Liu Xian'er looked up at those words and saw a handsome middle-aged man standing at the entrance to the great hall, though she had no idea when he had arrived. He wore a brocade robe of azure, his hair reached his waist, and a golden crown rested on his head. He had a short beard. The man slowly lifted one foot. Liu Xian'er saw a blur, and suddenly someone occupied the seat beside her master. Shock surged through her heart. Was this Heavenly Venerable Daoling, one of the Three Immortals of the Heavenly Dao alongside Master? "Ah! Senior Brother Daoling, your Fire Escape Technique has reached the realm of returning to pristine simplicity. Not a trace of fire accompanies your movements." Fairy Qingxia gently clapped her hands, full of admiration.
"You flatter me, Junior Sister. Why did you arrive so many days later than expected?" Heavenly Venerable Daoling waved a hand and asked mildly.
"We ran into some trouble on the road. Besides, with these two little ones in tow, I couldn't fly too fast!" Fairy Qingxia composed herself and replied with a smile.
"You went to the Liu Family to fetch this girl with a heavenly spiritual root, then? Ah, she truly is a favored daughter of Heaven!" Heavenly Venerable Daoling studied Liu Xian'er, a hint of envy mingling with his admiration.
"Disciple Liu Xian'er pays her respects to Daoling, Grand Supreme Ancestor!" Liu Xian'er knelt and performed a formal bow with great reverence. Clearly, someone had already taught her what to do.
"All right, all right! Get up!" Heavenly Venerable Daoling swept his sleeve, and Lin Xian'er rose involuntarily to her feet. Liu Xian'er said nothing more, standing respectfully behind her master.
Heavenly Venerable Daoling had already noticed Li Xiaoya lying unconscious on the floor. His gaze turned toward him. "But this one trapped inside the Water-Controlling Nine-Palace Pearl is...?"
"There was a little mishap on the road, and the Five-Element Rainbow Ganoderma escaped..." Fairy Qingxia told Heavenly Venerable Daoling exactly how the Five-Element Rainbow Ganoderma had escaped and possessed Li Xiaoya. For some reason, however, she did not mention that Liu Xian'er had let the Five-Element Rainbow Ganoderma loose, instead saying that he had slipped away on his own. "And so I had no choice but to trap this boy inside the Water-Controlling Nine-Palace Pearl as well and bring him to the Sect."
"I see! What a coincidence, encountering someone with a five-element spiritual root." Heavenly Venerable Daoling sounded somewhat surprised after hearing her account.
"Indeed! There really is something strange about this. Rumors of people possessing a five-element spiritual root have always circulated in the cultivation world, but no one has ever actually seen such a cultivator."
"Then, Junior Sister, since you've examined the boy's condition, I imagine you already have an idea of how to extract the Five-Element Rainbow Ganoderma?"
"I've thought it over carefully. Since the Five-Element Rainbow Ganoderma is a spirit born from a body of the five elements, we can use the Five-Element Formation to force him out of this boy. We only need to find five cultivators at the golden core stage or above, each practicing a cultivation method of a different elemental affinity. Together, they can operate the formation, using the cycle of mutual generation and restraint among the five elements to suppress the Five-Element Rainbow Ganoderma's five-element energy. Then we can easily force him out with a spell. There are other ways to expel the Five-Element Rainbow Ganoderma, but they all have drawbacks. They would either harm him or injure this little fellow." Fairy Qingxia explained her method and weighed its advantages and disadvantages.
"Mm! Let's do as you suggest, Junior Sister! Our Heavenly Dao Sect can certainly muster five golden core cultivators who practice different five-element cultivation methods." Heavenly Venerable Daoling nodded in firm agreement.
"Then we shouldn't delay. Xian'er, go and ask Sect Master Xuandaozi to come in." Fairy Qingxia wasted no more words and directly instructed Liu Xian'er to fetch Xuandaozi.
"Yes, Master!" Liu Xian'er answered obediently and trotted outside.
"Oh, right! Take this!" Heavenly Venerable Daoling called Liu Xian'er back. Before she could make out his movements, a streak of azure light flew toward her.
The azure light circled Liu Xian'er once before settling into her small hand. She brought it up for a closer look and saw an exquisitely crafted green jade pendant glowing with azure light. Delighted, she bowed respectfully to Heavenly Venerable Daoling. "Thank you for your gift, Daoling, Grand Supreme Ancestor!"
