"Darkness beneath the lamp, a veil before the eyes—"
"I searched and searched, but I couldn't find it."
Not far away in the sky----
"Bowing down reveals—it's all beneath your feet."
That light and serene voice rippled through my mind like waves, each word seemingly containing a profound mystery that went straight to the heart.
Qi Yun's eyes flashed suddenly, like lightning streaking across the dark night, instantly illuminating the chaotic clues in his mind.
Thank you for your guidance, senior.
Qi Yun bowed slightly and offered a salute to the unremarkable stone chamber.
Having finished his bow, he hesitated no longer, turned and left, while simultaneously barking at Cai Shen, who was still dazed and whose eyes darted back and forth between the stone chamber and himself, "Go!"
"Wait!" Cai Shen suddenly snapped back to reality, hurriedly following Qi Yun's rapidly departing light, turning back every few steps to gaze at the increasingly distant stone chamber, his face full of confusion and urgency.
"Qi brat! You're leaving already? Aren't you going to rescue my third brother?!"
It's inside! That sound must be from it!
The two quickly retreated along the way they came, passing through the terrifying area where thirty-three [ Dao's Lingering Calamity ] stone chambers were suspended, and plunged back into the viscous, dark gray pool of water, rising rapidly upwards.
While maintaining the water-repelling aura, Qi Yun calmly and quickly explained, his voice echoing clearly in the enclosed passageway. "Senior Cai, please don't be anxious."
Senior Luo's condition is probably better than we expected.
But precisely because of this, we must not act rashly at this moment.
Every stone chamber here is connected to the entire Great Void Mirror Heaven!
Qi Yun's tone was somewhat solemn. "If you want to forcefully break open that stone chamber and rescue Senior Luo, you would need to possess absolute power capable of shaking the entire Great Void Mirror Heaven with a single blow!"
At the very least, it will require the personal intervention of Great Perfection True Lord, and one must be prepared to clash head-on with the entire Holy Sect's protective mountain formation!
Upon hearing this, Cai Kun's expression shifted slightly. He had been so excited that he had only focused on sensing the shared aura and hadn't carefully perceived the overall Formation Art of this place.
At this moment, after Qi Yun it out, and after carefully sensing with his Divine Sense, he indeed discovered that the invisible, powerful array force that tightly bound the entire underground space with the vast Great Void Mirror Heaven above was like countless invisible, incomparably tough chains of Principle, penetrating into every inch of the void!
Its weight and complexity far exceed imagination.
"Moreover," Qi Yun continued, his tone calm yet carrying a long-term perspective, "Even if we can rescue Senior Luo..."
Without sufficient strength, Senior Luo might not be as safe as he is here while he's out there."
Cai Shen fell silent. Qi Yun's analysis was reasonable in every word, and even more comprehensive and far-sighted than his own.
"You're right, I was too impatient. Third Brother—please bear with it for a little longer. I hope everything will be alright."
The two fell silent, accelerated their ascent, and soon burst out of the eerie, dark gray pool, returning to the desolate, cold cave.
Without lingering, Qi Yun cast a spell again, carrying Cai Kun like two illusory shadows, silently passing through the ancient restrictions that stretched for thousands of miles, and leaving the uppermost secret place of the Great Void Mirror Heaven.
The Wuji Sacred Sect Holy Sect.
The main hall, with its soaring eaves and intricate corners, exudes a majestic aura of solemnity, dominance, and awe-inspiring power under the ever-present light of the sect's grand array.
"Clang--!"
The massive, black gate, several feet thick and inlaid with bronze rings depicting ferocious beast heads, was slowly pushed open by a gentle yet irresistible force, emitting a deep and long rumble that echoed throughout the empty hall.
The sound of the door opening interrupted the meeting inside the hall.
Everyone inside the hall, including Black Mountain True Person, involuntarily turned their heads, their gazes all fixed on the entrance of the hall.
Against the slightly glaring sunlight outside the hall, a figure standing tall like a pine tree, wearing a dark blue Daoist robe that fluttered slightly, stepped steadily and calmly across the threshold of the main hall.
"Together----"
Black Mountain True Person instinctively wanted to blurt out that name.
But as the words were about to come out, when his gaze met the other person's calm, unwavering eyes, which seemed to contain endless depth and an invisible pressure, his throat felt as if it were being gripped by an invisible hand, and his voice came to an abrupt halt!
The next instant, all the expressions on his face vanished, replaced by absolute respect and solemnity.
He stepped forward, leaving the side of the jade throne, and bowed deeply to the figure slowly approaching. His voice, loud and clear, resounded throughout the hall. "Acting Sect Leader!"
The sound was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake!
The remaining dozens of the Holy Sect True Person in the hall were initially taken aback, but upon recognizing the newcomer, they quickly followed Black Mountain True Person in bowing respectfully, heads bowed low, not daring to look directly at him. "Greetings, Acting Sect Leader!"
The sound echoed in the hall, carrying undisguised awe and submission.
Today's Qi Yun is no longer the "rising star" they once were, one that required careful scrutiny and was even secretly looked down upon.
He is the pillar of the Holy Sect, the number one person below the True Lord is feared throughout the Xuanhuang Realm, and an unparalleled being who can truly decide the rise and fall of the Holy Sect and even the life and death of True Person with a single word!
