Emergence

The Qionghua secret realm. Vault Palace remained hidden among the mist of the mountain forest, faint ripples of array formations bearing witness to its past glory. By the devastated shores of Cherry Leech Lake, the fallen giant cherry tree draped its withered boughs over the corpse of the Leech King. If left undisturbed, this tranquility might well have persisted until the end of time, until the secret realm collapsed. Amid this seemingly eternal stillness, a delicate, fair foot stepped lightly onto the edge of the broken covered bridge. It belonged to a barefoot young girl dressed in palace attire. She gazed into the distance at the giant cherry tree and the Leech King resting together, her eyes filled with complex emotion. As she stood lost in thought, a tall woman appeared by her side. A veil obscured the woman's features, but her figure was statuesque, clad in an unadorned white, intricate court gown. The immaculate white train trailed a zhang behind her, spotless without a single speck of dirt. Holy and noble. The barefoot girl looked at Cherry Leech Lake. "Master, that is the Meishen cherry tree." The white-robed woman spoke without a ripple: "Was it using the illusion it created that Xu Changtian managed to shake you off?" The barefoot girl lightly bit her lip. "Yes. I was trapped in that illusion with him for over ten years." The woman's clear golden eyes glanced at the girl. "The matter of romance is something you must resolve yourself. As your master, I cannot help you." The barefoot girl lowered her voice to a whisper: "I am sorry, Master." The white-robed woman's tone was cool and detached, seemingly void of all emotion: "Xu Changtian is rather peculiar. Not only is he imperceptible to divination, but he can also influence others. What happened here cannot be blamed on you." Tianyan clenched her small fists slightly and said in a hurried, hushed voice, "Master, has Xu Changtian's betrothal to that Li Qingyan affected you as well?" An ordinary person shielded from fate would not affect others; if one wished to deal with them, one could deduce the future through the people around them. Yet Xu Yuan was like a drop of ink falling into a clear pool, and now that pool known as the world was on the verge of being stained black. Tianyan herself had already been tainted by Xu Yuan. Ever since they parted ways, she had been unable to divine anything further. And now, it seemed her master was about to follow in her footsteps. The woman's elaborate white gown fluttered faintly as her body rose into the air without any support. Her clear golden pupils flickered with a light that made the heart tremble. "Tianyan, I once wondered what was meant by the darkness upon the arrival of the great catastrophe. I imagine it should not be much different from the scenery I see now. "Come. Take me to the place where Tianrui fell. "Once we step outside, there will no longer be any need for us to remain in hiding." The barefoot girl did not reply. Her slender form silently drifted off the ground, flying toward the depths of the secret realm. Yet just as she took flight, In an instant, An abrupt sword light, appearing from nowhere, swept past without the slightest warning. A gentle breeze swept by, and sudden disaster struck. The next moment, an imperceptible hairline of blood gradually emerged upon her fair neck. *Squelch!* Her head flew off, blood instantly spurting like a geyser. Having severed the head, the residual force of the sword stroke did not diminish in the least, slicing the structures behind her diagonally in two like a beam of pure light! Time seemed to freeze. A handsome man with an aloof gaze stood holding a sword, as though he had been standing beside the two all along. Within this frozen moment, The Overseeing Heaven Pavilion Master's golden eyes, shimmering with an unnerving radiance, glanced at the man. Detachment and divinity intertwined in midair. The next moment, The man seemed to suffer a tremendous blow. He angled his sword to parry, but failed to block it. He was sent flying backward, hurtling with the shriek of parting air and crashing straight into the buildings over two hundred zhang away! The Overseeing Heaven Pavilion Master gestured: "Tianyan, get out first. Leave this place to me." Yet before her words could settle, Before the dust could even billow up, a towering sword beam tore through the void from within that ruined structure, shooting forth. Its target was not