Him?

Who else could have come to the Qingfeng Nunnery’s hidden realm with Xie Buchen?

Even though Lijun hadn’t mentioned any names, everyone present understood perfectly clearly: this single word “him” from Lijun’s mouth could only refer to one person besides Qu Zhengfeng.

But…

It was true that Qu Zhengfeng had come to the hidden realm, and it was also true that he might know Lijun, but what other connection existed between these two?

Otherwise, why would Lijun inquire about this person?

Jian Chou secretly frowned, speculating about the relationship between the two.

The others naturally also thought of Qu Zhengfeng.

As for the matter of betraying Yashan, how it was viewed within the Yashan sect itself, and what the sect’s cultivators truly thought, everyone was unclear.

What they did know clearly was that nearly all of the Nineteen Continents had been shaken by this incident.

One thought becoming demonic, breaking through to Nascent Soul, advancing to Soul Departure, stealing Yashan’s great sword, and using it to slaughter half of the Jianzhu Sect…

Most importantly, everyone now spread word that the “Nine Curves River Map” originally obtained by the Jianzhu Sect had very likely fallen into Qu Zhengfeng’s hands.

The Jianzhu Sect’s River Map was obtained by Xu Lan’er from the Qingfeng Nunnery’s hidden realm. After Qu Zhengfeng and Xie Buchen visited the hidden realm once, he rebelled shortly after returning and seized the River Map from the Jianzhu Sect…

Was there some connection in between?

Subconsciously, after Lijun’s murmur, everyone turned to glance at Jian Chou, wondering if she would respond.

Jian Chou also had her speculations in her heart, but her face remained completely calm.

In the eyes of the little squirrel and other spirit beasts, Lijun was a being who protected them, certainly not an evil person. But their group, in a certain sense, were external intruders and destroyers, not necessarily likeable.

Qu Zhengfeng had already betrayed Yashan, and the sect had even sent elders to hunt him down, with fellow disciples drawing swords against him.

Speaking broadly, as a Yashan disciple, Jian Chou couldn’t very well directly ask about matters concerning Qu Zhengfeng in front of so many people.

Moreover, though she was curious in her heart, she knew this was someone else’s business and shouldn’t pry too much.

Thus, the entire area around the Koi Pool suddenly fell into silence.

Lijun also seemed to space out for a while. After some time, he finally raised his head again, looked at everyone, and smiled peacefully.

“All who come are guests, and I have been remiss in my hospitality. You have all come for the ‘Nine Curves River Map,’ but the River Map was taken away long ago. Now only some insights left behind by the Master remain in the hidden realm. If you need them, I can take you to read them.”

Read them?

So simple?

No one had expected that Lijun not only understood their purpose completely but also casually threw out such a statement!

In that instant, everyone’s hearts surged with waves of shock.

It came too easily, giving them a dreamlike feeling.

Weren’t the secrets of the River Map supposed to be extremely important? Almost everyone felt that even if they obtained the River Map’s secrets on this trip, it would be extremely difficult, and they might very well return empty-handed.

But now, Lijun himself didn’t seem to care at all!

Jian Chou had previously discussed the Grand Luminous Seal with Xie Buchen and was also clear about Kunwu’s ambitions.

Now that Lijun spoke this way, not only did she not feel relieved about the suddenly easier task, but her heart grew wary.

She glanced inconspicuously at Xie Buchen standing quietly beside her. His face was calm, seemingly completely unmoved by Lijun’s words.

Her wariness deepened another layer. As thoughts flashed through Jian Chou’s mind, she stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Lijun: “We came seeking the River Map’s secrets and don’t understand the hidden realm’s situation. We’ve been presumptuous in many ways and dare not yet mention reading the River Map. When we came, spirit beasts guided us about the hidden realm’s affairs, and we heard that if there were a Grand Luminous Seal, the hidden realm’s collapse could still be prevented. I wonder if Lord Lijun…”

“Grand Luminous Seal…”

Upon hearing this, Lijun naturally shifted his gaze to Xie Buchen.

He was the one who truly protected the hidden realm now, and he was completely aware of everything that happened within the hidden realm.

