The jade chariot traversed the sea of clouds at an extreme speed, like a streak of light tearing through the sky.
The mountains, rivers, cities, and villages below all turned into blurry streaks of color that flew backward and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Inside the carriage, however, it was as stable as flat ground. The spacious interior was elegantly furnished, with white jade tables and sandalwood stands. The surrounding area was engraved with intricate and profound spatial array patterns, which completely isolated the violent winds and spatial fluctuations from the outside world, leaving only a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.
The Jade Pool Holy Maiden Lin Qingyao, and Li Qingshan sat facing each other on either side of a white jade tea table.
On the table were fragrant tea steaming with spiritual energy and several dishes of rare spiritual fruits, emitting an enticing aroma.
Black Emperor lay sprawled on the soft cushion at Li Qingshan's feet, his large, round eyes darting around restlessly.
It would occasionally scratch at the carvings on the carriage walls with its paws, and sometimes it would bare its teeth at the rapidly receding clouds outside the window, muttering indistinctly, "Back in the day—my carriage was much more magnificent than this—tsk tsk, the wood carving of these flowing clouds is a bit lacking."
Elder Li.
Lin Qingyao's gentle voice broke the silence. Her slender fingers lightly touched the teacup, and her gaze fell on Li Qingshan through the hazy mist.
"This return to the holy land will likely attract a lot of attention."
Within this sacred land, the rules differ from those of the outside markets. There are numerous disciples and a multitude of informants; I urge you, fellow Daoist, to exercise caution.
Her words were both a well-intentioned reminder and contained a subtle, almost imperceptible, concern.
Li Qingshan's status was special; he was not a disciple of Jade Pool, yet she personally led him into the core of the holy land, which inevitably attracted much speculation and controversy.
Upon hearing this, Li Qingshan smiled knowingly. He naturally understood Lin Qingyao's concerns and nodded, saying, "Thank you for the reminder, Holy Maiden. I understand."
I understand the principle of "when in Rome, do as the Romans do."
His tone was calm and unhurried, and his demeanor was composed, as if he were not about to visit a supreme holy land that shook the Eastern Wasteland, but rather a visit to an ordinary friend's home. This composure earned Lin Qingyao's silent admiration once again.
Looking at the young man's handsome face and the composure beyond his years, she hesitated for a moment before finally voicing the question that had been lingering in her mind for days, "If I may ask, is it truly inconvenient for you to reveal your master's lineage?"
It wasn't that Qingyao intentionally wanted to pry, but rather that if the Queen Mother asked, I would know how to respond.
Her beautiful eyes held a sincere inquiry. "Fellow Daoist, you are so young yet possess such cultivation and knowledge. It is truly unbelievable that you have no teacher."
Li Qingshan couldn't help but laugh loudly, picked up his teacup and took a sip. His gaze swept over Lin Qingyao's hazy yet intrigued face, and he said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Haha, it seems the Holy Maiden still doesn't trust me."
To be honest, Holy Maiden, I, Li, am indeed without any sect or school, not a successor of any reclusive sect, and certainly not of the Ancient Emperor Bloodline.
It was only by chance in his early years that he obtained a legacy from a predecessor on a sacred mountain, acquiring an ancient scripture, and has been cultivating on his own ever since.
He set down his teacup, his expression calm and his gaze clear. "As for this Daoist aura, perhaps it's innate. Holy Maiden and Queen Mother, you can rest assured, I have only respect for Jade Pool, and absolutely no ill will. My trip there is also to sincerely make friends and experience the Feng Cai of the Western Emperor's Daoist tradition."
His words were seven parts truth and three parts falsehood. He attributed his cultivation to "fortune" and "talent," which explained the source of his strength while keeping the core secret, making it seem reasonable.
Seeing that his tone was sincere and not feigned, Lin Qingyao still had doubts in her heart.
Seeing that he had no intention of discussing this further, I didn't press him further.
She knew that everyone in the cultivation world had their own experiences and secrets, and that forcing things would only make things worse.