"Oh, and Xian'er, once you've summoned Sect Master Xuandaozi, go straight back to my cave abode! There's nothing more for you to do here." Fairy Qingxia smiled at the scene before giving Liu Xian'er another instruction.
Liu Xian'er paused midstep at her words and answered respectfully, "Yes, Master!"
A short while later, Xuandaozi entered and respectfully cupped his hands. "Greetings, Granduncle-Master Daoling and Grandaunt-Master Qingxia!"
Heavenly Venerable Daoling smiled faintly and spoke with a touch of emotion. "Who would have thought that the little rogue cultivator from back then would now be a late condensed core cultivator? Time truly spares no one."
Xuandaozi cupped his hands toward Daoling and replied respectfully, "It was all thanks to your guidance and support back then, Granduncle-Master, that this disciple has come this far."
Heavenly Venerable Daoling waved his sleeve and smiled. "There's no need to bring up the past. Your Grandaunt-Master Qingxia has a task for you."
Fairy Qingxia flicked her hand, sending a white jade slip toward Xuandaozi. "Just follow the instructions I've put inside. Be quick!"
Xuandaozi respectfully caught the jade slip and answered, "Yes!" Without another word, he left to make preparations.
After Xuandaozi departed, Heavenly Venerable Daoling and Fairy Qingxia began exchanging their insights into cultivation.
Li Xiaoya slowly opened his eyes, feeling wonderfully refreshed, but the scene before him left him rather startled. The blue barrier that had surrounded him had vanished at some point. Fairy Qingxia stood before him, watching him, while four other people of varying ages and unusual dress stood around him. One was a handsome man in an azure robe-Heavenly Venerable Daoling. Another was a white-haired old man in red robes, his ruddy face glowing, with a large red gourd strapped to his back. The third was a tall, powerfully built man in brocade clothes. The last was a middle-aged man dressed entirely in black, with a somewhat pale complexion and a purplish-black birthmark on his face.
"You're awake. In a moment, we'll cast a spell to extract the Five-Element Rainbow Ganoderma. Just stay in the middle and don't move." Before Li Xiaoya could say anything, Fairy Qingxia spoke bluntly.
Only then did Li Xiaoya realize that he was inside a sealed stone chamber. Its walls were as smooth as mirrors, and he could not even tell where the door was. A fist-sized pearl embedded in the ceiling emitted white light that illuminated the entire chamber. Looking down, he finally noticed strange patterns drawn on the floor at some unknown point, and he was sitting right in their center.
"I... sigh! All right!" After looking around for a while, Li Xiaoya knew that nothing he said now would make any difference. He could only nod and resign himself to his fate. How could a mere mortal like him contend with these living immortals?
"Good. There's no time to waste. Martial nephews, take your positions. Senior Brother Daoling, I'll leave you to direct this Five-Element Formation!" Fairy Qingxia first addressed the red-robed elder and the other two men without ceremony, then turned to Heavenly Venerable Daoling.
"Yes, Martial Aunt!" the three answered in unison.
Heavenly Venerable Daoling merely smiled and nodded.
Watching from the side, Li Xiaoya began muttering inwardly. Sister Qingxia seems to have quite a high standing in the Heavenly Dao Sect. Just look at how respectful that white-haired old man and those fellows are toward her. But Heavenly Venerable Daoling seems even more formidable than she is. I never would have guessed!
"All right, sit down right where you are!" Fairy Qingxia told Li Xiaoya.
"Ah! All right!" Li Xiaoya hastily answered and obediently sat down cross-legged.
As soon as Li Xiaoya sat down cross-legged, the other four each took their positions. He looked closely and noticed that each stood at the tip of a strange pattern extending across the floor. One tip remained unoccupied, presumably Fairy Qingxia's position.
Once everyone was in place, Fairy Qingxia suddenly swept her sleeve toward Li Xiaoya. A yellow light flashed and vanished. His vision blurred, and a yellow talisman like those used by Daoist priests appeared on his forehead. Startled, Li Xiaoya hurriedly tried to stand, only to discover that his body seemed no longer his own. His senses remained perfectly clear, but he could not control himself.
Li Xiaoya panicked. "Sister Qingxia, what are you doing? I can't mo..."