Chapter 297: The Legacy of the Tianmu Continent

Chapter 297: The Legacy of the Tianmu Continent

"You actually have this crystal?" Di Yan's voice held a hint of excitement as he spoke.

He then reached out and took a green crystal from Chu Ning's hand.

"I always thought that the crystal used to power this formation was unique, and yet here you have one."

Chu Ning was also surprised to hear Di Yan's words.

"Fellow Daoist Di, do you intend to use this Origin Stone to power the formation?"

"Origin Stone?" Di Yan looked at Chu Ning, his eyes full of curiosity. "Is that what this thing is called?"

Chu Ning nodded slightly in response.

Both men were filled with questions, and they began to ask each other simultaneously. They then proceeded to share what they knew about the situation.

"I obtained this Origin Stone from a place called Wuling Island," Chu Ning began. "A senior once visited this island, and according to the records he left behind, this stone is known as the Origin Stone. It can indeed be used as a source of energy to power formations, and that senior even used it to activate a teleportation formation."

Upon hearing this, Di Yan's face lit up with excitement. "You're saying there's a teleportation formation powered by this stone on that island? Where is it? Please take me there!"

Chu Ning remained calm and replied, "Fellow Daoist Di, may I ask where you obtained this Origin Stone, and why you thought of using it to power a formation?"

Di Yan's excitement faded as he heard Chu Ning's question, and he answered, "I acquired these Origin Stones from Xuewu Valley."

"Xuewu Valley?" Chu Ning was taken aback by this revelation.

Di Yan nodded. "Indeed. Many years ago, I ventured into Xuewu Valley and discovered an underground cave in its deepest, western reaches. There was no spiritual energy there, but I found these crystals. At the time, I couldn't sense any spiritual energy, but I felt the presence of spatial forces. So, I dug up these crystals and brought them back to study, hoping to understand them, but to no avail."

As he spoke, Di Yan pointed to the remnants of the formation beside him. "About two hundred years ago, while traveling, I stumbled upon a set of blueprints for a teleportation formation from a minor sect of cultivators. This formation was vastly different from any I had seen before. Later, upon closer inspection, I realized that it didn't use spirit stones for power but these very crystals instead. So, I brought them back and tried to set up the teleportation formation."

Di Yan sighed softly. "Unfortunately, there were many materials that I had never seen or even heard of. I attempted to find substitutes, but to no success. In the end, I had no choice but to abandon the formation, leaving it here as you see it. It has always been a great regret of mine."

Upon hearing this, Chu Ning carefully examined the formation and felt a sense of familiarity. It resembled the teleportation formation he had seen in the Beast Mountain forbidden area on Wuling Island. However, due to Di Yan's modifications to the materials and formation patterns, Chu Ning hadn't recognized it at first.

Shaking his head, Chu Ning couldn't help but feel a sense of regret. On Wuling Island, the teleportation formation had been damaged and lacked many materials from outside the island, making it impossible to repair. Here, the formation was incomplete due to the lack of materials unique to Wuling Island, preventing it from being powered by the Origin Stone.

Understanding this, Chu Ning turned to Di Yan and said, "Fellow Daoist Di, the energy contained within this Origin Stone is different from the spiritual energy of the heavens and the earth. That senior I mentioned before called it the Origin Force. While some of the materials used to power the formation are similar to those used in our external teleportation formations, there are also some unique to that island. Perhaps it is because of this that you have been unable to set up this teleportation formation."

"I see!" Di Yan exclaimed, his face lighting up with understanding.

Then, with a hint of anticipation, he looked at Chu Ning and asked, "Fellow Daoist Chu, do you happen to have those materials on you? If so, would you be willing to help me set up this teleportation formation?"

Chu Ning's curiosity was piqued. "Fellow Daoist Di, I do have some of the materials, but may I ask where this teleportation formation leads? To be honest, there's ample spiritual energy here, so whether we use the Origin Stone or spirit stones to power a formation makes no difference."

Di Yan paused briefly upon hearing this, then murmured, "Indeed, where would I teleport to? Even if my lifespan is almost at its end, and I am close to death, teleporting elsewhere won't change that. Never mind, I have devoted my life to the study of formations, but the path of formations is vast, and what I have comprehended is but a drop in the ocean. Even if I manage to set up this formation, there are countless others that I have yet to understand."

As he spoke, Di Yan returned the Origin Stone that he had taken from Chu Ning earlier.

"Fellow Daoist Chu," he said, looking at Chu Ning, "I am nearing the end of my life and won't survive beyond a year. Since we have met by such a stroke of fate, I would like to ask you for two favors. One is in exchange for the Star Core Sand I gave you, and the other is a gift to you—my lifetime of insights into formations, along with some formation manuals I've collected."

Chu Ning was taken aback by this request. He had indeed sensed that Di Yan's vitality was dwindling, but he hadn't expected that he had only a year left to live.

Without giving an immediate answer, Chu Ning asked, "Fellow Daoist Di, what are the tasks you wish me to undertake? Do I have the ability to fulfill them?"

