianyan couldn't beat this madwoman?
But from what Xu Yuan could see, it looked like Tianyan was the one suppressing the madwoman in the fight.
"Old Man Luo, can you see what's happening below?" Xu Yuan suddenly asked.
"Of course, I can." The voice of the Saint's Remnant Soul lacked the previous mirth.
Xu Yuan, while observing the situation from above, asked:
"What's the deal with that madwoman?"
The voice of the Saint's Remnant Soul hesitated:
"It's somewhat strange."
Xu Yuan frowned:
"Strange?
What do you mean?"
"She…
is a soul body like me."
"….."
The air fell silent for a moment,
Xu Yuan asked seriously:
"A soul body?
"Didn't you just say that a soul body is unable to condense Origin Qi and thus can't use a Dao Domain?"
"That's why I said it's strange," the Saint's Remnant Soul responded.
"You don't know the reason?"
"….."
The Saint's Remnant Soul was silent for a moment before speaking faintly:
"Xu lad, there are so many things in this world that I don't know."
Xu Yuan fell silent.
The old man's encyclopedia seemed to fail at this moment.
But the old man himself seemed unconcerned, pausing briefly before asking softly.
"Xu lad, what do you want to do now?"
"What to do…."
Xu Yuan murmured, frowning in contemplation.
There were three paths laid out before him now.
The first was to help the red-clothed madwoman kill Tianyan.
The second was to head to the Sect Master's sleeping quarters at the Qionghua Sect.
Since the red-clothed madwoman had already left the BOSS room, it was naturally empty, creating an opportunity to sneak in and loot all the treasures.
The third was to run away directly.
After all, now that he had obtained the Nine Elemental Calming Art, he had achieved the purpose of his visit.
Now that he knew Tianyan couldn't predict his future, it was also unlikely for her to locate his position through divination.
Previously, he was likely found because his proudly conspicuous coiled dragon carriage had made him an easy target.
Although there were extraordinary beings in the Dayan Empire, it was, after all, an empire, where certain feudal protocols still applied.
Riding through town on a carriage emblazoned with black-gold dragons was akin to walking the streets in dragon robes, hard to miss.
In the fourteen provinces of the Dayan Empire, even the smallest Daze Continent covered tens of thousands of miles.
In this relatively isolated world, even the Prime Minister's Mansion wouldn't dare claim to precisely locate a person.
If Xu Yuan kept a low profile after leaving, adopting the common name Zhou Chen, it would be nearly impossible for Jiatiange to find him again.
After a brief consideration, Xu Yuan whispered:
"I want to kill Tianyan."
Jiatiange was already an enemy; taking this opportunity to kill the other side's Saintess would be like crippling their arm!
"You want to kill that girl?"
The voice of the Saint's Remnant Soul sounded somewhat surprised, but he didn't say much, only asking, "How do you plan to kill her?
With a formation?"
Xu Yuan shook his head:
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
"Naturally, I'll help the red-clothed woman.
Both Ran Qingmo and I hold identities from the Qionghua Sect….."
"Forget about it."
The Saint's Remnant Soul suddenly interrupted, his voice grave as he spoke, "If you go over there, that woman will certainly kill you too.
She's not like a spirit puppet that only follows rules rigidly."
"…"
Xu Yuan frowned but did not immediately respond.
Within Cang Yuan, first obtaining the blessing from the Enchantress Divine Sakura Tree before heading to the Sect Master's sleeping chamber meant that as long as players didn't mess with the treasures inside, the crazy woman wouldn't actively attack them, essentially granting them a pass to freely enter and exit the Sect Master's sleeping chamber.
This was the basis for Xu Yuan daring to propose this plan.
However, after pondering for a moment, Xu Yuan ultimately decided to give up on this plan.
The risk was too great.
If, after killing Tianyan, the crazy woman lost control, both he and Ran Qingmo, with their First Grade cultivation, would likely perish here.
"If that's the case, then let's just leave."
