"Not bad, you've asked some good questions!" Ling Xuan Lao Dao walked ahead, chatting with Xu Kong, but didn't directly answer. Instead, he asked about the recent situation on Mount Shu, the latest news from the cultivation world, and some worldly matters. Xu Kong knew that his doubts would be answered today, so he replied one by one. When Xu Kong mentioned encountering Ling Fei and their intense battle, Xu Kong snorted: "That Ling Fei is also a sword cultivator, but he relied on his own treasured artifact, the Apricot Yellow Flag, to mobilize earth-elemental energy and only managed to fight me to a draw. Unfortunately, our Mount Shu has few such treasures; otherwise, I would have definitely won and shaken the reputation of Kunlun!"
Ling Xiao Lao Dao smiled faintly: "He has a magical treasure in Kunlun, but we Shu Mountain may not be without one either. You'll know soon enough. However, the two of you competing with flying swords is extremely perilous, yet no one was injured. It's likely that there's a superior being present who's mediating." Ling Xiao Lao Dao's guess turned out to be surprisingly accurate, as if he had seen it with his own eyes!
Xu Jian's face was full of weird expressions: "Master, this is also a coincidence. Just as I and Ling Fei were about to determine the winner, a self-proclaimed overseas Tian Dao Sect cultivator named Zhou Qing suddenly appeared. He's young, but his cultivation skills are incredibly deep. I'm afraid that even among our current disciples, his abilities are only slightly inferior. Our disciple tried to win him over by giving him a token from Mount Shu, but later Xiang Hui sent a message saying that Zhou Qing had appeared in the Monster Alliance before and rescued a fox spirit. Last month, he also appeared at the Dragon Group's headquarters with a powerful young man who was said to be terrifying, and even had a trial with a hidden expert within the Dragon Group named Kuang Jun Dao Ren, who ended up admitting defeat!"
"What did you say!" The usually calm and composed Ling Xiao Lao Dao's face suddenly changed, showing great surprise. "Master Shibo! What's going on? Who is that Kuang Jun Dao Ren?" Seeing Ling Xiao Lao Dao's sudden change in expression, Xū Jiǎo Kōng was shocked beyond measure.
"Kong Jun Dao Ren is an elder of the Shield Clan, and thirty years ago was already a high-ranking expert in the late stages of Huan Shen. He's of the same generation as Ai Lao Shan Chen Yi Dao Ren, which means he's one generation higher than our four great masters. He became famous very early on and is considered a senior figure among high-ranking experts. Especially when it comes to array techniques, he's said to have reached the realm of formlessness, making him the most likely person to reverse his physical body and achieve immortality. I'm afraid that even with my current abilities, I wouldn't be able to defeat him! When did the world produce so many high-ranking experts? Are you saying they're overseas loose cultivators?" Ling Xuan Old Dao's expression was serious, "If it is indeed overseas loose cultivators, then it's possible. However, those people are unfathomable and don't ask about worldly affairs, instead choosing to live a carefree and detached life. Now that two high-ranking experts have appeared, what exactly do they plan on doing?" The two of them couldn't even begin to guess the true intentions of Zhou Qing and Xuan Yuan Fa Wang.
The two of them gradually walked to a huge alchemy platform, and Ling Xū Lǎo Dào stopped his footsteps: "Forget it, since things have changed, we can only follow our original plan. Over the years, I've been studying the secrets of Cóng Bì Cliff, and finally, I found a book in our sect's classics that said Cóng Bì Cliff has five peaks, nine springs, and eighteen caves, all hiding treasures left behind by our Shǔ Mountain ancestors, including the precious medicine and rare treasures. The largest treasure trove is under this alchemy platform, in the Cloud Sea! Underneath this alchemy platform lies the Two Principles Microcosm Array, a grand formation that can turn dust into the universe's vast expanse when fully activated. Our Shǔ Mountain was once renowned for its power, but now it's just mediocre compared to the glory of éméi's three sword duels. It turns out our ancestors hid all their treasures in this Two Principles Microcosm Array to help us cultivate the sword path, and later, the array was lost, which is why Shǔ Mountain isn't as great as it used to be!"
