As the motorcade headed toward Dongwang Crag, the sky was vast, clouds drifted lazily, and a gentle, warm breeze blew. Green trees cast ample shade along the route, and the river meandered like a ribbon of jade.
Chen Chuan looked out the car window at the picturesque scenery. Though this was far away in a foreign land, perhaps because it fell under the jurisdiction of the Tianji Sect, even the wild vegetation and flowing waters seemed tinged with an air of mystic profundity.
Activity within this region was almost completely free of Federation interference, which was tremendously advantageous for his upcoming cultivation. Even if he merely stayed there for a spell to rest and nurture his mind, it would still do him good.
He tapped his boundary credential and saw a faint signal being transmitted across it.
They were not in Center City, nor was there a Skyline here, yet there was still a signal. This stemmed from the unique function of the Tianji Sect's large field creatures.
When the large field creatures used by the various Center Cities today were cultivated, besides employing modern technology, quite a few aspects were adapted from the methods of the world's former state religions.
However, when it came to individual sects, their specific methods varied slightly.
The Tianji Sect headquarters used field creatures cultivated through ancient methods, with seeds handed down for thousands of years, making it more convenient for devotees to cultivate within the field. This was the profound legacy of an old religion.
Smaller field creatures were also distributed throughout the various zhisuo, serving the same function.
The field information emitted by these field creatures was not concentrated and gathered tightly like that in an ordinary Center City; instead, it dispersed in all directions.
As a result, aside from the central area of the zhisuo, the external field signals were quite weak. Those capable of sensing them naturally could, while those who could not simply remained oblivious.
For the Xuan Sect, this was the most effective field for discerning talent and natural aptitude. In the past, they would even use it for chanting and preaching the doctrine—even if one lacked sufficient talent, those with affinity could still enter their gates.
For Chen Chuan, this matter was far less mystical. His profound spiritual power was more than enough to pick up that faint signal, allowing him to receive the information within and browse through whatever he wished to read.
Departing from the zhisuo and traveling over a hundred li to the east, the people in the motorcade spotted Wangdong Stone from afar.
From a distance, a lone peak thrust gracefully upward, and atop the summit rested a massive, rounded stone block facing east, looking just like a person standing upright, suddenly bathed in the morning light, waking to gaze back at the East Continent.
Once they drew close and looked up, everyone felt a thrill of perilous tension, for where the pillar joined the boulder above, only a single protruding edge seemed to touch, giving the impression that the top stone might slide off at any second.
Chen Chuan cross-referenced the map and confirmed that "where Tianji pointed" was right here, so he had the motorcade pull up in an open space just ahead.
Over a dozen cars were parked there, presumably belonging to tourists who had come to sightsee. Not far ahead was an overlook terrace built for visitors, where one could lean against the railing and gaze high into the distance to admire this solitary crag.
After giving a few instructions to the escorts, he walked along the narrow path below and then leaped upward, appearing atop the boulder in an instant. Seen from afar, the rock had seemed small, but up close, it covered an area of at least a dozen mu.
Looking outward from his vantage point, the surrounding topography as well as Chongming Zhisuo in the distance were all visible. Taking a couple more steps, he discovered hollows on the boulder's surface, large enough for a person to pass through.
His heart stirred—there was another world concealed within.
He lowered himself, floating down into the interior. Glancing around, a flicker of surprise crossed his face: the entire boulder was hollow inside, supported merely by slender stone pillars, bearing clear marks of manual excavation and chiseling.
Looking around a bit more, based on the layout, it was actually a mystic abbey inside a cavern.
He took a few steps forward. Planted all around were species clearly originating from the Confluence, their vines and leaves a lush verdant green, pulsing with vitality.
Not far off lay a pool of roughly one mu, its waters crystal clear, reflecting his entire silhouette with sharp clarity as he approached.
Nor was this stagnant water; a trickling stream could be seen flowing in along the smooth stone walls.
Looking up, the openings above were arranged like constellations, perfectly ushering in daylight to illuminate the space with bright serenity.
Crossing a plank bridge over the pool, carved stone stands lined both sides, holding some kind of light-attracting stones that radiated a soft glow. At the place of honor stood a long table of green jade, behind which rested a prayer mat woven from grass and feathers, and beside the corner of the table sat a partially pierced bronze censer.
A niche was carved into the eastern stone wall. Judging from the impressions left on the pedestal, three statues of deities had once been enshrined there, though it was now completely bare.
Flanking both sides were two circular stone basins hollowed into the rock, each containing a pool of clear water, seemingly meant for the resident to wash hands and face.
He walked over, fiddled with the incense burner first, and seeing that the aromatic incense powder inside was still usable, casually lit it. He then stepped behind the desk and sat down upon the mat, feeling his mind settle into peace as the delicate fragrance drifted over.
Just then, sensing something amiss, his heart stirred. Reaching into his robes, he produced the pill gifted to him by Mystic Wuwei.
