The Myriad Manifestations Mirror

A breeze swept past, and Chen Qing abruptly came to his senses. He had not let himself become lost in that feeling of freedom.

"I need to contact the princess and find out what's happening outside."

His wisp-like spiritual sense circled outside the Treasure Vault, where he was startled to find quite a few people keeping watch—

Armored warriors in golden armor guarded the main entrance. A purple-robed and a gray-robed cultivator occupied a teahouse, while even the flower seller on the street corner had eyes sharp as lightning, sweeping over passersby from time to time!

"The Sixth Prince is certainly willing to spend."

His spiritual sense was about to withdraw when he heard the two cultivators in the teahouse quietly discussing something, so he stopped to listen.

"Chen Xu's Spiritual Bone was utterly destroyed, yet he managed to rise again. It's downright bizarre!" The purple-robed cultivator sipped his tea and murmured, "His Highness seems to think rather highly of him?"

"What His Highness wants is for the Tenth Princess to be unable to use Chen Xu as a sharp blade. Whether he wins him over or suppresses him is just a means to that end." The gray-robed cultivator chuckled. "Let me give you a little inside information."

"Oh? I'm all ears."

"Take the Marrow Cleansing Pill," the gray-robed cultivator said in a lowered voice. "They claim it's to save the Chen family's daughter, but in truth, they mean to turn her into a puppet!"

"Hiss—" The purple-robed Daoist drew in a breath, then understood. "As expected, these favors and punishments come from above. A single thought can change everything!"

At that, the two exchanged a smile.

Chen Qing, however, was shaken to the core.

So that was it!

What a Sixth Prince! Not a shred of honor! His kindness was a sham, with schemes hidden beneath it! But why turn the Chen family's daughter into a puppet? What was he plotting?

Chen Qing felt that there was more to this than met the eye. But this spiritual sense, carried by qi, had no other means at its disposal, so he first committed it to memory and extended his spiritual sense toward Qingwu Villa.

Chen Qing's consciousness, wrapped in spiritual qi, was light as a feather and unconstrained by his physical body. In an instant, it had traveled several yards. He couldn't help marveling, "This method may be even freer than the Yin Spirit leaving the body. I've heard that once a Yin Spirit leaves the body, it faces many restrictions and has to constantly hold back, always guarding against wind, fire, lightning, and thunder. But sunlight doesn't burn away my method, and a breeze doesn't scatter it. It can even draw on the spiritual qi of heaven and earth to replenish itself..."

Just as he was thinking this, suddenly...

Boom!

An invisible pressure descended without warning. His spiritual sense seemed to sink into a thick mire, making it harder and harder to move. Even the spiritual qi surrounding his consciousness began to waver.

"This is the pressure of the 'Circumference Star Dou Forbidden,' the protective array around Jade Capital!?" Fragments of memory surfaced, clarifying the situation for Chen Qing. "We're still on the outskirts of Jade Capital, and the array's suppression is already this strong. If I got near the core, the pressure alone might crush a Yin Spirit!"

He was about to steer clear when another bone-chilling cold struck without warning, plunging his spiritual sense into an icy abyss!

Chen Qing immediately stilled his thoughts and cautiously investigated. He spotted a small, elegant building painted vermilion.

An octagonal bronze mirror hung from its roof, but rather than reflecting the scenery, its surface rippled with the flowing light of an array!

As his spiritual sense drew near, the ancient mirror seemed to sense it and turned of its own accord. The light within the mirror began to gather!

Fragments of memory trembled again, and Chen Qing instantly understood: this was the headquarters of the Heavenly Inspection Department, which was responsible for monitoring Jade Capital's arrays and any fluctuations in spiritual qi!

He immediately turned his spiritual sense around and retreated at speed.

From Chen Xu's memories, he knew that the octagonal mirror was a magical treasure called the Myriad Manifestations Mirror. It could break concealment, lock onto divine sense, and trace spiritual origins! Even the slightest brush of its reflected light would erode one's thoughts, no matter how well hidden one was. On top of that, Jade Capital's Sky Patrol Guards would lock onto the target's location and arrive in an instant to seize and punish them!

"Most of the Sky Patrol Guards in Chen Xu's memories are cultivators of the Fourth Realm, and their commanders are even nearing the Fifth Realm! No wonder this is the immortal dynasty's capital, where the finest talents of the world gather. Cultivation realms have inflated terribly here! I wronged the Yin Spirit..."

After all this, Chen Qing had realized that the method of using "qi as a boat" was a double-edged sword!

At least Yin Spirit cultivators could form hand seals and cast spells. This wisp of his consciousness, on the other hand, was as fragile as glass. If he'd made even one careless mistake and drawn near one of those dangerous places, it would have scattered on the spot. Worse still, someone might have followed the clues back to their source!

"This method does have plenty of limitations, but for now, it seems discreet enough as long as I'm careful."

With that in mind, Chen Qing became even more cautious. As he reviewed what he'd learned, he sent his spiritual sense out like a feeler, probing carefully. A few breaths later, he found a winding route. It followed the underground spiritual veins in concealment. Though circuitous, it let him avoid most of the array's detection.

A few breaths later, he finally reached Qingwu Villa, but the sight that greeted Chen Qing weighed heavily on his heart—

The princess's residence, as he remembered it, was now surrounded by twelve crimson banners!

Their auras resonated with one another, forming an array that sealed the entire courtyard within!

"Qingwu Villa has been locked down?"

Just as Chen Qing was about to draw nearer and investigate, the twelve banners suddenly fluttered and cracked in the windless air!

A black-robed Daoist stepped forward. He raised a hand and formed a seal, and a crimson chain shot from one of the banners, lunging straight for Chen Qing's wisp of consciousness!

