A Certain Cauldron Vessel

Despite her shyness, Xi Lan still found the young man before her handsome.

He was different from all the other young men Xi Lan had met in the past eighteen years.

On that jade-like face, there seemed to be a layer of magical light flowing, shimmering slightly in the dim candlelight, like moonlight shining on still water, clear and distant.

Xi Lan had never seen anyone like this before.

For a moment, she lay on the bed, looking up at Chen Lingxi with shyness.

Those eyes, still slightly dazed from just waking up, reflected his handsome face and the faint golden lightning that flickered deep within them.

She felt as if a pebble had been thrown into the surface of a lake, causing ripples to spread outwards, and she couldn't even describe the feeling herself.

At this moment, Xi Lan's face flushed, and her brows held a hint of girlish shyness. Coupled with her already exceptional beauty, she resembled a magnolia bud that, though not yet in full bloom, already possessed a refined and ethereal charm.

This expression, as seen by others, creates a breathtaking scene, as if a meticulous painting of a lady has suddenly come to life, with the fairy in the painting just awakened, her eyebrows and eyes full of spring.

Chen Lingxi was also somewhat surprised.

He turned his head slightly, his gaze lingering on Xi Lan's face, a faint hint of surprise flashing across his calm, watery eyes.

However, his surprise vanished in an instant. He withdrew his finger from Xi Lan's brow, and the remaining spiritual light on his fingertip also disappeared into his body.

"Lan'er!"

Tears seemed to well up in Xi Ninghe's eyes as he strode over.

He had been standing frozen in place, not daring to even breathe, for fear of disturbing the immortal's spell.

Seeing that his daughter had indeed opened her eyes, he could no longer restrain himself. He rushed to the bedside, bent down, and his hands trembled as he tried to hold his daughter's hands, but he dared not exert any force, leaving them hanging in mid-air.

The Lunan Prefecture, who usually presided over cases and adjudicated prisons with a composed demeanor, now resembled an ordinary peasant, his eyes filled with tears. It took him a long time to manage to utter two words: "Lan'er... Lan'er, you're finally awake..."

The mistress of the manor, who had been sleeping on the bed, had now woken up.

She had been staying up too many nights to take care of her daughter, and she couldn't hold on any longer, so she took a nap on the edge of the bed.

She saw Xi Lan with his eyes open, and his eyes, which had been as lifeless as ashes, suddenly shone with hope.

"Lan... Lan'er..."

However, the mistress of the manor also woke up at that moment.

Overwhelmed with joy, she was speechless; tears streamed down her face like a burst dam.

"Mother..." Seeing her parents like this, Xi Lan vaguely realized that she had probably been asleep for a very, very long time.

Xi Ninghe straightened up, faced the young man standing quietly to the side, straightened his robes, and bowed respectfully to him.

"Immortal... Immortal saved my daughter's life. Such a great kindness is something I could never repay, even if I were to repay it with my own blood and sweat..."

Chen Lingxi did not hear Xi Ninghe's words of gratitude.

The Qi Observation Technique still flowed slowly in his eyes, amplifying every trace of Qi within Xi Lan's body to its extreme.

He looked at Xi Lan with some curiosity.

The profound mystery of such inspiration was astonishing even to Chen Lingxi, who possessed the cultivation level of the Ninth Floor of Qi Circulation and had seen and heard much.

"Is this person also Truth-Seekers?" Chen Lingxi was somewhat surprised, yet felt that he didn't seem quite right.

He had met many Truth-Seekers, but he had never seen such profound spiritual energy in Xi Lan.

Moreover, those Truth-Seekers awaken their memories and mostly become indifferent. Seeking the Dao and reaching the Cauldron-Seizing Realm is their only goal, and everything else is unimportant. They are certainly not as confused and bewildered as Xi Lan.

certainly.

It cannot be ruled out that Xi Lan is covering up something.

At this moment, Xi Lan also noticed Chen Lingxi's gaze.

She dared not look at the extremely handsome young man in his eyes, lowering her gaze to her fingers resting on the brocade quilt, her ten fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of the quilt.

But her father's grateful words still echoed in her mind.

"An immortal... an immortal?"

"Just like in my dream?"

Xi Lan seemed somewhat at a loss for what to do.

But then she thought, if someone this beautiful were an immortal, it wouldn't be surprising.

Chen Lingxi squinted, her mind racing.

He could vaguely sense the gleam in Xi Lan's eyes.

"It seems I underestimated my looks," Chen Lingxi thought to herself.

A thought flashed through his mind.

His gaze immediately sharpened again, as Qi Observation.

