Chapter 338: Chapter 170: Sisters’ Pact (Part 2)
Third, due to various reasons, an Immortal Artifact that flows from the Immortal Realm to the human world is extremely rare.
Because its source is so scarce, even though Immortal Artifacts exist in the human world, each and every one is an exceptionally rare treasure.
Now suddenly a new one has emerged, and it’s being carried around everywhere by a fourth-tier cultivator.
What’s more astonishing is that this cultivator follows the kill-path and is demonic, universally hunted by all cultivators. Even those with backgrounds become as if they have none, so you can kill and seize treasures without fearing retaliation from major sects, how could one not be tempted?
It is rumored that even some ancient monsters have become interested and personally come out to find Qin Mengyao.
The reason Chu Xuan rushed here in a hurry is partly due to this; he really can’t let his senior sister wander outside blindly anymore.
As for his own situation, it’s not too bad. Firstly, back when he was in the Li’an Demon Sect, the Six Souls Banner activated itself to save its master, but it happened only once, and few witnessed it.
Outside, it’s hard to ascertain if this news is true, and it’s even more unlikely someone would instantly associate it with an Immortal Artifact.
Furthermore, unlike Qin Mengyao, Chu Xuan did not nearly betray his sect, so others dare not target him casually, fearing revenge from the Cyan Lotus Daoist Palace.
Chu Xuan has long used Transformation to alter his appearance. At this moment, he glanced around; aside from some mid-to-high-tier cultivators, there were even second- and third-tier loose cultivators, so audacious, indicating how tempting Immortal Artifacts are—they’re all dreaming their dreams.
The lakeshore and the lake surface still bore abundant signs of battle and bloodstains, among which two intersecting sword scars were striking, nearly running through the entire icy lake.
Even though it’s been more than half a month, remnants of Sword Qi and killing intent persist, extinguishing any living presence, rendering the area so forbidding.
According to Wugen Ping’s information, the treasure in the senior sister’s hand can switch between stone tablet and twin swords, likely being the same item.
After examining the vicinity of the sword scar, Chu Xuan tentatively reached out, ignoring the surrounding cultivators’ looks of disdain.
Instantly, a scar appeared on Chu Xuan’s finger, with blood coagulating into beads before being collected by him, lest others use it for plotting against him.
This greatly surprised outsiders; previously someone tried placing things onto the sword scar, and everything was severed by the residual Sword Qi. How terrifying is this person’s physical strength? He must be a Body Refinement cultivator, right?
Chu Xuan frowned at the scar on his hand, where Sword Qi and killing intent were entangled, struggling to heal.
Such power is not easily explained by ordinary Celestial Tier treasures.
Activating the Jade Capital Secrets, Chu Xuan shattered and expelled the Sword Qi from the wound, not lingering further, feigning as if he found nothing, moved eastward to explore.
If Qin Mengyao were still nearby, Chu Xuan wanted to lure her out—the fastest way would be to release the Cyan Lotus Daoist Palace’s signal firework.
But he couldn’t do that—it would merely cause his senior sister to rush recklessly and fall into a perilous situation.
A hundred miles north from here is Broken Sword Mountain, shrouded in white fog year-round, and beneath the cliffs in the mist lies an Ancient Battlefield.
Luckily most people should not know this secret, otherwise many might connect to that place.
After leaving the icy lake, Chu Xuan employed the Earth Escape Technique to burrow underground, then wrapped in the Six Souls Banner, secretly heading toward Broken Sword Mountain.
Over the past decade, his various Divine Techniques have greatly advanced, Earth Escape can finally swiftly transport people, no longer inching along.
The abilities of the Intelligent Stone Monkey and Long-armed Ape also showed significant progress.
Among them, the former trained longer, Transformation has reached the third layer, relying on the Divine Command could reach the fourth layer, capable of morphing into various mystical beasts, acquiring their physique and partial divine powers.
Arriving at the extremely tall and incredibly straight Broken Sword Mountain, Chu Xuan first scouted around, finding no signs of cultivators’ activity.
The mountain’s summit fog can obstruct Divine Sense probing, making it an excellent place to hide. He stealthily ascended, searched smooth like a cross-section mountaintop, equally failing to find any human presence.
