Moli Immortal Mansion had appeared in the northwest of Feng Prefecture's Ten Thousand Li Gray Plains in Immortal Mansion Calendar 2225. Even now, it had yet to be fully conquered. Since the Nine Provinces entered the Immortal Mansion era, it had been one of the few unsolved mysteries, and was therefore also known as the Heavenly Absolute Immortal Mansion.
Moli Immortal Mansion was a Qi Refining Immortal Mansion, yet according to the Heavenly Record Proverb, it might conceal a primordial supreme treasure within—an unparalleled immortal treasure that led straight to the Great Dao of Ascension and touched upon the secrets of the ancient immortals. Such a tremendous contrast was bound to draw countless cultivators.
And Moli Immortal Mansion happened to be an exceedingly rare, threshold-free Immortal Mansion. It remained open all year round, never closing, and placed no limits on the number of visitors... Thus, over the centuries, thousands upon thousands of Qi Refining cultivators had entered Moli, only to vanish without a trace and never return.
Moli, Moli—silently departing this world!
The Heavenly Record Proverb's line, "Do not speak to strangers," had once been the terrifying nightmare of countless cultivators!
Now, Liu Sanlang had actually named Wu Ming and asked him to join forces to challenge this Heavenly Absolute Immortal Mansion?!
Although Wu Ming had immediately and eagerly agreed, Gu Bai, as his master, couldn't be so heedless of the consequences.
Liu Sanlang had naturally prepared a response to Gu Bai's doubts.
"First of all, after several centuries of exploration, Moli Immortal Mansion is no longer the place where 'none who enter ever leave' that it once was. As long as you strictly follow the rules and don't venture too deep, the outer reaches of the mansion aren't especially dangerous. Quite a few people even go there deliberately to train now. And I'm not hoping to take the primordial supreme treasure from the deepest part of Moli Immortal Mansion this time..."
Wu Ming was startled. "Wait, you asked me to team up, and it wasn't to get the first clear in all the Nine Provinces?!"
Liu Sanlang paused, then deftly replied, "My abilities are meager, and I'd only hold Brother Wu back. So I'm asking you to team up with me only so we can reach the third level of Moli Immortal Mansion and retrieve something... something I must have."
After a brief pause, Liu Sanlang continued, "My mother, the Li Family Matriarch, once answered the family head's request and attempted to decipher the Immortal Mansion Heavenly Record using our ancestors' methods. But the way of deciphering the record is harder than climbing to heaven. Mother was not in Qingzhou, nor had she fully inherited the Celestial Master's true teachings from the family, so her efforts were half as effective for twice the work. She poured her heart and soul into it, even at the cost of her lifespan. Yet just as the proverb was about to be completed, she fell short at the final hurdle..."
"There are still many unclear details, so please forgive me for not being able to explain everything. But before Mother passed away, she left behind half a proverb that pointed directly to the third level of Moli Immortal Mansion, where there was a treasure tied to the fortunes of our family. It was a glimpse of heavenly secrets that Mother bought with her life. And yet, this matter failed to earn even the slightest attention from the family. Even the family head treated it as the delirious ramblings of a dying woman!"
"This matter clearly began because of him, and yet he could be so heartless. I truly..."
As he spoke, the Red Cloud Talisman began to shimmer faintly, revealing that its bearer's emotions were growing unsteady. Yet the sincerity in his words shone all the brighter.
Hearing this, Wu Ming agreed without a moment's hesitation. "Say no more. I'm taking this side quest! I guarantee, as a professional, that I'll help you find that treasure!"
Liu Sanlang choked up. "Brother Wu..."
Zhang Miao burst into tears on the spot. "You two are so sweet!"
"..." Liu Sanlang silently reined in his tears and composed himself before changing the subject.
"Besides my personal reasons, which I just mentioned, exploring Moli Immortal Mansion is actually of great importance to Brother Wu as well. It may even be an unavoidable path!"
Gu Bai asked, "How so?"
Liu Sanlang replied, "Because the fortune-bearing treasure in Moli Immortal Mansion may be connected to Zhuoquan Immortal Mansion!"
Gu Bai was taken aback for a moment, then his expression turned grave and he nodded.
The Liu Family was the foremost power among Wu Prefecture's great clans, with roots that had run deep for centuries. Even across all of Qiongzhou, it was a feudal power of considerable influence. For a family like that, a treasure capable of affecting its fortunes was no ordinary find.
And Zhuoquan Immortal Mansion was about to appear in Qiongzhou. Its importance was so great that the Three Purities Immortal Sect was making arrangements for it in person... For any influential clan native to Qiongzhou, this was an immense Immortal Fate not to be missed.
Liu Sanlang's assumption that the two might be connected was indeed perfectly reasonable!
Liu Sanlang continued, "Earlier, Liu Li and Liu Yi held a false edict and tried to impeach and seize the Dharma Sword. That was certainly absurd and shameful. But their claims about the Dharma Sword weren't entirely wrong. The Three Purities Immortal Sect had indeed sent treasures like the Taiyi Dharma Sword to various places in Qiongzhou to select promising talents and explore the Immortal Mansion. This wasn't limited to Wu Prefecture; the same was happening in every other prefecture. Those who received the Dharma Sword and other objects of Immortal Fate would be regarded as Zhuoquan Dao Seeds and closely watched in the future..."
