Chapter 317 - 300: [Cang Que]
"Thank you for your cooperation, Senior Uncle. I’ll be leaving now."
The smile on Qi Yun’s face subsided just enough, replaced by a faint, impeccable wisp of polite formality.
Before him, the various treasures, presented with trembling hands by the disciples of Black Death Peak, had been piled into a small mountain.
At its core was the Three Yin Meng God Map, sealed within a special Jade Box, yet still emitting faint, sinisterly cold waves.
With a casual flick of his wide, deep blue Daoist Robe,
the cuff transformed into a miniature, chaotic space that generated an immense suction.
The small mountain of treasures, like countless rivers flowing into the sea, was silently drawn into his sleeve and vanished, not even a wisp of Spiritual Qi escaping in the process.
Once this was done, Qi Yun casually cupped his hands toward the Black Slaughter Master on the throne, whose face was ashen and body was trembling slightly despite his forced composure.
From deep in his throat, the Black Slaughter Master forced out a nearly inaudible grunt and gave a barely perceptible nod in response.
He kept his eyelids lowered, refusing to meet Qi Yun’s gaze.
But the hand gripping the armrest—knuckles white, veins bulging—betrayed the true extent of his inner turmoil.
Qi Yun seemed utterly unfazed. His gaze swept lightly over the Black Slaughter Master’s forcibly composed frame, and the faint curve at the corner of his mouth deepened imperceptibly for an instant.
Without another moment’s delay, he turned and strode away.
His pace was neither fast nor slow, but utterly composed.
The hem of his deep blue Daoist Robe swished gently, parting the stagnant, heavy Evil Qi in the hall as he walked, step by step, out of the palace.
Not until his figure had completely merged with the light outside, vanishing into the signature gray-black, baleful mist of Black Death Peak.
"Huuuh..."
Inside the hall, it was impossible to tell who started it, but someone let out a deeply suppressed sigh, the sound of one who had just survived a disaster.
The Black Slaughter Master, however, remained frozen on his Profound Iron throne, as motionless as a lifeless statue.
In the empty, deathly silent hall, you could hear a pin drop.
Only a few lamps of eerie green phosphorescent fire flickered tirelessly, casting long, distorted shadows of the attendees onto the cold floor and walls.
The dead silence persisted for a long, long time.
It lasted so long that the disciples standing in attendance began to feel a bone-chilling unease, fighting the urge to quietly back away and flee the heart-stopping silence.
And at that very moment—
"CRACK!"
A sound—impossibly clear, almost piercing—suddenly shattered the absolute silence of the great hall!
The source was none other than the Profound Iron throne where the Black Slaughter Master sat!
The armrest—forged from ten-thousand-year Profound Iron and several other precious metals, said to be indestructible, a symbol of the Black Death Peak Master’s supreme authority—
was being crushed under the Black Slaughter Master’s hand. It twisted and buckled, a spiderweb of fine cracks spreading across its surface!
Sharp metal fragments flew off, clattering to the floor, the sound echoing with a heart-stopping finality in the silence.
The Black Slaughter Master slowly lifted his head.
Gone was any trace of his forced composure. All that remained was a twisted, savage grimace, his eyes blood-red and boiling with monstrous killing intent!
He stared fixedly in the direction Qi Yun had departed, forcing the name through his clenched teeth, each syllable a hoarse, guttural growl:
"QI! YUN—!!"
His voice, like the roar of a fiend from the Nine Netherworld, thundered through the empty hall, lingering long after.
...
「In the days that followed.」
Things were far from peaceful within the Wuji Holy Sect.
Qi Yun did not return directly to the Cyan Mountain Daoist Temple. Instead, holding the Purple Gold Taixu Order like an Imperial Envoy brandishing an Imperial Sword, he visited several masters’ grounds in succession.
The owners of these grounds, without exception, were all Holy Sect Masters who had some friction with Qi Yun in the past, or who had clearly stood with the Black Mountain Lineage and had openly or secretly worked against him.
Qi Yun’s visits came without warning, yet each time he would appear precisely in the core of their grounds, as if materializing from thin air.
There were no pitched battles, no tense standoffs with drawn swords.
Every time, Qi Yun would enter with complete composure and leave looking thoroughly pleased.
In his wake, he left devastated and silent grounds, and masters with ashen, humiliated faces, full of rage they dared not voice.
For a time, several of the Holy Sect’s once-active mountain peaks and cave abodes fell silent, their masters going into seclusion. A strange, oppressive tranquility descended.
