Departure

After mastering the Gold-Chiseling and Jade-Controlling Formula, commanding magic treasures of gold and jade became far more effortless, and their power increased dramatically. If an opponent wielded a jade magic treasure, this Daoist art could be used to disrupt it, undermining its effectiveness. As one side waned, the other waxed. Yuzhi held every advantage, proving to be Daoist Yang's exact bane. Under the gaze of the multitude, Daoist Yang gave up the offensive and frowned in deep contemplation. The crowd held their breath, waiting to see how Daoist Yang would break the deadlock. "I originally disapproved of Seventh Sister choosing the Gold-Chiseling and Jade-Controlling Formula, but at times, it truly yields miraculous results..." Jin Wudai's voice trailed off as he noticed a monk entering the venue at that moment, turning his gaze toward him. The monk walked up behind Master Xingji, transmitted a brief message, and handed him a jade talisman. Master Xingji's expression remained completely unchanged, yet he immediately stood up and prepared to leave. "Where is the master heading?" Jin Wudai called out, stopping him. "Amitābha. Just a minor matter. This humble monk will return shortly. I beg Sect Master Jin's forgiveness for any discourtesy." Master Xingji spoke evasively, leaving Jin Wudai unable to press further despite the doubt in his eyes. The seats occupied by Master Xingji and his entourage were the most conspicuous. His movement instantly drew the attention of the crowd, and countless eyes watched him depart the gathering, everyone guessing what could have happened. For a moment, the battle on the arena stage was largely forgotten. Master Xingji walked out of the venue and headed straight back to the temple where they were staying. Sage Huiguang was discussing the beast hunt with Sacred King Qinghu. Sensing Master Xingji's aura, he turned toward the door. "Has something happened at the Dharma gathering?" Sage Huiguang's tone was calm, yet veiled with murderous intent. Drawing the snake from its hole had truly borne fruit! Master Xingji presented the jade talisman with both hands and said gravely, "A message has arrived from Myriad Poison Mountain. An ancient abode of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect has appeared in Nanzhou!" "The Wuxiang Immortal Sect?" Sage Huiguang took it, glanced at it, and showed considerable surprise. "The abode is actually at Mount Taiyue?" Immediately afterward, Sage Huiguang realized where the problem lay. "For the remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect to infiltrate Mount Taiyue and open the abode was never the work of a single day. They must have been making moves for a long time. Did you all notice nothing at all?" Master Xingji replied with shame, "The monastery has never relaxed its vigilance, but we received no word whatsoever." "Unless someone helped conceal them!" Sage Huiguang snorted coldly, not blaming Master Xingji. Master Xingji had been chosen as abbot because his abilities were beyond doubt. His meticulous nature made him the most suitable candidate for the position, earning Sage Huiguang's full approval. "Where is Zilei?" Sage Huiguang seized upon the crux of the matter at once. Whenever the remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect moved about, there were bound to be traces. They could use other methods to disguise themselves and mislead Ganlu Zen Monastery's judgment, but it was impossible for them to appear out of thin air without a single whisper beforehand. It was too bizarre! The Daoist and Buddhist sects had joined forces to hunt down the remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect. Bajing Abbey understood Ganlu Zen Monastery's arrangements best. Only Bajing Abbey could pull the wool over Ganlu Zen Monastery's eyes right under their noses. Furthermore, the close ties between the Taiyue Sect and Bajing Abbey were common knowledge. With the abode located at Mount Taiyue, it made it all the more convenient for Bajing Abbey to act. The moment he received the news, Master Xingji had already reached this conclusion. Remaining outwardly calm at the gathering, he had come to seek Sage Huiguang's decision. "Daoist Zilei is currently at the gathering. I have already instructed two junior brothers to keep a close eye on him." "No need to watch him; that man is certainly an impostor!" With Sage Huiguang's intellect, he immediately deduced the reason behind Bajing Abbey's actions. They must have mistakenly believed True Monarch Danyu had perished and thus grown suspicious of him. "That lad Zilei is suspicious by nature and bold beyond measure! How dare he indulge the remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, letting them pass through Tiantong Hall to enter Tianxiang Hall? Did he not fear unleashing the ancient demon sealed within