Three Brocade Boxes

Even with Qi Yun's calm and collected nature, a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes as he looked at the three brocade boxes that Situ Huaji had taken out of his bosom.

Just now, in the side hall, Dao Abomination suddenly appeared, and death was imminent. Even he himself had to go all out and rely on the alertness of Wealth Connects to the Divine and the instinctive reaction of the Supreme Dao Foundation to escape in a close call.

In that life-or-death moment, who would care about the brocade box on the ground?

This Situ Huaji, seemingly rough and reckless, panicked and flustered, was still able to spare a sliver of attention in that situation, and casually slipped the three brocade boxes into his pocket?

This boldness, meticulousness, and composure under pressure—

"Not bad, this is interesting."

Qi Yun's gaze fell on Situ Huaji's rugged face, his expression shifting slightly, his tone calm yet carrying a subtle scrutiny.

This person possesses the Ferocious Demon Battle Dao Foundation, is ruthless and cruel, and has an arrogant nature. Yet, he managed to struggle for survival as Rogue Cultivator cultivator and eventually broke through the Foundation Establishment stage, which proves that his talent and resilience are extraordinary.

His performance today demonstrates his resourcefulness and courage.

More importantly, the key to entering the Upper Mysterious Heavenly Palace has been fused with his Divine Soul and origin, and apart from the methods of True Lord, probably no one can forcibly separate it.

He will definitely come back to that "Upper Mysterious Heavenly Palace".

Keeping Situ Huaji by his side is like holding the key to this future treasure trove in the palm of his hand.

Thinking of this, Qi Yun smiled gently and said, "Your talent is not bad, and your temperament is acceptable, but wandering outside will ultimately make you unsuccessful."

"So, how about joining my Holy Sect?"

Enter the Holy Sect?

Situ Huaji was startled, almost thinking he had misheard.

The reincarnated True Lord extended an invitation to him.

Although this senior has not yet regained the position of True Lord, he will be able to ascend to the position of Great True Person within a few decades.

This clearly demonstrates his profound knowledge and Divine Ability!

As a Rogue Cultivator, he had long experienced the bitterness of having no backing, lacking resources, and being constantly hunted down by powerful forces.

If one can join the Holy Sect today, with a powerful backer, not only will one be safe and secure, but one will also have the opportunity to access more profound traditions and resources, and the path to the Great Dao will surely become clear!

Almost without hesitation, Situ Huaji suppressed his overwhelming joy and excitement, bowed deeply, and replied with near-reverence, "This junior is willing! Thank you for your guidance, senior!"

This junior is willing to follow in the footsteps of my senior and serve you faithfully!

He adopted an extremely humble posture and spoke with utmost sincerity.

"Okay, sure."

Qi Yun nodded slightly, acknowledging the offer, and then accepted the three brocade boxes handed to him by Situ Huaji.

It felt slightly heavy in the hand. The brocade box itself was made of a special material, with a cool touch. The faint light of the restriction flowing on it quickly subsided under the gentle touch of Qi Yun's [Great Luo Heaven] Daoist aura.

"Let's leave this place first and find a quiet place to look at it again."

Qi Yun said no more and waved his sleeve.

A thick, chaotic rainbow light enveloped him and Situ Huaji, transforming them into a streak of Flowing Light that instantly carried them away from the sea and towards the distant, unfamiliar horizon.

Several days later.

Deep in the Eastern Sea, on a remote and desolate island far from conventional shipping lanes, where opportunities are scarce.

This island is only a few miles in circumference, with jagged rocks and sparse vegetation.

Only a low, rocky hill rises in the center of the island, no more than a hundred feet high, and its appearance is inconspicuous, but it is a rare stable land in the surrounding sea.

At this moment, the entire island was quietly enveloped by layers of Formation Art light.

