Grandmaster Secret Artifact

"Have the people from the Heavenly Policy Mansion still not arrived?" Qing Wang stood on high ground, gazing down toward the foot of the mountain.

The Heavenly Policy Mansion was the Great Qian Dynasty's institution specifically responsible for handling matters concerning Martial World Sects. By rights, they should have been receiving the visitors and handling the affair at North Spring Mountain.

"This old servant has already sent a message urging them to hurry, but Mansion Master Grandmaster Zhou has gone to Hexi Province. Of the Twelve Heavenly Catchers, seven were normally stationed in Capital City, but four accompanied him to deal with the Crimson Dragon Cult.

"Shangguan Yundun, ranked ninth on the Black List, is to be executed soon. Remnants of the Heavenly Remnant Gate and many figures on the Black List have secretly gathered in Capital City. The night before last, they nearly succeeded in breaking him out of prison.

"The Minister of Punishments was discovered colluding with the Mystic Demon Sect, secretly facilitating their activities. By the time he was tracked down, he had already fled without a trace.

"With the princess's wedding approaching, His Majesty flew into a rage and ordered them to apprehend the fugitives within three days and purge Capital City. Lord Wu, who was supposed to come here, could only postpone his journey," the steward Qin Hu said helplessly.

Qing Wang frowned. "Can they not spare even one person? The Imperial Guard alone won't do when dealing with Martial World sects."

"Arrangements have been made for Lord Li of the Demon Suppression Division to come, but tomorrow afternoon is the earliest he can arrive."

Qing Wang was helpless. The Imperial Court had too few Grandmaster experts, and its Grandmaster attendants were merely attendants; whether they acted depended entirely on their own wishes. With the Imperial Court's power to deter greatly diminished, all manner of demons and monsters kept springing out, repeatedly testing its limits.

"Come, let's return to the courtyard. The Green Luan Gate will be up here soon. We must at least receive them."

"This old servant can handle that. A mere Sect elder hardly warrants someone of Your Highness's exalted standing—"

Qing Wang raised a hand to stop the steward. "Meeting them will do no harm. We still need these Martial World people to lend their strength to the Demon Realm Seal."

"So it really is about the Demon Realm Seal?" Gu Yuanqing murmured. He knew very little about the subject. With nothing happening on the mountain anyway, he naturally wanted to investigate, and he shifted his gaze back to the Green Luan Gate.

A short while later, the group of women reached the summit.

"So this is North Spring Mountain. I heard it was even forbidden ground, but it doesn't look like much to me. Compared with the scenery at our Green Luan Gate, it falls short by far more than a little." A girl in a long green dress looked around as she spoke.

"Dan Ruotong, mind your words!" Elder Guo turned back and rebuked her coldly.

The girl in green stuck out her tongue and muttered, "But it's true."

A woman beside her lowered her voice and said with a giggle, "Junior Sister Dan, how could the residence of a sect that was wiped out compare with our Green Luan Gate?"

The girl in green nodded in wholehearted agreement. "You're right, Senior Sister Ji."

Qin Hu, steward of the Prince's Manor, had already arrived before the ceremonial arch at the summit's entrance. Smiling, he cupped his hands. "Elder Guo, Elder Qi, fairies of the Green Luan Gate, this way, please. A courtyard has been prepared for you on the mountain. Once you have put down your luggage and rested a little, His Highness has arranged a welcoming banquet to wash away the dust of your journey."

The girl in green leaned close to Elder Guo and whispered, "Master, you really command respect. Qing Wang, the Great Qian Dynasty's War God, is actually going to receive you personally."

Elder Guo shot her disciple a fierce glare, then returned the greeting with cupped hands. "Sorry for the trouble of making you wait, General Qin."

"I ceased being a general long ago. I am merely an ordinary steward at His Highness's side." Qin Hu smiled, stepped aside, and extended a hand in invitation.

With Qin Hu leading the way, they arrived before a Courtyard. A sign bearing the Green Luan Gate's name had already been erected beside its entrance.

The courtyard was spacious enough to house more than a dozen people without any difficulty. Once the women of the Green Luan Gate had been assigned their rooms, servants brought hot water for them to wash away the dust of the road.

Afterward, the two elders of the Green Luan Gate followed Qin Hu to Prince Qing's courtyard.

Qing Wang waited at the entrance to the main hall. After exchanging pleasantries, they took their seats inside.

"I am most grateful that the Green Luan Gate could send you two elders here."