Di Yan nodded, pleased that Chu Ning hadn't agreed right away. "Let me tell you what they are first, and you can decide whether to agree afterward."

He paused before continuing, "The first task is this: after my passing, I would like you to go to Shenyin Valley and deliver a message for me."

Chu Ning's eyes narrowed as he vaguely guessed that the person Di Yan was referring to might be the one who had sent news to Wu Rongfeng. He wanted to tell Di Yan about this, but seeing the other's indifferent expression, he decided against it. He didn't understand the situation between the two, so it was better to just keep quiet. After all, he would just follow Di Yan's instructions.

So, Chu Ning nodded and said, "Alright, Fellow Daoist Di. Rest assured that I, Chu, will definitely do as you ask. Please give me the message you want me to deliver, and I will make sure it reaches her."

However, Di Yan waved his hand and said calmly, "There is no message to deliver. You only need to go to the Divine Sound Valley and find Zhou Jingyu. Just tell her that I have passed away and attained nirvana."

Chu Ning was taken aback by these words and gave Di Yan a surprised glance. But he didn't ask any further questions, simply nodding in agreement.

Di Yan then reached into his storage bag and took out an ancient-looking wooden box.

As soon as the box was taken out, Chu Ning caught a faint scent of aged wood. Numerous intricate talismans were carved on its surface, giving it an air of mystery.

While Chu Ning examined the box, Di Yan spoke up, "I inherited my array techniques from the Myriad Phenomena Sect of the Tianmu Continent. When I obtained this inheritance by chance, the previous owner of this item mentioned in his will that he hoped whoever received his inheritance would return this item to the Myriad Phenomena Sect. Unfortunately, I never reached the Nascent Soul stage in my entire life, so I was unable to fulfill that elder's dying wish."

Di Yan's voice carried a hint of sadness as he spoke, and he paused briefly before continuing, "Fellow Daoist Chu, at your young age, you've already reached the middle stage of the Golden Core realm, and your cultivation is extraordinary. You have a high chance of advancing to the Nascent Soul stage. If there comes a day when you reach that stage, I hope you can help deliver this item to the Myriad Phenomena Sect on the Tianmu Continent. As for the array techniques I inherited, I will give them to you along with other array manuals I've collected and compiled."

Chu Ning fell silent upon hearing this, as Di Yan's request was completely unexpected.

Logically, Di Yan must have obtained the sect's array techniques and this item centuries ago. Yet, he hadn't returned them all this time. Now, despite their lack of acquaintance, Di Yan was entrusting him with such a precious item the first time they met.

It seemed a bit unreasonable.

Chu Ning voiced his doubts, and Di Yan responded frankly, "Even thirty years ago, I thought I would have no problem reaching the Nascent Soul stage. So, I never considered asking someone else to do this. But when I finally wanted to do it, I couldn't find a suitable person."

As he spoke, Di Yan looked at Chu Ning. "Fellow Daoist Chu, you are proficient in the art of breaking arrays from the Tianmu Continent, and you possess such extraordinary abilities that I've never heard of before. If I'm not mistaken, you must be from the Tianmu Continent. I'm not asking you to go out of your way to deliver this item. You can just make a trip there when you happen to visit the Tianmu Continent."

Hearing Di Yan's suspicion that he was from the Tianmu Continent, Chu Ning didn't offer any explanation. After a moment's thought, he reached out and took the ancient wooden box.

"Fellow Daoist Di, I can't guarantee that I will be able to do this. But if I ever go to the Tianmu Continent and have the opportunity, I will pay a visit to the Myriad Phenomena Sect."

A smile appeared on Di Yan's face when he heard this.

"In that case, I'll have to trouble you, Fellow Daoist Chu."

As he spoke, Di Yan turned and waved his hand, sending out a yellow glow that swept up numerous items within the wooden house into a storage bag. He then handed the storage bag to Chu Ning.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, this bag contains the array manuals I've collected and compiled in recent years. There aren't many array materials, as I haven't gone out to collect them in a long time, and the materials I gathered in the past have mostly been used up. Please accept these as payment for when you go to the Myriad Phenomena Sect on the Tianmu Continent."

Chu Ning didn't refuse and took the storage bag without hesitation.

Having accomplished his goal for this trip, and sensing that Di Yan didn't intend to keep him any longer, Chu Ning stood up to take his leave.

Di Yan didn't try to detain him but opened up a passage through the array restrictions, allowing Chu Ning to leave the island directly.

Once the passage through the island disappeared, the white mist reappeared.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, if it's convenient, you can pay a visit to the Divine Sound Valley before returning to Iceland Immortal City."

Just then, Di Yan's voice suddenly rang out from within the misty island.

Chu Ning turned around, looking at Cloud Hidden Island with a surprised expression, and asked, "Fellow Daoist Di, didn't you say to wait until a year later..."

"I said to do it after I attain nirvana, not a year later," Di Yan's voice sounded from within the island.

