NOVPUBSomeone was still alive in the Sword Palace?!
Hearing Bai Ruoxi’s certain tone, Mu Zhi’an felt a chill run down his spine.
How long had it been since the Sword Palace was established? It had been hidden within an underground Celestial Realm, never emerging. Although cultivators at the Core Formation Realm and above could survive without food or water, relying solely on Spiritual Energy, could anyone truly endure such solitude for so long?
“Let’s go inside and take a look.”
After a brief moment of contemplation, Mu Zhi’an made a decision.
They had come to the Sword Palace for Bai Ruoxi’s third bronze fragment. They couldn’t back down now.
Hopefully, it’s not another ‘old demon’.
If possible, I prefer fairies like Yao Meng…
After all, compared to a powerful old demon, a powerful and beautiful older sister with long legs and ample bosom is much better, right?
As Mu Zhi’an thought about this, he followed the two women through the door that had silently opened.
However, as Bai Ruoxi stepped inside, Mu Zhi’an found himself blocked by an invisible barrier, unable to approach.
“It seems each person can only enter the Celestial Realm that opened after they passed their respective trial,” Mu Zhi’an realized, looking at Bai Ruoxi through the doorway.
Seeing that Wei Mengrou was also blocked, he looked at Bai Ruoxi and said helplessly, “It seems we can only accompany you this far.”
Then, he continued, “Remember, Ruoxi, safety comes first. If you encounter any problems, crush the jade slip and leave immediately. We don’t have to obtain the third bronze fragment now.”
“You be careful too, Mu Lang. If it’s too dangerous, leave the Sword Palace and wait for me,” Bai Ruoxi said softly.
She turned to Wei Mengrou and said, “Sister Mengrou, I’ll leave him in your care.”
Why does that sound weird? Like ‘When the brother dies, the younger brother takes his wife’, or ‘The son inherits the father’s business’? Am I some kind of ‘public transportation’, passing from Ruoxi to Mengrou… Mu Zhi’an couldn’t help but complain inwardly.
Bai Ruoxi, unaware of his thoughts, looked at him deeply, then turned and walked into the Celestial Realm that had opened only for her.
Sword lights flickered along the dark corridor, as if welcoming their new master.
Bai Ruoxi followed the illuminated path, walking deeper into the corridor.
Mu Zhi’an had protected her countless times, and he had encountered many troubles because of her.
Now, it was her turn to protect him.
With her sword and her Heart-Binding Lock.
…
As the door closed, Mu Zhi’an withdrew his gaze and said, “Let’s go check out the other two Celestial Realms. We might find something interesting.”
Wei Mengrou nodded silently and followed behind him.
If one didn’t look closely, they wouldn’t even notice her presence. She was invisible to the naked eye, and with her superior cultivation level, those weaker than her couldn’t sense her either.
After entering the Celestial Realm that had opened for him, Mu Zhi’an turned to Wei Mengrou and asked, “Can you enter, Mengrou?”
Wei Mengrou nodded. “It’s not blocking me.”
It seemed only Ruoxi’s Celestial Realm was unique, inaccessible to anyone else. The other realms didn’t have such restrictions?
As Mu Zhi’an thought about this, he and Wei Mengrou walked through the open door.
Silence fell over the courtyard, only the flowers swaying gently in the wind, their beauty captivating.
…
As soon as he entered the Celestial Realm, Mu Zhi’an sensed a peculiar aura. He looked up and saw a towering mountain with jagged peaks in the distance. There was only one entrance at the foot of the mountain.
Hundreds of strange rocks of various shapes and colors were scattered around the entrance. Mu Zhi’an sensed a special aura emanating from them.
“Could these be Spirit Mines?” he wondered.
In the cultivation world, Spirit Mines came in various shapes and types. High-grade Spirit Stones, such as Blood Spirit Stones and White Jade Spirit Stones, were usually only the size of a fingernail but were worth tens of thousands of ordinary Spirit Stones.
These special Spirit Stones were often mined from Spirit Mines.
Or rather, they were cut from Spirit Mines.
Is this a reward for passing the first trial… or a trap? Mu Zhi’an wasn’t sure.
Although tempted, he didn’t approach recklessly. As he neared the entrance, he carefully scanned the area with his Spiritual Sense, checking for any formations.
After confirming that there were no traps, he felt relieved.
“There are no formations… Let’s take a closer look.”
Wei Mengrou followed him, and they soon arrived at the entrance, surrounded by countless strange rocks.
Spirit Mines were everywhere. Mu Zhi’an touched one of the rocks and felt a special Spiritual Energy within.
Clearly, this rock contained a special Spirit Stone!
He checked the other rocks and discovered that each one contained the same type of Spiritual Energy.
“If we cut open all these rocks and extract the special Spirit Stones, you could probably increase your cultivation by one or two grades,” Wei Mengrou said, surprised.