The Saint's Remnant Soul let out a slight sigh of relief, his tone becoming more relaxed as he persuaded, "Actually, Xu kid doesn't need to worry too much.
Even if we don't lend a hand, Tianyan is probably no match for that crazy woman."
"Heh heh…
although it looks like Tianyan is dominating that crazy woman right now, in reality, she hasn't been injured at all."
"…"
Xu Yuan was taken aback by these words and his attention returned to the battle below.
The Saint's Remnant Soul channeled his Soul Power with all his might to help Xu Yuan inspect the situation.
And with the enhancement of Old Man Luo's Soul Power, Xu Yuan could now clearly see every detail within the spring-like Dao Domain below.
Exactly as the Saint's Remnant Soul had said.
The Heavenly Word Mantra that Tianyan spat out, words like "Slash," "Break," "Shield," "Bind," only caused some superficial injuries to the woman in red; the spring-colored Dao Domain around her remained as stable as ever.
Meanwhile, Tianyan's little face, set in cold determination, gradually started to show an unnatural flush of red.
Tianyan was gradually succumbing.
Seeing this, Xu Yuan burst out laughing.
The oppressive feeling in his heart instantly eased.
You like following me?
Even if you have a trump card to survive in the level 80 dungeon this time, I'll damn well go straight to a level 95 dungeon to deal with you next time.
Withdrawing his consciousness from the Sky-Peering Formation, and abiding by the principle of not wasting, Xu Yuan instructed Ran Qingmo to select a Secret Technique using the Great Elder's token.
It was just a pity that the Qionghua Sect, being a demonic faction, might have been a perfect fit for someone like Su Meimo to thrive, but for Ran Qingmo, the various Cultivation Techniques and secrets in the Wenyuan Pavilion seemed somewhat unsuitable.
After selecting for the time it took to drink a cup of tea, they only picked out the most valuable charm technique to exchange for money later.
Pubfuture Ads
In a quarter of an hour, Big Ice Lump had memorized all the contents of the Secret Technique.
Once everything was ready, Xu Yuan stood on the formation platform alongside Ran Qingmo.
And at this moment,
The quiet matron who had been silently standing aside suddenly spoke:
"Saintess madam…
Are you leaving?"
Xu Yuan was somewhat surprised at hearing this and turned to look back.
He saw the matron-like spirit puppet standing below the platform looking up at them, her beautiful eyes shimmering with a certain glow.
After a brief contemplation, Xu Yuan nodded, "Yes."
The matron opened her mouth, a smile appearing in her eyes as she softly said,
"Goodbye."
"…."
Xu Yuan felt puzzled but didn't inquire further.
Right now, their priority was to escape.
A flash of white light, and Wenyuan Pavilion returned to silence.
The matron's eyes sparkled with liveliness as she gracefully bowed toward the formation platform where the two had disappeared, before silently turning to walk towards the ancient bookshelf, continuing the work that hadn't changed for ten thousand years…..
…
…
At Dome Mountain, halfway up.
The massive gate of the mountain entrance stood dozens of feet tall, made of a material like white jade, adorned with carved dragons and phoenixes amidst the clouds and mists, faintly revealing the bustling scenes of the immortals who visited in ancient times.
In Cang Yuan, this dungeon exit was located at the main gate of the Dome Palace.
Shaking off the dizziness from the transmission, Xu Yuan immediately spoke out.
"Old Man Luo, there should be a Transmission Formation here.
Activate it, and let's leave."
The Saint's Remnant Soul didn't move but simply asked,
"Xu kid, you said the exit is here?"
Xu Yuan, feeling somewhat puzzled, replied,
"Yes, what's the matter?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul spoke with a peculiar voice,
"Is there no other place we can exit from?"
The words of Old Man Luo made Xu Yuan feel an uneasy premonition,
"There's only this one."
As he spoke, he hesitantly asked, "Is the…
Formation Patterns broken?"
The Saint's Remnant Soul shook his head and said in a low voice,
"They're not broken, but the great protective Formation inside the mountain gate has been activated, sealing this exit.
"Now, we can't get out."