Tiantong Hall and stirring up another catastrophe?! If the ancient demon had not already ascended along with the immortal palace, the consequences would have been unthinkable." Pausing, Sage Huiguang commanded Master Xingji, "Go quickly and gather our people, then rush to Nanzhou. This is the perfect chance to wipe out the remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect in one fell swoop!" Master Xingji accepted the order and left. Sage Huiguang turned to Sacred King Qinghu. "Fellow Daoist heard that. An ancient abode of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect has appeared, saving us the trouble of a painstaking search. Back then, their abode was sealed in haste, so many ancient texts should be preserved intact within. The Wuxiang Immortal Sect controlled the immortal palace far longer than the Hall of No Falsehood, and they were the first to discover the Sword Tomb realm. No one understands the immortal palace better than they did." With a flick of her jade hand, Sacred King Qinghu caused the geographic chart to crumble into countless motes of light that dissipated into thin air. She said lazily, "This king never intended to stake everything on hunting a ferocious beast anyway. Even if we capture one, what with the torment of the demonic voice along the journey and beasts lurking on all sides, whether you and I can reach Guixu alive remains unknown. Since the Wuxiang Immortal Sect's abode has appeared, taking a trip to Nanzhou is naturally the right course. Perhaps we really might find a clue." The two Deity Transformation cultivators hesitated no longer and set off south! *** On the arena stage. The two combatants had not been affected by Master Xingji's departure, and the victor had already emerged. Just as Daoist Qishen had predicted, Daoist Yang's magic treasure had been countered, leaving him no match for Yuzhi. Cupping his hands, he conceded defeat. An elder of the Jinyu Sect was presiding over the gathering. He flitted onto the stage and announced Yuzhi's victory, just about to invite the combatants of the next match. "Please welcome Zen Master Xiaoxing of Ganlu Zen Monastery and... and..." The Jinyu Sect elder stopped halfway through, suddenly at a loss for words. Master Xingji had returned, and with a single command, a large swath of Ganlu Zen Monastery's delegation rose with a rustle of robes and strode out of the venue without looking back. "What happened?" Jin Wudai was filled with shock and doubt. Just as he was about to intercept Master Xingji to demand an explanation, he suddenly saw the experts of Bajing Abbey leaving the venue one after another as well. At a grand Dharma gathering held once every five hundred years, the two pinnacle sects were leaving behind only a handful of people to observe the ceremonies. Such a bizarre occurrence was entirely unprecedented. Before long, various rumors began spreading through the gathering, swiftly whipping up a massive uproar. "Something has happened in Nanzhou!" "An immortal abode has appeared!" "Supposedly it's the work of the Taiyue Sect! No wonder Yue Lingtian never showed up!" "Ganlu Zen Monastery and Bajing Abbey must be rushing off to the immortal abode!" "An ancient immortal abode—a monumental opportunity! Who knows if we'll make it in time if we leave now? If I had known, I wouldn't have bothered attending this damn gathering!" Regret swept through the crowd. *** Soon, the upper echelons of the various sects had confirmed through their own channels that an immortal abode had indeed appeared in Nanzhou; it was no groundless rumor. Moreover, the information they obtained was even more precise. The immortal abode was almost certainly an ancient abode of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect! The factions of the Central Plains were more or less familiar with the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, knowing it had been the sole hegemon of Zhongzhou before the rise of the Daoist and Buddhist orders. Its ancient abode was bound to contain countless secret treasures and grand heritages! After all, look how even Bajing Abbey and Ganlu Zen Monastery could no longer sit still. In an instant, despite Jin Wudai's attempts to urge them to stay, the experts of every sect departed one after another. The journey to Nanzhou was long. Though their cultivations were profound, even flying at full speed would not allow them to arrive within a day or two. They would likely miss the first wave of treasure hunting, and could only hope that complications would arise when the abode was unsealed. The grand Dharma gathering meticulously prepared by the Jinyu Sect was on the verge of collapsing into a farce. Jin Wudai's face turned ashen, but he had no choice. In the end, Jin Wudai summoned the elders of his sect, gave a few instructions, and set off for Nanzhou with several experts in tow.