He naturally knew that Xie Buchen had brought the Grand Luminous Seal, and had even opened great conveniences for this reason.

Looking at this cultivator who was visiting the hidden realm for the second time, Lijun suddenly remembered his first visit. Though he hadn’t yet formed his core, he could already fly through the air, and his abilities were no less impressive—he was someone who had forcibly suppressed his own cultivation realm.

Suppressing one’s realm was for the sake of perfect core formation.

But unexpectedly, his current core formation was not only imperfect but even inferior to his initial state.

So sometimes, Heaven’s intentions were hard to guess.

“Cough, cough cough…”

He suddenly began coughing.

In just the span of a few sentences, his breathing seemed to have become much more disordered, and the fatigue deeply hidden in his eyes seemed about to become unconcealable.

He was already barely hanging on, with not much time left.

Everyone keenly realized this and suddenly fell silent, recalling the previous battle.

But Lijun himself didn’t seem to care much. He smiled and said: “I’ve lived long enough. When exactly I’ll leave doesn’t matter much anymore. It’s just that my obsession lies with this hidden realm, and I cannot let so many people disappear along with the hidden realm…”

He was, after all, the guardian of the hidden realm.

Slowly supporting himself on the steps to stand, Lijun’s body swayed somewhat, and his steps seemed unsteady, though his gaze was very firm, even carrying a kind of understanding that saw through human hearts.

He said to Xie Buchen: “The Grand Luminous Seal is tasteless for you to keep, regrettable to discard. Why not give it to me? It would at least count as a good karmic connection.”

“…”

He knew everything clearly.

With just this one sentence, Xie Buchen understood how terrifyingly perceptive Lijun’s mind was.

When discussing the Grand Luminous Seal, Jian Chou had asked an additional question, saying that the seal talisman in his hand was meant to claim the Qingfeng Nunnery’s hidden realm for himself.

At that time, Xie Buchen hadn’t denied it.

Before departure, Master Hengxu had instructed him exactly thus.

Now that the hidden realm was shattered, taking control of it couldn’t restore it and would even bring life-threatening danger. But if he gave this seal talisman to Lijun to repair the hidden realm, there would at least be a thread of hope.

The choice of what to do was really quite simple.

Xie Buchen lowered his eyes and extended his hand, slowly opening his palm: “This is the Grand Luminous Seal that the Eight Extremes Daozun left in Kunwu, passed down from the intersection of ancient and modern times. It should be able to address the hidden realm’s urgent needs.”

The Grand Luminous Seal had the function of stabilizing space. Many powerful cultivators, after entering the “bounded realm” stage, would strive to find one for their future use.

The higher one’s cultivation, the larger the hidden realm, the more one needed a powerful Grand Luminous Seal.

Even among Grand Luminous Seals, their effectiveness varied greatly.

During that period at the intersection of ancient and modern times, there were three legendary cultivators.

One was the true master of this current hidden realm, Master Buyu; another was the master of Miss Killer Red whom Jian Chou had visited, Ancestor Luye; and the third was the great cultivator of Kunwu, Eight Extremes Daozun.

At the same time, Eight Extremes Daozun was also the earliest to ascend, with considerable cultivation.

Using a Grand Luminous Seal made by him to save Master Buyu’s hidden realm should be sufficient.

The moment Xie Buchen opened his palm, a faint golden light, as if alive, writhed and appeared in his palm.

The ancient and simple seal talisman immediately revealed its outline.

Iron strokes like silver hooks, containing a kind of difficulty within their vigor. As its aura spread, it already made people feel alarmed.

It was like a branding iron embedded in Xie Buchen’s palm, connected to his flesh and blood.

Jian Chou had seen this Grand Luminous Seal before but was feeling that nearly terrifying aura from the seal talisman for the first time.

Without seeing Xie Buchen make any particular movement, a pale purple light surged from his palm, gradually wrapping inward from outside to inside toward the center of his palm.

The seal talisman’s golden light seemed to sense some threat and suddenly contracted, then the seal talisman in his palm began to wriggle.

Everyone understood, and Jian Chou especially recalled her previous speculation.

