The rumbling throughout the Beast Sealing Formation grew louder. Uncertain of the cause, Nan Yan followed Nan Yi’s directions to a small island. There, she dug open a rock cave and, as expected, found Yin Ya inside.
Mu Zhanting immediately hoisted Yin Ya onto his back. His divine sense swept the area, detecting Li Chi and other Si State demonic cultivators rushing towards the formation’s exit about ten sea miles away.
“They’re heading in the wrong direction. The exit must have shifted,” Mu Zhanting observed.
Nan Yan replied, “I questioned a newly arrived demonic cultivator earlier. He mentioned a Nascent Soul stage cultivator waiting outside. If we leave now, we might be trapped.”
Before reaching the Golden Core stage, cultivators could potentially defeat higher-level opponents through accumulated spiritual power. However, Golden Core cultivators stood no chance against those at the Nascent Soul stage and could only flee.
Breaking through from Golden Core to Nascent Soul granted cultivators a ‘spirit’, marking a significant qualitative change. It was from the Nascent Soul stage that cultivators truly began exploring their chosen great Dao.
Nascent Soul cultivators represented the upper echelons of the cultivation world. Even the most talented prodigies couldn’t harm them across such a vast cultivation gap.
As Nan Yan pondered this, a sudden disturbance in the seabed caught her attention. She looked towards the shore, her heart lifting.
“Ruyi,” she called out.
Mu Zhanting, not sensing the monkey’s presence, asked, “Who are you calling? What Ruyi?”
“My new disciple,” Nan Yan explained.
Mu Zhanting glanced around as they walked, commenting, “Sounds quite festive… Holy crap!”
Ruyi floated beneath the sea surface. After a moment, he tossed the hook snake skeleton from around his neck onto the shore, making muffled noises.
“What did you say?” Nan Yan asked.
Ruyi opened his mouth wide, and a purple light shot out, heading straight for Yin Ya on Mu Zhanting’s back.
“Master,” Ruyi said, “The eighth layer’s underwater formation eye was uprooted. I caught a spirit nearby, sneaking around with something.”
Simultaneously, a soaked storage bag was thrown ashore, looking more like an embroidered ball than a bag due to its contents.
Nan Yan was speechless. This fox spirit had likely caused trouble after finding some treasure at the seabed.
She walked over and grabbed Yin Ya’s hair.
“Ow, ow, ow!” Yin Ya woke instantly.
Releasing him, Nan Yan asked expressionlessly, “Were you born in the Year of the Dragon?”
Rubbing his scalp where some hair had been pulled out, Yin Ya’s gaze darted around. “I was born in the Year of the Snake. Why?”
“Seeing how you like to hoard things, I thought you might be a dragon,” Nan Yan retorted. “How did you cause this earthquake?”
“I…” Yin Ya said, short of breath, “After being pulled into that lava tube, I had nothing to do and wandered around. When the Great Sun Fire Essence above seemed to extinguish and the lava flowed away, a box appeared in the volcano’s mouth.”
“So you just took it?” Nan Yan pressed.
Yin Ya replied, “I felt a mysterious connection to the box.”
As he finished speaking, the entire Beast Sealing Formation’s sea area shook three times, more violently than before, splitting the small island they stood on.
“Let’s continue this conversation outside,” Nan Yan decided.
Meanwhile, Li Chi was equally eager to leave this dreadful place. Just as the exit came into view, he heard a massive rumbling sound approaching from behind. Enraged, he seemed ready to turn back and confront Mu Zhanting.
The magician beside him hastily advised, “Young Lord, now isn’t the time. Miss Mian foresaw this and summoned a Nascent Soul cultivator to guard the entrance. You should escape first. With a Nascent Soul cultivator present, we can easily deal with Mu Zhanting later.”
Ignoring the advice, Li Chi snarled, “If he escapes, won’t all my humiliations in the Beast-Sealing Array spread? How will I explain this to my father?”
The gathered dark cultivators fell silent, save for a black-robed figure who chuckled softly.