the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion Master in her fluttering white gown, but the newly "revived" Tianyan. The newcomer seemed well aware that he had to deal with the smaller one first. As the sword beam bore down, Tianyan's expression tightened, and she spat out a single word: "Blink." In a flash, her slender silhouette had already appeared over a dozen zhang away. Unfortunately, the sword beam did not miss; instead, it banked at a bizarre, acute angle and shot toward her head once more. With no way to dodge, Tianyan was just about to cast another death-substituting secret technique when she saw that heart-chilling sword beam explode spontaneously in midair a zhang in front of her, scattering into flecks of white light and dissipating into nothingness. "..." Tianyan exhaled a breath, instinctively looking toward her master nearby. It was she who had intervened to save her. Yet the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion Master did not look at Tianyan. Her clear golden eyes were locked onto the man standing among the ruins. Sunlight poured down. White robes white as snow, black hair cascading like a waterfall, he walked forward step by step, the spirit sword Qingyuan in his hand glinting with a chilling, eerie gleam. And only now did the destruction wrought by the earlier sword beam and the deafening roar of the crumbling buildings finally reach their ears! *Rumble—* Seeing this, Tianyan did not hesitate for a second. After sending the coordinates to her master via sound transmission, her figure turned into a blur and fled straight toward the exit, though deep vexation burned in her beautiful eyes. She did not know who this newcomer was, but she knew that in all likelihood, only that bastard Xu Yuan would dispatch someone here. Moreover, the white-robed man bore a certain resemblance to Xu Changtian. As Tianyan ran, she ground her silver teeth until they creaked. "Xu Yuan, you bastard! Next time we meet, you are dead!" "..." Feng Jiuxuan quietly watched the shapely figure retreat, making no further move to stop her. The girl was no weakling. If he continued to force the kill, he might end up wounded by that mysterious Saint in the sky. After a long pause, "Feng Jiuxuan." Feng Jiuxuan looked at the mysterious Saint. The Overseeing Heaven Pavilion Master also looked down upon him, her tone sacred and noble: "Tianyuan." After this brief exchange, silence fell once more. Two white-robed figures stood opposing each other across the distance—one floating in midair, her court gown fluttering, eyes gleaming with gold; the other standing upon the ground, sword harboring a freezing glint. As the atmosphere plummeted toward freezing point, Tianyuan suddenly spoke, her emotionless voice ringing out softly: "Were you deliberately guarding this place, waiting in ambush?" Feng Jiuxuan held his sword. "No." He had also been surprised to run into these two from the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion in this secret realm. Xu Yinhe had searched for so long, only for Feng Jiuxuan to stumble upon them right here. Understanding dawned within Tianyuan, her voice cool: "It seems the location Xu Changtian gave you was not very detailed." "..." Feng Jiuxuan remained silent. The location his nephew gave had been far too vague; he had already been wandering around this secret realm for seven or eight days. The medicinal garden had gone wild and withered, and the assorted materials and medicinal pills in the storehouses had rotted away into uselessness. Aside from finding a few technique manuals in the Book Depository and a lingyun spirit puppet, he hadn't found a single Sumeru ring. Still, hearing this Saint blurt out Xu Yuan's name so directly, it seemed his nephew had kept a few things from him. At the very least, that nephew of his hadn't mentioned that people from the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion knew about this place too. After a brief silence, Feng Jiuxuan was simple and direct: "You know the way?" "Naturally," Tianyuan replied. "Cooperate?" Feng Jiuxuan asked. Tianyuan was just as direct: "I came here merely to retrieve one item. There is no point in us fighting here." Feng Jiuxuan sheathed his sword. "Lead the way." "..." Twenty days later. "Achoo!" A sneeze echoed through an elegant, distinctive bedchamber. