Feng Jiuxuan

"The Qionghua Secret Realm?" Xu Yinhe sat upright in the main seat.

As the light rain pattered outside, Xu Yuan nodded. "It seems you already know, Father."

"Lou Ji has already informed me of this matter."

Xu Yinhe spoke calmly and unhurriedly, and all matters concerning the secret realm would be handed over to him for review as quickly as possible.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan asked, "Father, have you already sent people to investigate?"

"No." Xu Yinhe gave a direct negative answer to the question.

Xu Yuan was slightly surprised upon hearing this. "Why?"

"The risks and rewards are not proportional."

Xu Yinhe answered decisively, "Lou Ji reported that there is a second-grade Spirit Puppet inside, and the formation is still operating."

Xu Yuan couldn't quite understand his father's meaning.

Xu Changge glanced at him at this moment, her expression indifferent:

"This secret realm has existed for far too long, and the only valuable Charm God Cherry Tree within has already been cut down by you."

"."

Xu Yuan was stunned for a moment, cursing the old woman in his heart, and then said, "Twenty thousand years is indeed a long time, but when I entered earlier, the basic formations inside were still intact, and there were even some remaining Spirit Puppet. The mountain gate was basically complete."

"So what if it's complete?"

Xu Changge took a sip of tea and said, "You haven't dealt with things like secret realms before, so there are many things you don't understand."

"."

How can I understand if you don't teach me?

Xu Yuan suppressed the urge to weld his fist to his older brother's face and rolled his eyes.

However, since Xu Changge said so, the Prime Minister's Mansion probably already has a complete set of evaluation and development methods for these secret realms.

At this Xu Yinhe gently put down his teacup and asked a crucial question:

"Changtian, from what you're saying, it seems that the Qionghua Secret Realm has never experienced war?"

Suppressing his dissatisfaction, Xu Yuan pondered for a moment:

"Yes, the destruction of the Qionghua Sect was a very accidental event."

Xu Yinhe lightly tapped the table with his fingertips and said:

"That's a bit of a pity. A complete secret realm is a rare find, but it just takes too long."

The father gave the same assessment as Xu Changge, but Xu Yinhe added:

"The Levitation Stone that created this ancient secret realm has long lost its stability, and every time we enter, it causes the space to tremble."

"In other words, we have no idea when it will completely collapse. And even if the mountain gate remains intact, time will erode all the materials, medicinal gardens, and other resources. Even if we get in and clear those Spirit Puppet formations, we can only collect some outdated Cultivation Method Secret Manual at most."

"."

Hearing his father's explanation, Xu Yuan finally understood.

Time is a cruel mistress, treating both people and things equally.

In this world, spirit medicine and pills that last for ten thousand years only exist in stories.

There are indeed many medicinal herbs in this world with long growth cycles, but at most they can be used as medicine after only twenty years. A hundred-year-old spirit medicine is the limit; any longer and it will just rot in the ground.

The same applies to the various elixirs and equipment stored in the old sect's storerooms.

Although some secret realms have special Spirit Puppet and formations to manage these stockpiles, greatly extending the time cycle of decay, 20,000 years is simply too long.

The meager remaining treasures from the Qionghua Sect Secret Realm would be a tremendous windfall for an individual, but for the behemoth that is the Prime Minister's Estate, they are merely a burden.

The rain was falling softly, and the main hall fell silent for a moment.

Xu Yuan did indeed have some secret realms in mind that met his family's needs, and he estimated there were more than a dozen of them.

Cough. On the way back to the capital from the north, even if I knew the general location, I couldn't find it at all with my ridiculously low luck after that treasure hunter, Big Ice Block, left.

I've never been there, how can I take it out?

You can't just say, "Dad, I have a feeling there's a secret realm over there. Can you send some people over to look for it?"

Xu Yinhe looked at Xu Yuan, who had fallen silent, and softly comforted him:

"Since you've brought this Changtian, Changtian, then tell me more about the Qionghua Sect. I've never heard of this sect before."

"You don't know about the Qionghua Sect?"

Xu Yinhe looked at Xu Yuan with a hint of a smile in his sharp eyes:

"Your father does know many things, but there are also many things in this world that your father does not know."

"."

Xu Yuan smiled awkwardly upon hearing this.

His habitual way of thinking led him to believe that the once-prosperous Qionghua Sect must have some records within the Prime Minister's Estate, but he overlooked the fact that this happened 20,000 years ago.

Ten thousand years, the changing of the sea and the transformation of the land, can erase many things.

The people and events of that era of the Qionghua Sect have all disappeared into the long river of time.

After a brief silence, Xu Yuan softly recounted the general situation of the Qionghua Sect.

The Dual Cultivation Sect, relying on the Charm God Dao Rhyme of the Charm God Cherry Tree, nurtured a group of powerful individuals who flourished for a time. What exactly is inside?