This troubled Chu Xuan, could she really have entered the Ancient Battlefield?
But what if she hadn’t? If trapped below without a means to quickly emerge, that spells trouble.
Thinking it over, Chu Xuan transformed, morphing into a golden mythical beast adorned with tiger head, single horn, dog ears, a dragon body, lion tail, and qilin feet.
This beast called "Di Ting", also known as "Nine Unlikes", is Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s steed, renowned for "Listening upon the ground for eight hundred miles, listening with ears for three thousand", capable of hearing disturbances thousands of miles away, even hearing people’s thoughts, thus "illuminating good and evil, discerning wisdom and foolishness".
This Transformation is marvelous, but to possess corresponding divine powers, sufficient understanding of the mythical beast is needed. That’s why Chu Xuan originally in Ghost Street insisted on donning the Black Feather Crow Garb for experience.
By rights, Chu Xuan never saw a real Di Ting, only detailed recordings in Cyan Lotus Daoist Palace’s ancient texts like illustrations and abilities; hence, he could only mimic its appearance, unable to match the physique of the original.
However, Chu Xuan already tested during seclusion—transforming into Di Ting indeed granted partial divine powers, though limited to "superior hearing", lacking the "hearing thoughts" ability.
Initially, Chu Xuan thought, considering his time spent with Qingqing, knowing her well, Qingqing possessed similar thought-hearing ability; transforming into Di Ting might enable him to hear thoughts.
The result, as expected, was overthought; such divine power isn’t so easily acquired, yet it yielded an unexpected reward.
Chu Xuan surmised perhaps due to possessing the Divine Command of the Four Monkeys of Havoc, already collected two types of blood essence, though "Six-eared Macaque" wasn’t obtained, allowing a semblance of cross-connection.
Another Transformation granted divine power is the Phoenix, as a demon saint provided Chu Xuan with a phoenix feather, allowing him to perceive a true phoenix’s aura, thus after transforming, can unleash the "World-burning Fire".
At this moment, Chu Xuan transformed into Di Ting, naturally wishing to leverage its auditory ability to find Qin Mengyao’s whereabouts.
Adapting to the new body, swaying head and neck, he lay down, placing his ears on the ground, attentively listening.
With Chu Xuan’s skill, even lying down couldn’t allow hearing three thousand miles, barely managing three miles; if obtaining the Six-eared Macaque’s essence, might expand to thirty miles, combined they might add to three hundred miles.
Once divine ability activated, Chu Xuan heard various life sounds in the mountain, because devoid of grass, not many living things existed, easily filtering out.
Next, he incrementally expanded the range, hoping to find the nearby hidden senior sister.
Ji Mingyu, of course, wouldn’t easily let Chu Xuan discover her; initially startled upon seeing him transforming into Di Ting, promptly retreating far away.
Once realizing he couldn’t hear thoughts, secluded from sound then returned.
...
On another side, Qingqing and Gu Haitang on route to the northern territory were not traveling separately but journeying together.
Yet neither spoke to the other, only silently vying, competing on who flies faster, one moment you surpass me, another moment I surpass you.
Eventually, Qingqing couldn’t hold back anymore, proactively saying: "You shouldn’t forget our previous ’unite against outsiders’ agreement, right?"
"No matter what grudge exists between us, now is a time of crisis; if Chu Xuan meets his senior sister, they may rapidly reconcile and their relationship intensify."
"If we don’t devise a plan, next time we might attend their wedding."
Gu Haitang glared fiercely at her, "You still dare speak!"
Qingqing, thick-skinned, earnestly continued: "Let’s temporarily ceasefire, anyhow can’t let Chu Xuan unite with his senior sister."
Gu Haitang hesitated a moment, "Who should step out to intervene?"
As the word fell, they naturally looked at each other, simultaneously speaking:
"You go."
"You go."
Saying it both women fell silent, recalling traveling together back then, unable to help feeling both annoyed and amused.
Then again, they sternly assumed no friendly expression to each other.
Qingqing softly said: "Old rules, both of us go together, regardless of good or bad, shared responsibility."
Gu Haitang nodded in agreement.
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