"Has Master Shibo found the way in and out of these two microcosmic dust arrays, can we open up the treasures inside?" Xū Jiàn Kōng was also a clever person, immediately thinking of the key point. Líng Xū Dào Rén nodded his head in approval: "Not bad, I accidentally discovered the Daoist scripture jade slips left by our Shǔ Shān predecessor Qī Jīn Chán Zhēn Rén in a cave on Cóng Bì Cliff, and only then did I comprehend the subtleties of these two microcosmic dust arrays!" Líng Xū pinched several hand seals, and suddenly the cloud sea below the Dan platform became filled with auspicious clouds, colorful lights dazzling the eyes, changing and shifting unpredictably.
"This array is divided into six gates: life, death, darkness, light, illusion, and destruction. As long as one does not fall into the gates of illusion and destruction, life and death are tied to a single thought. To enter this array, one must enter through the gate of death.
Xu Jian followed closely behind Ling Xuan, holding up the Golden Light Broadsword to protect himself as he charged from the Dan platform into the sea of clouds. He felt like the colorful clouds were flowing and rolling like waves, and then suddenly changed again. He saw a flat plain, with white mist stretching out endlessly in all directions.
Looking up again, he saw that the sky was very low above his head, also a uniform white color. Then he heard Ling Xuan's voice beside his ear, explaining the subtleties of the true method. So he calmed his mind and carefully observed the various changes within the array while listening to Ling Xuan's guidance."
"This array's Gate of Death is in the northeast, Gate of Life is in the southwest, Illusory Gate is in the center, Gate of Destruction is in the far east, and Gate of Obscurity is in the far south, while the Gate of Brightness is in the northwest. The Gate of Death is hard to enter but easy to seek life from; the Gate of Life is easy to enter but easy to get trapped in; the Gate of Destruction is the key to the entire array."
"The Illusory Gate is infinite in its transformations, easy to get lost and trap the true spirit; The Dark Gate is as dark as lacquer, it's not something that can be dealt with by ordinary means; Only the Northwest Bright Gate can be opened!"
After an unknown period of time, a bright light appeared in front of him, and Xu Kongyun suddenly found himself standing inside a stone cave. The cave was elegant and serene, with gentle streams flowing through it. It was several dozen meters wide and over a hundred meters long. Every two or three meters along the wall of the cave, there was a huge hole, each emitting a brilliant light. A powerful aura emanated from each hole, causing Xu Kongyun's heart to skip a beat.
"There are 139 top-grade Taoist treasures here, and several of them have powers that even surpass the Purple Qing Twin Swords! Haha, this is what made our Shu Mountain famous throughout the land back in the day!" Ling Xiao Dao Ren's proud smile was evident on his face. With a grab of both hands, a blue light coalesced into a small disk about half a foot in diameter, which jumped around restlessly until Ling Xiao repeatedly used his true yuan to calm it down with an incantation. The blue light finally stopped jumping and transformed into a small blue plate, on which were densely packed patterns of suns, moons, and stars, like a net of pearls.
In the center, a four- or five-inch-long silver needle floated horizontally, with a cluster of fine, thread-like raindrops emitting from its tip, shining brightly. Where it pointed, there were two small piles of cyan and yellow crystal sand, which looked very small at first glance, but upon closer inspection, each grain was crystal clear and radiant with an extraordinary light that was unbearable to look at for long. "This treasure is called the Cosmic Light Disk," he said. "The fine golden sand inside has been refined by the essence of earth and wood through the alchemy of immortals, possessing unparalleled power and infinite transformations. Once this sand leaves the disk, each tiny particle weighs as much as a mountain. The Subnoon Divine Needle in it is even more extraordinary; once deployed, it's like a parasitic insect that, if struck, will annihilate both body and spirit. It's no less formidable than the Purple-Green Twin Swords." Ling Xuan pointed to several dazzlingly bright lights and said, "Those are the Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Ruler, the Dust-Sweeping Treasure Banner, and the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Demon-Subduing Divine Dart. They're among the most formidable treasures here. The Grand Ceremony of the Opening of the Sect is still several days away; I'll help you subdue one of them, and on the day of the ceremony, it will be the day when Mount Shu becomes the number one sect!"
"Master! Why are we going to Shu Mountain? Are we seeking revenge? But my sister and I are demons, aren't we? Those wicked Taoist priests will not treat us kindly!" Little fox Zhou Cang pouted her mouth and asked Zhou Qing, who was holding her in his arms, flying slowly through the white clouds in the high sky.
