Sage Tablet

The Heaven Sacrifice Talisman...

Lin Shuguang felt at once that this item was no ordinary thing the moment he heard its name.

"How exactly is it used?"

Ancestor Chen shook his head. "I've never refined this item, because I didn't want to become entangled in the karma of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, so I don't know its exact effects either. However, the Sect Master of the Taiyi Immortal Sect seemed to mention it that day... It requires merging one's essence blood with it, using this as a medium to offer a sacrifice to Heaven. When the time comes, Heaven itself will bestow a gift."

"A gift from Heaven? Such as..." Lin Shuguang actually began to feel a little expectant.

Ancestor Chen knew what Lin Shuguang was thinking and spoke first. "According to the records of ancient history, after those Human Emperors offered sacrifices to Heaven, they could obtain Treasure Medicines rarely seen even once in ten thousand years, divine weapons, or even breakthroughs in cultivation... You must understand that ordinary people like us have no qualifications to make contact with Heaven. Only Human Emperors who held Heaven Sacrifice Talismans had the right to communicate with Heaven, so what they received was naturally extraordinary.

"Heaven's law is heartless. To us common mortals, even the finest treasures would probably be no different from roadside weeds in the eyes of Heaven."

"So that means..." Lin Shuguang's eyes lit up. "I'm about to strike it rich?"

Ancestor Chen shook his head again. "You've probably forgotten one thing. Thirty thousand years ago, Heaven underwent a mutation. Otherwise, the person who now occupies the throne of Human Emperor couldn't possibly have held it for so long... So I suspect that even if you offer a sacrifice, what you receive won't compare to what existed in the ancient era."

"That doesn't matter. As long as the sacrifice can raise my current strength, I won't demand any ancient treasures. With my strength, even if I obtained an ancient divine artifact, I wouldn't be able to protect it."

"That's true." Ancestor Chen nodded deeply. "Xuanyuan City is far more powerful than you imagine. Perhaps Spirit Transformation Realm and True Fate Realm seem formidable to you, but they still aren't enough in Xuanyuan City. The one in Xuanyuan City has probably already touched the threshold of the Great Sage realm by now..."

"Great Sage?" Lin Shuguang pretended not to know.

Ancestor Chen lowered his voice. "Above the True Fate Realm is the Nirvana Realm, the realm where this old man is currently stuck. Above the Nirvana Realm is the Great Sage realm... It's said that the ancient era was the Sage Era, when All Sages ruled the world. If the Ancient Emperor can truly become a Great Sage, perhaps the world will soon put an end to its Three Kingdoms' Hegemony...

"Xuanyuan City is just ahead. Once you enter, someone will naturally take you to the Black Prison. Speak less and do less. The Baojian Sect doesn't need you to do anything. Just follow your own wishes. If I must say what the Baojian Sect hopes for, it is this: practice martial arts, grow stronger, and survive!"

Lin Shuguang had come bearing the Supreme Token, which was equivalent to giving the Baojian Sect hope.

After all, far too many generations separated them from the Thirteenth Generation Guardian Supreme, and their cultivation levels were worlds apart.

Thus, no one could guess what that Guardian Supreme truly intended.

Now that there was no direction for divination, the only thing they could pin their hopes on was Lin Shuguang—the "medium" connected to both the Baojian Sect and the Thirteenth Generation Guardian Supreme.

"I'm off."

The gates of Xuanyuan City slowly opened.

Lin Shuguang carefully put away the Heaven Sacrifice Talisman, then waved and strode coolly through the gates of Xuanyuan City.

Ancestor Chen watched from behind as he entered Xuanyuan City.

"Rumble—"

The gates of Xuanyuan City slowly closed once more.

"Hey! You brat!"

Ancestor Chen suddenly flew into a rage.

"My sword!"

His sword had actually been clutched tightly in Lin Shuguang's arms. If Ancestor Chen hadn't suddenly realized what was happening, Lin Shuguang might truly have "hugged" the sword all the way into Xuanyuan City.

"I said I didn't do it on purpose. Do you believe me?" Lin Shuguang asked with a sincere expression.

Ancestor Chen's face darkened.

With a wave of his hand, a force tugged at his sword. It flew automatically from Lin Shuguang's arms and, under Lin Shuguang's reluctant gaze, passed through the fist-sized gap in the gates and returned to Ancestor Chen's hand.

"Bang!"

The gates closed.

Lin Shuguang looked regretful.

Ancestor Chen was both furious and amused. What a rotten brat!

He was cursing inwardly when—

"Fellow Daoist Chen, won't you come in for a seat? Several fellow Daoists are waiting for you..." Just as Ancestor Chen turned to leave, a figure suddenly appeared beside him. The man wore a Crane Robe like an immortal master, and his crane-white hair and youthful face made him look kind and benevolent.