This seal talisman was nearly one with Xie Buchen’s palm, planted in his palm center, drawing spiritual power from the meridians in his channels, embedded in his flesh and blood.

If she had acted on her earlier thought to sever his palm, this seal talisman would have inevitably changed.

The purple light in his palm grew brighter and brighter, gradually encroaching on the seal talisman’s space.

“Whoosh!”

At the moment when the purple light blazed most intensely, the pale golden light suddenly flared brightly, actually tearing itself out of Xie Buchen’s palm and flying toward the sky!

Lijun’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched this small thing fly away, and simply extended his hand to point lightly.

A dark red line issued from his fingertip, drifting toward the seal talisman that seemed about to escape.

Though this red line’s speed appeared extremely slow, after it appeared, the seal talisman trembled in mid-air as if seeing a natural enemy, unable even to run.

Under everyone’s amazed gazes, the red line unhurriedly and methodically caught up with the Grand Luminous Seal, and in the blink of an eye bound it into a red cocoon.

“…”

At that moment, the area around the Koi Pool fell into an eerie silence.

After the Grand Luminous Seal left, Xie Buchen’s face went pale for an instant, though it quickly returned to normal.

He looked at Lijun’s red line, amazed by the opponent’s effortless technique.

Anyone could see that this Grand Luminous Seal was extraordinary, even somewhat sinister, yet Lijun’s intervention was as easy as lifting something light.

He lightly hooked his finger, and the red line obediently flew back to his palm.

With another finger movement, the red line unwound again.

Lijun extended his finger to pick up the pale golden seal talisman, holding it in his palm to examine.

Only then did everyone truly see the appearance of this “Grand Luminous Seal.”

It wasn’t merely a seal talisman, but more like a seal cast from gold, with visible curves, edges, and thickness, though its surface flowed with golden light, appearing ever-changing.

Could such a seal talisman save the entire hidden realm?

Jian Chou watched, momentarily dazed.

“Indeed a fine seal.”

Lijun gazed at this seal talisman for a long time, then raised his head to look at the magnificent celestial palace overhead, and the countless cracks appearing on all sides of the palace, his eyes growing heavier.

This seal talisman was sufficient to save the hidden realm.

He lowered his head again, nodded slightly to Xie Buchen in acknowledgment, then actually turned around and headed back down the steps.

The steps beside the Koi Pool weren’t wide to begin with, and Lijun’s gait upon them had an awkward quality, as if he might collapse at any moment.

After all, his true form was a fish. Fish have tail fins but no legs, so naturally walked differently from ordinary people.

Especially when…

He was so weak.

While he was sitting, Jian Chou hadn’t noticed much, but once he stood up, his frail and thin figure beneath the red robe became immediately clear.

It was all because of the previous battle with the giant falcon Wu E, wasn’t it?

If there hadn’t been that battle…

If Little Book Moth had known the situation then…

If she hadn’t carelessly released the giant falcon…

“All things under heaven have their destined order. How can you escape what Heaven intends for you to experience? Wu E’s evil has always existed, and the hidden realm was bound to face this tribulation—it was only a matter of who would trigger it.”

Lijun’s voice, accompanied by the splash of water from his walking, drifted over faintly.

“Releasing Wu E was your cause, bringing me the Grand Luminous Seal is your effect. But your entry into the hidden realm was my cause, and now my paying the price for it is my own effect.”

Jian Chou suddenly froze.

He hadn’t turned around, yet seemed to know what she was thinking.

This statement came at too perfect a time.

Moreover…

She understood the first half of this talk of “cause and effect,” but saying her entry into the hidden realm was a “cause” that Lijun had planted left her completely bewildered.

Many things flashed through her mind at once.

The Heaven-Flipping Seal that Lijun had used above the celestial palace; the first time she had used the Heaven-Flipping Seal in Yashan’s Scripture Pavilion according to the Dao seal she had drawn herself; the golden light Dao seal that broke through clouds and darkness that she had seen on the cliff behind Qingfeng Nunnery…

In that instant, she couldn’t help but feel her heart jump, suddenly grasping the connection.