Displeased, Li Chi snapped, “You should have brought that woman back earlier. Since Mu Zhanting calls her his sister, he wouldn’t abandon her. We could have set our terms!”
After Li Chi calmed slightly, Yin spoke, “I hesitated because that Buddhist girl seemed highly valued by the Demigod cultivator.”
Another dark cultivator mused, “Come to think of it, that Buddhist girl resembles the beauties in your harem, Young Lord. Though your concubines are lovely, compared to her…”
The cultivators trailed off, carefully watching Li Chi’s expression.
Li Chi’s mood improved. “Brother Yin is right. If Nan Yi values her, we can’t underestimate her status. We must report this to my father. Still, it’s not a total loss. Mu Zhanting here represents Chen State. Their audacity in interfering with Dao Sheng Heaven’s decree must be reported to the Celestial Ruler.”
With that, they stepped through the boundary gate one by one.
Before leaving, Yin glanced at the distant, flickering flames and discreetly left a trace of divine sense at the gate before departing.
Exiting the gate, they were greeted by a damp, cold sea breeze. Above, dense clouds swirled ominously.
Yin found it intriguing when he saw a provocatively dressed purple-clad girl flutter into Li Chi’s arms, her face tear-stained.
“Brother, you’re finally back. I’ve been so worried,” she said, carefully examining Li Chi’s injuries. Her eyes flashed with killing intent. “Who dared hurt you like this? Even using Continuous Limb Pills! Tell me, brother. I’ll tear them to pieces!”
Li Chi gritted his teeth. “Mu Zhanting is behind it all. The Beast-Sealing Array is unstable; he’ll have to come out soon. Uncle Xu!”
The Nascent Soul cultivator addressed as Uncle Xu responded, “What are your orders, Young Lord?”
“This hatred is hard to swallow. When Mu Zhanting emerges, capture him immediately.”
Uncle Xu looked troubled. “But he’s also a Young Lord. If we trigger the Dragon Lord’s divine sense in him…”
The Chen State Dragon Lord, Ao Guanghan, was every dark cultivator’s nightmare. As a mere Nascent Soul cultivator, Uncle Xu couldn’t even contemplate opposing him.
Li Chi’s face darkened. “Merely capturing him won’t trigger the divine sense. I won’t let my dismemberment go unpunished. I’ll only break his limbs and spare his life. That’s merciful enough.”
“Very well. If it’s your order, Young Lord, I’ll obey.”
Uncle Xu, having watched Li Chi and Li Mian grow up, naturally favored them. He flashed towards the boundary gate.
Through the gate, he sensed a strange fire energy. He coldly called out, “Young friend inside, come out obediently and beg our Young Lord for mercy. Considering you’re both Young Lords, we might spare your life.”
Silence answered him. Uncle Xu sneered and stepped closer.
“The gate will close in a quarter hour, sealing the space. Even a Demigod cultivator couldn’t extract you then. I have all the time in the world to wait!”
Another half-quarter hour passed. Unable to enter the Beast-Sealing Array with his Nascent Soul cultivation, Uncle Xu mocked, “So much for Chen State’s famed bravery. You’re nothing but cowards. Fine, Young Lord, let’s not waste time on such weaklings. Let’s go.”
As Uncle Xu turned, he sensed spiritual energy fluctuating behind him. His eyes flashed with murderous intent as he whirled, striking at the gate.
“Foolish child, you’ve lowered your guard!”
He was certain Mu Zhanting would try to escape when he relaxed his vigilance. This strike packed enough force to cripple a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator. However, instead of Mu Zhanting’s group emerging, a deafening ape’s cry erupted from the gate.
The cry was incredibly shrill. Caught off guard, Uncle Xu felt a foul wind hit his face, destabilizing his Nascent Soul. He coughed up blood.
“A Nascent Soul-level demon beast!”
The ape’s cry, amplified through the gate, affected all the Ji State cultivators outside. They bled from seven orifices, with weaker ones falling from the sky.