At this point, Gu Bai abruptly interrupted him. "Is this Zhuoquan Immortal Mansion a Qi Refining Immortal Mansion or a Foundation Establishment Immortal Mansion?"
"As far as I know, it's a Foundation Establishment Immortal Mansion."
Gu Bai sighed. "...As expected."
Zhu Ying asked curiously, "If it's a Foundation Establishment Immortal Mansion, why is the Three Purities Immortal Sect selecting Dao Seeds from the Qi Refining Stage?"
Liu Sanlang replied, "On the one hand, the Three Purities Immortal Sect's investment goes far beyond items like the Taiyi Dharma Sword. They have corresponding trials and rewards for Foundation Establishment cultivators throughout Qiongzhou as well; they simply haven't made much of a fuss about it. On the other hand, I suspect it may be because the Three Purities believe that none of the current Foundation Establishment cultivators of Qiongzhou are up to the task."
"Hah!" Zhu Ying, who was at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, immediately scoffed.
Gu Bai sighed. "Ying'er, don't misunderstand. This doesn't necessarily mean the Three Purities Immortal Sect looks down on cultivators from Qiongzhou. Some Immortal Mansions are simply so devious that they defy all imagination. For example, in some Foundation Establishment Immortal Mansions, after you've endured untold hardships and finally reached the last trial, you might discover that you need to take a certain unusual pill to pass. But that pill only works if you personally take it inside another Qi Refining Immortal Mansion."
Zhu Ying was dumbfounded. "Then the condition for passing a Foundation Establishment trial is hidden inside a Qi Refining Immortal Mansion? Isn't that impossible?"
Gu Bai shook his head slightly and was about to explain...
When Wu Ming laughed beside them. "Haha, how could it be impossible? Just find an expert whose strength far exceeds their realm, and have them conquer two Immortal Mansions in a row while still in the Qi Refining Stage! Foundation Establishment cultivators can't enter Qi Refining Immortal Mansions, but that doesn't mean Qi Refining cultivators can't enter Foundation Establishment Immortal Mansions, right?"
Zhu Ying shook her head and lectured him. "Wu Ming, don't entertain wild ideas. The gap between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment is like the difference between heaven and earth. You're about to reach the middle stage of Qi Refining yourself. Do you think you could beat me?"
Wu Ming fell into deep thought.
Zhu Ying was furious. "You actually have to think about it?!"
"Sorry, punching above my weight is a professional habit..." Wu Ming hurriedly apologized. "Or there's another way: forcibly implant multiple dantians and meridians into a cultivator, then refine them with a multi-layered Qi Refining method into a 'Rat King Cultivator' to match Foundation Establishment..."
"What kind of crooked, unorthodox method is that?!"
"Or find a Qi Refining cultivator to take the pill first, then have a Foundation Establishment cultivator swallow them whole as a human pill..."
"...Gu Bai! How have you been teaching your disciple while I've been away?!"
Gu Bai hurriedly said, "Ying'er, calm down. Ming'er is young and says whatever comes to mind. Don't take him seriously... Ahem!"
After a bout of coughing, the old man finally brought the conversation back on track.
"In any case, under ordinary circumstances, once the first group to reach the end of a Foundation Establishment Immortal Mansion brought back the news, a new group of Qi Refining cultivators could go take the pill. After several or even dozens of years of cultivation, once they reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, they could explore that Foundation Establishment Immortal Mansion and pass the trial."
Zhu Ying was dumbfounded again. "Several decades?"
Gu Bai said, "Even a mere few decades is nothing. In the two thousand five hundred years of the Immortal Mansion Calendar, there have been plenty of Immortal Mansions that took centuries to conquer. One generation plants the trees, the next enjoys the shade. That's perfectly ordinary in this line of work. The Three Purities Immortal Sect clearly believes that Zhuoquan Immortal Mansion is extremely perilous, and that an entire generation must be sacrificed to pave the way for those who come after. And cultivating that next generation starts with things like the Taiyi Dharma Sword."
Zhu Ying couldn't help asking, "So once Wu Ming took the Dharma Sword, he had no choice? He has to... brave the fire for the Three Purities Immortal Sect?"
Gu Bai sighed. "The Three Purities Immortal Sect wouldn't be so petty in how they do things. But the ties of Immortal Fate are often mysterious and profound. Many things seem to offer a choice, but in truth there is only one path. For example, can you imagine Ming'er leaving Zhuoquan Immortal Mansion alone?"
"..."
While Zhu Ying was silent, Wu Ming had already declared, "The only way I'd leave an Immortal Mansion unconquered is if an even bigger one showed up right in front of me!"
"..." Zhu Ying covered her face with a hand, feeling the weariness of the journey suddenly hit her until she could barely stand.
Gu Bai could only smile wryly.
"Ah, Ming'er... Since you've made up your mind, I won't try to dissuade you. But exploring an Immortal Mansion, especially Moli Immortal Mansion, is beyond your current cultivation."
