Han Suxin watched the doorway, magic power circulating faintly throughout her body, held in check.
Although mortals could not see the Dharma Body formed from illusory magic power, she still preferred to err on the side of caution. If a mortal noticed anything unusual and brought down an Outer Demon Descent, she would be in trouble.
Even though she had never brought about an Outer Demon Descent herself, that did not stop her from knowing about Outer Demons.
Ever since the great catastrophe in ancient times, the Celestial Court had become Infinite Heaven, the Moon Palace had become the Lunar Abyss, the World Tree had become the Defiled Earth Jianmu, and Pure Land Spirit Mountain had become Eternal Night Spirit Mountain... Countless realms of immortals and gods had fallen, and the world had become filled with endless Outer Demons.
Demon of the Outer Path.
They were endless, lurking deep within the subconscious minds of mortal beings.
Countless mortal beings were like the eyes of the Outer Demons, or cameras in a heavenly surveillance network. Once a mortal noticed something unreasonable, something that defied common sense-for example, a cultivator displaying supernatural abilities-it would draw an attack from the Outer Demons.
Once an Outer Demon Descent occurred, most cultivators met their end on the spot, devoured by an Outer Demon.
The stronger the cultivator, the more terrifying the Outer Demon they attracted!
Thus, whether it was a tradition passed down from the celestial realm or the teachings of accomplished predecessors, secrecy invariably came first. Whether avoiding contact or putting on an act, cultivators had to remain mindful of secrecy at all times.
Cultivators must never be discovered by mortals!
That was an ironclad rule.
And so, to mortals, this world seemed perfectly normal.
Unless absolutely necessary, cultivators were reluctant to fight one another. Even when they had to engage in magical combat, they would first set up magical restrictions, barriers, and the like to prevent mortals from noticing.
"I hope... you won't make me fight..."
Han Suxin watched the entrance to the calligraphy and painting shop. If possible, she did not want to take such a risk either.
Although the outcome she had divined through Purple Star Astrology seemed rather inauspicious, it would be best if they could simply talk things through.
Suddenly-
The sky outside the window seemed to darken. The sunlight that had been so brilliant moments earlier suddenly dimmed considerably, and the bright shop grew a little gloomier.
The soft rustling of wind through the leaves outside, the chirping of sparrows on the eaves, the engines and horns from the distant street... All those sounds vanished completely at that moment.
A deathly silence.
It was not just the sounds outside. Even when Han Suxin tried tapping the desk with her fingertip, no sound emerged.
At that moment, sound seemed to have lost its ability to travel.
"A silencing restriction? And an illusion-like magical restriction..."
A trace of coldness entered Han Suxin's eyes.
Apparently, the other party had no intention of talking to her. They had immediately erected this illusory barrier to avoid detection by mortals, eliminating sound and distorting light.
Clearly, they were already prepared to fight.
Hm?
Han Suxin abruptly turned to look. Not far away, the shadow cast by the windowsill suddenly writhed. Like flowing liquid, it spread rapidly toward her across the floor.
As the shadow approached, an arm formed entirely from indistinct darkness suddenly reached out, grabbing straight for the Bluestone Paperweight on the desk.
A supernatural ability from the Taiyin Divine Lord Dharma Body lineage?
Han Suxin's gaze chilled. She raised her slender hand and pointed from a distance.
Specks of starlight appeared around her, instantly taking the shape of a somewhat illusory sleeve. Long and broad, it seemed capable of covering heaven and earth with a single sweep. Its regal purple fabric was embroidered with flowing golden trim and a faintly visible dragon claw. Beneath the stately sleeve was a hazy, illusory hand.
The hand within the sleeve pointed along with her, stirring a great surge of starlight. Its finger struck the shadowy hand squarely.
As she deliberately kept her power contained, the collision between the two illusory hands did not affect the desk beside them. It merely stirred a light breeze that fluttered the thin sheets of paper on its surface.
After that single exchange, Han Suxin retreated three short steps.
A tall, thin man in a black trench coat also emerged from the shadow. His medium-length black hair was tied behind his head, and his sharply defined face bore a fierce expression.
Cheng Buxiu!
As Han Suxin's finger strike sent him flying backward, he swept his hand again and tossed out an ancient azure wooden ruler.
The Azure Sun Ruler Replica!
The Ancient Azurewood Ruler spun through the air, releasing rays of azure light. As it rotated, the light grew denser and more dazzling, as though it were about to become an azure sun!
Han Suxin's expression abruptly changed.
The Azure Sun Ruler!
Although she had never seen the legendary supreme treasure, the Ancient Azurewood Ruler before her was clearly a replica of the Azure Sun Ruler.
