Three Hundred Years

Upon hearing what Nuoli Li said, Su Yao's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked:

"The Jiangnan, the Central Plains, and Guanzhong are all in chaos?"

Nuoli nodded.

Seeing this, Su Yao asked again:

"Does the messenger know which high-ranking officials have made a move?"

Upon hearing this, Nuoli was taken aback, remained silent for a long time, and then said:

"I did not witness it myself. I heard the True Lord speak in the mountains, instructing me to travel to the Western Regions, bypass Tubo, and then descend upon Nanzhao."

He paused, then added:

"I also asked the True Lord in the mountains, True Lord said: It is beneficial!"

Upon hearing this, Su Yao frowned and did not press the matter further.

The True Lord summarized it with the word "profit," which sounds simple, but behind this simplicity lies a hidden struggle among countless sects. This is not something he can participate in right now.

He suppressed his emotions and changed the subject:

"Yes. Earlier, the higher-ups delivered an imperial decree, and later, the Eastern Pole Dao Lord bestowed two powerful protective Gang Qi, ordering me and the Golden Court Daoist to intercept the reincarnation of the True Lord. Upon arrival, we discovered that the Mountain God of Cang Mountain was also present, and the three of us fought against the reincarnation of the True Lord. Yang Xiu and I were merely supporting, while the Mountain God was the main force, and we initially had a good chance of winning. However, we didn't expect that the opponent also possessed a powerful Earth Witch Law Treasure, which almost plunged the three of us into the Yellow Springs. Fortunately, the King of the Nanzhao Kingdom intervened, and we were able to escape danger."

Upon hearing this, Nuoli simply nodded, no longer continuing the topic, and instead said:

"The True Lord asked me to deliver some things."

Before Su Yao could ask, he took out a Storage Bag and said:

"The True Lord said, now that the Abbot has broken through to the Purple Mansion, he should also consider the path to the Dao of Alchemy Core and future matters."

After speaking, he stood up, faced Su Yao, and his expression became solemn:

"What follows are all words spoken by the True Lord himself."

Upon seeing this, Su Yao quickly stood up, performed the disciple's salute, and bowed slightly.

Only then did Nuoli speak, his voice still hoarse, but with a touch more solemnity, as if conveying a decree from Heaven:

"Although the ' Rosy Cloud Feather Wanderer Star Chapter ' contains a method for cultivating the Rainbow Clouds Dao Body, the great calamity is imminent, and you will have many battles to fight in the future; this method is insufficient."

He paused, then continued:

"My path of Rainbow Clouds is close to that of an immortal. Purple Qi is too soft, and Pure Qi is too ethereal. Only True Qi is the body of an immortal, and is most suitable for you. I possess the Ancient True Qi spiritual object, the Crane True Stone, and I will also bestow upon you the ' Jade Dawn Body-Refining and Ascending to Truth Method.' With this spiritual object and method, you can achieve the Jade Dawn Embracing Truth Body."

After speaking, Nuoli took out a smooth and warm jade box from her sleeve, stepped forward, and handed the jade box to Su Yao with both hands.

The morning light shimmered on the jade box, seemingly there yet not there. The box opened a crack, and inside lay an amber-colored spiritual object, with the shadow of a crane faintly visible on it. It was the True Qi spiritual object, the Crane True Stone. Su Yao felt an extremely pure and righteous aura rush towards him, like the first rays of the morning sun, warm but not harsh. It truly lived up to its reputation as a treasure for refining the body among immortals.

Su Yao accepted the jade box with both hands, carefully tucked it into his sleeve, turned to face the direction of Zhongnan, bowed respectfully, and then spoke:

"Thank you True Lord, for bestowing this method. Years ago on Mount Zhongnan, True Lord bestowed upon me the Jade Void Secret Technique, which allows me to Foot Treading White Lotus. I have memorized it. Now you have bestowed upon me this method again. I am deeply grateful."

He spoke earnestly, but upon hearing this, Nuoli showed no sign of relief.

He looked at Su Yao, and couldn't help but recall the scene on Mount Zhongnan before his departure.

That day, the True Lord summoned him into his cave abode and told him a series of words, one by one, instructing him to repeat them exactly when he arrived at Golden Ao Mountain, without adding or subtracting a single word.

At the time, Nuoli didn't understand, but now, looking at Su Yao's lowered eyebrows and slightly clenched fingertips, she suddenly understood everything. Although the Abbot and the True Lord had only met once, the True Lord knew a great deal about the Abbot.