In addition, tens of thousands of snow-white paper cranes were released again by Qi Yun, silently dispersing and hiding in the air, underwater, and even deep in the clouds over the thousands of miles of sea surrounding the island, forming a three-dimensional and tight surveillance network.

At the summit of the rocky mountain, there is a flat stone platform carved out by the power of an Formation Art.

Qi Yun and Situ Huaji sat facing each other in a cross-legged position.

On the stone surface in the middle, three ancient brocade boxes from the Upper Mysterious Heavenly Palace were quietly placed.

Qi Yun's gaze was calm as it first fell upon the indigo-blue, translucent jade box.

This box felt the coolest to the touch; the lid and body fit together perfectly, with almost no visible seams.

Only a layer of pale blue, cold halo, like smoke and mist, naturally flowed across its surface.

He extended his right index finger, gathering a point of pure, chaotic Daoist energy at the fingertip, and gently touched the center of the box lid.

"Despair."

A soft sound, clear and crisp like jade chimes striking each other.

The lid of the indigo jade brocade box popped open slightly.

The instant this gap opened.

"Boom!"

An indescribable, pure, and icy aura erupted from the box, as if a frozen deity that had been dormant for millennia had suddenly awakened!

The billowing, frosty white mist, like a burst dam, instantly filled the entire island and spread wildly outwards.

Click, click----

A series of teeth-grinding freezing sounds rang out.

The stone platform, the rocks, the air, and even the radiance of the Formation Art were instantly covered with a layer of ice, about a foot thick and harder than fine steel.

The entire island, from the mountaintop to the beach, is transforming into a crystal-clear ice sculpture world at a visible speed.

Even the distant sound of waves crashing on the shore suddenly disappeared, and the sea surface froze into huge ice wave shapes, reflecting a cold light in the sunlight.

At the heart of the cold mist, above the brocade box.

A finger, about three inches long and as clear as if carved from the finest crystal, slowly floated up.

The fingers have perfect contours, distinct knuckles, and rounded fingertips; even the skin texture is clearly visible, yet they are not the flesh and bone of any known living being.

Its entire body is enveloped in a layer of warm and restrained jade-like radiance, within which countless exquisitely subtle, naturally formed, mysterious Dao patterns are faintly visible.

It was as if these fingers were a natural condensation of "Tao" and "Li".

An ancient, vast, pure, and immense pressure, originating from the very beginning of creation, silently emanated from this crystal finger.

Although it was only three inches long, it seemed to contain an ancient, frozen land, incredibly heavy, causing the surrounding frozen void to distort slightly.

"The Gods and Devils' Flesh and Blood?"

Qi Yun's gaze sharpened, and he muttered to himself.

He read extensively and learned many High Antiquity secrets from the ancient books of the Holy Sect Ancestor and the Wealth Connects to the Divine.

Legend has it that in the "Beyond-Domain Heaven," there are beings born naturally from the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. They are born divine, possess unparalleled physical strength, and can easily pluck stars from the sky and seize the moon, with Divine Ability powers bestowed by nature.

They are known as Innate Gods and Devils!

Its flesh, blood, muscles, and bones contain unimaginable divinity and primordial power.

The crystal finger before me possessed a restrained, Baoguang, its Daoist intent perfectly intertwined with its flesh, bones, and blood, radiating a pressure originating from the most primal level of life.

Its characteristics are virtually identical to those of Innate Gods and Devils described in ancient texts!

"No wonder this is the land created by the True Lord— " Qi Yun sighed inwardly.

In a seemingly inconspicuous side hall, with even dilapidated doors, a brocade box casually placed inside contained such an astonishing object.

At the height of the Heavenly Court's power, the thirty-six palaces jointly studied the Great Dao, and the various wondrous objects they collected, created, and even potentially "cultivated" were probably beyond the imagination of contemporary cultivators.

He shifted his gaze slightly, sweeping it towards Situ Huaji.

His expression remained unchanged, seemingly unmoved by the divine object, but the slight swaying of his aura betrayed his desire.