This man had gone straight for the Bluestone Paperweight on the desk the moment he appeared, and he carried an Azure Sun Ruler Replica, a Magic Treasure unique to the Cheng Family. She hardly needed to think to realize that the Bluestone Paperweight on the desk was probably the real Azure Sun Ruler!
She had no time to marvel at Senior Lin using the supreme treasure, the Azure Sun Ruler, to weigh down paper. After all, there was also a Two Principles Magic-Gathering Basin by the entrance that he used to rinse his brushes. It was hardly surprising.
What worried her now was that even this replica of the Azure Sun Ruler was immensely powerful. Once it erupted, she probably would not be able to block it completely, even if she devoted all her strength to protecting the shop.
Even the slightest stray force would likely bring this little shop crashing down on the spot.
I'll risk it!
Watching the rapidly swelling azure sun about to erupt, Han Suxin gritted her teeth and prepared to give it everything she had.
However, just then-
Without a sound, inside the drab, inconspicuous iron basin on the little table by the shop entrance, the divided Two Principles Taiji Diagram suddenly began to rotate, slowly but powerfully.
At that moment, an enormous invisible vortex seemed to appear inside the little basin.
Inside the shop, the little azure sun that was swelling toward an explosion in midair suddenly became like a water-filled balloon pierced by a straw. Its dazzling azure light instantly weakened and dimmed, streaming endlessly along an invisible path into the drab iron basin.
The dim sunlight outside the window grew brilliant again, and the gloomy interior brightened.
"Whoosh..." A sound like water being sucked up rang out.
Soon, the azure light vanished completely, leaving only an Ancient Azurewood Ruler devoid of power. It spun feebly a few times in midair before falling to the floor with a clatter.
It seemed to have become a lifeless piece of dead wood.
Cheng Buxiu, who had been preparing to seize the Azure Sun Ruler while the Azure Sun Ruler Replica erupted, froze at the sight.
Somewhat dazed, he looked toward the culprit that had sucked away the Azure Sun Spiritual Power-the inconspicuous gray iron basin.
It sat there quietly, as though nothing had happened.
"Senior Lin isn't even here, yet the Two Principles Magic-Gathering Basin activated on its own? Even a supreme treasure with a powerful spiritual nature needs spiritual power to move..."
Han Suxin paused briefly, then realized what had happened. "Of course! The Two Principles Magic-Gathering Basin contains the inky water Senior Lin used to rinse his brushes. When he watered the tree, he didn't empty it completely. With spiritual power that pure and concentrated, even the tiniest residue would be enough to activate the basin!"
This was a supreme treasure, and the Two Principles Magic-Gathering Basin specialized in swallowing and gathering magic power. Even a tiny fraction of its might was enough to suppress the Azure Sun Ruler Replica.
"Impossible..."
Cheng Buxiu murmured, staring at the drab iron basin in disbelief. Although he had heard of the famed Two Principles Magic-Gathering Basin, he had never seen it himself. Still less could he believe-
That a tiny calligraphy and painting shop actually held two supreme treasures?
"Hm? Sound is back?"
Noticing this, Han Suxin suddenly realized that as the Two Principles Magic-Gathering Basin absorbed the spiritual power of the Azure Sun Ruler Replica, it would naturally also absorb the silencing restriction and the light-distorting illusion that enveloped the area.
Neither the silencing restriction nor the illusion contained much spiritual power, so both had naturally been drained dry in an instant.
"You want the Azure Sun Ruler, don't you?"
Han Suxin said coolly, "You set up a silencing restriction just now, so I couldn't warn you. But it's still not too late. Let me make this clear: this shop belongs to an accomplished senior. You've heard of the Two Principles Magic-Gathering Basin, haven't you? Both your Cheng Family's Azure Sun Ruler and this basin belong to that senior. Someone like you dares lay a hand on them?"
She had also worked out that Senior Lin was probably the reason the Cheng Family's patriarch had not even used the Azure Sun Ruler when undergoing his heavenly tribulation.
It was easy enough to imagine why the Azure Sun Ruler was in Senior Lin's shop.
"A senior?" Cheng Buxiu murmured, somewhat lost.
Just then, an unusual sound came from outside the door.
They both turned to look and discovered, to their shock, that a man in a delivery uniform had somehow appeared at the entrance. He was staring at them in fear and astonishment.
"Excuse me... Are those special effects?" the delivery guy asked, his mouth hanging open.
This is bad!
Han Suxin's expression abruptly changed. Only then did she remember that Senior Lin had ordered takeout before leaving. This mortal delivery worker had probably arrived some time ago, but the illusion had deceived him, preventing him from seeing what was happening inside.
But when the Two Principles Magic-Gathering Basin absorbed the illusion's spiritual power just now, the illusion had vanished before the Azure Sun Ruler's spiritual power was completely drained. The delivery worker had probably seen the azure sun hanging in midair!
That meant the Outer Demons had discovered them!