Chapter 160

“Qiong Ling once told me she would die.”

“What?” Yu Yi widened her eyes, and the mountain wind whistled past her ears, making Chu Feng’s words seem ethereal.

Chu Feng became serious, emphasizing her words again:

“Qiong Ling said she would die. Long before she died, she foresaw her own death.”

This conversation took place outside the periphery of the Beiqu Immortal Palace.

Shortly after Yu Yi and Manzhi arrived, the secret realm of the Beiqu Immortal Palace opened. After the cultivators entered, Yu Yi followed Manzhi to the entrance of the secret realm. While others needed tokens to enter the area, they were not hindered and went straight in.

On the icy mountain outside the periphery, they met Chu Feng, who had been waiting alone.

Yu Yi’s gaze was fixed on Chu Feng, with a sense of oppression.

At this moment, Chu Feng, in order to confirm her words, had already revealed her half-demon form. From her waist down, there was a thick, shiny white snake tail, emitting a strange and cold light, almost merging with the ice and snow-covered mountain below.

If Chu Feng was truly a demon cultivator as she claimed, were her other statements also true?

Chu Feng continued, “I should have told you in a different way long ago, but your mother instructed me to wait until now to tell you.”

Yu Yi remained silent.

Manzhi, who was playing with a tuft of grass to entertain a little cat beside her, glanced sideways and directly threw the grass onto Chu Feng’s tail:

“Before, you didn’t say you were going to tell Yu Yi these things. Look how scared she is, completely confused.”

“Jealous?” Chu Feng wasn’t as serious when speaking to Manzhi, her eyebrows playful, teasing her, “Feeling clingy, huh?”

“Today, I’m going to skin you and make clothes—”

“Isn’t your lamp made from my python skin? Do you really need to be covered head to toe in my scent to be happy?”

“Hmph, I changed my mind, I’ll pull out this snake’s tendril first.”

If Manzhi were in fox form at this moment, her fur would be bristling. Chu Feng, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, casually swaying her snake tail. When they were apart, they each exuded an aloof aura, but when together, they couldn’t stop bickering.

Until Yu Yi finally spoke up, interrupting their back-and-forth:

“According to what you said, the remnant monument was placed here by my mother, but the Immortal Palace only opens once every thousand years. How did she manage that?”

“—Also, where is the remnant monument?”

Yu Yi’s questions struck at the two core issues.

Was Qiong Ling truly omnipotent in this world?

Furthermore, although Chu Feng had transformed into a demon to verify her claims, Yu Yi wouldn’t easily believe it. She needed to see the remnant monument and the snake-mouth lotus on it with her own eyes to truly believe everything she said.

Under Yu Yi’s penetrating gaze, Chu Feng paused, looking towards the south.

Amidst the icy winds and waves, snowflakes brushed past them, flying directly towards the center of the secret realm in the southern direction—

Yu Yi stood on the highest snow-capped mountain in the secret realm, following Chu Feng’s gaze towards the obscured white palace behind layers of mountains and trees.

That was the true Beiqu Immortal Palace. Even though only a corner was visible, it seemed like a radiant pearl embedded here, scattered with top treasures that made cultivators flock to it.

“When I was with your parents, I never saw any space that could block Qiong Ling, and this secret realm was no exception. However, she often disguised herself in front of others, and it wasn’t until you and I recovered our memories that I remembered this.”

“I have wondered why she placed the remnant monument in the Immortal Palace. In the end, I can only speculate that the snake-mouth lotus has long been extinct, and the remnant monument is made of Asura Stone, a treasure in the immortal realm. Therefore, she placed the remnant monument here, where it opens once every thousand years, waiting for us to find it.”

“These are just your guesses.”

Yu Yi’s tone was light as she removed the barrier formed by demonic energy, letting the biting cold wind blow against her body. A pile of snow crashed into her hands, slowly crushed by her, with flakes falling to the ground. She raised her eyes, looking at Chu Feng through the howling cold wind:

“You speculate about my mother’s motives based on common sense, but you can’t be sure.”

Chu Feng paused, lips curving faintly, “Yes. To me, she is omniscient and omnipotent. She has carefully arranged everything, and what I see is only what I can see.”

Chu Feng’s ash-gray long hair fluttered behind her in the wind, her body pure white, almost holy. Her tone was devout, as if Qiong Ling was an existence comparable to the heavens, which made Manzhi roll her eyes and Yu Yi momentarily dazed.