The moment it was brought out, it emitted a bright glow that illuminated dim recesses and corners that daylight had failed to reach.
His gaze narrowed slightly. In those corners, he saw the backs of over a dozen seated Mystics, who appeared to be tracing and sketching something.
He rose and walked over, finding that the figures of these Mystics were insubstantial and flickering. What they were painting at that very moment were murals.
After a few glances, he immediately recognized them.
Was this the *Xuan Spirits Battling Demons Chart*?
Depicted upon them were scenes of the various Xuan Sect patriarchs venturing beyond the heavens to subdue demons and bring them into the fold of the orthodox religion.
Yet after studying them for a few moments, his attention was thoroughly captured.
The *Xuan Spirits Battling Demons Chart* had circulated since ancient times and was usually just an illustration, but the movements of the Xuan Sect patriarchs depicted here were distinct and unusual, seemingly harboring deeper secrets. In particular, aided by the pill, he seemed able to feel faint spiritual impressions emanating from them.
Yet after sensing them for a short while, just as he sought to look deeper, some of the images suddenly turned blurry and began slowly fading away.
Hm?
He glanced back toward the ceiling. Was it the sunlight?
It seemed that even though the pill could illuminate the scene, it still required sunlight to reveal them with clarity.
Nevertheless, he now stepped over to the opposite wall. Because it was set deep in shadow, not a trace of sunlight reached here. It bore a similar illustration, inscribed with the words: *Tianji Demon Subduing Chart*.
However, after a few glances, he lost interest. The Xuan Sect patriarchs in this painting subdued demons by calculating heavenly destiny, rarely engaging in direct physical combat. They relied on finesse and had to wait for auspicious moments; evaluated this way, the battling of demons suited his temperament far better.
Still, these murals were enough to demonstrate that the person who established this mystic abbey had indeed belonged to the Tianji Sect.
With the sunlight shifting away, he refrained from examining them further and inspected the cave inside and out. Unsurprisingly, he discovered several rituals still active, primarily dedicated to preserving the environment here, while a small portion appeared designed to ward off contamination.
He nodded. What Tianji had indicated truly suited his needs. He had been looking for a place to cultivate for a period to overcome the hurdle of "Visage Deconstruction," and this location was ideal.
Furthermore, according to the Tianji Sect's customs, whatever Tianji pointed to was usually an affinity bestowed upon someone destined for it. While Dongwang Crag would naturally not be given to him permanently, he could evidently make free use of the place going forward.
Emerging from within, he first greeted Vegadov, then informed the escort team that this place suited him and he planned to cultivate here for a period. During this time, the escorts were free to move about the state as they pleased, provided they adhered to discipline.
Seeing that he had found a suitable spot, Vegadov was delighted for him, and asked whether he needed a batch of daily necessities delivered.
Chen Chuan replied that it was unnecessary, as he had brought essentials with him on this trip. Seeing this, Vegadov wished him smooth cultivation, and after the Purist Faction members came forward one by one to shake Chen Chuan's hand, he led them away.
After concluding the arrangements, Chen Chuan returned atop the rock. He opened the chest he carried with him and set up a small-scale ritual.
By the time he finished, dusk had already fallen. Having inspected everything, he drew the Xuejun Saber and struck forward with a single slash. In an instant, brilliant light burst forth, and a fissure opened before him.
At the same time, a ring-shaped object could be seen floating there, radiating pulses of light distinct from the fissure itself.
He stepped inside, reached into the glow, and a moment later dragged out a crate.
The ring-shaped relic Elder Gale had gifted him possessed the function of storing items, so he had stowed a portion of his cultivation resources and daily essentials here for emergencies.
The cultivation resources inside this crate were enough to sustain him for two months.
Opening the medicine crate, he settled down in place, aiming to overcome "Visage Deconstruction" within the month.
With the power he currently possessed, he was already capable of cultivating inside the fissure without interruption. Furthermore, the fissure opened by the Xuejun Saber could easily last an entire day, meaning that in theory, it could be maintained almost continuously.
Even so, contamination would inevitably still exist. As for lingering toxins, his second self could assist in resisting and expelling them.
However, he did not call upon his second self this time. With a thought, the power of the Two Great Forms expanded outward; he intended to use them to stave off the contamination, allowing him to train the two secret arts simultaneously while cultivating.
If the Two Great Forms were mastered well, even inside the fissure one could avoid greater contamination and better harness the energy from the other side for cultivation. It was not without reason that the Purist Faction had always placed such immense value on these two forms.
Not to mention the Mystic Void Fire that Mr. Zhuan had instructed him never to reveal lightly, which was intimately connected to this as well.
The better his cultivation progressed, the deeper his underlying foundation would become.
Now relaxing his mind and clearing his thoughts, before long a colossal spirit visage slowly coalesced around his body, shielding him within while channeling the absorbed energy into him. And soon, he was completely immersed.
Chapter 1219