He could clearly see the thread of Spiritual Qi wrapped around Xi Lan's wrist.

It extended from Xi Lan's wrist, passed through the wall, and disappeared straight into the mansion in the distance.

Chen Lingxi withdrew her gaze, having already made up her mind.

Xi Ninghe was so happy that he didn't seem like a high-ranking official at all.

He thanked Chen Lingxi repeatedly and wanted to ask Chen Lingxi about the reason for Xi Lan's coma.

But at this very moment...

Chen Lingxi clearly sensed that the silk thread was trembling slightly.

"There must be other Truth-Seekers in Lunan Prefecture. These Spiritual Qi threads are probably from one of Truth-Seekers, trying to seize the spiritual energy within Lunan Prefecture Xi Lan," Chen Lingxi murmured to herself.

"These Truth-Seekers probably failed to see through the fact that Xi Lan's spiritual energy is twinned with hers; if one is damaged, the other is also damaged, and no one else can possibly seize it."

That spiritual inspiration and Xi Lan's life had long been intertwined; they depended on each other for survival and shared weal and woe.

If someone forcibly removes the spiritual energy, the spiritual energy will wither and dissipate without a host, Xi Lan's life will inevitably perish as well.

He shook his head, then saw the mistress of the manor bowing her head to kiss her daughter.

Suddenly, a flood of memories surged through his mind.

He recalled that when he lived in Willow Street Alley before he was five years old, Madam Xi was still young, gentle, and skilled at needlework. She often sat with his mother under the willow tree in the courtyard, doing needlework and chatting.

Those memories are so vivid, so clear, as if they happened yesterday.

He could even remember what Madame Scheeren was wearing.

He played with Xi Yu, and every mealtime, Madam Xi would carry a bamboo basket with two bowls of steaming food in it, following behind them to feed them.

Xi Yu took a sip, Chen Lingxi a sip.

These memories are extremely vivid.

As Chen Lingxi pondered this, a thought suddenly occurred to her, "Although Xi Yu is Rebirth Realm person, he is also a member of the Quexing Xi Family, and is destined to be my enemy."

Strictly speaking, however, she is no longer the Xi Yu of the past.

In her heart, the Lunan Xi Family was probably no longer related to her at all.

Since that's the case... then consider it as me helping an old friend.

With this thought in mind, he made a decision.

Before everyone's eyes, Chen Lingxi had raised her head, her gaze fixed on the mansion in the west of the city.

Then he spoke softly, "Come... to me!"

The Dragon Roar Technique silently began to operate within Chen Lingxi Qi Sea. As the numerous spiritual liquids within the Qi Sea surged, a deep, domineering, and imposing dragon's roar rose from within.

The Dragon Roar Technique, having reached Mystic Realm, was so profound that it vanished so quietly, drifting away in the blink of an eye, passing through houses and streets, traversing vast distances...

When the words reached the ears of the cultivator in the mansion, they sounded like thunder.

The other three people in the room were still in surprise.

They only saw the immortal's lips move slightly, as if he were saying something, but they didn't hear any sound.

Just as Xi Ninghe was about to ask, Xi Lan was also secretly raising her eyes to take another look at that person, while the Lady of the Manor was still holding her daughter's hand, completely unaware of what had happened.

Just then, a wisp of black smoke drifted in from the courtyard, then condensed and took shape, outlining a human figure in just a few breaths.

Then the outline became more and more solid and clearer, eventually transforming into a living person.

"This... this..." Xi Ninghe and his wife were speechless with shock upon seeing this scene.

No matter how much they had seen, they had never seen anyone condense smoke into a physical form from the Void.

Xi Ninghe instinctively shielded his wife and daughter behind him.

As for Xi Lan, memories of the dream gradually flooded her mind...

She seemed to have seen such a strange sight in her dream. In that dream, heaven and earth were upside down, the sun and moon shone together, and countless strangely shaped immortals flew to and fro in the clouds, some riding cranes, some riding flying swords, and some standing on auspicious five-colored clouds.

The immortals' methods were exactly the same as the person before them; they could conjure all sorts of incredible things out of Void.

She had initially thought it was just a ridiculous dream, but now that she was truly witnessing it unfold before her eyes, she suddenly realized that the dream... might not have been entirely a dream.

"He's actually an immortal..." Xi Ninghe murmured to himself, finding the scene before him utterly unbelievable.

The figure gradually became clearer, revealing its features.

This person wore a small black velvet hat and a long black robe.

This person's face was quite ordinary, but his eyes were extremely strange; they had no pupils.

Chen Lingxi recognized the person; it was none other than Chao Feiye, the original owner of the Candle of Time Fragment.

