To Li Xuanfeng's surprise, the moment he turned the page, the full line of ink characters suddenly blurred, leaping from the paper one after another before turning into flowing light and vanishing into thin air.
The entire ancient tome rustled and fluttered in midair. A wave of dizziness washed over Li Xuanfeng as a magnificent roar filled his ears—the crashing sound of sea waves rolling from north to south across the sky, occasionally pounding against cliff walls and showering down a spray of cold rain.
*Bang!*
In an instant, the ancient book before his eyes dissolved into a shower of ash. The moment it hit the ground, the ashes transformed into black ants, swaying their heads and scuttling in all directions before seeping into the earth and disappearing without a trace.
Li Xuanfeng's mind buzzed. His gaze slowly lowered to his hands, a look of confusion on his face. Beside him, Lin Chensheng turned his head and asked, "Fellow Daoist, have you looked through all six cultivation methods?"
Jolted as if waking from a dream, Li Xuanfeng looked up and nodded. "Indeed, I have read them all. What a pity none go beyond Qi Refinement."
Lin Chensheng chuckled softly. "No need to worry. Once three drumbeats echo across that sea of clouds, we can go up and choose for ourselves."
...
Li Yuanjiao and Tu Longjian wandered around the woods for a while. Soon, white mist began to drift through the area. Growing suspicious, Li Yuanjiao said in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist, this mist has arisen quite strangely. We should be careful."
Tu Longjian smiled faintly, sweeping his gaze across the surrounding mist, and replied, "This mist can block spiritual sense—it truly is bizarre. Let us ride the wind up into the sky. Follow closely behind me, and don't fall behind."
How shrewd was Li Yuanjiao? Hearing those words, he was seventy percent certain that the grotto-heaven was about to descend. He nodded, took to the wind, and stayed closely at Tu Longjian's side.
Just as they took to the wind, the setting sun on the horizon vanished in the blink of an eye, replaced by a sky full of stars. These stars hung perfectly still and orderly along the edge of the sky.
The distant ocean had vanished completely, leaving only an endless sea of clouds and rolling mountain ranges. Feigning alarm as though facing a formidable enemy, Li Yuanjiao said in a heavy voice, "Not good! We have fallen into someone's illusion array!"
Tu Longjian had been watching him closely with a serious expression. Seeing this reaction, the very last trace of suspicion finally melted away. Laughing aloud, he replied, "Senior, this place is the Mirage Mirror Grotto-Heaven!"
Li Yuanjiao's expression filled with astonishment. This time, his bewilderment was genuine. By all rights, they should have entered the Qingsong Grotto-Heaven—how had a "Mirage Mirror Grotto-Heaven" suddenly appeared?
Tu Longjian explained, "Qingsong Abbey was originally situated inside the Mirage Mirror Grotto-Heaven. But because the grotto-heaven was sealed away for so long, this lot was ignorant of the secret and made strained interpretations... Furthermore, those True Persons of the Purple Palace were only too happy to let that old name fade away, so they began calling it the Qingsong Grotto-Heaven!
"This realm was opened by the ancient cultivator Yingze. Its name was originally derived from the heritage of an Immortal Lord back then—how could it possibly be called the Qingsong Grotto-Heaven!"
On the surface, Li Yuanjiao appeared shocked by the revelation, but in his heart, he was far more astonished by Tu Longjian's attitude. Combining this with the subtle clues Tu Longjian had dropped along the way, Li Yuanjiao was fairly confident in his guess:
*Nine times out of ten, this man has realized what is truly going on... and very likely has gradually broken free from the True Person's control!*
Furrowing his brows, Li Yuanjiao put on a mixture of joy and trepidation as he said softly, "It seems our chance to enter this place is indeed a great blessing. As for whether we will leave alive... that is hard to say..."
Tu Longjian nodded slightly. Li Yuanjiao cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist understands the grotto-heaven so well; I shall have to rely on you for the rest of our journey."
Tu Longjian chuckled and replied, "Senior, please, you mustn't be so polite."