Those in the know, of course, understood the real story and whispered amongst themselves. The looks they cast toward the Cyan Mountain Daoist Temple grew increasingly complex and indecipherable.
Everyone knew that the once-inconspicuous, even persecuted, young Master had now returned, wielding the authority of a True Monarch.
He was settling old accounts and reshaping the order in an almost domineering fashion.
...
「Several days later, Cyan Mountain Daoist Temple.」
Clear springs trickled and ancient pines stood verdant. The Daoist Temple remained a picture of peace and tranquility, as if the turmoil of the outside world was blocked by its invisible Pure Dao Rhyme.
In the courtyard before the Observatory Master’s meditation chamber, Qi Yun had arranged simple meditation mats around a tea table.
His guests—Qian Xin Master, Yang Cuan Master, Chi Yang Master, Qing Li Master, Ming Yu Master, and a dozen or so other Holy Sect Masters who had been friendly with Qi Yun over the years, or at least maintained a cordial relationship—had all taken their seats.
Their expressions were varied.
But most gazes were focused on the deep blue figure in the host’s seat, whose presence felt deeper and more profound than ever.
Situ Huaji, Divine Puppet Wu Changsheng, and the newly sworn Ling Master stood respectfully to one side.
Qi Yun’s gaze slowly swept across the assembled guests. A calm smile on his face, he lifted his cup, took a small sip, and then began to speak, his voice clear and resonant:
"Fellow Daoists, I’ve invited you here today for two reasons. First, it has been a while, and I wished to reminisce. Second, there is something I must inform you all."
"Soon, I must depart on a long journey.
My return is not set. It could be a few months, or it could be... several years, maybe longer.
During that time, I must ask all of you, fellow Daoists, to please look after my Cyan Mountain Daoist Temple."
Upon hearing this, everyone’s expression shifted subtly.
’A long journey? No wonder he’s been so "high-profile" recently. So he’s leaving the Sect for a time.’
When they recalled the Purple Gold Taixu Order he carried, things became even clearer.
’A mission from the True Monarch?’
Qi Yun paused, then continued,
"A few days ago, to settle some old matters, I ’borrowed’ a few things from several of my senior uncles and brothers."
He spoke lightly, but who among them was unaware of the storm he had caused?
’Borrowed? That was outright pillaging!’
But it was a truth they all tacitly acknowledged. Since the fire hadn’t singed their own robes, no one was about to point it out.
"I certainly can’t use all these items by myself." Qi Yun smiled faintly and gestured toward a heavily guarded pavilion deeper within the Daoist Temple.
"I have sealed all of them away in the temple’s Treasure Pavilion.
If any of you, my fellow Daoists, are in need of something, please feel free to take it. No need to stand on ceremony.
Consider it my humble contribution to the Sect’s resources."
This was, without a doubt, an incredible gesture of trust!
The things "borrowed" from the masters of the Black Mountain Lineage were far from ordinary; they included countless rare materials and uncommon Spiritual Objects!
And Qi Yun was now offering to share them so freely with his allies!
Qian Xin Master and the others were stunned at first, then their eyes filled with looks of surprise and gratitude.
Such magnanimity and trust were exceptionally rare in the Cultivation Realm, a world that revolved around personal gain and resources.
And it was even rarer within the Holy Sect!
"Rest assured, Junior Brother Qi!"
"The matters of the Cyan Mountain Daoist Temple will be our matters!"
Everyone solemnly pledged their support.
Qi Yun nodded with a smile, turning his gaze to the three men standing in attendance.
"Huaji, Changsheng, Xuan Ling."
The three bowed at once. "Present."
"After I depart, the three of you will be in charge of the Cyan Mountain Daoist Temple.
Huaji, you will manage external affairs and deal with any potential disturbances.
Changsheng, you will be in charge of internal affairs, along with the Arrays and Restrictions.
Xuan Ling, you are familiar with the Sect’s traditions and resource allocation, so you will act as support.
If you encounter a problem you cannot resolve, you may seek the counsel of Senior Uncle Qian Xin, Senior Uncle Yang Cuan, and our other friends."
"Yes! We will not fail you, Master (Fellow Daoist)!" the three replied in unison, their faces grimly determined.
With all arrangements made, Qi Yun raised his cup once more and drank with his guests.
In the courtyard, the wind still whispered through the pines, and the fragrance of tea hung in the air.
