Longevity Monastery

On the Great Scenery Plains, at Flat Lake, the beginning of winter had arrived. The time had come.

The lake was vast, its mist-veiled waters stretching into the distance. It lay on the border between the Chen Household and White Azure Cavern. Standing on its shore and looking south, one could make out the boundless thousand mountains of Jade Flow far away. Having received the summons, Xu Xuan had ridden a cloud here all the way from Green Luo, bringing Liu Xiaowen with him.

This time, Xu Xuan finally met the people who had gathered the various households: those from Longevity Monastery in the north. They had never concerned themselves with affairs on the southern bank of the Li River, so he did not know why they had specifically summoned everyone today.

Under the rule that each True Person received the offerings and support of one commandery, the Great Scenery Plains ought to have fallen under their jurisdiction as well. Yet Xu Xuan had never seen anyone from the monastery come here.

A treasure ship hovered beside the lake, adorned with colorful sails and brocade banners. Intertwined soaring serpents formed its patterns, while azure turtles crouching upon the waves formed its arrays. As it floated there, neither birds nor sparrows were startled, and neither wind nor waves arose.

A young attendant stood beside the ship, calling out each household's name. Once they answered, they ascended a splendid stairway formed from clouds. Inside the ship stood Golden Towers and Jade Pavilions, wreathed in drifting mist. Everyone entered and took their seats, not daring to move recklessly as they quietly awaited instructions from the blue-robed Daoist in the seat of honor.

Xu Xuan found Liu Qiuqi. The young gentleman in blue waved to him, beckoning him over. A blue-clad youth waited beside Liu Qiuqi, with red lips, white teeth, and exceptionally handsome features that bore some resemblance to his.

By now, Liu Qiuqi's lower body had returned to normal, and his cultivation had firmly reached the sixth level of Qi Refining.

After meeting, the two first introduced their juniors to each other. Liu Qiuqi had brought his own son, Liu Baiyuan, who was two years older than Liu Xiaowen. The boys exchanged a few polite words and could now be considered acquainted.

The two instructed their juniors to support each other once inside. There were dangers within, so they needed to take care. The attendant then led Liu Xiaowen and Liu Baiyuan to the lower pavilion to await entry into the Underground Palace.

"The Underground Palace is beneath Flat Lake. After generations of use, the [Heaven-Bestowed Fortune Spring] can now supply only four people. One share has been reserved by someone from Longevity Monastery. We can only compete for the remaining three."

Liu Qiuqi spoke softly to Xu Xuan, looking toward the Daoist in the seat of honor with a hint of apprehension in his eyes.

"An Immortal Sect could simply issue an order. Why bother acting under the Chen Household's name?"

Xu Xuan was somewhat surprised. He had assumed that Chen Weiyuan had arranged this, never imagining that Longevity Monastery was working behind the scenes. Liu Qiuqi looked reluctant to speak and said quietly:

"This matter is difficult to discuss. Though I've received some information, I dare not speak carelessly. All I can guarantee is that they won't encounter any great calamity inside, and that the benefits will outweigh the dangers."

"The Chen Household sent out letters to accord with the idea of commands issuing from the center, the four quarters answering the call, and talented youths being presented to fall within the emperor's bowshot. I've heard that this spring was left behind by descendants of the Qi Kingdom's imperial house. That's why things must be done this way."

Liu Qiuqi's explanation was vague, but it seemed to touch upon a sore spot shared by the households of the Plainlands. Xu Xuan was now caught within the game himself, and he could faintly feel threads tightening little by little around his neck. Thus, the two fell silent for a while.

"What should they expect after entering the Underground Palace?"

Xu Xuan was still somewhat worried and wanted to ask for details.

"I've heard it was an ancient trial the Qi Kingdom used to assess the various households. It manifests according to the entrant, matching the Fetal Breath realm. They follow the path inward, then compete for places at the end."

Xu Xuan now had a rough idea. He had secretly inspected the juniors brought by the households of the Plainlands, and they were indeed all direct descendants. The Zhu Clan's youth stood out in particular: he was the same age as Liu Xiaowen, yet had already reached late Fetal Breath. His deep cultivation surpassed that of every other household's entrant.

As expected of the Lineage with the deepest foundations in the Plainlands apart from the Chen Household. This direct descendant's cultivation would probably be considered quite good even in an Immortal Sect.

Xu Xuan silently compared them. After looking over all the households, he judged Liu Xiaowen to be somewhere in the upper middle of this group of youths. But Liu Xiaowen had yet to receive a seal. Xu Xuan was confident that once he passed down that Seal Script, Liu Xiaowen would stand among the foremost of his peers.

Suddenly, another man approached Xu Xuan. He wore blue armor and carried a pitch-black sword on his back, his bearing as upright as a pine. Saluting, he asked in a deep voice:

"Are you the abbot of Great Red Abbey and the head of the Liu Household?"

Xu Xuan and Liu Qiuqi rose to return his greeting. The man dispensed with formalities and sat beside them, smiling.