Qiong Ling… her mother. Although memories spanned a lifetime, the image of her closest kin had never faded from her heart. Although she and Qiong Ling were said to be mother and daughter, they behaved more like sisters, extremely close. At this moment, listening to Chu Feng’s portrayal of Qiong Ling, Yu Yi felt her mother was so unfamiliar for the first time.

Her gaze swept past Chu Feng and looked towards the direction of the Immortal Palace. Song Pianxian should be there. She suddenly wanted to see Song Pianxian, very much.

Beside her, Chu Feng’s voice came, “The remnant monument is currently in the inner circle of the Immortal Palace. We need to go there.”

At this moment, inside the Immortal Palace, instead of the usual tension of exploring treasures, it was rather peaceful. The treasure hunters who used to vie for treasures now behaved with civility and politeness, like a new era of cultivators who understood etiquette.

It was because there were rules in the Immortal Palace. While everyone could explore the outer circle, when it came to these treasures in the inner circle, they were managed by the leading sects and states, with rules already established.

If someone fancied something, they had to compete with cultivators of the same level. The winner would claim the treasure. If the levels were different, they needed to seek assistance from fellow cultivators, but each person could only intervene twice.

Thus, everyone was much more polite in their conversations now, smiling on their faces, all hoping to help each other later, creating an unprecedented harmonious atmosphere.

Disciples of sects follow their sects, while wandering cultivators form state teams. Thirty or so teams of all sizes gathered in the spacious courtyard of the Immortal Palace, surrounding a peculiar black pool in the center, which is also the most peculiar of the eight wonders of the Immortal Palace.

“… This pool is called the Inkstone Pool, do you see it? Apart from it and that half door, there is no third black object in the Immortal Palace.”

The cultivators who had done their homework early gave a little explanation to Junior Brother, pursing their lips. “The treasures from this pool are the best. I’ve never seen anything below Heaven Grade. We’re just here to watch the fun.”

Junior Brother’s gaze swept around the courtyard, feeling somewhat melancholic, and whispered, “Indeed… In my whole life, I’ve only seen a Crossing Tribulation stage cultivator once at our City Foundation Ceremony. Today, I’ve seen five of them.”

Their Senior Brothers and Sisters were at least in the Nascent Divinity stage, revered ancestors when they walked outside. But when they looked around the Immortal Palace, except for a few esteemed second-generation immortals, the youngest were just in the Nascent Divinity Initial Stage.

Nothing extraordinary about the Nascent Divinity Stage.

Junior Brother’s eyes glanced at a certain spot, but he dared not stare directly because of the opponent’s imposing manner and brilliance.

The only female cultivator in the Crossing Tribulation stage was surrounded not only by the disciples of the Lingyun Sect but also by people from Tianfeng City. The two forces flanked her on the left and right, forming the largest force in the area. Many people were secretly observing that spot.

But Junior Brother inexplicably felt that many people, like himself, were not wary because of the large number of people on the other side, but because their eyes were involuntarily drawn to the woman in red, taking a glance infatuatedly, then reverently looking away after snapping out of it.

He quickly withdrew his gaze and whispered to his Senior Brother, “Who is that Crossing Tribulation cultivator… When did Lingyun Sect produce such a figure?”

“How long have you been in seclusion?” Senior Brother sighed, lowering his voice as well, recounting the ups and downs of Lingyun Sect to him. After finishing speaking, he said, “What’s been circulating in the cultivation world recently is exactly this. If you ask me, this Sect Master Song is truly extraordinary. It’s said that the former Sect Master Qu is now being tortured in Lingyun Sect’s Xingshan… tsk tsk tsk.”

This person obviously couldn’t know the specific situation, so he talked like a storyteller, sighing a few times to pass it off. This is also the current situation in the cultivation world, gobbling up the gossip about the Number One Heavenly Sect— Daiyuan Peak’s Yu Yi, she lost her parents, went from being the proud daughter of heaven to a useless person overnight, and then soared to prominence with the help of a substitute puppet. Not only did she seek revenge, but she also regained control of Lingyun Sect, avenging herself with pleasure. This gossip is so satisfying to listen to, who wouldn’t exclaim in admiration after hearing it?

Junior Brother sighed a few times, then couldn’t help but look towards the direction of Lingyun Sect again. “I wonder if she will make a move later, so that we can also witness her magnificence…”

“Friend Song?”

Qian Du called out to Song Pianxian. He held a jade box that was entirely green. Seeing Song Pianxian returning to her senses, he handed her the jade box.

“We originally planned to search for it carefully after leaving the inner circle, but unexpectedly, the team stumbled upon it. Fortunately, it didn’t fail.”

Song Pianxian had a premonition and took the jade box. Upon opening it, she found the Concentration and Continuation Fruit, her goal for this trip.