“To think they would use so many Spirit Mines as a trial. Who could resist this…?” Mu Zhi’an sighed.
Those with the Innate Spiritual Body had a natural affinity for the world’s Spiritual Energy. This wasn’t limited to pill refining but also applied to enemy detection, absorbing Spiritual Energy during battles, and even ‘stone cutting’ like this.
Normally, ordinary people couldn’t determine the quality of a Spirit Mine through Spiritual Sense alone, but those with the Innate Spiritual Body could roughly discern it.
If Ye Lingxuan, the true possessor of the Innate Spiritual Body, were here, she could probably pick out the best Spirit Mine from these hundreds of rocks.
It’s a shame Lingxuan is still receiving her inheritance… Mu Zhi’an thought with a pang of regret. He was about to reach for a Spirit Mine.
However, as his finger touched the surface of a rock, he suddenly sensed a powerful aura approaching from the distance.
Wei Mengrou reacted instantly, becoming alert.
Mu Zhi’an looked up and saw a beautiful figure in white crashing towards the ground like a meteorite.
Boom!
A tremor shook the ground. Mu Zhi’an quickly retreated before the figure landed.
He looked down at the girl lying on the ground.
“Holy crap, a female lead falling from the sky?!”
Of course, this was just a joke. Although the girl was indeed beautiful, she was clearly fleeing from something, her appearance disheveled.
A faint white glow surrounding her body, a protective barrier, faded away, revealing a young lady he didn’t recognize. She wore a pink and white dress, one of her embroidered shoes missing from her frantic escape. She leaned slightly on one leg, blood trickling from her pale lips.
She was severely injured, her chest stained with blood, her hair disheveled, blood and sweat dripping from her forehead.
Seeing her, Mu Zhi’an immediately thought of someone: Regina.
Although there was probably no connection between them, this girl’s aura resembled Regina’s – delicate and fragile.
I remember the Xuanyin Temple Sect Master’s daughter possesses the rare Xuanyin Body and is naturally frail… Could it be her?
As Mu Zhi’an wondered, the girl slowly raised her head, her eyes dull but filled with a hint of wariness. “Who are you?” she asked softly.
She instinctively tightened her grip on her sword, her gaze wary but filled with exhaustion and regret.
If she had known the outside world was so dangerous, she would never have left the Xuanyin Temple and come to the Sword Palace alone…
No, it wasn’t the outside world that was dangerous, but the hearts of people.
Lin Keyu had never imagined that the boy next door, whom she had always considered a brother, would attack her so ruthlessly and decisively.
If it weren’t for the ancestral artifact fragment her father had given her, she would be dead by now.
But then again, they wouldn’t have targeted her if it weren’t for this fragment.
Lin Keyu chuckled self-deprecatingly, imagining the scene after her death – they would pretend she had encountered an accident in the Sword Palace and even hypocritically comfort her grieving father…
Just thinking about it filled her with rage.
…I can’t die yet!
At least, I need to let Father know their true colors!
As she thought this, she heard a casual voice before her, “I should be the one asking you that. Who are you? It seems you’re being pursued…”
She looked up, her vision blurry. She bit her lip, desperately clinging to consciousness, and said concisely, “Fellow Daoist, if you leave the Sword Palace, please inform the Xuanyin Temple’s Sect Master that the Qianyuan Sect’s young master stole my ancestral artifact fragment and is trying to make it look like I died in an accident… My father will reward you handsomely.”
Her Spiritual Energy was nearly depleted. Escaping the Sword Palace was impossible… But she could ask someone to relay her message to the Xuanyin Temple.
As long as her father knew the truth, he wouldn’t be deceived by the Qianyuan Sect.
“Your father?”
Mu Zhi’an’s interest was piqued. “Are you Lin Keyu, the Xuanyin Temple Sect Master’s daughter?”
As he spoke, a talisman in his hand silently burned, and his eyes turned a brilliant golden color.
Qi Observation Technique.
Using this talisman, he could determine if she was lying.
“You know me…?” Lin Keyu asked, her voice weak as she struggled to maintain consciousness, her gaze fixed on Mu Zhi’an.
Despite her disheveled appearance, it was clear that she was a pampered young lady. Her delicate aura, fair skin, and gentle eyes all attested to this.
“I’ve heard of you,” Mu Zhi’an said with a smile.
A glimmer of hope appeared in Lin Keyu’s eyes. “What do you think of my proposal, Fellow Daoist? If you can relay this message to my father, he will reward you handsomely,” she said, enduring the pain.
She had given up on surviving, but as long as she could expose their true colors, even death was worth it!
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Mu Zhi’an chuckled.
Before disappointment could cloud her face, he took out a pill and handed it to her.
“Take this, and go tell your father yourself.”