Chen Qing acted at once and pulled his spiritual sense back!

The Daoist frowned and stared into empty space, his eyes full of suspicion!

"The Spirit Locking Banner really did react, but it didn't catch anything! Th-this means the intruder can move their will at will, with but a thought... No! Could this be some sort of projection of the will?"

Suspicion showed on his face. He then changed hand seals in quick succession, and crimson light flared from all twelve banners, weaving into a net in midair. Yet after searching for quite some time, they found nothing.

But that only made him more apprehensive. He cupped his hands toward the surroundings and said, "May I ask which True Lord is present? This humble Daoist was ordered by the Sixth Prince to guard Princess Xiyao while she studies the profound arts. If I've offended you, I beg your forgiveness..."

If you have a problem, please take it up with the Sixth Prince. Don't make trouble for me. I'm begging you...

Inside the Treasure Vault, Chen Qing abruptly opened his eyes. His Sea of Consciousness throbbed faintly.

"What an incredible method! The residence is trapped by those twelve crimson banners. The princess may be in trouble! The residence is under tight guard, so something must have happened. I need to find a way to contact her inside! But with that banner array in the way, my spiritual sense can't get in. Did the Dao Mark go to waste? Or is there something I haven't grasped yet?"

So he recalled his first journey with his divine sense and immersed himself in the method he had just comprehended, probing its variations.

In the shadows, the gray-robed old man had seen everything. Suddenly, he flicked his sleeve, and an ancient bronze mirror materialized out of thin air.

Its surface rippled like water, revealing the black-robed Daoist searching the area.

"This method of 'using qi as a boat' is something the boy has only recently comprehended. If he can refine it further, he'll not only be able to fool the Spirit Locking Banner, but even counterattack to some degree. After all, this is a remarkable method. With more work over time, it could support an entire sect!"

He lightly tapped the mirror's surface. The image shifted, revealing the deepest part of Qingwu Villa—

Princess Xiyao sat quietly in the courtyard, surrounded by nine pillars of green jade. Runes on the pillars flickered, clearly suppressing something by force.

"From the looks of it, the Qingqiu Canon has forcibly drawn out her bloodline power." The old man narrowed his eyes. "Tai Chu hasn't been in seclusion for long, yet Su Huan couldn't resist making her move. It seems she's determined to extract the heavenly fox qi from this daughter of Qingqiu and use it to further her ambitions."

Elsewhere.

"There!"

Chen Qing's eyes suddenly flashed with light!

"If I had a personal belonging imbued with the princess's aura, I could use that aura to carry my spiritual sense. If they resonated, I might be able to bypass the array around the residence and reach the princess directly..."

At that thought, he reached into his robes and took out a Green Jade Whistle. It was the token Granny Qing had given him when he first entered the city. Chen Qing closed his eyes and sensed a familiar, cool aura within it!

"It really is the princess's spiritual power!"

His spirits lifted. Chen Qing placed the Green Jade Whistle in his palm and slowly infused it with Supreme Harmony Qi. A soft green glow immediately shimmered from the whistle.

A faint connection stretched through the air like a thread.

His spiritual sense immediately followed that thread, darting forward like a fish through water!

The gray-robed old man raised an eyebrow. "Using an object as a guide? Clever!"

The princess's aura within the Green Jade Whistle resonated with the one in the residence. Chen Qing's wisp of spiritual sense seemed to be summoned, slipped past the barriers, and arrived in an instant!

"Almost..."

His spiritual sense passed through layer upon layer of restrictions. The moment it entered the residence, Chen Qing felt the pressure ease, and the courtyard came into clear view!

"It'll work!"

But just as his spiritual sense was about to pass the final barrier, something unexpected happened!

Whoosh—

A white blur flashed past like lightning. Chen Qing felt a stab of pain in his spiritual sense and realized that a snow-white spiritual sable had bitten down on it!

The little beast was no bigger than a palm, yet its eyes glowed an eerie blue, and its sharp teeth clamped down on the thread of spiritual qi.

"Snow Soul Sable!"

Fragments of memory supplied the relevant information, and Chen Qing's heart jolted. He cut the connection without hesitation.

After biting through the thread, the little beast looked grim.

"A mighty being's projection?"

It smacked its lips.

"This is bad! I may not disobey my master's orders, but if I anger some great cultivator, I'll suffer for it too!"

"Damn beast!"

Inside the Treasure Vault, Chen Qing's eyes flew open.

He had pulled his spiritual sense back in time, but a good portion of it had been torn away. His vision darkened with pain. Once the turbulence subsided, anger welled up inside him.

"I was only one step away!"

The Samadhi True Fire Talisman flickered in his Sea of Consciousness, sweeping away distractions and steadying his mind. He turned inward to examine the changes in his spiritual sense.

After two attempts in a row, his mind was already showing signs of exhaustion. One more mishap might damage him at the root.

But if he gave up here—

"Putting aside the fact that the princess has treated me well, Li Xiao's words and the Sixth Prince's schemes both mean that if the princess falls, I'll be in terrible trouble. No matter how you look at it, I can't stand by and do nothing! But this new method I've comprehended seems to be countered by that beast. Could it be that I still haven't fully understood the premise?"

As he pondered, Chen Qing unconsciously raised the Bronze Wine Goblet and drank.

Gulp—

The amber liquor slid down his throat, but it was nothing like before!

It transformed into a scorching torrent and exploded inside him.

Chen Qing abruptly came back to his senses. Before he could react, his whole body shook violently, and dazzling starlight burst from his seven orifices!

At the same time, the four characters "Thousand Cups, No Drunkenness" on the goblet suddenly blazed with light, transforming into golden runes that floated in midair!