This time, when the Immortal Palace opened in Tianfeng City, there would usually be more slots available. Qian Du had enough manpower, and even when everyone gathered in the inner circle, he could still spare a small team to search for treasures on the outskirts, giving him a significant advantage.

But to retrieve the Concentration and Continuation Fruit, it was inevitable to fight against the accompanying demon beasts. Song Pianxian was grateful that Qian Du had her interests at heart and smiled as she thanked him.

“Thank you, Friend Qian Du.”

“No problem.” Qian Du waved his hand, then asked, “Just now, I noticed you kept staring in the direction of the palace gate. Is there something unusual you noticed?”

Song Pianxian shook her head. “No, everything here is white, but there’s a half-door that’s black, and there’s a spot, the Inkstone Pool, that’s black. My gaze just couldn’t help but be drawn there.”

“That’s true. It’s Daoist Song’s first time here at the Immortal Palace, inevitably curious. After looking at it for a while, you’ll realize that these two places, except for the color, aren’t particularly special. For thousands of years, there have been no new developments heard about them.”

Listening to Qian Du’s bold voice, Song Pianxian pursed her lips. Her gaze moved away from the starkly different, half-black, half-white doors and landed on the Inkstone Pool, which could absorb one’s consciousness entirely.

True to its name, the Inkstone Pool seemed like someone had washed inkstone and brushes in it. It had a quiet and serene aura, shrouded in faint black and gray mist, looking like demonic energy. Once one’s consciousness fell into the pool, it would be completely swallowed.

However, all cultivators could feel that there was not even a trace of spiritual energy in the water. Once taken out, it would become ordinary water. It was truly mysterious. Therefore, there were even rumors that there were celestial restrictions on the pool that these cultivators couldn’t decipher.

Furthermore, the Immortal Palace had never produced anything related to demonic cultivation; it was truly a place for righteous cultivators. Over time, everyone had become accustomed to these two places. If anyone made a big fuss, they would be laughed at.

But this time, it was Song Pianxian who asked the question. Qian Du intended to befriend this newly appointed Heavenly Sect Master and was considering whether to say a few more interesting anecdotes related to her. Then he saw Song Pianxian lift her head and look at the eaves of the Immortal Palace.

“Friend Qian Du, have you ever felt that there is a familiar feeling about this Immortal Palace?”

Qian Du was taken aback.

He swept his eyes over the magnificent and dazzling Immortal Palace and said, “Perhaps it’s because the various palaces all have some similarities. Not to mention that there might be people deliberately imitating the architectural style of the Immortal Palace when founding sects. It’s not surprising.”

Song Pianxian pondered. What Qian Du said was also possible, and she had never seen such a colorful palace before, like a continuously flowing milky-white seashell, truly unique. If she had seen it before, she would definitely not have forgotten it.

“Oh, it’s coming.”

There was a commotion in the courtyard, accompanied by the sound of shallow flowing water. Song Pianxian looked towards the source of the noise.

In the Inkstone Pool, a circular vortex formed, with black and white currents swirling together. After a very faint and difficult-to-capture movement, a top-grade spiritual weapon emitting dazzling light suddenly appeared on the surface of the water.

“Seal Pulse Devil Stone!”

“Adding this devil stone to refining can cause the opponent’s spiritual power to stagnate. Marvelous.”

“I want this thing!” A burly man stepped forward from the crowd and bowed to everyone around, “I am Roger from the Hidden Life Gate, in the Unity Stage. Would any Daoist like to have a match?”

In just a few breaths, three or four cultivators stepped forward.

“I am Qian’an from the Luyan Gate, in the Unity Stage.”

“Fengwu Sect, Li Po.”

“Scattered Cultivator from Dilangzhou, please.”

…

Since many cultivators were interested, they took turns to compete. A platform was set up in the courtyard, and the atmosphere became heated and intense, with flashes of excitement in their eyes.

“The first treasure is such a supreme treasure, hahaha,” Qian Du laughed heartily.

Everyone present were high-level cultivators, proficient in various magical techniques. Song Pianxian’s interest was piqued, and her enthusiasm was ignited. “Indeed, it’s splendid.”

The first Seal Pulse Devil Stone was finally won by the mighty Roger after overcoming numerous obstacles. As he plucked the devil stone, another medicinal bottle appeared on the Inkstone Pool.

As the lord of the city undertaking the Immortal Palace this time, Qian Du promptly took the medicinal pill and opened it to show everyone the round and plump pill inside.