Wu Ming said, "I understand, Master. A professional never goes into battle unprepared. I'll work hard to improve my skills from now on. That's why Brother Liu's investment has come at just the right time!"
Liu Sanlang hurriedly said, "I'll do everything I can to support Brother Wu's cultivation! Miaozi, write another IOU!"
Gu Bai sighed. "You're down to IOUs already. Don't force it."
Wu Ming added, "If you write too many IOUs, you won't be able to ride the Qingluan Imperial Carriage."
Only then did Liu Sanlang reluctantly give up, promising verbally that he would repay them once he had some funds to spare.
Just as the gathering seemed to have ended on a thoroughly pleasant note, Gu Bai suddenly asked, "Is the Immortal Mansion the Liu Family's Eldest Young Master is exploring connected to Zhuoquan Immortal Mansion?"
Liu Sanlang paused, and the talisman in the clouds crinkled slightly.
Clearly, this question carried unusual weight and touched on the Aristocratic Clan's deepest secrets.
But the next moment, Liu Sanlang chose to answer frankly.
"The True Person's guess is correct. Not long ago, my elder brother used the Demon Hunting Decree as a pretext to summon elite Foundation Establishment cultivators from several Aristocratic Clans. They were looking for the Foundation Establishment Immortal Mansion, Wangyou. Judging by the contents of the deciphered Heavenly Record Proverb, it may also be connected to Zhuoquan Immortal Mansion. The treasures inside may help with exploring Zhuoquan..."
"Just as I thought." Gu Bai nodded, and his gaze couldn't help drifting toward Zhu Ying.
The latter furrowed her brows slightly, looking somewhat reluctant.
Liu Sanlang continued, "If the True Person is interested in Wangyou Immortal Mansion, I can ask my elder brother about it later. He's been making preparations for a long time and knows much more than I do. But I hope the True Person will keep this confidential afterward... Or we can blame it on the Kang Family!"
Gu Bai was about to say more when the Red Cloud Talisman suddenly shook violently. Liu Sanlang hurriedly said, "Oh no, Madam Rong is here! I must immediately join the talismans and sever the connection. Please forgive me, True Person!"
Before he finished speaking, the cloud talisman drifted lightly back to Zhang Miao's shoulder. After that, it fell silent.
A trace of worry appeared on Zhang Miao's face. After hesitating for a moment, she said to Gu Bai, "True Person, now that everything here is settled, I need to hurry back as well. Madam Rong has fallen out of favor at home because of the Prefecture Edict, and she's taken her anger out on Sanlang. If I'm there to share the burden, things will be a little easier for him."
In that case, no one could very well insist that she stay.
But just before leaving, Zhang Miao suddenly went over to Zhu Ying. Zhu Ying instinctively wanted to step away—Zhang Miao was tall, especially, and she felt quite uncomfortable when the woman came close.
But out of courtesy, she still managed a polite smile.
"Fellow Daoist Zhang... Is there something you need?"
Zhang Miao hesitated shyly, then said in a low voice, "Our Zhang Family runs a place called Suxin Garden in the city. Su Qiluo and I have known each other since childhood."
At the mention of Su Qiluo, Zhu Ying's expression softened completely. She nodded. "So that's how you're connected... Has she returned safely?"
Zhang Miao smiled faintly. "Thanks to you, Sister Zhu, Qiluo is doing well. She got home yesterday. Everyone was worried sick when she quarreled with True Person Xuanyu and stormed out..."
Zhu Ying couldn't help smiling too. "She really is a girl who never lets anyone rest easy."
Zhang Miao said, "Qiluo had a difficult life from childhood. At last, she's met someone who can take care of her... So I'll definitely support you two!"
At the end, she suddenly blushed, then said no more and swiftly disappeared into the distance on a streak of rainbow light.
She left Zhu Ying completely baffled.
"Support us in what?"
Wu Ming murmured darkly beside her, "It's best if Senior Sister never finds out... This Zhang girl eats absolutely anything. Sooner or later, she'll become Miaozi the Bottomless Pit."
"??"
After Zhang Miao left, the Sect Leader Temple grew quiet. The group exchanged glances, and Zheng Lingxi was the first to speak.
"I'm hungry. I'll go cook!"
Those words were like a needle piercing a balloon, instantly deflating the last trace of tension in the temple.
Wu Ming said, "I'll help."
Zhu Ying glanced at the bloodstains on her plain clothes and looked a little embarrassed. "I'll go wash up and change."
Watching his three disciples, Gu Bai felt the agitation that had arisen over the Immortal Mansion suddenly ebb away, leaving his heart full of comfort. And so, the Golden Rouge Zhu Ying had gifted him—the one he'd meant to keep tucked away a little longer—found its way to his lips.
Red smoke slowly rose, and the old man's thoughts drifted far away. It was as if he had returned to a long, long time ago, to the shaded side of the Taixu Pavilion, bright with immortal light. He had been puffing on Hongxiao Powder just like this then, gently breathing out smoke, only back then, someone had always been by his side.
In a daze, the red smoke followed his thoughts, gradually taking the shape of a red beauty.
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