So she changed the subject and began to introduce the local customs and culture of Jade Pool in a gentle voice, "Since that's the case, Qingyao will not ask any more questions. Our Jade Pool Holy Land was founded in the Jade Pool Immortal Realm in the Northern Region, and takes the ' Western Emperor Scripture ' as its fundamental law."
Within the sacred land, besides the main peak Jade Pool Immortal Palace, there are four main side peaks: " Listening to Springs the Spring," " Playing the Zither at the Gazing at the Moon," "Playing the Qin," and " Playing Go with Stars," each presided over by Tai Shang.
She recounted in detail everything from the layout of the sacred site to the personalities and preferences of several important figures, such as the Transmission Elder and the Discipline Elder, and even some rules and taboos that needed to be observed, all to Li Qingshan.
Li Qingshan listened attentively, nodding occasionally and asking questions about details. His knowledge and his dignified and composed demeanor made Lin Qingyao like him even more.
This person is not only incredibly talented and strong, but also possesses extraordinary character and wisdom; he is certainly no ordinary individual.
Black Emperor, listening to the two's conversation, yawned boredly and interjected, "Woof! Why say so much?"
Once we arrive at the destination, anyone who dares to disrespect me will be suppressed!
Kid, don't worry, I've got your back!
Li Qingshan patted its head impatiently. "You better behave yourself, and don't cause any more trouble when we get to Jade Pool."
"Woof! When has this emperor ever caused trouble?"
Those clueless fools just came looking for trouble!
Black Emperor muttered defiantly, which made Lin Qingyao's lips curl into a slight smile, and even the mist seemed to ripple with a hint of laughter.
In this seemingly relaxed atmosphere, the jade carriage had been flying for several days.
The surrounding spiritual energy became noticeably richer and purer, and faint array ripples began to appear in the Void, like ripples on the surface of water, indicating that they had entered the core area under the jurisdiction of the Jade Pool Holy Land.
Looking down, the earth's spiritual veins below appear increasingly mysterious, with shimmering springs visible among the mountains and rivers, adorned with exotic flowers and rare herbs, creating a scene of celestial beauty.
On this day, just as the jade carriage was passing through a vast and seemingly endless sea of clouds, Li Qingshan, who had been closing his eyes to regulate his breathing, actually communicating with heaven and earth and silently comprehending the Ninth Transformation of Dragon Transformation, suddenly felt something.
Above the Bitter Sea within his body, the ancient Dao Bell, which had been intertwined with his life and death and had always been fluctuating, trembled almost imperceptibly without warning!
The tremor was so subtle that even Lin Qingyao and the Black Emperor beside them did not notice it.
But this tremor triggered the essence of Li Qingshan's Innate Immortal Fetus, producing an extremely subtle yet profound resonance.
This resonance was not something he actively controlled; rather, it was more like a passive response, as if it originated from a distant source, drawn by some supreme aura that shared the same origin as his physique and was of a higher rank!
Almost at the same instant that the Dao Bell within Li Qingshan's body trembled slightly and the Immortal Fetus resonated.
In the far distance, deep within the Jade Pool Holy Land, shrouded in endless auspicious light and swirling chaotic energy, in the secret realm that enshrines the supreme essence of Jade Pool, a "humming" sound rang out.
A deep, ancient sound, seemingly from the Heaven-Opening, yet also like a gentle murmur that has traversed the long River of Time and Space, resounded clearly and without warning!
This soft sound was not deafening, nor did it possess any earth-shattering pressure; instead, it carried a power that reached the very essence of the soul and shook the very rules of the Great Dao!
It disregarded spatial distance, clearly echoing in every inch of the Jade Pool Holy Land, in every palace and every cave, reaching every disciple, elder, and even the deepest recesses of the hearts of those ancient beings slumbering within the Divine Source!
The soft, melodious chirping carried a hint of doubt, inquiry, and indescribable tremor, as if awakened from an ancient slumber by a familiar yet strange supreme aura!