“This is the Clear Spirit Detoxifying Pill, capable of purifying all toxins and healing hidden injuries.”

This was a “specialized” top-grade medicinal pill that could only detoxify. However, the toxins attached to the bones and flesh were the most difficult to get rid of. Daoists who had suffered from its effects burst with excitement, stepping forward to begin the second round of competition.

The Broken Bone Treasure Bamboo, White Jade Dark Sand, Azure Mist Divine Stamen… one by one, supreme treasures floated out of the Inkstone Pool, causing waves of heated breaths, accompanied by exceptionally intense and restrained treasure competitions.

After the Azure Mist Divine Stamen was taken by an elder from the Shijue Academy, amidst everyone’s anticipation, something with a strange shape slowly emerged from the pool.

It was a piece of gray-blue stone with extremely irregular edges on one side, about one foot thick. Only by carefully looking could one recognize what it was:

“It’s a broken stone tablet…?”

Upon closer inspection, within the mottled stone tablet, there was a deep purple, almost black, flower sealed. The flower was strange; although it was already embedded in the stone tablet, it still appeared vivid and lifelike, with delicate petals soft and ghostly.

“It’s the Asura Stone!” Qian Du was the first to exclaim, his tone filled with excitement. “I’ve been searching for it for years, and today, I finally see it.”

The Asura Stone! Now, even those who didn’t recognize it understood. The Asura Stone possessed abundant spatial power inside, extremely malleable. According to rumors, using the Asura Stone to refine treasures could even devour three parts of the thunder tribulation’s heavenly thunder.

The thunder tribulation during ascension was terrifying; many cultivators failed at this stage, unable to ascend the heavenly ladder. Now, upon seeing the Asura Stone, except for Song Pianxian, all the other cultivators undergoing tribulation stood up, intending to contend for it.

One of the cultivators undergoing tribulation from the Xuanyu Sect smiled ambiguously, saying, “Lord Qian, don’t forget, you’ve already used two chances. We still have a chance to vie for this Asura Stone, but you don’t.”

“Oh.” Qian Du suddenly remembered that he had already used the Shadow Assassination Array and the Bone-Shattering Treasure Bamboo. Now, he had no chance to participate.

“Never mind, never mind.” Qian Du sighed heavily, regretful as he withdrew from the competition.

The cultivator from the Xuanyu Sect sneered at him, his lips curling in amusement. “It seems foresight is necessary. If I were Lord Qian, I’d be regretting it now. Don’t worry; if I get this ruined tablet and there are any leftovers, I’ll sell them to you.”

The Xuanyu Sect arrogantly taunted Qian Du. Qian Du’s expression immediately darkened, as did those of the other two cultivators undergoing tribulation.

It hadn’t even started yet, why act so arrogantly as if it were already in the bag? Unfortunately, this old monster from the Xuanyu Sect had the highest cultivation level among the cultivators present during the tribulation, reaching the late stage of tribulation. This gave him the confidence to be so arrogant; there was nothing they could do about it.

As the cultivators confronted each other, bystanders dared not make a sound, fearing repercussions. For a moment, the scene was eerily quiet.

The pair of Senior Brother and Junior Brother, who were chatting earlier, had already retreated to a corner, becoming two quails.

“This would leave an odd number, which isn’t ideal. I haven’t intervened yet, so I’ll join to make it even.”

A deep and gentle female voice gradually sounded. The voice was not loud, but it was leisurely enough, as if the tense atmosphere didn’t matter at all. It was like a faint cold spring breeze, blowing away the condensed frost, preventing it from forming again.

Junior Brother’s ears tingled, unable to resist lifting his head to look—it was her, indeed, Song Pianxian from Lingyun Sect.

If he looked around, he would know, but by raising his head to look, he couldn’t help but be attracted and unable to retract his gaze. He was not alone in this.

Junior Brother stared blankly as the beautiful woman in red walked out unhurriedly, her fiery red golden lotus robe sweeping across the milky ground like flames floating on melting frost.

Thump, thump, thump, her footsteps seemed to tread on people’s hearts, resonating with powerful heartbeats, stirring up an endless echo, making people’s chests feel hot.

Her beauty was soul-stirring, unparalleled. Her eyebrows carried myriad expressions, and her red lips held boundless charm. Her black hair was like a crow’s feathers.

She glanced in the direction of Xuanyu Sect, lips lightly moving:

“Are you coming?”

These two words, calm and composed, were unmatched in disdain.

But Junior Brother’s mind trembled, cold sweat breaking out all over him.

He deeply buried his head. She was not someone he could covet. Even a second glance would be an offense.

