Chapter 645 - 499: Taiyi Paradise
The four sects convened together; what else could it be about besides the arrival of the Celestial Monarch?
In fact, Lu Qian had already anticipated this move, he just didn’t expect it to come so soon. This drop of True Dragon Blood can only be kept inside him for a while longer.
Fortunately, his understanding of the Five Elements has deepened over time, even though it’s using some of the Dao Pattern’s power, it can still be maintained without depleting him to the point of collapse.
Moreover, now that it’s Xi Chan Daoist summoning him, the matter can’t be too bad. At least in the end, he would have the credit of having reported intelligence.
"Our sect’s Fairy Jingxia hasn’t returned yet. Should we wait for her to visit together?" Lu Qian showed a troubled expression.
As expected, Xi Chan Daoist shook his head nonchalantly: "That’s not necessary. The main thing is to ask you, it’s no problem if she’s not here."
So Lu Qian hastily left a message, instructing all the Elders to attend to their duties and guard the Mountain Gate. He assured them he’d be back soon. Xi Chan Daoist, seeing his arrangements were in order, waved his long sleeve, wrapping Lu Qian up, and the two turned into a beam of golden light rushing southwards.
This time, he flew normally, without recklessly charging around on the Golden Toad.
The Golden Toad, now palm-sized, hopped down from atop Xi Chan Daoist’s head, landing directly on Lu Qian’s shoulder. It croaked a few times, its pair of blood-red eyes curiously observing Lu Qian.
Lu Qian was secretly on guard but smiled on the surface: "Does Elder Jin Chan have any instructions?"
The Golden Toad croaked a few times, and Lu Qian was somewhat surprised. Reasonably, this Golden Toad’s cultivation was already at the Late-Stage Golden Core, speaking human language should have been no challenge.
Xi Chan Daoist smiled in wonder: "This old Golden Toad of mine is an exotic species from the Cang Sea. It can’t speak yet nor can it transform into human form. However, it has a natural instinct to sense rare treasures."
"It just said that you, young man, have quite a fortune, with plenty of treasures, even more than an average Golden Core cultivator."
Lu Qian was shocked inwardly but outwardly laughed heartily: "Elder Jin Chan flatters me. Our sect has seen successive victories, indeed inheriting some rare items from the Xuanguang Sect and various adversaries. But if these things were taken out before the Spirit Beast Sect, they’d be mere trinkets, not worth mentioning."
Xi Chan Daoist smirked: "Don’t try to play tricks with me. Do I look like someone who would covet a junior’s treasures? It’s just that your Yunshan Sect has risen so rapidly, with countless eyes watching and various speculations. You should be more cautious."
Lu Qian suddenly became solemn, realizing that the proverbial tall tree catches the wind. The Yunshan Sect’s performance was indeed too prominent, which also contributed to the Mingyu Sword Sect’s shift in attitude. If they continued with such rapid advancement, suspicion from the surrounding County Mansions would be inevitable.
How could a declining, exiled sect suddenly rise to prominence in ten years? Even if the Yunshan Sect had no incredible treasures, they would be deeply doubted. Moreover, the Yunshan Sect truly had some!
Aside from the various trump cards that cannot be revealed, even the conspicuously displayed Yunshan Battle Array was already the envy of many. However, since several Nascent Soul Sects in Cangzhou also have battle array legacies, they wouldn’t seize it outright, while other Golden Core Sects lacked the strength to defeat the three-alliance faction.
But if the Yunshan Sect really stands out too much, fostering distrust among allies, leading to enemies attacking en masse, disaster would be imminent.
It seems that after this incident passes, the Yunshan Sect should take a more cautious approach, and not draw attention before he and Wu Yan break through to the Golden Core.
Therefore, Lu Qian gratefully clasped his hands: "Thank you, Zhenren, for your guidance. With the Celestial Monarch’s arrival this time, I’ve broadened my horizons, and my determination to pursue the Dao is firmer than ever. I’m preparing to go into seclusion for diligent cultivation, keeping a low profile."
Xi Chan Daoist nodded: "A promising youngster. You are a rare figure among the younger generation, so don’t die easily. I still want to witness the splendor of Mirror Flower Water Moon."
Lu Qian was slightly bewildered. The Hidden Cloud Scripture’s third realm, Mirror Flower Water Moon, was a secret transmission from Yunshan Ancestor Master Master Yeyang, with the practice standard being the Golden Core.
Lu Qian’s Divine Sense had reached the Golden Core level, but his Spiritual Power hadn’t yet met the standard. Although his Spirit Flower was five inches, better than most, and his Pure Glazed Body improved the efficiency and speed of energy use, there was still a considerable gap to reach the Golden Core Level. The leap between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core was simply too great.
So far, Lu Qian only learned the first two realms of Wind Shadow Cloud Body, "Cloud Body" and "Wind Shadow." Moreover, due to frequently facing higher-level opponents lately, he hadn’t used his Incarnation, as it could be seen through by advanced enemies.
But once reaching the "Mirror Flower Water Moon" stage, it would be like moving from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, with a qualitative leap in this Secret Technique.
The moon in water, the flower in the mirror, reality and illusion, true body and Incarnation can swap freely, mystically changing, hard to fathom. The profound nature of it left even the extraordinary Xi Chan Daoist in admiration.
And the ancestrally told story within the sect of the Ancestor Master is that he once fought against three Golden Cores alone by relying on the Mirror Flower Water Moon Secret Technique.
Although subsequent generations surely embellished this tale, it also shows how marvelous this Secret Technique is and worth looking forward to.
Sometimes Lu Qian pondered how his family’s original Hidden Cloud Scripture wasn’t particularly mystical, yet this Secret Technique was so formidable. He wondered where the Ancestor Master had gotten it from.
Since Xi Chan Daoist brought up the Ancestor Master, Lu Qian naturally followed the conversation, talking about his experiences of meeting the Ancestor Master.
Xi Chan Daoist didn’t hold back, jovially sharing a whole story. Mainly, the tale was about the Ancestor Master, as a Loose Cultivator, meeting him during his travels, involving some sparring and interactions—not particularly remarkable.𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