Dragon-Offering's audience with the heavenly talisman

Xi Lan waited for a long time, but finally had to look away.

She lowered her head and glanced at the sea of clouds that had returned to calm and were no longer visible, then raised her head and looked up at the majestic, high-hanging celestial mirror in the sky.

"This sword light and lightning seem somewhat familiar."

The sword light was pale gold, with lightning patterns flowing within it... It seemed to be the work of that young immortal from the Weiji Grotto-Heaven.

"How could it be such a coincidence?"

Xi Lan shook his head and solemnly bowed to the now empty sea of clouds.

Then it turned around and flew in another direction.

"Having survived a great calamity and gained much enlightenment... I should be able to Dao Platform Profound Root!"

At this moment, Chen Lingxi was heading southeast.

The Concealed Edge Method never dissipated; from afar, he appeared as a ray of light above a floating cloud on the horizon, indistinguishable from ordinary drifting clouds.

After traveling for several days, he still felt a strange, inexplicable feeling in his heart.

He kept recalling his experience in the sea of clouds that day.

How vast is the Great Xuanzhuo Realm?

The Nine-Towers Land stretches endlessly from north to south and east to west, its vastness immeasurable. Within it lie numerous sects, countless immortal clans, tens of thousands of cities, and an Rogue Cultivator number of independent cultivators.

The chances of two cultivators who know each other meeting by chance in such a vast world are almost non-existent.

Even after traveling within the territory of the Dragon-Offering Sect for two years, Chen Lingxi had never encountered a single person he was truly familiar with, someone whose name he could recall.

But on his way back, he happened to run into Xi Lan.

He encountered the woman he had only met a few times in the Weiji Grotto-Heaven.

Xi Lan once traveled alone through mountains and rivers, crossing numerous passes, to find him and want to become his disciple, so they had some Yuan Yuan.

and...

When I met her, she was in a deadly situation.

"If I don't save her, she will surely die."

I saved her, and she survived.

"And I inexplicably intervened and saved him."

The more Chen Lingxi thought about it, the more she felt that this matter was somewhat unusual.

"It is like the profound and mysterious principles of Heavenly-Law Edict Divine Ability."

The destiny and fortune of the Nine-Towers Land may seem chaotic and disorderly, but they actually conform to some profound Daoist principles.

If a cultivator's cultivation level improves, their fortune will also increase, and countless minor details will arise in their actions, encounters with people, and interactions with things.

Over the past two years, he has been collecting Great Luo Dark Qi as usual, and his fortune has been nurtured without him even realizing it. The collection of Great Luo Dark Qi has been very smooth, with almost no obstacles arising.

"But now that I think about it, I always feel that this kind of luck was the invisible thread that led him to meet Xi Lan..."

Chen Lingxi her head and pondered, but for a moment she couldn't figure it out, and couldn't help but smile helplessly.

"My journey this time feels as if it were solely to save her life."

After thinking about this, he finally shook his head.

The path of spiritual practice is inherently a journey where various conditions converge, opportunities arise, and things are beyond our comprehension.

His decision to save her life today is the result of that very thought.

As for what happens next, we'll leave that for later.

Suppressing the strange feeling in his heart, Chen Lingxi further reduced the Concealed Edge Method by three points and continued southeastward towards the Dragon-Offering Sect.

He didn't walk too fast along the way.

On his return journey, he encountered other cultivators several times.

Some were lone Rogue Cultivator, carrying longswords or sabers, hurrying across the sky.

Some were fellow travelers in twos and threes, chatting as they went, their spiritual energy flowing through them, their aura steady, clearly indicating they had a solid foundation.

Some of them were members of a certain sect, dressed in standard robes and wearing waist tokens. They exuded a solemn aura and walked in formation, clearly indicating that they were not ordinary people.

If it were anyone else, walking on the edge of the Nine Palaces like this, they would inevitably have to avoid or give way to those cultivators, or have one or two verbal conflicts, or one or two disputes over land.

However, Chen Lingxi never met anyone.

This is all because the Mystic Realm Qi Observation technique in his hand has become increasingly refined as his cultivation has progressed.

Often, even from hundreds of miles away, he could discern the approaching person from the Subtle Insight the Void and take precautions beforehand.

With such caution and composure, Chen Lingxi returned to Dragon-Offering Territory without any incident.

It was dusk, and the sunlight was slanting across the sky.

Three great suns shone down from different directions, dyeing the sky a brilliant, golden-red-purple hue.