Jian Chou looked toward Lijun.

Lijun had already descended the steps and walked through the water to the center of the Koi Pool.

There happened to be the largest lotus leaf in the pool, with two lotus flowers blooming beside it.

One had already matured and bloomed fully, its deep red petals loosely enclosing the azure lotus pod within in splendid beauty; the other was still in bud, the entire flower bud swollen as if it would burst open the next moment and bloom with stunning beauty.

At this moment, everyone’s gaze was involuntarily drawn to these two lotus flowers by Lijun’s actions.

The Grand Luminous Seal had been obtained—what method would Lijun use to repair the entire hidden realm?

Everyone couldn’t understand those words full of mystery that he spoke, but they knew his current actions must relate to repairing the hidden realm.

At this moment, they were people in a painting. Looking in all directions, they could only see vague pavilions and towers, as if shrouded in a layer of misty rain, somewhat blurry and unclear.

What was clear was only the nearby lake surface, the nearby Koi Pool, and what could be seen by raising one’s head—

The majestic celestial palace!

Complete silence filled the ground.

No one spoke.

Only Lu Xiangleng, watching Lijun’s overly weak figure, showed several traces of worry in her eyes.

Everyone could see that Lijun’s condition wasn’t very good—he had even said himself that his time was running short—but only she could tell: how could it be merely “not very good”?

She even worried that this guardian of the hidden realm might simply collapse…

At that moment, Jian Chou turned to look at her.

The instant their gazes met, she completely understood Lu Xiangleng’s concern.

But no one could help Lijun. They were all merely observers.

Lijun himself had never thought of wanting anyone’s help. For so many years, he had endured almost entirely alone.

To obtain another Grand Luminous Seal was already an unexpected joy—how could he dare ask for so much more?

He stopped before the fully bloomed lotus flower.

The emerald lotus pod contained visible lotus seeds one by one.

With the Grand Luminous Seal in his palm, Lijun sighed softly and extended his other hand to gently touch the lotus petals: “Only we remain.”

The lotus flower trembled slightly, as if understanding his words.

A smile appeared on Lijun’s pale face. He gently moved the now-docile seal talisman, placing it lightly at the center of the lotus petals, atop the lotus pod.

The pale golden seal talisman, as if sensing it had escaped control, immediately prepared to blaze with golden light and flee again.

Unexpectedly, the red lotus was faster!

Whoosh…

Fast enough to produce a faint sound.

Layer upon layer of fiery red petals actually closed rapidly at the moment the seal talisman’s light blazed!

In the blink of an eye, before the seal talisman could escape, it struck the lotus petals and was firmly blocked back, locked within!

Each lotus petal then tightly closed, like a massive prison, completely trapping the seal talisman inside.

No matter how fierce the entity, it seemed unable to break through.

The feeling of that moment was terrifying to the extreme.

It was like an elegant beauty suddenly opening a bloody maw to swallow a live bull whole, then contentedly burping afterward.

Upright posture, soft waist, graceful bearing, yet carrying an almost ferocious coldness!

What a red lotus indeed!

No one had expected such a development!

Quite a few people secretly drew in sharp breaths.

Even Jian Chou couldn’t help but contract her pupils, her gaze toward the red lotus instantly changing.

But Lijun didn’t mind in the least.

The gaze he directed at the red lotus was even more gentle, even containing a kind of hidden sorrow.

It was sympathy for one’s own kind, empathy.

The Koi Pool wasn’t very deep. He stood on the bottom with water reaching only his waist, his crimson robe floating on the surface, making his entire figure look like a blooming red lotus, complementing the one before him.

With a bitter curve of his lips, his fingers gently stroked the lotus petals as he softly said: “Go now. I’ll help you.”

The red lotus trembled gently again, as if nuzzling against his palm, as if comforting him.

Then Lijun released his palm—

The entire red lotus shot skyward like it had finally broken free of all constraints!

The azure stem grew madly at this moment, continuously rising higher, higher, higher…

The seemingly delicate stem supported that brilliant red lotus, that swollen flower bud!

Supporting it as it constantly, constantly approached the sky!

Everyone raised their heads high following its movement!