This mysterious cultivator appeared as a wisp of smoke, and upon seeing Chen Lingxi, his face showed fear.

He lowered his head almost the instant he saw Chen Lingxi's face.

Not daring to meet the gaze of those eyes filled with golden lightning, he respectfully bowed to Chen Lingxi.

"I have met Chen Shangxiu..." His tone was extremely respectful.

He also entered the Ancestral Mountain, plotting to seize the fortuitous opportunity to obtain the Mother Qi.

He never imagined that the news of the birth of the Ancestral Mountain Mother Qi would be known by so many powerful figures, and that most of those who came to compete for it were even more powerful than him.

He had made a deal with Lin Suri, thinking that with Lin Suri's connection, he could act safely in the Ancestral Mountain. But later... Lin Suri had a series of fortuitous opportunity and easily broke through to the Qi Circulation Seventh Floor Realm, leaving him far behind.

He naturally lost the right to join forces with Lin Suri.

At Ancestral Mountain, Chao Feiye was most grateful for giving the Candle of Time to Lin Suri, thus forging a good relationship.

This allowed him to be saved by Lin Suri during a calamity at Ancestral Mountain.

He witnessed the struggle for the Ancestral Mountain Mother Qi, and naturally knew that Chen Lingxi had killed Consort Chun and Lu Baizhong. He had even seen Chen Lingxi sail away and capture Xi Yuan, who was at the Qi Circulation Eighth Floor!

How could he dare to be disrespectful to such a person?

Even now, Chao Feiye bowed in greeting, he didn't even dare to straighten up until Chen Lingxi spoke.

Xi Ninghe stared blankly at this scene.

This black-clad immortal could materialize from the Void, a feat truly deserving of the title "divine skill."

But now this "immortal" is bowing and scraping before that young immortal, not daring to utter a single breath.

"So, you're the cultivator from Lunan Prefecture." As Chen Lingxi spoke, a wisp of her Divine Sense quietly departed and landed in Chao Feiye's hand.

Chao Feiye was taken aback. Spirit Transformation the information in his mind, he quickly said, "I did not know that this spiritual opportunity was so difficult to obtain. Now that I have received guidance from the upper cultivator, who is also Xi Family, I will no longer have any covetous thoughts."

And please... atone for your sins...

Chen Lingxi another wisp of her Divine Sense away.

Chao Feiye felt as if he had been granted a pardon and bowed to Chen Lingxi again. "Your Excellency's arrival is an honor for me, Chao Feiye, as the host."

Chen Lingxi simply shook her head slightly.

"Chao Feiye takes his leave."

Chao Feiye dared not say anything more, straightened up, and the black smoke around him surged again. In just a few breaths, it dissipated into the night wind along with him.

"Even immortals are divided into different levels... The person before me is a superior cultivator..." Xi Ninghe murmured to himself.

He held Chen Lingxi in the highest esteem, and involuntarily took another step back, not daring to stand too close, for fear that his breath might disturb the immortal's tranquility.

At this moment, Chen Lingxi looked at Xi Lan.

The method of Qi Observation was still slowly flowing in his eyes.

The azure-green spiritual energy continued to flow silently through her meridians, absorbing a portion of her own essence and spirit with each circulation, and then feeding back a portion to reshape her meridians and bones.

This strange and wondrous inspiration brings with it an unimaginable and mysterious aura.

Another idea popped into Chen Lingxi's mind. "If Xi Lan Qi Circulation Realm cultivation, her aptitude is probably extraordinary. If I take her as my disciple and teach her diligently, she will surely..."

Then he suddenly frowned and looked intently at Xi Lan.

"What happened?"

He suddenly realized that he had just had the thought of "taking her as his disciple".

"Something's not right,"

"I know perfectly well that the Quexing Xi Family is going to refine this Cave Heaven. If I don't find a way to survive, I will surely become a wronged soul among the World Essence in that World-Refining Furnace. So why do I now have the idea of taking on a disciple?"

Taking on apprentices...

Such thoughts were something Chen Lingxi had never considered before.

Since beginning my spiritual practice in this world, I have become accustomed to being alone and have never thought of taking on any disciples.

Why, at this very moment, did he suddenly feel the urge to take Xi Lan as his disciple?

He thought for a moment, then his brow furrowed even deeper.

His gaze then fell on the lady of the manor.

"Thinking back carefully, I was only five years old when I left Willow Street Alley. I only vaguely remember playing with Xi Yu... Apart from that, I can hardly remember Xi Ninghe and the Lady of the Manor. But just now, the image of the Lady of the Manor feeding Xi Yu and me surged into my mind, so clear, just like..."