As for the Cyan Mountain Daoist Temple—a place that had fallen into decline after the departure of the Elder Master—it had, under Qi Yun’s management and current arrangements, subtly become the core of a new and rising power within the Holy Sect, one that could not be ignored. It now quietly awaited its master’s return.
...
The strange forest of Red Mountain Green Leaves appeared once more, but this time, the space felt somewhat thin.
Desolate Halberd True Monarch still sat cross-legged upon the Dark Red Jade Platform. His gold-flecked eyes had lost some of their former casualness, replaced by a focused intensity so tangible it was almost solid.
In his hand, he held the dark Bronze Block named Six Realms Heaven.
The tiny, seal-script characters flowing across the block’s surface were now dim, their light drawn inward.
"That realm is called Cang Que.
Its Status is vastly different from our Profound Yellow Origin Realm."
As Desolate Halberd True Monarch’s voice sounded, each word seemed to carry an intrinsic weight within this unfurled Dao Domain, causing the surrounding light and Spiritual Mechanism to resonate in subtle harmony.
He gently pushed the Six Realms Heaven toward Qi Yun.
"Take this. It will protect you as you cross the Void Sea and descend into the Other Realm.
But you must remember..."
His gold-flecked gaze turned sharp.
"After it sends you across, it will need to undergo Energy Storage before it can be used again.
That process will take roughly... three hundred days."
Three hundred days!
This meant that once he went, Qi Yun would have no way back for nearly a year.
Qi Yun took the Six Realms Heaven. The Bronze Block was cold and heavy in his hand, and within, it seemed a miniature, slumbering cosmos was sealed.
"After you arrive in Cang Que, there is one more thing you must remember at all times and never, ever violate."
Desolate Halberd True Monarch’s tone grew heavy, and the illusory vista of Red Mountain Green Leaves seemed to freeze at his words.
"You must not, under any circumstances, use any abilities that originate from the Profound Yellow Origin Realm."
"Any at all?" Qi Yun’s brow furrowed.
The restriction was far stricter than he had imagined.
"Any at all," Desolate Halberd True Monarch stated unequivocally. "The instant you do, you will alert the will of Cang Que itself.
At that time, you won’t be facing a single powerful expert, but rejection and annihilation by an entire world’s Heaven and Earth."
"Your mission," Desolate Halberd True Monarch continued, his voice unyielding, "is to retrieve the lost Fruit Position."
"Once you obtain it, do not hesitate. Do not explore or linger in the Other Realm. Return at once.
The longer you remain in the Other Realm, the more your aura will merge with it, and the greater the risk of being detected and targeted by its worldly will.
Once you are completely locked on to, the power of that entire Heaven and Earth will act like a mire, trapping you completely."
As he spoke, Desolate Halberd True Monarch turned his palm over once more, and a palm-sized, gleaming white Jade Box appeared there.
The Jade Box was made of a material that was neither gold nor jade. It felt warm to the touch and bore no decorations, yet it was sheathed in a hazy glow that repelled all attempts at detection, seemingly severing its contents from the outside world entirely.
"If you should encounter an insurmountable crisis in the Other Realm..." Desolate Halberd True Monarch pushed the Jade Box toward Qi Yun, his gaze deep and searching.
"You may open this. The object sealed inside can help you escape one life-threatening situation."
Qi Yun accepted the Jade Box. It was cool to the touch but utterly weightless, and he could not probe any information from within it. It was like grasping a piece of nothingness.
With all instructions given, Desolate Halberd True Monarch’s gold-flecked eyes settled on Qi Yun, their gaze as heavy as an ancient Divine Mountain.
"For this mission, I have promised you a Golden Core as reward, given you a token of authority, granted you an Exotic Treasure for protection, and permitted you to use the Sect’s resources to prepare."
"However."
"This Monarch does not support the useless. Nor will I tolerate... failure."
"Do not let this Monarch... be disappointed."
As that final word fell, Qi Yun felt a sudden weight press down on him, as if the gravity of the entire Profound Yellow World was being channeled through the True Monarch’s gaze and onto his shoulders.
Desolate Halberd True Monarch’s gold-flecked eyes blazed with ultimate brilliance, seemingly containing miniature cycles of worlds being born and dying, phantasmal images of infinite Dao chains breaking and reforging.
The true might of a True Monarch!
Heaven and Earth born from a glance!
Qi Yun immediately bowed deeply, his voice grave.
"This disciple... will obey the decree!
I will exhaust every effort and not fail the trust you have placed in me, True Monarch!"
...