"No. I only came to see someone off." Ancestor Chen's expression once again became distant and unapproachable.

"Was that young man the Holy Son of the Baojian Sect?" the white-haired old man asked with a beaming smile. If one looked closely, one could easily see that his figure was composed of countless particles of air. He was clearly not a physical body!

"Whether he is or not, you old ghost already have your answer, don't you? Why bother asking such a needless question?" Ancestor Chen glared at him irritably.

The white-haired old man narrowed his eyes slightly, sharp light flashing from them, and probed again. "Could it be related to the Supreme Token?"

The instant his voice fell, this Gaseous Clone was reduced to ashes beneath Ancestor Chen's cold snort.

Ancestor Chen seized his sword and vanished into the wind and sand.

"He's rattled."

The mountains rose like swords, stabbing straight into the clouds.

In a place steeped in drifting immortal aura, cranes flew in pairs, creating a scene straight out of an immortal paradise.

In one of the pavilions, an old man wore a faint smile as he spoke.

It was the same white-haired old man who had spoken with Ancestor Chen of the Baojian Sect.

"Has the Supreme Token truly entered the world?" A woman beside him could not help asking.

A burly, middle-aged man also spoke up. "I heard that thirty thousand years ago, the Supreme Token was taken away by a powerhouse of the Baojian Sect, bearing that powerhouse's imprint. Even when the Baojian Sect nearly suffered total annihilation, it never appeared again. Strange things have happened one after another... That old fellow Chen of the Baojian Sect rejected Xuanyuan City's invitations several times, yet this year he suddenly sent a disciple here... If this has nothing to do with the Supreme Token, I'll chop off my own head!"

"What use is your head?" the woman said disdainfully. Before the burly middle-aged man could reply, she looked toward the white-haired old man. "Sect Master Mei, in your opinion, is the Baojian Sect scheming behind this?"

"The Baojian Sect is naturally scheming," the white-haired old man, Sect Master Mei, said slowly.

The woman and the middle-aged man exchanged glances, both showing hesitation. "The Baojian Sect withdrew from Xuanyuan City many years ago, and its strength has long since been surpassed by us. Even if they let their ancestor enter Xuanyuan City, it would take a century or more for him to reach our level. What exactly are they trying to scheme about now?"

The white-haired old man looked at them. "The matter of the Supreme Token has long since spread. It isn't a secret. But no one can be certain whether the powerhouse of the Baojian Sect who took it away tampered with it... If he did, then forget about you—even all of us old fellows from these sects together would not be his match... Do you know why?"

Meeting their gazes, the white-haired old man sighed. "Because he was a true ancient powerhouse. As far as I know, everyone who became a Guardian Supreme of the Baojian Sect back then was one of its foremost powerhouses, at least a Great Sage."

"Great Sage..." The woman and the middle-aged man exchanged glances, and deep in their eyes they both revealed awe.

The burly middle-aged man could not help asking again. "I've never understood this. Why does Sect Master Mei, despite already possessing Nirvana Realm cultivation, still treat that fellow Chen of the Baojian Sect as an equal fellow Daoist?"

The woman spoke at once. "I told you that you're brainless, but you still refuse to believe it!"

The burly middle-aged man glared at her angrily, only to hear her continue. "That old fellow Chen was a major figure personally appointed by the Ancient Emperor back then. Do you think he's some crooked, worthless nobody like you? If he had no ability, do you really think the Ancient Emperor would casually send a mere True Fate Realm cultivator to hold an important post?"

The white-haired old man known as Sect Master Mei slowly said, "Chen Changsheng is no ordinary person. With his strength, even some early-stage Nirvana Realm cultivators are not his match... The Baojian Sect truly has deep foundations."

"Really?" The middle-aged man's pupils contracted. "He's actually that strong? Doesn't that mean that once he breaks through to the Nirvana Realm, he's bound to affect us?"

"He doesn't have many years left... Those were the words of Old Man of Heavenly Secrets himself. His words are equivalent to Heaven's will. You should understand that best." The woman cast him a faint glance.

The middle-aged man frowned irritably. "Why is the Baojian Sect so troublesome? Wouldn't it be better to stay outside peacefully? Why insist on entering Xuanyuan City? Now they've made it impossible for us to rest easy."

The Baojian Sect's loss of its Imperial Lineage back then had not been the Jade Void Palace's doing alone. Naturally, some people feared that the Baojian Sect might bring down some powerhouse and shatter the existing balance.

"What about that young man?"

"According to the Baojian Sect's customs, he naturally went to the Black Prison."

"The Black Prison... I heard Your Majesty intends to select outstanding talents from it. I wonder if that's true."