Qi Yun took in his expression and understood.

This Innate Gods and Devils finger is undoubtedly an immense fortuitous opportunity for Situ Huaji, who cultivates the Ferocious Demon Battle Dao Foundation and follows the path of physical combat.

If one can refine it using Secret Method and integrate it into one's own body, one will surely gain immeasurable improvement.

After a moment's consideration, Qi Yun suddenly smiled faintly and flicked his sleeve.

The suspended crystal finger, radiating a terrifying chill, along with the indigo jade box beneath it, was lifted by a gentle force and slowly floated toward Situ Huaji.

"This item contains ancient and powerful life essence, which will greatly benefit your tempering of your Ferocious Demon Battle Physique and solidification of your Dao Foundation."

Qi Yun's calm voice rang out. "Since you've chosen to follow me, then this thing—"

He paused, looking at Situ Huaji's face, which suddenly froze and was then overwhelmed with unbelievable joy, and slowly uttered the last few words: "Then it's yours."

"Thank you so much, senior!"

Seeing the Gods and Devils' Flesh and Blood floating before him, Situ Huaji couldn't help but swallow hard. After thanking him, he quickly put it away. The wonder of this item was beyond description; if used properly, it would surely transform him completely.

Qi Yun nodded slightly, and Zi Guang then turned to the remaining two brocade boxes.

After a moment's hesitation, he chose the simplest ebony brocade box.

This box is entirely black, without any decoration. The wood is fine and solid, and it feels cool to the touch, yet it naturally exudes a sense of weight and age.

The vermilion seal in the center of the box lid is particularly eye-catching.

The vermilion color has faded, presenting a deep dark red. The brushstrokes are ancient and vigorous, resembling neither seal script nor talisman.

"This seal—it's not simple."

Within the Purple Mansion, the spiritual consciousness of Cai Kun, the Wealth Connects to the Divine, delivered his evaluation.

"The sealed item is probably no ordinary thing."

Qi Yun's gaze narrowed slightly. He could naturally sense the special nature of this seal.

With his eyes slightly narrowed, he pressed his left hand out of the air, and a gentle yet precise Law Power, like an invisible hand, gently peeled away the dark red cinnabar seal.

A very faint "sizzling" sound came from where the seal was stuck to the box lid, as if it were being torn open.

In the blink of an eye, the seal was about to detach from the box lid.

"Ho--!!"

A strange, abrupt, hoarse, and dry laugh suddenly erupted from the crack in the ebony box, which was not yet fully opened.

The laughter acted directly on the level of the Divine Soul; it was sharp, manic, and filled with indescribable resentment and ecstasy.

Like countless cold, rusty steel needles, they pierced deep into the listener's Purple Mansion!

"How many years has it been?! How many years?!"

You Pseudo-Lord, you've finally—finally let me out?!

Haha----Hahaha!!!

The eerie laughter was hoarse and desperate, the speech rapid as a machine gun, each syllable distorted and deformed, carrying with it an overwhelming hatred and an almost tangible filth and evil Evil Qi.

"Boom--!"

Centered on the stone mountain, within a radius of a hundred miles, the sky and earth suddenly darkened!

A torrent of black gas billowed out.

"Sizzle--!"

The ebony box lid was violently forced open by a tremendous force from the inside out, leaving it completely gaping open!

A thick, inky black smoke, like volcanic magma suppressed for millennia, erupted from the box.

Its specific form was invisible within the black mist.

Only two points of blood-red light, filled with endless malice, were fixedly "staring" at Qi Yun, who was right in front of them!

"Fresh—flesh and blood!" A twisted, hoarse voice came from the core of the black mist, filled with a chilling greed.

"I'll eat you! I'll eat you!! To make up for this eternal desolation!!"

"Presumptuous!"

Qi Yun sat calmly, Situ Huaji beside him roared and instantly blocked the black mist.