After leaving the medical office, Taoist Xuanyan didn’t return to the Dragon Declaration Guard. Instead, he meandered through the city, eventually arriving at a luxurious cave dwelling in Dragon Capital.
“Welcome, Venerable One. Please, come in,” a beautiful female cultivator greeted him. Xuanyan embraced her playfully for a moment before pointing to a nearby pillar where a fragrant lamp burned. “You’ve even lit the mermaid oil lamps. Is Daoist Qin entertaining an important guest today?”
The woman giggled. “Yes, a visitor from another State. They’re discussing some matters related to elixirs and spirit stones.”
Xuanyan pondered this information silently. Chen State was known for its strong clan system. Although no one dared openly defy the Ao family’s rule, many clans were dissatisfied with the Dragon Lord’s lack of bloodline heirs. Mu Zhanting’s presence only fueled their discontent, with the Qin family being among the most vocal opponents.
He had deep connections with the Qin family in Dragon Capital and had often stirred up trouble between Mu Zhanting and the Nascent Soul cultivators in the Four Guards at their behest. This cave dwelling served as a secret meeting place for the Qin family patriarch to entertain guests who preferred discretion. It also housed numerous “furnaces” – young cultivators used for dual cultivation – and Xuanyan was a frequent visitor.
Bantering with the female cultivator, they turned down a corridor and arrived at a secret hall. In the center was a fragrant pool where three or four scantily clad beauties lounged, gazing seductively at a young guest seated by a wine table. On the main seat reclined an obese old man who said, “… Young friend Yin, you truly don’t act your age. The beauties and wine in my humble abode may not be unparalleled, but they’re certainly rare in this world. Yet you’ve come only to discuss business, not even sparing a glance at my beauties. Isn’t that a bit too impersonal? You’ve helped my Qin family greatly with that business in Si State. If any of these beauties catch your eye, just say the word.”
The young guest politely declined, “As they say, ‘Wine may harm the body but can be cured; beauties harm the heart with no remedy.’ Your wine is exquisite, Elder, and I don’t mind indulging. But I dare not partake of your beauties.”
The Qin patriarch’s concubines, who were draped around him, cast longing glances at the young guest upon hearing this.
“Have you had your heart broken before?” the Qin patriarch asked with a laugh.
The guest’s mechanical fingers tapped lightly on his wine cup. He smiled as if recalling something amusing and said softly, “The first time someone took my heart, I felt nothing but hatred and anger. But years later, when my heart was taken a second time, I found myself only filled with longing.”
As Xuanyan entered the cave, he scrutinized the guest but couldn’t discern anything noteworthy. “Brother Qin, who might this be?” he inquired.
“Ah Xuanyan, have a seat. Let me introduce you… This is the esteemed disciple of the Tianya Sect’s Vice Leader. He’s the one who helped us make a splash in the Dragon Court before the Divine Coffin Sect entered the battlefield.”
Despite being from the Dragon Declaration Guard, Xuanyan knew this was a delicate situation. He remarked, “Oh? I couldn’t tell if this young friend was Elder Huo Wuji’s talented disciple. What brings you to Dragon Capital?”
The Qin patriarch interjected, “Our young friend represents Elder Huo Wuji. Xuanyan, you may not know, but before Elder Huo entered the demon-sealing array, he had his eye on a Great Solar Fire Essence. Unexpectedly, that Mu boy snatched it away. If not for this clever disciple’s quick thinking, Mu might have already returned to Dragon Capital with the Destruction Iron produced by the fire essence. Then, no one could have challenged his position!”
At the mention of Destruction Iron, Xuanyan’s expression changed slightly. “No wonder I felt something strange about the flames when that Mu boy struck me today. To think it was from such a rare treasure as the Great Solar Fire Essence! If he successfully forms his Nascent Soul, won’t he be able to surpass all other Nascent Soul cultivators?”
Hearing this, the Qin patriarch pushed away the beauty on his lap, his face darkening. “He’s just an unknown cultivator from an ordinary State. The Dragon Lord is clearly showing too much favoritism!”
Qi Yang, stroking the rim of his wine cup, looked up at the two disgruntled Nascent Soul cultivators and said, “Even if he’s of royal blood, he’s still just a Core Formation cultivator. My master has a longstanding grudge against him. If you two elders are willing to make a difficult decision, I have a plan.”
The Qin patriarch seemed tempted but didn’t want to show it. “This… doesn’t seem right. Our two States are neighbors and already have some friction. If the Dragon Lord discovers my Qin family’s involvement in harming the prince…”
“What is there to fear?” Xuanyan interjected. “That prince has become so arrogant right after reaching Core Formation, not showing any respect for us Nascent Soul elders. Once he forms his Nascent Soul, won’t our lives become even more difficult? For the future of Chen State, to keep it from falling into outsiders’ hands, I say we must act decisively. Young friend Yin, please share your brilliant plan!”