Amidst the chaos, no one noticed three figures wrapped in purple light silently slipping out of the gate.
Uncle Xu, hit head-on by the demon beast’s innate ability, took several breaths to stabilize his divine sense. Furious and shocked, he swept his perception across the area, discovering three Foundation Establishment auras had escaped their encirclement. As he moved to pursue, a black-robed youth silently blocked his path.
“Why are you stopping me?”
Ignoring him, the black-robed figure addressed the gate, “Master.”
Suddenly, an aged voice echoed from the gate:
“We’ve obtained the Destroying Iron. Let those three Foundation Establishment cultivators go as a favor to the Nan family. Don’t pursue them further. Once I return to Ji State, I’ll help the Tianxie Sect crush Chen State’s cultivators!”
Two days later, in a southern city of Yin State, three figures—two men and a woman—emerged from a teleportation array.
A Foundation Building cultivator guarding the array sensed their presence and hurriedly stood, bowing respectfully. “Esteemed Foundation Establishment seniors, how may I be of service?”
As he glanced up, he saw a purple-eyed, white-robed demon cultivator step out and retch against a nearby pillar.
The other two watched coldly. A veiled Buddhist nun remarked, “When will you finally stop getting teleportation sickness?”
It was Nan Yan and her companions. They’d been using teleportation arrays to move around for the past two days, finally reaching a city near Western Emperor Mountain, the capital of Yin State. Ji State’s dark cultivators wouldn’t dare pursue them here.
Nan Yan turned to the bewildered Foundation Building cultivator. “Do you have any suitable temporary cave dwellings? My brother is delicate and needs rest.”
“Yes, we do,” the cultivator replied. “Though accommodations are tight due to Cloud Imperial Consort’s Millennial Celebration, we can certainly arrange something for Foundation Establishment cultivators.”
Cloud Imperial Consort? Nan Yan recalled her family history. This consort must be her mother Nan Rao’s stepmother. If someone from Yin State had retrieved her mother’s remains from Fan State, this step-grandmother might know something.
As they walked, Nan Yan inquired, “We’re from another state. What’s the scale of Cloud Imperial Consort’s celebration?”
The local cultivator proudly explained, “Cloud Imperial Consort comes from a prestigious family. This year marks her 700th birthday. She’s invited talented young cultivators from various states to the Red Emperor’s Jade Palace. To cheer her up, besides martial competitions, they’ve invited Confucian cultivators from Dao Sheng Heaven to host a literary gathering. The best poet will gain insights from the palace treasure—the Red Emperor’s Northern Expedition Painting.”
Mu Zhanting, initially disinterested, perked up at the mention of a literary gathering. “What? What literary gathering?”
Nan Yan and Yin Ya, their survival instincts kicking in, frantically shook their heads. “No, no, there’s no literary gathering. You misheard.”
Mu Zhanting grabbed the Foundation Building cultivator excitedly. “Is there a literary gathering?”
Startled, the cultivator stammered, “Cloud Imperial Consort comes from a Confucian family and loves poetry. She’s invited Confucian cultivators from various states to compete in poetry and prose.”
Many cultivators believed that those well-versed in literature had better enlightenment, so some prestigious families required their talented youth to study classics alongside cultivation.
Mu Zhanting grew more excited. “Are there any entry requirements?”
“Foundation Establishment cultivators from major sects with Demigod powerhouses can enter the Red Emperor’s Jade Palace with identity jade tablets. Young Lords from various states can reside in the palace and receive Yin State’s hospitality. Cloud Imperial Consort’s nephew, the Young Lord of Shen State, will also attend.”
Mu Zhanting, priding himself on his vast knowledge but rarely finding use for it, greatly appreciated Cloud Imperial Consort’s literary birthday celebration.
“Excellent! Today, I’ll make a name for myself. Ah Yan, didn’t you want to gather information at the Red Emperor’s Jade Palace? I think we should… Huh? Where did they go?”