Song Pianxian drew the Seven Star Twin Phoenix Blade, her gaze fixed on the cultivator from Xuanyu Sect.

At this moment, the cultivator’s smile vanished. Song Pianxian suddenly felt a hint of interest. She speculated that even though this cultivator had never fought her, he must have heard about her from the elders of his sect. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have looked so wary and ugly, as if publicly humiliated.

But his feelings were irrelevant to Song Pianxian. Her stepping forward was not aimed at this arrogant cultivator, nor was it solely to repay Qian Du’s favor. Song Pianxian turned her head and glanced at the broken stone tablet.

While others were paying attention to the substantial piece of broken Shumishi, Song Pianxian was focused on the unknown flower on the stone tablet.

This is the first time she sensed the breath of the Quick Transmigration Bureau in the small world.

She must get it.

Song Pianxian fought effortlessly with the cultivator, having stayed in the cultivation world for a long time, she favored using swords in combat rather than magical techniques. The Seven Star Twin Phoenix Blade in her hands was nimble and light. When it struck the opponent, it unleashed merciless and sharp blade energy, as if to cleave everything apart.

Song Pianxian fought vigorously, even more fiercely as she continued, as if every bone in her body was finally moving. The opponent, on the other hand, started out handling the situation calmly but gradually fell behind, even struggling to keep up.

“This is too…”

“Just now, it was an even match, but now one side is being pressed. What should we say? Truly worthy of being a Master.”

While others were discussing, the other two cultivators who had been competing returned to their teams, directly forfeiting the match!

The crowd was in an uproar.

Someone muttered quietly, “These two ancestors are not embarrassed. If they went up and were beaten like the one from Xuanyu Sect, that would be truly embarrassing.”

“Isn’t that true…” For a moment, everyone could understand them.

As the fight reached its climax, Song Pianxian blocked with the back of her blade and then struck, forcing the opponent back, straight down to the ground below the platform. She stood with her sword on the ground, her long hair somewhat disheveled, but she smiled contentedly:

“Thank you for your concession.”

From below, after a few breaths, came the opponent’s muffled and hoarse response, as if their throat was filled with blood: “…Master Song is too polite.”

The disciples of Xuanyu Sect rushed over to help their elder up, then slinked back to their own area.

Song Pianxian placed her sword at her side and clasped her hands.

She turned to look at the broken stone tablet, her body moving with her thoughts, floating over to the washbasin, reaching out to pick up the broken piece—

At that moment, suddenly, another cold, slender hand reached diagonally past Song Pianxian, heading straight for the broken piece.

Song Pianxian reacted swiftly, twisting her body to avoid it, while cautiously using her spiritual power to push back the intruder.

From below came Qian Du’s angry shout: “Who is disturbing the order!”

“This woman… seems to have not been seen in the Immortal Palace before.”

A cultivator in the late stage of foundation building exclaimed in surprise, “Her cultivation… is between mine and that of my fellow disciple.”

Another cultivator? Is undergoing tribulation so worthless now? There was another commotion around.

Amidst the chaos, on the washbasin, two figures stood quietly.

One red, one black, both were graceful and slender women.

The sudden appearance of the female cultivator undergoing tribulation, dressed in a pure black dress, made her exposed skin appear even whiter, so much so that even her face was covered with a pure black mask, revealing only a pair of eyes.

The newcomer was naturally Yu Yi.

She never expected to compete with Song Pianxian for the broken tablet.

Meeting Song Pianxian’s gaze, Yu Yi quickly looked away, but caught sight of Song Pianxian reaching out as if to grab something from the air.

Yu Yi’s gaze froze, she moved forward, and surprisingly, directly held the broken tablet in her arms—

She was mentally prepared to withstand Song Pianxian’s attack, and had even closed her eyes, but the anticipated pain did not come. Instead, a strong spiritual force wrapped around her waist, coiling like a dragon, afraid she might escape—

Opening her eyes, Yu Yi looked at Song Pianxian.

Feeling the pulling force around her waist, Yu Yi was pulled in front of Song Pianxian, unable to refuse.

Like a butterfly made of thick night, she threw herself into the blazing flames without hesitation.

The mask covered the expression Yu Yi almost failed to conceal, she took a deep breath.

Song Pianxian’s face was close, Yu Yi could even see the narrow shadow under her eyes.

Those eyes turned slightly, directly meeting her own, the light brown pupils cold and merciless, as if covered with frost:

“You’ve been naughty.”

---

Come join the Discord, where all the cool kids hang out!

Please support us on Ko-Fi. You can now read extra chapters by supporting.

Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu

---

---