This was a scene no one had expected, a nearly shocking scene…

To heaven and earth, how insignificant was a single lotus flower?

To heaven and earth, what did a single koi amount to?

But such an insignificant existence, with nearly stunning courage, continuously elevated itself higher, higher…

Though already at a great distance, Jian Chou could clearly see pale azure flames igniting on that slender stem!

It was burning its entire life force…

How high was the sky?

Even if this was only the sky of the hidden realm.

The Grand Luminous Seal was meant to guard the hidden realm, but without this seal, the celestial palace and hidden realm treated all who sought to approach with equal severity—

Whatever came would be regarded as an offense against heavenly authority!

“Boom!”

Beneath the entire sky, dark clouds suddenly surged, pressing down in an instant!

The red lotus, still rapidly growing and already at half the height, needing only a little more progress to touch that celestial palace…

But now, under the oppressive dark clouds, the red lotus’s advance became extremely difficult.

Even more terrifying was…

Once the pitch-black clouds descended, they actually suppressed the flames on the stem, like grinding stones gradually wearing away those pale azure flames…

After advancing at most a few more zhang, the red lotus and its green stem immediately became wilted.

The sky was still so high, so far away—how could it possibly be crossed?

The red lotus advanced again but struggled with every step.

Another thunderous “boom” as the clouds, thick as ink, crashed down upon it again!

The red lotus wrapped around the seal talisman nearly fell under this wave of clouds!

Everyone’s hearts stopped beating in that instant!

Was it about to fail?

This thought appeared in everyone’s minds almost simultaneously.

The entire sky was a dismal gray, with only that red lotus and its stem being the sole color in this heaven and earth, in everyone’s field of vision.

But in this nearly frozen moment, another trace of color came drifting and swaying.

A red thread.

Thin and slender, extending high from the center of the Koi Pool, from Lijun’s fingertip.

It was a color as vivid as fresh blood.

In that moment, Jian Chou felt it didn’t look like a red thread at all, but like a line of blood—

“Hum…”

A faint sound vibrated through the void the moment the red thread wound around the green stem.

Instantly, the pale azure flames that had dimmed blazed intensely again.

The entire green stem seemed to receive some kind of sustenance, its wilted state instantly changing to jade-green freshness. Even those tightly closed petals seemed to regain vitality, blazing red as if about to drip blood, as if about to burn…

The already gray sky became even more dismal.

Only that cold yet nearly magnificent brilliance made people’s eyes burn.

Jian Chou turned her face somewhat stiffly, only to see Lijun standing in the center of the lotus pool.

He raised his head, steadily gazing upward.

From this angle, Jian Chou couldn’t see his expression clearly—perhaps he was crying, perhaps smiling.

What she could see was only his red robe, his red robe gradually turning white…

That thread of red line flying toward the red lotus seemed drawn from his robe.

With each fraction the red thread flew out, the crimson color on his robe diminished by that same fraction.

Starting from the sleeves, as the red sleeves flew out, gradually his entire body turned white, transparent, a color approaching death…

The red thread continued to flow out endlessly.

With Lijun’s assistance, the red lotus rose higher and higher, finally approaching the highest celestial palace in that moment!

Then the tightly closed flower bud suddenly opened toward the celestial palace!

“Splash…”

Like the brilliant sound of blooming!

Petals opened instantly, actually growing madly outward, immediately becoming enormous, spreading like grasping claws, even seeming to want to envelop the entire celestial palace!

The pale golden Grand Luminous Seal, trapped within the petals for so long, finally burst out impatiently the moment the petals opened.

“Whoosh!”

Almost simultaneously, the giant lotus flower also struck out at high speed!

Having released the Grand Luminous Seal, it had obviously guessed the seal’s next move, so with no surprise at all, it crashed directly into the seal talisman.

“Boom!”

Magnificent power exploded instantly!

Exquisite to the extreme, and gorgeous to the extreme!

At that moment, the sky no longer showed dismal gloom. In the boundless vastness spread endless radiating golden light, endless blooming red lotuses, endless rising karmic fire…

And that drifting down from the horizon…

A thread of red line.