Xu Yinhe listened carefully, pondered for a moment, and then asked;

"If that's the case, what about the Sumeru Ring you mentioned earlier?"

Xu Yuan answered without hesitation:

"Many powerful figures died in the Qionghua Secret Realm; most of the world's strongest warriors perished there. Therefore, there should be many remaining Sumeru Ring."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yinhe narrowed his eyes slightly, but did not inquire about the reason.

How things happened 20,000 years ago is not important to the Prime Minister's Estate; what matters is whether these surviving remnants can bring them benefits.

Seeing Xu Yinhe's expression, Xu Yuan tentatively asked:

"After 20,000 years, the arrays engraved inside these Sumeru Ring must have decayed by now, right?"

I had previously discussed the Sumeru Ring with Xu Xinyao.

The Sumeru Ring is rare for three reasons: first, it requires the assistance of a sage; second, it requires a master of formations; and Levitation Stone, it was mined without restraint by sects in the past to create secret realms for their sects, which has led to the near extinction of the Levitation Stone in the world.

The first two issues can be resolved, but the third is a dead end.

Xu Xinyao even said that perhaps in a few thousand years, the Sumeru Ring will no longer exist in this world.

Xu Yinhe did not answer immediately, but instead glanced at Xu Changge beside him.

Xu Changge understood and took out the Heavenly Message Crystal to contact Jiang He of the Institute of Investigation.

A moment later,

Jiang He's old man's voice rang out in the room, somewhat displeased:

"Xu Changge, you brat, spit it out! My Heaven-Slaying Grand Formation has just made progress."

Upon hearing the Heaven-Slaying Grand Formation, Xu Changge's face immediately darkened.

"Jiang He," Xu Yinhe's voice rang out.

"." Jiang He.

Xu Yinhe uttered a sentence calmly and slowly, exuding an air of authority without anger:

"I remember, I think I stopped this formation."

Having said that,

He glanced calmly at his eldest son.

After he finished speaking, there was a deathly silence.

Xu Changge immediately lowered his eyes and pretended to be dead.

Upon seeing this, Xu Yuan burst out laughing.

Hearing the laughter, Xu Changge gave Xu Yuan a cold glance.

"."

The old man was silent for a while, then coughed lightly and gave a slightly awkward smile.

"Ahem, um... slip of the tongue, it's a new type of crossbow formation, it's almost ready for mass production."

Xu Yinhe let out a breath and didn't delve into the matter further.

"I've come to ask you something."

Jiang He's aged voice carried a hint of flattery, after all, Hua Hong had just allocated funds to him:

"Ah, Your Excellency, please ask, I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

"There's a batch of Sumeru Ring from 20,000 years ago. Is there any way to restore them?"

"Twenty thousand years ago?!"

Jiang He raised her voice slightly, then gasped, "How many?"

Xu Yinhe didn't reply, but instead glanced at Xu Yuan.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan made a rough estimate and said in a somewhat uncertain voice:

"About... a few dozen?"

Based on the remaining memories in his mind, and considering the amount of Levitation Stone in the world 20,000 years ago, there should be about a hundred Sumeru Ring scattered in the Qionghua Secret Realm.

However, when Yuchu activated her Charm God Secret Art, not all of these people were gathered together; finding a few dozen would be the most they could manage.

"Dozens of them?!"

Jiang He's voice rose again, and realizing her lapse in decorum, she coughed lightly. "It seems Your Excellency has struck it rich. The reserves of Levitation Stone in my Institute of Investigation are almost depleted. Dozens of Sumeru Ring, you see... hehehe."

"."

The meaning is clear: it can be repaired, but it will cost extra.

None of the three men paid any attention to the old man's demands for money.

Xu Yuan doesn't have the necessary permissions.

Xu Changge dared not utter a sound after his little actions were discovered.

Xu Yinhe simply didn't want to pay any attention to his greedy old friend.

Seeing that no one was speaking, Jiang He's tone became somewhat impatient:

"Alright, alright, that should be able to repair some. If that's not possible, melting them down and refining them should also allow us to make some. How long will it take to deliver them?"

After a pause, Jiang He's tone became slightly teasing:

"Zong Qingsheng's men have already come to our Institute of Investigation and taken several batches of military equipment. The war in the Northern Border must not be going well, right?"

Hearing these mocking words, Xu Yuan sighed inwardly.

Jiang He, as Xin Yao's master, was also someone who abhorred war.

This is a common problem among scientists.

Unlike Xu Xinyao, this old man was very clear-headed and knew that a short, sharp pain was better than a long, drawn-out one.

Therefore, he has been developing new weapons for the Prime Minister's Estate. Even the military application of the Spirit-Blocking Slime developed by Xu Xinyao was led by him.