He didn’t want to get involved in the conflicts between these powerful factions, but he couldn’t just ignore her.
As for the reason… it wasn’t simply out of kindness. Young Master Mu was a gentleman who appreciated beauty. Saving a potential ‘fish’ for his pond wouldn’t hurt.
Besides, helping her wouldn’t cost him anything. Why not?
Lin Keyu smiled wryly. “My Vessel is shattered. Even if I heal my body with ordinary pills, I’ll eventually die from Spiritual Energy exhaustion. If you’re not willing to help, Fellow Daoist, then don’t waste this pill…”
She glanced at the pill in his hand, then looked at him again, her eyes widening slightly.
“A Returning Essence Pill…?”
The Returning Essence Pill could slowly repair a severely injured person’s Vessel and replenish their Spiritual Energy. One of its key ingredients was only found within the Two Polarities Sect…
Lin Keyu’s eyes flickered. She reached out with difficulty and swallowed the pill.
Then, she looked at Mu Zhi’an with a glimmer of hope. “Are you a disciple of the Two Polarities Sect?”
Mu Zhi’an smiled gently. “You’re severely injured and shouldn’t speak. Focus on recovering.”
“Don’t resist. I’ll temporarily bring you into my Celestial Realm and send you away from here.”
He waved his hand, and a scroll appeared, sucking the injured girl inside.
The Eight Chaos Dream Scroll!
The Returning Essence Pill’s effect took hold almost instantly. As she was pulled into the Eight Chaos Dream Scroll, Lin Keyu’s tense body relaxed. Before losing consciousness, she glanced at Mu Zhi’an.
When her father had tried to arrange her marriage, she had refused, claiming that she wanted to find her own Dao Companion. Now, after leaving home and being targeted, attacked by the Qianyuan Sect within the Sword Palace, she regretted her decision.
But it wasn’t all bad… At least, she had met a kind person in the end.
“I forgot to ask his name…” Lin Keyu’s eyelids grew heavy, and she drifted into unconsciousness, entering the world within Mu Zhi’an’s Eight Chaos Dream Scroll.
“This Eight Chaos Dream Scroll is truly convenient. It’s like a portable Celestial Realm,” Mu Zhi’an said, looking at the scroll that had disappeared into thin air.
“Aren’t you afraid of trouble? Why did you save her?” Wei Mengrou suddenly asked.
Mu Zhi’an sighed. “I can’t just ignore someone in need.”
“Heh.” Wei Mengrou gave him a disdainful look.
Knowing his past actions, she wouldn’t believe such words.
He must have been tempted by the girl’s beauty… Wei Mengrou thought, scoffing inwardly.
Mu Zhi’an was unaware of his maid’s thoughts. He quickly collected himself and focused on the Spirit Mines before him.
After carefully examining them with his Spiritual Sense, he chose the one with the densest Spiritual Energy.
He channeled his Spiritual Energy into his sword and slowly cut open the rock.
The Spirit Mine, the size of a human head, revealed several translucent green gemstones, each the size of a fingernail. There were seven in total.
“If I remember correctly, these are Emerald Leaf Stones, right? Each one is worth about 30,000 Spirit Stones,” Mu Zhi’an asked, turning to Wei Mengrou.
She glanced at the gemstones and nodded. “Indeed.”
She didn’t ask about the Xuanyin Temple Sect Master’s daughter, knowing that her young master had his reasons for everything he did.
“210,000 Spirit Stones… Not bad.”
Mu Zhi’an pondered for a moment, then reached for another Spirit Mine.
However, as soon as his finger touched it, he was blocked by an invisible barrier.
He tried again with a few other rocks, but he couldn’t touch them.
“It seems each person can only choose one Spirit Mine,” Mu Zhi’an murmured, feeling relieved.
If he could take all of them, he would be suspicious.
After all, suddenly obtaining a large sum of Spirit Stones would make anyone uneasy.
Wei Mengrou’s eyes sparkled. She enjoyed this ‘lottery’ like experience.
She reached out and touched a Spirit Mine. Unlike Mu Zhi’an, she wasn’t blocked.
Mu Zhi’an watched her, curious about what kind of Spirit Stone she would find.
Under his gaze, Wei Mengrou shattered the Spirit Mine she had chosen. However, all she found was an empty rock.
Well… It’s Mengrou, after all. It’s to be expected.
Mu Zhi’an understood and tried to maintain a straight face, suppressing his laughter.
Wei Mengrou glanced at him, knowing what he was thinking. She simply rolled her eyes and asked, “Want to go inside?”
Her gaze shifted towards the entrance of the cave.
Mu Zhi’an nodded slightly. “Since we’re already here, and Ruoxi probably won’t be back so soon, let’s take a look.”
He was also curious about what lay within the cave.
If there were so many Spirit Mines at the entrance, perhaps there were even more inside the mountain?