"It should be. Quite a few aristocratic clans have sent their disciples to the Black Prison recently... That wretched place has a terrible environment, and ordinarily no one would want to go there. Now, however, it has become a prized destination that everyone is desperate to enter."

"I wonder what Your Majesty is thinking."

"His Majesty's thoughts are unfathomable. Don't discuss them."

Lin Shuguang had no idea that he had already attracted attention. For now, he silently followed beside a young man.

"My lord, where did you come from before?" The young man did not know Lin Shuguang's background and was extremely respectful in his attitude.

Besides, Lin Shuguang was someone personally appointed by those above.

It was only natural that people would assume his origins were extraordinary.

Lin Shuguang raised his eyes slightly and said coolly, "What, does something like that need to be investigated again? Before entering the Black Prison, shouldn't your superiors have already reviewed my information?"

The young man's expression shifted. "My lord, you misunderstand. That wasn't what I meant."

He shut his mouth and quickly led Lin Shuguang to the Black Prison office to complete the procedures.

After receiving an identity badge, the young man hurriedly explained, hoping to improve Lin Shuguang's impression of him. "My lord, you must keep this identity badge safe. Future rewards and promotions will depend on the records on this badge... The white mark on it means that you currently have no achievements. Once you accomplish something and receive a promotion, another bar will appear."

"How many bars do you have?" Lin Shuguang toyed with the identity badge and asked curiously.

The young man's face became rather ugly, and he said awkwardly, "My lord, you're joking. I'm only a servant and don't have the qualifications to receive an identity badge..."

This was also a thorn in the young man's heart.

Who would want to spend their entire life as a servant at the mercy of others? He had finally seized an opportunity—an opportunity to get close to a major figure!

In his eyes, someone personally selected by the higher-ups like Lin Shuguang was certainly an important person.

He wanted to cling to Lin Shuguang's coattails, which was why he had acted so obsequiously earlier. He had not expected his attempt to curry favor to instead make Lin Shuguang impatient.

"My lord, your residence is in Kaoshan Garden. It costs one hundred Gold Leaves per month..."

"That expensive?" Lin Shuguang almost turned around and left.

Old Man Chen had never told him that staying in the Black Prison would cost so many Gold Leaves...

Although he had just followed Old Man Chen in raiding Donghua Island's lair, that money would not last long at this rate. Ten thousand Gold Leaves a year—just the lodging fee alone was this expensive. It was easy to imagine how high the prices were here...

Miscellaneous expenses would probably amount to tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of Gold Leaves.

"Expensive?" Wang Erfa froze, seemingly not expecting such a strong reaction from Lord Lin.

Was one hundred Gold Leaves really that much?

For a scion with Lin Shuguang's "great" background, shouldn't it be mere pocket change?

At that moment, Wang Erfa suddenly had an ominous feeling. "My lord, Kaoshan Garden is reasonably priced. The truly expensive place is Gushan Garden. Because it's close to the Sage Tablet, the residences there have been driven up to one hundred thousand Gold Leaves a month... Spending one hundred thousand Gold Leaves lets you feel the Sage Charm emanating from the Sage Tablet day and night. In fact, it's practically a bargain..."

Lin Shuguang: "..."

Xuanyuan City was insane.

"Can't people usually approach and observe the Sage Tablet?"

Wang Erfa shook his head. "The people living in Gushan Garden are basically all scions of noble birth. After spending so much money, they naturally won't let others approach easily... The Black Prison tacitly accepts this arrangement. I suppose they consider it worth the price. My lord, would you like to stay in Gushan Garden?"

"Just go to Kaoshan Garden. I like the sound of that name."

Lin Shuguang's expression did not change.

But he secretly committed the Sage Tablet to memory.

After being taken to Kaoshan Garden, Lin Shuguang "painfully" spent one hundred Gold Leaves to move into the residence.

As he crossed the gates of Kaoshan Garden, quite a few people nearby turned to look.

When they noticed Wang Erfa following beside Lin Shuguang, those people withdrew their attention.

"Another tender bird..."

"How many newcomers have come this month? What on earth are the people above thinking?"

"For this kid to live here, he probably isn't the descendant of any major figure. Those people usually go to Gushan Garden."

Lin Shuguang paid them no mind. He found one of the rooms. It was rather like a hotel room, though unfortunately there was no separate courtyard.

"My lord, contact me anytime if you need anything. Starting tomorrow morning, you'll officially begin handling affairs in the Black Prison. The official in charge just gave you a small booklet. It records the workplaces you need to go to and the times you need to be there. My lord, be sure not to be late."

Lin Shuguang nodded.

Wang Erfa waited for a while. When he saw that Lin Shuguang did not reward him with money like the other wealthy young masters, his heart immediately sank.

"Could he really be a penniless pauper?"

The obsequious expression he had worn before began to turn disdainful after he stepped out of Lin Shuguang's room.