Xu Yinhe did not directly answer Jiang He's question, but only said:

"The Sumeru Ring will be sent to you within a month. How long will it take to complete the repairs?"

Jiang He also did not immediately express her opinion, saying:

"That depends on the damage to the array patterns on these Sumeru Ring, as well as the stability of the Levitation Stone."

I'll give you ten days.

"Ten days?" Jiang He scoffed. "Xu Yinhe, do you think these Sumeru Ring are as cheap as cabbages? There are dozens of them."

"The Changge will allocate an additional five million taels of silver to your Institute of Investigation as funding."

Alright.

Jiang He opera-style face-changing gesture, replied with a cheerful voice, "Today, this old man will start having his men prepare the repair materials."

After finishing the business, Jiang He didn't seem to intend to hang up. Instead, she suddenly asked, with a hint of coldness:

"Xu Changtian, I heard you ran into that girl Xin Yao on the road?"

Xu Yuan smiled and replied:

"Yes, we encountered it."

Upon hearing this, Jiang He asked in a neutral tone, "How's that girl doing lately?"

"It's alright." Xu Yuan gave an ambiguous answer.

"What do you mean by 'it's alright'?" Jiang He asked, her tone somewhat dissatisfied.

Because of his actions in the Imperial Capital's Prime Minister's Estate disliked him, especially Jiang He, who disliked him the most because he liked to bully Xu Xinyao. Jiang He had no children of his own and cherished Xu Xinyao, his obedient disciple, the most.

Every time Xu Xinyao was wronged and it was discovered, Jiang He would come to him in a fierce manner to demand an explanation.

Of course, in most cases, the old aunt Lou Ji would stop them in this situation.

Because this old man was much more ruthless than Xu Changge.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan's voice carried a hint of amusement:

"Huh? Really? Xin Yao hasn't contacted you at all in so long? She even came to Jingjiang Prefecture to find me before."

"." Jiang He.

The communication was abruptly cut off by the other end in a fit of anger.

The main hall fell silent for a moment.

Xu Yuan gathered his thoughts slightly, looked at Xu Yinhe who was sitting in the main seat and pondered, and asked:

"Father, a month might not be enough, would it?"

The Guanyin Mountain Range, where the Qionghua Secret Realm is located, is near the Wanxing Mountain Range in the southwest. A round trip would take at least two months.

A rare, complex expression flickered in Xu Yinhe's eyes as he said:

"Time is of the essence, I'm going to have your uncle go."

Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing this.

My maternal uncle, Feng Jiuxuan, is a sword saint.

Xu Changge hesitated slightly upon hearing this, and asked:

"Is my uncle willing to go?"

His other younger siblings were mostly too young to understand, but he remembered them very clearly.

Because of his mother's death, this maternal uncle and his father did not have a good relationship.

He even said it himself.

If Xu Yinhe fails his mother's wishes, he will personally kill him.

Xu Yinhe remained silent for a moment, then sighed:

"The war in the Northern Border is urgent; this is the only way."

After saying that, Xu Yinhe slowly stood up and looked up at a pavilion in the northwest of the Prime Minister's Estate, and Xu Changge followed suit.

"."

After thinking for a moment, Xu Yuan also pretended to look in that direction.

But as soon as he looked over, the father and son had already looked away.

Xu Changge stood up and bowed towards the entrance of the main hall:

"Uncle."

Hearing this, Xu Yuan finally snapped out of his daze and turned to look at him.

The sky was overcast, and a light rain was falling.

Suddenly, a figure dressed in pristine white appeared inside the main hall.

Her face was sculpted with distinct features, and large lotus patterns were faintly visible on her white robes. A white silk thread tied more than half of her ink-black hair high behind her head, and her black eyes beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows were like pools of thick, unyielding ink. She held the spirit sword Clear Abyss in her hand.

Just standing there was somewhat unbearable to look at, physically unbearable.

Time seems to have left no trace on him, like the Sword-Ray of a sword drawn from its sheath.

Feng Jiuxuan's gentle gaze swept over Xu Changge and Xu Yuan, but when it landed on Xu Yinhe in the main seat, his eyes suddenly turned cold, and he uttered two words:

"What is it?"

Xu Yinhe remained seated, calmly meeting Feng Jiuxuan's gaze.

"I need you to do something for me."

Feng Jiuxuan remained silent.

Xu Yinhe continued:

"Changtian has discovered a secret realm containing a large number of Sumeru Ring. Time is of the essence, so I have no choice but to trouble you."

"Changtian."

Feng Jiuxuan murmured something and slowly turned her head to look at Xu Yuan was still sitting there.

When his gaze fell on Xu Yuan...

Feng Jiuxuan and Xu Yinhe's eyes narrowed simultaneously.

because,

The Spirit Sword Clear Abyss was trembling.

It's a bit late.