Chapter 309: Tianze Old Ancestor
"It’s just... Your Majesty, now that Xu Hong is dead, the Celestial Profound Sacred Land’s plan has been completely ruined. But our ancestor is also missing, and the Sacred Land won’t let this go. I’m afraid they will still make a move against Tianze."
After a moment of silence, Peng Yue spoke.
The Tianze Emperor nodded and replied, "I am aware of all this and will handle it. You need not worry, Peng Yue. Just guard the critical paths into Tianze. From this moment on, not a single outsider is to be allowed into our nation."
"Yes!"
Peng Yue nodded and respectfully withdrew.
The sky gradually darkened as the sun sank in the west. Before long, the bright, clear moon was hanging high in the sky.
He Qian still stood alone and silent atop Ancestor Mountain. She gazed at the entrance in the center of the altar, her face an unreadable mask, her thoughts a mystery.
In a study within the Tianze Imperial Palace, the Emperor of Tianze sat at his desk, his brow tightly furrowed as he read the intelligence report from one of his spies.
Suddenly, a faint breeze rustled through the room, and a frail old man materialized.
The old man was hunched, his hair streaked with white. He was so gaunt he seemed to be nothing but skin and bones, as if the faintest gust of wind could topple him.
Startled by the man’s arrival, the Tianze Emperor immediately shot to his feet. "Grand-Uncle, why have you come out?"
The Emperor rushed forward to support the old man, helping him to the seat of honor behind the desk. He then stood below, a model of deference.
"Tianze, with something this major happening, how could I not emerge?"
The hunched old man spoke, his voice ancient and weary.
"But you..."
The Tianze Emperor hesitated.
"Rest assured. A short time like this isn’t enough to kill me yet,"
the hunched old man said calmly.
The Tianze Emperor nodded respectfully and remained silent.
"So, Xu Hong is dead?"
the hunched old man suddenly asked.
"Yes!"
The Tianze Emperor confirmed with a nod.
"And by an outsider, no less?" the old man pressed.
"Yes!"
The Tianze Emperor once again nodded respectfully.
The hunched old man’s expression was placid and unreadable. "Then... what of the Creation Pill?" he asked slowly.
The Tianze Emperor faltered for a moment before replying respectfully, "That outsider consumed it."
The hunched old man’s brow twitched, but his expression quickly returned to normal. He let out a faint sigh. "So be it."
With that, he tilted his head back to gaze at the starry sky outside the window, his thoughts once again a mystery.
After a moment of silence, the hunched old man spoke again. "Still no word from the ancestor?"
A look of sorrow crossed the Emperor’s face. "Grand-Uncle... I’m afraid the ancestor... he might be..."
The hunched old man raised a hand and waved it dismissively. "Enough. I understand. You may leave."
The Emperor rose and gave a respectful bow. "Yes."
With that, the Tianze Emperor turned and left his study.
After the Emperor had gone, another faint breeze stirred within the study, and a refined, gentle-looking young man emerged.
The young man had long, flowing hair and wore green robes, giving him a very scholarly air.
Upon appearing, he raised his clasped hands and bowed to the hunched old man. A meaningful smile touched his refined features. "I believe you can still consider the conditions I proposed earlier."
The hunched old man behind the desk said nothing, merely staring at the young man with a cold, indifferent gaze.
The young man simply offered a slight smile. A light breeze swept through, and he vanished from the room.
If Shen Daoxing had been in the room, he would have instantly recognized the young man. It was Wang Mingxuan of the Celestial Profound Sacred Land, a Direct Disciple of the Celestial Secret Elder. He was also one of the three who had tortured Shangguan Yiran back in Ancient Moon City.
...
「The next day.」
Deep beneath Tianze City, within a limestone cave.
The grotto, once filled with splendid, iridescent Crystal Stones, was now riddled with holes, pockmarked by countless small tunnels.
Shen Daoxing sat cross-legged in meditation atop a massive, smooth boulder. A gray Crystal Stone floated and spun before him.
Now, however, the Crystal Stone had lost all its luster. Its color was dull, and with a CRACK, it crumbled to dust and dissipated into the air.
Shen Daoxing slowly opened his eyes. After refining the Soul Origin Crystal Stone, he could feel an inexhaustible, abundant energy coursing through him. His perception of the world had sharpened considerably, especially his awareness of the life around him. He could now clearly sense everything within a radius of several dozen feet, from the earthworms in the soil to the tiniest ants.
Beside Shen Daoxing, the little red snake was coiled up. Its long body faintly glowed, its once-hazy form now much more solid than before.
Meanwhile, the Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat was still digging with all its might, panting and wheezing as it excavated the earth.
After digging for so long, its stomach was completely empty. Staring at the splendid, iridescent Crystal Stones before it, the Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat couldn’t resist the urge to pounce. But the moment its gaze met the red snake’s, it shivered. Any thought of slacking off vanished, and it resumed digging with all its might.
"Alright, that’s enough. I can sense that all the Soul Origin Crystal Stones here have been excavated,"
the little red snake’s faint voice announced.
As if granted a royal pardon, the Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat immediately stopped digging. It panted heavily, looking utterly exhausted. The sight of the splendid Celestial Essence Ore nearby made it drool, but after one glance at the little red snake, it didn’t dare move an inch.
The little red snake said nonchalantly, "Fine. You can eat the ores in these tunnels."
The Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat was overjoyed. With a RUSTLE, it dove into the pile of splendid ore and began to gobble it down with abandon. All traces of its earlier exhaustion were gone.
After a while, Shen Daoxing decided it was about time to leave and stood up.
’It’s time to leave. If I don’t go now, that Refining Dust realm expert from the Celestial Profound Sacred Land will probably catch up.’
"Hui!"
Shen Daoxing called out softly.
This was the name he had given the Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat.
The Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat squeaked and poked its head out of the ore pile. It gave the remaining ore a reluctant glance before hopping out.
Before it left, however, it didn’t forget to open its mouth wide and take one last powerful suck, pulling a large swath of ore into its belly.
Then, in a flash, the Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat scurried up onto Shen Daoxing’s shoulder.
But when it turned and saw the little red snake behind it, it shot into Shen Daoxing’s robes to hide.
Shen Daoxing shook his head, amused.
The little red snake said calmly, "Alright. I’ve absorbed too many Soul Origin Crystal Stones this time and will need a while to digest them."
With that, the little red snake flew into the air. Its form turned illusory before it merged into Shen Daoxing’s body and vanished.
Then, Shen Daoxing strode out of the grotto.
...