Feeling the pressure, shaped like the might of heaven itself, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion disciple could not help but pale.
"Senior, are you a great cultivator of the Nascent Soul Realm? The Pavilion Master's whereabouts are not something an ordinary disciple like me can inquire into.
Please wait here a moment, Senior. I will report to my grandmaster at once and have him come receive you."
With that, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion disciple hurried away.
Before long, an elderly Nascent Soul Realm cultivator emerged and cupped his hands toward Xu Chunniang in greeting.
"I heard that you have come to our Heavenly Secrets Pavilion seeking the Pavilion Master?"
"That is correct."
Xu Chunniang nodded slightly. "May I ask if I might have the good fortune to meet your Pavilion Master?"
The old man shook his head. "I fear I must disappoint you, Fellow Daoist. The Pavilion Master has gone out to attend to matters, and the date of his return is uncertain. None of us knows when he will come back."
Xu Chunniang had long expected this outcome, so she could not truly be called disappointed.
"May I ask, Fellow Daoist, when was the last time your Pavilion Master appeared?"
The old man furrowed his brow in thought. "More than a hundred years ago, the Pavilion Master returned once and left behind several instructions..."
As he spoke, he seemed to suddenly recall something and once more scrutinized Xu Chunniang, who was entirely shrouded in a black robe.
"Could you be Profound Method Venerable?"
Xu Chunniang's heart stirred. "Why do you ask that?"
Excitement appeared on the old man's face. "When the Pavilion Master departed, he left behind a painting scroll and specifically instructed that if Profound Method Venerable came seeking him, this scroll was to be handed over to her."