Qi Yang lowered his gaze slightly and said, “This matter… involves a secret plan in Si State. I must ask both elders to swear a heart demon oath first.”
The two Nascent Soul cultivators’ interest was piqued. At their level, more knowledge was always beneficial, so they swiftly agreed and urged him to reveal the details.
“Si State recently discovered a ghost domain, said to be a battlefield left behind by Ancestor Senluo when he opened up Si State. It’s filled with countless remnant souls of Void Tribulation stage cultivators. A Nascent Soul cultivator from Si State accidentally entered and emerged with the ability to borrow the power of the Void Tribulation stage,” Qi Yang explained. Noticing the two Nascent Soul cultivators’ breathing quicken, he continued, “After my master Huo Wuji personally entered the ghost domain, he declared it an unprecedented opportunity. He’s secretly gathering Nascent Soul cultivators from various sects in Si State to enter together on a specific day and borrow the power of the Void Tribulation stage. The princes of various States are all extraordinary talents who may not need to borrow this power, but given his precarious position, he won’t pass up this chance to consolidate his status through military achievements… At that time, you two elders can manipulate the situation, claiming the secret realm is meant for Core Formation cultivators. Given his personality, he’s sure to venture in alone.”
Once inside, he would discover it was full of Nascent Soul stage demonic cultivators!
Xuanyan found the plan increasingly feasible. “Either way, it’s his choice to enter the secret realm. Even if the Dragon Lord investigates, he can’t trace it back to us! Young friend Yin, let’s proceed with this plan.”
Qi Yang stood up and produced a mechanical bird. “Very well. The ghost domain’s location is not far from the Qitian Plain. When the time comes, use this mechanical bird as a signal, and I’ll guide you to the exact location.”
With that, he excused himself, citing other business.
As Qi Yang left, the Qin patriarch sneered, “A mere heart demon oath thinks it can bind Nascent Soul cultivators? Laughable.”
“If what he says is true, this could be a great opportunity!” Xuanyan stroked his beard, his eyes glinting. “We could secretly mobilize our agents in Si State. We might even disguise ourselves as demonic cultivators and sneak in to seize the remnant souls of those ancient Void Tribulation cultivators!”
The Qin patriarch was equally tempted. “I only have 180 years left in my lifespan. If I could achieve the Void Tribulation stage, even by borrowing power, I could live another 500 years! Daoist Xuanyan, we must keep this to ourselves!”
Xuanyan quickly agreed. After finalizing their plans, he hurriedly left the Qin family’s secret cave dwelling and flew back to his residence in the Dragon Lion Guard.
Upon returning, his demeanor turned serious. He entered a secret room, activated a divination board with a wave of his hand, and sat down formally. “Undercover agent of Chen State requesting an audience with Sect Master Daotian,” he announced.
A blurry figure appeared above the divination board, its voice equally indistinct. “Xuanyan, what developments have occurred in Chen State?”
“Reporting to Master, there’s still no sign of the Soul Nurturing Pool in Chen State. However, we have news about the Soul Nurturing Pool in Si State. Someone has discovered a ghost domain there containing a large number of Void Tribulation stage cultivator remnant souls. It’s suspected to be… a Soul Nurturing Pool!”
The figure of the so-called Sect Master Daotian trembled slightly. “If this is true, then five of the nine Soul Nurturing Pools in the world have been revealed. Once we capture each Netherworld Lord’s crown, our thousand-year plan for the Way to Ascend to Heaven will be complete! Fellow disciples, it’s time to end your seclusion and prepare for battle!”
As the divination board shook, nine chairs appeared in the void. Terrifying auras seeped out, causing even Xuanyan, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, to fall to his knees, drenched in a cold sweat.
As several authoritative voices echoed from within:
“The Soul River Waterfall in Zi State – Mingquan Chuan! I’ll oversee it personally!”
“The Heavenly Scabbard Ghost Abyss in Wei State, Xiaquan Chuan! I’ll capture it!”
“The Fengquan Chuan of the Mountain and Sea Forbidden Decree, I’ll take responsibility for it!”
“The Hanquan Chuan of the Demon Sealing Array, I’ll lead our disciples to conquer it!”
Each voice represented one of the most mysterious and powerful forces in the cultivation world, each no less formidable than a provincial ruler. Yet even these mighty beings fell silent, waiting for something.
After a long pause, an elegant yet detached voice spoke:
“A little later, in the Filthy Valley of Fan State, Huangquan Chuan… I’ll handle it personally.”
…
“Legend has it that hell has nine levels. The Hell Lord controls the Heavenly Demons and oversees nine hells: Ya, Huang, Han, Yin, You, Ku, Xia, and Ming. These nine hells govern the final resting place of all souls in the world.”