Nuoli shook her head, suppressing her thoughts, and her voice suddenly lowered:

I know your heart.

Su Yao was taken aback upon hearing this.

Nuoli didn't stop, and continued:

No effort is wasted; success is achieved through perseverance.

Su Yao pursed his lips and remained silent.

"My crippled body can only remain confined to Zhongnan, and I have no power left to continue the lineage of the Dao." Even though Nuoli had already heard the True Lord say these words, hearing them herself now brought tears to her eyes, her voice choked with emotion several times. "Day after day, I gaze upon that old pine tree, waiting for the opportune moment. My path depends entirely on you."

He paused, his gaze piercing through the gray robe and landing directly on Su Yao's face.

Upon hearing this, Su Yao lowered his head, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

"Within three hundred years, you must begin seeking gold."

Su Yao was startled and abruptly looked up.

"Three hundred years... for gold?" His voice was extremely low, as if each word was being squeezed out from his throat.

"Indeed," Nuoli said. "Within three hundred years, you must cultivate from the Purple Mansion First Divine Ability to the perfection of the fifth Divine Ability, and then begin to seek gold. Only in this way can you bring the Jade Pillar Grotto-Heaven left by the Patriarch back to Qixia Mountain, the place where the Patriarch rested when he attained enlightenment, before I perish." I no longer dare to hope for Zhongnan, the place where the Patriarch cultivated, but only hope that the grotto-heaven left by the Patriarch will remain safe and sound.

He paused, his voice growing deeper:

"If you fail, the Zhongnan Dao Lineage will have no successor. It will be forced to retreat into Kunlun, just Jade Casket lineage..."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao's hands drooped slightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.

Three hundred years, from the Purple Mansion to Golden Core. For an ordinary Purple Mansion cultivator, it would take over a hundred years to cultivate just one Divine Ability, and it would take a thousand years to perfect all five Divine Ability. The True Lord knew his talent, yet still limited this timeframe to three hundred years, which shows how urgent the situation had become and how irreversible it had become.

"Disciple..." Su Yao's voice tightened, then he paused, "Disciple obeys."

Nuoli looked at him and suddenly said:

"I also know that you must still have another thought in your mind: what if it doesn't work out in three hundred years?"

Su Yao didn't speak, only feeling a dryness in his throat.

"If it doesn't work, then there's no need to come to Zhongnan again."

Nuoli spoke softly, yet it felt like a heavy weight pressing on Su Yao's heart. There was no need to come to Zhongnan again; wouldn't that be watching the grotto-heaven left by the patriarch fall, the lineage severing as if it were cut off, and even the last vestige of hope turning to dust?

"Disciple understands." Su Yao slowly closed his eyes.

A moment later, when he opened his eyes again, a clear sword light deep within his pupils had solidified as a mirror.

Upon Nuoli remained silent for a moment before speaking again, her tone returning to its previous calmness:

"The True Lord has another matter to attend to; he ordered me to retrieve Zhengji and escort him to Zhongnan."

Su Yao was taken aback and subconsciously used his Law Power to sense the Zhengji Sword in his Storage Bag. This sword was left behind by the Dao Ancestor when he conquered the demons of the Ji River. Its origins were extraordinary. Placing it beside the True Lord was far better than leaving it in his hands to gather dust.

He suppressed all his emotions, took out Zhengji with a backhand, held the sword horizontally with both hands, and raised it in front of Nuoli:

"As the True Lord commands."

Nuoli took the Zhengji Sword, and the blade trembled slightly in his hand, like a bird leaving its nest, emitting a very soft and delicate sword sound.

He slowly sheathed his sword before saying:

The True Lord said, "I am in Zhongnan. You shall come within three hundred years to retrieve the sword bestowed upon the Patriarch by the Dao Ancestor."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao said in a deep voice:

"This disciple will certainly not fail the True Lord's trust."

Nuoli nodded and said no more.

Outside the hall, the mountain wind rises again, Nine Heavens Auspicious Cloud Banner flutter and billow.

Nuoli and Su Yao bowed to each other, their gray robes fluttering slightly, like the thin mist at the Greater Yin, instantly dissipating into the Embracing Rosy Clouds Hall, leaving only a lingering echo:

"The True Lord instructed me to tell the Abbot one last thing: the ultimate purpose of the reincarnation of the Proclaiming Earth True Lord was never Nanzhao."

After speaking, Su Yao sat alone in the hall, remaining motionless for a long time.

The jade box remained warm in my sleeve, like the old pine tree on Mount Zhongnan, which refused to fall.