"I am Zuo Hemo, sect leader of Hollow Sword Gate. I heard that Abbot Xu had cultivated Sword Qi and have long wished to visit. Unfortunately, miscellaneous affairs have kept me from leaving the Plainlands."

Zuo Hemo had something of a gallant swordsman's air. Before long, he was calling them Brother Xu and Brother Liu, and the three were chatting happily.

"Chongyangzi of your abbey comprehended sword intent. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to see him draw his sword. What a pity."

Hearing this, Liu Qiuqi's interest stirred, and he said softly:

"I've heard that your Hollow Sword Gate has some connection with Xu Xuan's Great Red Abbey, Fellow Daoist Zuo."

Zuo Hemo glanced around, his expression growing more restrained as he lowered his voice.

"Our traditions both came from Ancient Shu, so naturally there is some connection. I've read records stating that when Emperor Wang entered Shu, he sent the ancestral traditions of Hollow Sword Gate and Great Red Abbey to open the mountains. Together, they established seventy-two immortal peaks and welcomed the emperor into Lacquer Mountain."

"But what use is there in discussing that now? We have only the faintest connection to them. We know nothing of their cultivation methods or inheritances. All we have is a name to boast about."

Xu Xuan's expression remained unchanged, but ripples stirred in his heart. All these records had been lost within his abbey, and Wen Fufeng had deliberately withheld such matters from him. He knew only that his lineage originated in Shu, not that it had such deep roots.

The Daoist seated far away in the seat of honor finally moved. Seeing that all the households had arrived, he steered the ship to the center of Flat Lake and brought forth an azure pearl as clear and luminous as glass. The moment it appeared, the lake waters parted of their own accord, revealing a deep, shadowy Underground Palace below.

Clouds formed a stairway that stretched downward to meet the palace entrance. The attendant responsible for guiding them bowed with clasped hands, then instructed the households' juniors to enter.

"Inside the palace, there are demons, water, and fire. Follow the path inward and endure the Nine Calamities, and you will see the spring. Fighting is permitted. If you cannot hold on, you will automatically be sent back."

The attendant explained this to everyone, then lightly waved his fly whisk. A clear breeze rose and carried the households' juniors onto the cloud stairway.

Liu Xiaowen looked around. Including himself, there were seven people in total. Besides the five households of the Plainlands, there was also a young Daoist sent by Longevity Monastery. His cultivation was at Middle Fetal Breath, but his imposing presence was not the slightest bit weaker than that of the Zhu Clan youth at late Fetal Breath.

Liu Baiyuan had already told him that they should weather the trials together once inside, then settle matters after reaching the spiritual spring. As for the person from Longevity Monastery, it would be best not to provoke him.

Upon entering, he found complete darkness, with only an ancient path leading downward, its tier upon tier of steps stretching beyond sight. Liu Xiaowen was just about to discuss matters with Liu Baiyuan, but when he turned, he found no one around him. The stone door was tightly shut.

It seems the palace separates everyone on its own. Master didn't anticipate this.

Lamps lit along the stone walls, casting an eerie blue glow that illuminated the cramped passage. Liu Xiaowen felt a gust of rank wind surge up from below, making the flames sway like a thousand ghostly shadows.

He drew his sword, his expression resolute, and lightly stroked the [Fire Prayer] stone token at his waist. A faint warmth flowed from it. Taking a deep breath, Liu Xiaowen followed the path downward, ready to slash the moment any lurking monster ahead revealed itself.

Elsewhere, within the treasure ship's inner pavilion, the Daoist overseeing the proceedings had entered to await instructions from an old Daoist inside.

The old Daoist had a youthful face and crane-white hair and wore purple robes. The aura he exuded clearly marked him as a Foundation Establishment cultivator. He opened his right hand, revealing a centipede that was scarlet all over, like a mass of flowing fire. It dropped to the floor on its own, burrowed downward toward the Underground Palace, and vanished.

"Master, is this the venomous creature that arose naturally within the fortune qi spring?"

The Daoist overseeing the proceedings asked softly from his seat below, seemingly pondering something.

"Indeed. [Fortune qi] is lost to [calamity poison], and so fortune and disaster depend upon one another. Blessed lands also harbor peril, and benevolent springs also breed venomous creatures."

"We need only see whom this venomous creature lands upon. Then we can give the one in the Wilderness of Witches an accounting."

The old Daoist explained softly, looking in the direction where the Red-Armored Centipede had vanished. He seemed to be working through some calculation on his fingers.

"Master, can that person truly use this to cultivate a Divine Ability, then pursue the path of [calamity poison]?"

The seated Daoist raised his head and asked quietly, a trace of worry on his face.

"Whether it succeeds has little bearing on our monastery. The True Person makes the plans; we merely carry out our orders."

"In my view, it will likely prove rather difficult."

The old Daoist continued looking toward the Underground Palace, as though trying to see through its ancient stone walls. A Red-Armored Centipede quietly burrowed inside, unnoticed by anyone.

(End of chapter)