Before him, any act of "disobedience" or "disrespect" in the slightest is a path to death!
Qi Yun seemed oblivious to the thunderous salutes and the awe-inspiring gazes directed at him.
He didn't stop walking, and his gaze didn't linger on the dozens of bowing figures. Instead, he calmly and slowly placed his eyes on the sect leader's jade throne at the end of the main hall, which was perched atop nine black jade steps and flowed with faint cloud-like Daoist charm.
I have urgent business to attend to.
He spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable indifference that clearly reached everyone's ears.
"You all go out first."
There was no explanation, no reason, and they weren't even given a second glance.
They were as if they were just insignificant decorations that needed to be cleared out temporarily.
"Yes!"
No one dared to hesitate even slightly, and no one dared to ask "why."
Including Black Mountain True Person, all the Holy Sect True Person responded in unison as if they had received the highest command. They then maintained their bowed posture and retreated quickly and silently towards the entrance of the main hall.
Their movements were swift and quiet, as if afraid of making the slightest unnecessary sound and disturbing the jinx's "important business."
However, just as he retreated to the entrance of the main hall and was about to turn and leave, Black Mountain True Person ultimately couldn't completely restrain himself.
Taking advantage of the moment he turned around, he glanced back quickly and very subtly out of the corner of his eye.
The gaze passed through the vast and magnificent hall and landed on the tall, deep blue figure who had already stepped onto the black jade steps and was slowly walking towards the cloud-patterned jade throne.
Finally, all his emotions dissipated into a silent sigh. He withdrew his gaze, strode out of the palace gate, and gently closed the two heavy doors behind him.
"Boom----"
The palace doors were tightly shut, isolating the inside from the outside.
Inside the magnificent sect master's hall, only Qi Yun remained, along with the cloud-patterned jade throne high above.
Silence returned to the hall, with only the cool light from the star-shaped stones on the dome casting a long, thin shadow of Qi Yun.
He stood before the jade throne, but did not sit down immediately.
His gaze once again scrutinized the throne, which symbolized the supreme authority of the Holy Sect.
The jade is warm and lustrous, with flowing cloud patterns, exuding a faint spiritual charm and majesty. It looks no different from the throne of a sect leader in an ordinary major sect.
"Darkness under the lamp—a veil before my eyes—not the horizon—but right beneath my feet—"
"Let me see what's hidden behind this veil."
Qi Yun didn't hesitate any longer and waved his sleeve!
"Buzz!!!"
The immense, condensed Law Power, like an invisible tsunami, swept through the entire hall!
At the same time, the sword mark between his brows glowed slightly, and countless invisible Sword Qi, as fine as cow hair yet incomparably sharp, burst forth from the pores of his body, instantly weaving into a sword net restriction that covered every inch of the entire hall, isolating all Divine Sense and energy fluctuations from both inside and outside!
With the blockade complete, Qi Yun raised his hand, pointed at the cloud-patterned jade throne with his fingers like a sword, and gently touched it.
"Laugh--!"
A condensed, hair-thin, and chaotic gray Sword Qi shot through the air like an arrow, striking the very center of the jade throne with unparalleled precision.
"Bite!!!"
A crisp, clear sound, like the clash of metal, suddenly exploded out!
A tiny eye, as thin as a hair, suddenly appeared on the jade throne.
"There was definitely a problem."
Seeing how solid the jade throne was, Qi Yun raised his hand and grabbed it. An invisible, powerful suction force pulled the trembling jade throne into the air and suspended it in front of him.
The sword mark between his brows shone brightly, and his inner Law Power surged forth without reservation, transforming into an even more magnificent, denser, storm-like endless gray Sword Qi that completely enveloped and submerged the jade throne!
"Buzz buzz buzz!!!"
The Sword Qi energy storm spun wildly, cutting and grinding!
The outer shell of the jade throne, which was incredibly sturdy and capable of withstanding any attack from anyone below the True Lord, began to thin and melt away at a visible speed under the continuous bombardment of the Sword Qi energy that "ignores defense" and Qi Yun's relentless use of his Law Power!
"Snap!!!"
A clear, crisp sound, like glass shattering completely!
The last layer of tough jade and the restrictive light membrane on the outer surface of the jade throne shattered with a roar, turning into countless crystalline jade powders and scattered Dao pattern light spots, which fell down in a flurry!
The outer shell of the jade throne was completely cut open, revealing its interior.
At the core of the hollowed-out jade throne, there was no complex Formation Art or space as one might have imagined, only an object enveloped in soft golden light.
Beyond the golden light, there was a phantom image of an ancient scripture, neither silk nor leather, of a strange texture, flowing with a faint purplish-gold hue, in concentric circles...
Layer upon layer, it firmly enveloped and sealed that ball of golden light within.
The scriptures are like living things, constantly moving and changing, revealing the boundless, majestic, and vast aura of the Great Dao.
"This is----
99
Qi Yun's gaze instantly locked onto the illusory image of the purple-gold scripture.
"A handwritten letter from the True Lord?"
He muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming with an all-knowing light.
"Hehe----That's brilliant."
Seeing the seal personally set up by the True Lord, Qi Yun smiled faintly.
The tighter the seal.
The more authentic this thing is, the better!