Chen Lingxi slowly descended from the clouds, hiding under the shade of an ancient cypress tree on a high mountain, gazing at a distant mountain.

This is the Sun-Watching Peak.

The mountain is not particularly high, and the palace buildings are already dilapidated.

The sunlight slanted down from the mountain peaks, bathing the old houses and lush vegetation in a soft golden glow.

In front of the mountain gate, several young disciples were sweeping and cleaning.

Hua Liuli was sitting on the stone steps, holding a book of Divine Ability powers in her hands, reading it silently.

Chen Lingxi then used the Qi Observation Method to observe, and saw that in the palace, Zhu Qingjian was cultivating a great Divine Ability with his eyes closed, and it seemed that he was not far from mastering the great Divine Ability.

Chen Lingxi gazed at that peaceful scene from afar.

"True Person Xiang Shu did not break his promise; Sun-Watching Peak has indeed become peaceful, and the younger generation of Changle can now cultivate in peace."

Everything is fine at Sun-Watching Peak.

Chen Lingxi watched from afar for a while, then suddenly descended the high mountain, parted the clouds and mist, and quietly landed in the back mountain of the Sun-Watching Peak.

Deep in the back mountains, there is a solitary grave hidden beneath ancient cypress trees.

A blue stone tablet stands before the tomb.

This is Liu Changle's tomb.

On the ground in front of the tomb, wisps of newly added incense were rising and releasing smoke.

It seems that those disciples come here to pay their respects every month.

Chen Lingxi sat down in front of the tomb, and half an hour later, Chen Lingxi quietly rose from the back of Sun-Watching Peak and continued towards Deer-Sleeping Peak.

--

Deer-Sleeping Peak.

The phantom of the Divine Deer, suspended high in the Void, still hangs silently.

The towering antlers and the cascading sunset bathed the many mountains under the jurisdiction of Deer-Sleeping Peak in a warm, golden glow.

Chen Lingxi returned on a cloud!

As soon as he entered the Deer Sleeping Land, he keenly sensed the difference between this place and the one two years ago.

Many mountain trails are sparsely populated.

The young disciples who used to walk in twos and threes against the flow, carrying spiritual materials and medicinal herbs, were rarely seen at this time.

The open area halfway up the mountain, which used to be a place where disciples practiced their Divine Ability, is now completely empty.

Occasionally, a few disciples would walk by, their steps hurried, their expressions focused and solemn, or they would carry their belongings as they headed out of the peak.

Chen Lingxi's eyes flickered slightly, and she immediately understood why.

Now, the Great Luo Heaven-Observing Mirror hangs high above the Nine Palaces, and countless fortuitous opportunity manifest within it.

All cultivators who are granted Heaven-Viewing Audience Talisman can also visit the Heavenly Mirror and exchange various offerings for Great Luo Dark Qi.

With such fortuitous opportunity manifesting, how many disciples among the two hundred peaks of the Dragon-Offering Sect could still remain content to stay in the mountains and work in seclusion?

Those disciples and young cultivators naturally wanted to collect as much Great Luo Dark Qi as possible in order to exchange for an fortuitous opportunity that would allow their cultivation to advance rapidly.

The mountain is quiet and serene, which is natural.

Chen Lingxi walked all the way to the outside of the Water-Curtain Cave.

The thousand-foot waterfall cascaded down like thunder, still shrouding his residence from two years ago in a misty haze.

He parted the curtain of water and entered the cave.

The interior furnishings remain unchanged.

The stone platform remains, the futon remains, and the few Night Spirit Stone embedded in the stone wall gleam with a familiar, warm, and soft light.

Chen Lingxi walked straight to the flat bluestone, intending to close her eyes and meditate.

Suddenly, a ray of light descended from outside the cave entrance.

A ray of light pierced through the thousand-foot-long curtain of water, delivering a concise message that landed directly in Chen Lingxi's Consciousness Sea.

"Huifeng, come see me immediately."

Chen Lingxi stopped what she was doing.

"The True Person Xiang Shu summoned me."

Chen Lingxi put the item in his hand into his Chaos Bag, straightened his clothes, brushed aside the water curtain, and walked out of the cave.

Clouds rose beneath his feet, carrying him towards the main peak of Lumian.

On the main peak of Lumian, the sea of clouds surges like waves!

Deep within the clouds, a Golden Grotto Daoist Grounds floated quietly, its vermilion walls and green tiles shrouded in Spiritual Qi energy.