"You are too kind, Your Highness. The Demon Realm Seal is a matter of grave importance. Our sect leader originally intended to come personally, but the sect's many affairs made it impossible to get away. We could only bring our sect's Grandmaster Secret Artifact here in their stead."

Qing Wang smiled. "Sect Leader Zhao's concern for all living beings makes them a model for the righteous Sects. Both elders are True Martial Experts. With the Mystic Artifact at hand, there should be no difficulties."

The two elders exchanged a glance, and Elder Guo asked, "This is our duty as Sects, of course. However, the Imperial Court's letter stated that our disciples could use the Demon Refining Array to draw in demonic qi and temper their Heavenly Gang and Earthly Sha. Your Highness, forgive our presumption, but does that promise still stand?"

"The Imperial Court will naturally honor its promise. Rest assured, elders. Once the Profound Heaven Sect arrives and sets up the Sky Mending Array, we will use the Grandmaster Secret Artifacts as its foundation to transform Heaven and Earth Vital Energy and repair the seal. At that time, your Sect's disciples may enter to temper their heavenly gang."

Mystic Artifacts? In other words, all these visiting sects once had Grandmasters.

Gu Yuanqing's gaze fell on the flexible sword wound around Elder Guo's waist. Its aura was completely different from that of an ordinary weapon. He could faintly sense a qi within it resembling that of a living being.

If my judgment is correct, that must be the Green Luan Gate's Grandmaster Secret Artifact.

According to rumor, when a Grandmaster reached the end of their lifespan, before their Dao Embryo completely dispersed, they would extract the Profound Martial Secret Treasure within it and seal it into an object that had accompanied them day and night and become steeped in their aura.

That object would then possess a measure of a Grandmaster's power, allowing it to transform the various impure energies between heaven and earth into pure vital energy. A Grandmaster Secret Artifact could only be activated using its own sect's internal cultivation method, descended from the same source.

Perhaps this is why the Imperial Court invited these sects. Repairing the seal requires Heaven and Earth Vital Energy. Either a Grandmaster must act, or they must rely on these Grandmaster Secret Artifacts.

I wonder how the Secret Sword in the North Spring Sword Sect's hidden chamber differs from a Grandmaster Mystic Artifact.

Having learned what he wanted to know, Gu Yuanqing stopped dwelling on monitoring the Front Mountain and returned his attention to his own cultivation.

He immersed himself in the Spirit Mountain trials and began sparring with others again.

After the Transformation of his mind the previous night, he discovered that his spiritual perception had become sharper in combat. He could now truly contend with someone at the profound martial ninth layer.

Although he still lost more often than he won, Gu Yuanqing believed that, given a little more time, he could secure victory consistently. After that, he would be able to face a Grandmaster directly!

The number of people on North Spring Mountain gradually increased again. By the next day, the mountain seemed to have regained the bustle of several days earlier.

The Green Luan Gate, Spirit Ape Sword Sect, Vast Sea Valley, Peerless Gate, Flying Feather Pavilion, and Profound Heaven Sect had all arrived on North Spring Mountain.

Li Beiyan, Commander of the Demon Suppression Division, finally arrived as well. He took over responsibility for dealing with the Sects, allowing Prince Qing at last to step back from managing affairs and appear only on important occasions.

On the third day, the people from these Sects all went down the mountain. Gu Yuanqing could not "see" what happened below, but he could readily guess that they had gone to deal with the damaged seal.

Gu Yuanqing spent most of his time cultivating, but in his spare moments, he still used Mountain Observation to watch the front courtyards, learning a great deal about the Martial World from the conversations of these Sect members.

Besides that, whenever these people cultivated, he could not resist taking a peek.

Most of the disciples who had come along were elites of their respective sects. The methods they practiced and carried with them were their sects' finest arts. Although they might not compare with Gu Yuanqing's own Cultivation Technique, they broadened his horizons regarding the path of cultivation and gave him fresh ideas for deducing the later stages of his method.

These gains were entirely unexpected. Looking at the Sect disciples on the Front Mountain, he felt as though he were looking at little bundles of experience points.

The affairs of the Front Mountain had nothing to do with him. Occasionally, someone would approach the rear mountain, but Imperial Guard soldiers would naturally stop them.

Then, on the sixth day, two young men from the Fine-Clothed Mansions stood before his Courtyard on the Front Mountain.

The tall young man on the left pointed at the Courtyard. "Who lives here?"

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