Chen Lingxi took a deep breath, her gaze fixed on Xi Lan.

Xi Lan lowered her head, not daring to meet his gaze, and the blush that had faded slightly returned.

Xi Lan lowered her head, too shy to look at him.

Xi Ninghe was still immersed in the joy of his daughter's awakening and the astonishment brought by the immortal Chen Lingxi, and repeatedly invited Chen Lingxi to come to the East Hall for tea.

But Chen Lingxi stood still.

He ignored Xi Ninghe's invitation and simply stood there.

"I was about to leave Lunan Prefecture after receiving the imperial decree, but I vaguely saw that spiritual energy flickering in this backyard. However, that spiritual energy is hidden deep within Xi Lan's body, so how could it be easily discovered?"

"When I saw Xi Lan, I inexplicably awakened her with spiritual energy. I was about to leave when that exceptionally clear memory flooded back into my mind, which led me to summon Chao Feiye. And now, I even have the idea of taking Xi Lan as my disciple."

Chen Lingxi's eyelids twitched; she found it somewhat unbelievable.

"It feels like something is deliberately guiding me, even altering my memories."

His Divine Sense was refined, and he possessed the True-Intent Mysteries of the Ninth Floor of Qi Circulation Technique. Logically speaking, he shouldn't be easily affected by external things.

But today's events began with his "unintentional" discovery of Xi Lan from the clouds, then his "inexplicable" descent from the clouds, followed by the sudden resurfacing of his childhood memories, and even the thought of "taking him as a disciple" just now...

Everything seemed too coincidental, and too abrupt.

As Chen Lingxi pondered this, she still gazed intently at Xi Lan.

The Qi Observation method of the Ninth Floor of Qi Circulation was pushed to its limit.

Seven or eight breaths passed.

"I can't figure him out. Apart from that intuition, there's nothing strange about Xi Lan."

"Since I cannot see through it, it proves that my cultivation is far from sufficient to investigate this matter in depth."

In that case, it's best not to let your curiosity get too strong and to stay away as soon as possible.

He secretly became wary.

Since we can't see through Xi Lan's strangeness, it's best not to look into it.

He made up his mind to leave.

But then he thought again, "Perhaps I'm being paranoid. Xi Lan's talent is so exceptional; if I could take her as my disciple..."

Chen Lingxi's thoughts abruptly stopped; she felt only a chill run down her spine and found it utterly incomprehensible.

Almost without hesitation, he shifted his gaze from Xi Lan and communicated with Xi Ninghe Divine Sense, carefully explaining one thing to him.

Then... Chen Lingxi's body was enveloped in a swirling mist, which then disappeared into the night.

Disappeared.

The three people in the room looked at each other, feeling as if everything they had experienced that night was just a dream.

"They've left already?" Xi Lan with a hint of melancholy. "I wonder what that immortal's name was."

She gazed at the pitch-black night outside the window, her mind still replaying the last glimpse of that person as they departed.

Meanwhile, in the Void, Chen Lingxi away on a cloud, thinking to himself, "It seems that the secrets of this world are countless."

He had previously thought that his Ninth Floor of Qi Circulation was already quite formidable, and that apart from a few people who Mystic Entry Realm and the mysterious being deep within the imperial palace, no one in this Cave Heaven could rival him.

But today, after only glancing at Xi Lan a few more times, she was almost swayed by some inexplicable force to make a decision against her conscience.

"How many other seemingly ordinary people like Xi Lan are there in this world, who actually harbor Mystery Mechanism?"

As he pondered this, he flew out of Lunan Prefecture.

He did not land on the Nanju Twelve Mountains again, but instead used the Concealed Edge Method to conceal his aura and quietly went to Yuan River Prefecture.

Many thoughts continued to flow through him along the way, and he felt more and more that something was amiss.

He could even recall that when Mrs. Xi smiled, the right corner of her mouth turned up slightly higher than the left, revealing a tiny canine tooth.

He could still remember that she always wore a light purple jacket, with a few orchids embroidered on the cuffs.

The orchid was made with silver thread, which gives off a very faint shimmer in the sunlight.

Chen Lingxi a cold laugh.

How could a five-year-old child remember such details?

"It seems like something is influencing my decision, even my memory."

Chen Lingxi narrowed his eyes. "Could it be some kind of Cauldron Vessel?"

He thought about it for a long time, but still couldn't figure it out.

He shook his head, suppressing these thoughts for the time being.

In any case, having obtained the imperial edict tonight, the purpose of this trip can be considered accomplished.

As for Xi Lan's matter, let's put it aside for now and deal with it later.