Chen Lingxi descended the stone steps of the temple, straightened his clothes, took two steps forward, and respectfully bowed to the temple gate.

"Disciple Spirit Bearer requests an audience with Master."

The gates of the temple opened silently.

"Come in."

Chen Lingxi over the threshold, stopped three steps inside the door, and bowed again.

True Person Xiang Shu sat under the lamp, gazing at Chen Lingxi. The kind and gentle look in his eyes remained unchanged, showing no sign of estrangement despite the two years of separation.

"After two years of wandering, have you gained anything?"

Chen Lingxi his eyes and replied, "I have gained something from everything I have seen, seen, met, and befriended along the way."

"When I meditated in seclusion on the peak in the past, those barriers in the Heavenly-Law Edict, now, after reviewing them again, I feel I understand them much better."

True Person Xiang Shu nodded slightly.

He looked at Chen Lingxi, and the kindness in his eyes deepened.

"Since we've gained something, that's good."

He slowly stood up, walked from under the lamp to Chen Lingxi's side, and stopped.

"Your journey will last two years, coinciding with the time when the Great Luo Heaven-Observing Mirror hangs high above the Nine Palaces."

The voice of the True Person Xiang Shu remained gentle. "From this day forward, the Nine-Towers Land is officially brought under the protection of the Great Luo Heaven-Observing Mirror."

All the peaks, both upper and lower, have received the message from the main sect.

All disciples of my Dragon-Offering Sect, regardless of their cultivation level, may henceforth enter the Great Luo Heaven-Observing Mirror to pay homage to the Cauldron Vessel and exchange their Dark Qi for fortuitous opportunity.

As he spoke, he slowly took out a brand-new talisman from his sleeve.

The talisman was almost identical in appearance to the one he had previously given to Chen Lingxi.

It is about three inches wide and two fingers long, with a warm, light gold color all over. Spiritual patterns flow on it, and a faint Daoist charm permeates the air.

However, upon closer inspection, in addition to the few lines of fine seal script, there are several very faint, almost invisible dark lines on the side of this brand-new talisman.

The dark lines intertwined and echoed the seal script, seemingly unremarkable at first glance. However, if one were to redraw and compare the familiar talisman stroke by stroke in their Consciousness Sea, they would be able to discern the Subtle Insight differences.

Although the dark lines on the rune were faint, compared with the Heaven-Viewing Audience Talisman he had used every day for the past two years, it was clear that the rest of the rune was completely the same, except for these few dark lines which seemed to be somewhat different.

He remembered what Chan Zhaofu had said that day in the main hall of the Dragon-Offering Sect.

[This talisman, named the Heaven-Viewing Audience Talisman, is used by disciples of the Nine Palaces to pay homage to the Great Luo Heaven-Observing Mirror. From Golden Core True Lord and Golden Grotto True Person to ordinary Qi Circulation Realm practitioners, all can use this talisman to pay homage to the Great Luo Heaven-Observing Mirror and obtain the opportunity for cultivation.]

[When passing it down, it must be accompanied by the Sect Secret Talisman.]

As Chen Lingxi pondered, she reached out and took the talisman.

"The reason this talisman is different is probably because it contains Sect Secret Talisman, used to distinguish the cultivator's identity."

Chen Lingxi murmured to himself, then bowed to the True Person Xiang Shu.

"Thank you, Master."

True Person Xiang Shu nodded slightly.

"Go then, and cultivate diligently."

Chen Lingxi then left the main peak and returned to the Water-Curtain Cave.

He sat in the cave, looking at the new Audience Talisman before him... his eyes gleaming.

"But I wonder, if I were to use this new talisman to pay homage to the Great Luo Heaven-Observing Mirror now, I don't know if my identity as the Rogue Cultivator Chen Lingxi would change."

I also don't know if my thirty thousand strands of Great Luo Dark Qi will still remain.

Chen Lingxi was somewhat worried.

Besides this, Chen Lingxi was even more worried about something else.

"Under the Sect Secret Talisman, such homage runes should mark the identity of cultivators. Cultivators with a master and a sect should have their identities marked among them."

Given this, it is unknown whether the sect's upper echelons can manage these cultivators through the Great Luo Heaven-Observing Mirror.

If that's really the case... the upper echelons of the sect most likely have some kind of authority to know about my vast amount of Great Luo Dark Qi."

His eyes flickered, and for a moment he hesitated.