"What happened?!"
"It's Emperor Weapon! The Western Emperor Pagoda has awakened?!"
"Heavens! I've been a disciple for three hundred years and have never heard Emperor Weapon ring out on its own!"
In an instant, throughout the entire Jade Pool Holy Land, from the outer sect to the core, countless disciples and followers stopped what they were doing, looked up with shock and confusion, and gazed towards the deepest part of the Holy Land.
The voices of some elders who were preaching and expounding scriptures suddenly stopped, their expressions solemn;
Some old monsters who were in seclusion in the secret realm were disturbed. Their divine senses quietly emerged from the jade carriage like a tide. Lin Qingyao, who was explaining the origin of an ancient site in Jade Pool to Li Qingshan, suddenly trembled and stopped talking.
Her beautiful eyes widened instantly as she looked through the window of the jade carriage towards the holy land, her expression one of disbelief and horror. Her ethereal voice trembled slightly, unable to contain itself. "This—this is— Western Pagoda?"
Emperor Weapon ringing out on their own?!
The old women from Jade Pool who were guarding the jade carriage changed their expressions drastically. With their profound cultivation, they could better understand the extraordinary meaning contained in the soft sound.
One of the most senior elderly women exclaimed in shock, "Is the Emperor Weapon awakening on its own as a warning?"
Unprecedented! What exactly happened in the Holy Land? Could it be that an unprecedented enemy has invaded?
Another old woman immediately crushed a communication jade talisman, attempting to contact the inside of the holy land, her face filled with worry and confusion.
Even Black Emperor, who had been lying down pretending to sleep, suddenly perked up its ears, its black fur seemed to stand on end, and a hint of surprise and uncertainty flashed in its eyes. It muttered a curse in its mind, "Woof?! This unsettling sense of oppression... is it the Western Emperor Pagoda?"
"Why isn't she sleeping peacefully in her coffin—oops, in the tower? Why did she suddenly wake up and make such a commotion?"
At the very center of this invisible storm, Li Qingshan heard the soft chime.
He felt the Innate Immortal Fetus aura that had always been restrained around him begin to ripple uncontrollably, creating a mysterious and indescribable resonance with the bell tolling that seemed to travel across space.
His expression remained calm, but a hint of understanding and enlightenment flickered deep in his eyes.
He clearly sensed that the source of this earth-shattering disturbance was himself!
Or rather, it is the Innate Immortal Fetus essence within him, blessed by the Stone Gate and derived from his enlightenment.
And that mysterious Dao Bell originating from Purple Mountain, imbued with a touch of Daoist charm from the Beginningless Bell, the two are combined.
Upon entering the Jade Pool territory, it was like a pebble thrown into still water, inevitably stirring up those of the same origin...
The Western Emperor Pagoda, Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon from Jade Pool with keen senses!
"Just as I thought."
Li Qingshan understood and wasn't too surprised. " Great Emperor Wushi is the Western Emperor. We share the same bloodline and the same lineage."
"My karmic Cause and Effect with the Beginningless Bell, no matter how much I try to conceal it, is still impossible to completely hide from the Western Emperor Pagoda's perception at such close range."
He could sense that the soft hum of the Western Emperor Pagoda was not hostile, but rather a kind of "inquiry" tinged with doubt and scrutiny, an instinctive reaction to a supreme aura of the same origin.
An eerie silence fell over the jade carriage, with only the howling wind outside the window and the lingering sound of the bells that seemed to come from the depths of the soul.
Lin Qingyao and the other elderly women couldn't help but focus their gazes on Li Qingshan again, their eyes filled with unprecedented shock and curiosity.
They were not dull-witted. The Emperor Weapon hadn't woken up earlier or later, but it happened precisely when Li Qingshan was nearing the holy land that it awoke and began to sing. The connection between them was self-evident!
Who exactly is this Li Qingshan? His arrival has caused such a disturbance in the Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon that was suppressing its power!