“One day, the lords of the nine hells grew dissatisfied with the Hell Lord’s rule and planned to unite and kill him, taking control for themselves.”
“But the lords of the nine hells were all formidable, and none would submit to another. The Lord of Huangquan Hell grew angry and, wielding a ten-zhang-long blade that could slay gods and demons, began slaughtering the other hells one by one. After wiping them all out, the nine hells fell under his control. He then dragged his massive blade to the Hell Lord’s palace, where the Hell Lord was embracing his queen… hehe.”
A cultivator in the audience, unsatisfied, threw melon seed shells at the storyteller: “My spirit tea has gone cold twice already! Get on with it! Did that ten-zhang blade split the Hell Lord in two or not?”
“No, I want to hear what the Hell Lord and his queen were doing!” another shouted.
The storyteller laughed, “Well then if the esteemed guests would kindly provide two more spirit stones for tea money, this humble one is quite parched…”
As the teahouse by the road buzzed with these far-fetched tales of the underworld, Qi Yang’s steps slowed only briefly before he smiled and moved on.
Night had fallen, and Dragon Capital’s splendor was beginning to show its true decadent charm. His move today was coming to an end; he only needed to wait for those fat fish to take the bait and fall into his rhythm.
The Youquan Chuan that the Way of Heaven Ascension so desperately wanted to obtain… could it be the place where Xuanzai had met his downfall?
He should have felt pleased, but something seemed to be missing.
Qi Yang strolled down the street. It happened to be a full moon tonight, and the streets were bustling with people. Lanterns glowing with spiritual light floated like stars above Dragon Capital. It wasn’t until the passersby gradually turned into couples that he realized what was missing beside him.
…A romantically clueless Buddhist nun.
As if answering his expectation, in a brightly lit area, amidst a group of young, handsome men, a Buddhist nun was holding a package of spirit osmanthus cakes. Faced with the eager flattery of those around her, she looked utterly helpless, only able to stuff her cheeks full of cakes in an attempt to avoid responding.
“If it weren’t for your help, Buddhist friend, I might have lost this arm. Whatever delicious food or fun attractions there are in Dragon Capital, I can get them all for you if you want.”
“Zhengyuan, have you ever thought about returning to secular life? I’ve cultivated for forty years without a Dao partner or concubine. Would you consider it?”
“With your relationship with the prince, why not just join our Dragon Lion Guard on the expedition? I study formations, so I won’t go anywhere. I’ll stay by your side to protect you.”
The prosperity of Chen State had nurtured many unrestrained cultivators who would express their feelings openly if they liked someone.
Nan Yan had been busy from day to night, having healed all the severely injured cultivators. Her spiritual energy was completely drained. The Dragon Lion Guard cultivators often heard Mu Zhanting call her “sister,” which suddenly sparked their interest. Some of the newly recovered cultivators insisted on taking her out to enjoy Dragon Capital’s festival night.
This kind of situation was practically hell for a nun. Nan Yan couldn’t help but miss the socially adept Meng Ying and asked, “I was too busy this afternoon to notice, does anyone know where Daoist Meng Ying went?”
“Oh, her? She heard that the prince likes poetry and literature, so she foolishly took a book of poems to seek his guidance.”
Nan Yan: “And then?”
“She spent a full three hours with the prince. When the prince was called away by the Dragon Lord, Daoist Meng looked completely emaciated. When we asked her about it, she said not to call her ‘Daoist’ anymore, but to call her ‘illiterate’ instead.”
How pitiful.
Nearby, a young Core Formation cultivator whose leg Nan Yan had saved looked at her in the lantern light and thought she resembled Guanyin Bodhisattva descended to the mortal world. He rubbed his hands nervously, bought a sky lantern, and shyly asked, “Daoist Zhengyuan, could you help me light this spirit fire?”
Nan Yan: “If I do, can I return to my cave dwelling to rest?”
“Of course, of course. This is the last thing.”
Not understanding the significance, Nan Yan just wanted to finish the outing. She helped him light the lantern.
After releasing the lantern, the cultivator watched it float into the night sky and said with deep emotion, “In our Chen State, there’s a legend that if two people release a sky lantern together, they’ll stay together for a long time…”
Nan Yan stared at the lantern and suddenly exclaimed, “Ah!”
The cultivator looked up to see a gust of cold wind blow through, extinguishing a large number of the floating lanterns. His lantern, in particular, spun around and fell directly into a nearby pond, slowly sinking.
Then, a cool voice came from behind a nearby glass lantern stand:
“In our Zi State, there’s also a legend. If a sky lantern goes out before it’s been up for a quarter of an hour, the two people will never cross paths again.”
“…”