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Xu Yuan dispersed his cultivation technique, rubbed his itchy nose, and retrieved a jade vial of medicinal fluid from his Sumeru ring. Through the translucent jade vial, the fiery-red fluid within was clearly visible. Ever since their previous meeting, Xu Yuan had not seen Li Qingyan again. However, that long-legged woman had probably felt that thrashing him the very first time they met wasn't entirely proper, so she had someone deliver a vial of medicinal fluid as an apology. An imperial exclusive, exceedingly precious. Its function was simple: widening meridians, with the added effect of tonifying yang. The latter effect was far more potent than the former. When Xu Yuan learned of the effects of this Yang Marrow Liquid from the old housekeeper, he had nearly lost his composure. Sending this kind of stuff as an apology... Was she provoking him? At that thought, Xu Yuan chuckled and shook his head. "This Li Qingyan's personality is rather interesting." With that, he stowed the Yang Marrow Liquid back into his Sumeru ring and got up, intending to step outside for some fresh air. He had been very busy these days, busy cultivating. Knowing shame spurred one to courage. That Wuyuan cultivated military arrays. As long as he raised his cultivation to Grandmaster as quickly as possible, there was a high probability he could restore his husbandly authority. At the very least, he couldn't stay beneath her forever. The same went for that Big Ice Block. The sky was clear and cloudless, stretching blue for ten thousand li without the industrial pollution of his past life. Walking through the palace-like grounds of the Chancellor's Manor, Xu Yuan noticed an obvious influx of unfamiliar officials. There were high-ranking court ministers clad in purple robes, low-ranking fringe officials in dark green, and wealthy guildmasters from merchant associations dressed in brocade finery. Ever since news of the betrothal got out, these people had begun swarming. They came to pay homage, to deliver gifts. Even though the vast majority couldn't even catch a glimpse of his father, the stream of visitors remained endless. The silver presented was a trifling matter to the Chancellor's Manor, but attitude was what mattered. If everyone else offered gifts and you didn't, how could you expect to survive in officialdom? Following the flagstone path all the way to the lakeside wetland, many people noticed Xu Yuan, the protagonist of this betrothal, yet very few dared step forward to greet him. After all, his recent public killing of the prince of the Great Desert had given him a reputation far beyond that of a mere wastrel. If someone slipped up with their words, being cut down by this spoiled young master would be entirely in vain. He was, in a sense, famous far and wide. Xu Yuan was glad for the peace and quiet. In truth, he was still somewhat surprised by how Xu Yinhe handled this betrothal. He had originally thought it was merely a private pact between the Chancellor's Manor and the imperial family; he hadn't expected it to be proclaimed to the whole world. This was a signal—a dangerous signal. Regarding the war on the Northern Border, the imperial court would brook no compromise. Now that the court had made its move, it remained to be seen how the sects would respond. Based on the information Xu Yuan possessed, he felt the sects would likely compromise, but in a stalling manner. Emperor Jiajing's injuries were inflicted by the sects; they certainly had a rough estimate of when Emperor Jiajing's time would be up. A betrothal between children was a monumental matter in ordinary households, but before imperial power, it still fell short. Even brothers could slaughter one another, to say nothing of a mere scrap of betrothal paper. As long as they dragged it out until Emperor Jiajing passed away and a new emperor ascended the throne, this fragile alliance between the Chancellor's Manor and the imperial family would very likely shatter completely. Thinking of this, Xu Yuan let out a soft sigh. Right then, A voice suddenly sounded beside his ear: "Changtian, come to the study." "..." Xu Yuan. The voice belonged to Xu Yinhe. It had been over half a month since the betrothal was settled, and this was the first time he had heard his father's voice since. The inner court was quiet. Arriving before the study door, just as Xu Yuan was about to knock, Xu Yinhe's voice came from inside: "Changtian, come in." Xu Yuan pushed the door open and walked in. The study was the same as always, antique and elegant, featuring a window that offered