In just a few words, the two confirmed they would continue traveling together. Li Yuanjiao felt no greed for the treasures within the grotto-heaven; what he cared about was finding Yu Muxian as soon as possible, wondering whether his clan elder had already clashed with him...
Tu Longjian and Li Yuanjiao took to the wind together, choosing a direction at random. Tu Longjian stood with his hands behind his back amidst the clouds, his eyes fixed on the distant mountain range, the medallion at his waist swaying gently.
Gauging the direction, he picked a path through the rolling clouds. After flying for a while, the din of battle reached their ears.
"Someone beat us to it..."
Tu Longjian frowned in displeasure, muttering under his breath as the golden hammer reappeared in his hand. Only two or three breaths later, the sea of clouds ahead surged violently. Mystical radiances and spells clashed fiercely in midair, and magical artifacts collided with ringing metallic clangs.
Around five or six people were gathered around a small hilltop, warily keeping guard against one another. Atop the small hill stood a tall stone platform, upon which sat a small jade bottle.
The jade bottle was carved all over with silver osmanthus blossoms and enveloped within a silvery-white spiritual barrier. While it was hard to tell what lay inside, strands of moon-white spiritual mist drifted around the barrier's edges like wisps of silk, rising and sinking erratically, giving it a remarkably wondrous aura.
In the center stood a tall, thin, middle-aged man in a dark Daoist robe with a stern face. The subtle patterns on his robe showed exquisite garment-refining craftsmanship. Holding a red sandalwood horsetail whisk draped over his arm, he looked coldly at the surrounding cultivators and said softly, "This Foundation Establishment spirit barrier... my Changxiao Gate claims it. The rest of you had better weigh your chances."
A red-robed cultivator nearby sneered back, "Fine, Xun Yizi! Why don't you take that barrier and leave, so the rest of us can see what manner of spiritual treasure is held within that jade bottle!"
The tall, thin man in the Daoist robe did not answer, sweeping his chilling gaze over the crowd. Standing silently within the nearby clouds, Li Yuanjiao and Tu Longjian observed the five or six people around the hill.
Among them was a petite female cultivator wearing a light-orange Daoist robe, treading upon clouds as she seemed to scrutinize the item within the barrier. One slender hand supported a miniature golden mountain, while the other clasped a jade bead—it was none other than Kong Tingyun of Xuanyue Gate!
At the opposite end stood a fair-featured youth with slightly furrowed brows, seemingly contemplating retreat. Li Yuanjiao had met him only a few times, but his face was already deeply etched into Li Yuanjiao's memory.
*Zhong Qian!*
As Li Yuanjiao carefully appraised the identities and backgrounds of the others, Tu Longjian's gaze burned with fervor as he murmured, "Senior... there is something good inside that jade bottle! If a fight breaks out later, you only need to look out for yourself!"
Hearing this, Li Yuanjiao finally turned his gaze toward the high platform.
The platform itself was ordinary, constructed from nothing of great value, yet the silvery-white spirit barrier looked truly extraordinary. Glowing with a faint silvery sheen, it was carved with moon hares and osmanthus branches at all four corners—an ancient cultivator's Foundation Establishment magical artifact.
Within this artifact sat a faintly visible silvery-white treasure bottle, rich with spiritual energy. The moon-white patterns on the jade bottle were ancient and mysterious, yet evoked an intense sense of familiarity. The moon-white spiritual mist drifting around it was even more unmistakable.
Li Yuanjiao chuckled inwardly. This thing was identical to the moon-white spiritual mist he had seen hundreds and thousands of times back home. He knew all too well that this substance was enough to drive every cultivator present mad:
*Great Yin Lunar Essence!*
More and more figures gathered on the mountain. Aside from a few familiar faces and common Daoist robes, there were many whose garments were unfamiliar—perhaps cultivators from the State of Wu or the north—each standing upon the clouds.
After a few breaths, someone finally stepped forth from the clouds—a young-looking cultivator clad in white robes, faint golden patterns embroidered on his cuffs...
Chapter 459