an overlooking view of more than half of the Imperial Capital. Xu Yinhe sat behind the desk, which was piled high with memorials—some reviewed, some yet to be read. Seeing Xu Yuan enter, Xu Yinhe put down the memorial in his hand. Xu Yuan nodded in greeting. "Father, you were looking for me." Xu Yinhe shook his head and glanced to the side. "I wasn't looking for you. Your uncle was looking for you." Hearing this, Xu Yuan blinked. Turning his gaze, he saw that snow-white figure and couldn't help smiling faintly. "Uncle, you're back?" Feng Jiuxuan nodded. "Mm." "Did you find the Sumeru ring?" Xu Yuan asked. Feng Jiuxuan gave an affirmative answer: "I found it." "Are we about to start training?" Xu Yuan asked next. Feng Jiuxuan shook his head, his words blunt: "Changtian, do you know someone named Tianyan?" Xu Yuan instinctively glanced at Xu Yinhe beside him, only to find his father playing dead while looking at memorials. He bit the bullet and nodded. "I do. Uncle, why do you bring up—" "I killed her..." "Wh—" Xu Yuan's eyes widened slightly. "...and then she revived with a secret technique." "..." Xu Yuan. Seeing Xu Yuan's expression, Feng Jiuxuan gave a cold snort and said, "Next time, tell me about these things in advance. If her master hadn't been by her side this time, she would already be a corpse." Xu Yuan's thoughts raced as he searched for a way to steer the topic away: "Uncle, you mean to say you ran into the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion Master in the Qionghua secret realm?" Feng Jiuxuan nodded. "Yes. A very formidable woman. I wasn't confident I could kill her, so we cooperated." Xu Yuan let out a breath. "Cooperated?" Feng Jiuxuan stared at Xu Yuan, enunciating each word: "I searched according to the place you described for nearly ten days and couldn't find it at all. I had no choice but to cooperate with that Overseeing Heaven Pavilion Master." "..." Xu Yuan. What was he supposed to do? There was nothing he could do. He wasn't Tianyan; his memories were already so hazy he had practically forgotten most of it. Being able to give a rough idea was already quite an achievement. "Enough." Xu Yinhe put down his memorial at that moment and spoke: "Changtian, tell us everything you know about the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion. It seems they intend to reemerge into the world soon." "..." Silence hung for two seconds, for this was quite a lot of information to take in. Xu Yuan took a deep breath, briskly slipped off the soul ring, and offered it forward: "Father, Uncle, ask him. This old man is a Holy Venerable of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion." "..." The Saint's remnant soul. Silence. After a long pause, Under the gaze of Xu Yinhe and Feng Jiuxuan, a voice with its own built-in subwoofer sounded faintly: "This old man... ahem, everything I know is from ten thousand years ago. It's very complicated, and you two probably wouldn't be interested anyway. However, as for the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion reemerging, I do have a few conjectures." As he spoke, the illusory figure of a scholar slowly drifted out from the soul ring. Xu Yinhe stared at the remnant soul, his voice cool: "Senior, please feel free to speak." The Saint's remnant soul fell silent for two seconds before murmuring, "The Overseeing Heaven Pavilion has always been the common enemy of all under heaven. No one in this world wishes to see an organization capable of divining heavenly secrets exist. Ten thousand years ago during the aberrant ghost catastrophe, the pavilion's strength was severely depleted, and it was besieged and destroyed. Now that they have chosen to emerge once more, there is only one possibility." At this point, Old Man Luo paused, glancing at the two contemporary Saints across from him, waiting for someone to feed him a line. "..." Xu Yinhe said nothing. "..." Feng Jiuxuan began fiddling directly with Qingyuan in his hand. "..." Old Man Luo's eyelid twitched. Seeing this, Xu Yuan cleared his throat from the side and played the straight man: "Old Man Luo, what possibility?" Seeing this, Old Man Luo smiled faintly, his composure restored: "The reason for the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion's existence is the continuation of the human race. For them to risk being besieged and emerge once more, in all likelihood, the contemporary Pavilion Master can no longer see the heavenly secrets of the future."