Chu Ning's face changed slightly upon hearing this.

Before he could say anything more, he saw the white mist on Cloud Hidden Island churn violently.

The next moment, the entire island began to sink downward.

The spiritual energy in the area also fluctuated wildly.

"This..."

Chu Ning stared at this astonishing scene, utterly dumbfounded.

"In my life, I was obsessed with arrays. Let this grand array accompany me in death!"

Faintly, Chu Ning heard Di Yan's aged voice, tinged with a hint of melancholy and a sense of detachment.

Then, before his eyes, the island slowly sank into the depths of the sea and soon disappeared from view.

"This Di Yan actually merged this array with the island long ago. Sinking an island spanning several dozen li directly into the deep sea is something even a Nascent Soul cultivator might not be able to accomplish.

"Hmm?"

Just then, Chu Ning suddenly sensed a streak of light speeding towards him from the distance.

"I hadn't released my spiritual sense to its full extent after exiting the formation, which is why I didn't sense any approaching cultivators earlier.

Now that I want to leave, it seems it's already too late."

Perceiving that the speed of the incoming light was not slow, it would only take a blink of an eye to cover a distance of less than a thousand feet.

In such a range, even with Chu Ning using the God-Concealment Technique to block the opponent's spiritual sense, they could easily see him with their naked eyes.

Thinking that his hasty departure might attract the other party's attention, Chu Ning decided to stay put for the time being.

He used an illusion technique to instantly change his appearance to that of an ordinary cultivator in his thirties.

At the same time, Chu Ning also sensed that, from different directions, several other cultivators were approaching.

"It seems that the violent spiritual energy fluctuations caused by the island's sinking have attracted the attention of some cultivators," Chu Ning thought to himself.

As he was thinking this, a figure had already flown into view.

This person, like Chu Ning, was a middle-stage Golden Core cultivator, appearing to be in his fifties.

He had short black hair and a beard, and his eyes were sharp and piercing.

He flew towards them and looked at the island that had sunk into the sea, his face filled with astonishment.

Then he turned to Chu Ning and asked, "Fellow cultivator, what happened here? Why has Di Yan's Cloud Hidden Island sunk into the sea?"

Chu Ning had no intention of revealing the truth, so he shook his head and said, "I don't know either. I was nearby and sensed the disturbance, so I came to take a look."

The elder nodded slightly upon hearing Chu Ning's words.

The next moment, he turned his head towards another direction, and his face changed slightly.

"He's also here?"

Chu Ning had already sensed that someone was approaching from that direction, and it wasn't just one person.

Seeing the elder's reaction, he guessed that the newcomers were not ordinary.

Just then, a huge demon beast flew into his line of sight.

It was a giant purple-feathered bird with a body spanning several feet.

And on its back was a beautifully decorated house adorned with various precious jewels.

The bird was flying at an incredible speed, yet the house on its back remained remarkably stable, without the slightest shake.

"Purple Cloud Ying!"

Upon seeing this demon beast, Chu Ning's eyes flickered with surprise.

It was a high-level demon beast comparable to a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, and someone had tamed it as a mount.

Even more remarkable was that instead of riding it directly, they had built a house on its back.

Such a sight was something Chu Ning had never seen before.

The seven-stage Purple Cloud Ying stopped about twenty feet away from Chu Ning and the short-bearded elder.

The wind from its wings was strong enough for the two of them to feel.

At that moment, the curtain of the house was lifted, and a young man of about twenty-seven or eighteen, along with two charming female cultivators, stepped out.

The young man wore a purple hat and a luxurious purple robe, and his demeanor was extraordinary.

His cultivation had reached the late stage of the Golden Core, and he was no ordinary late-stage cultivator.

He had already reached the peak of the Golden Core stage, comparable even to Wu Lingwei.

The two charming female cultivators by his side seemed to be maids, and they were both at the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

As soon as the purple-robed young man appeared, he first looked at the island that had sunk into the sea with a surprised expression.

Then his gaze swept over Chu Ning and the short-bearded elder.

"Do either of you know what happened here?" he asked, his voice carrying a hint of arrogance as if he were looking down on them.

Neither Chu Ning nor the short-bearded elder answered him.

The elder didn't know what had happened, and Chu Ning knew but had no intention of revealing anything.

Seeing their reaction, the purple-robed young man's face darkened.

He frowned and said impatiently, "I'm asking you a question. Why aren't you answering?"

Hearing this, a hint of helplessness flashed in the elder's eyes, and he said, "Dantai fellow cultivator, I and this fellow cultivator here have just arrived and don't know what's going on either."

Upon hearing the short-bearded elder's words, Chu Ning's heart stirred slightly, and he guessed the other party's identity.

The Nascent Soul cultivator of the Illusion Spirit Sect was named Dantai.

This young man had introduced himself as the young sect master, so he was probably the young sect master of the Illusion Spirit Sect.

The purple-robed young man's expression softened slightly when he heard someone answer him.

He waved his hand and said, "Alright, you two can leave. This place is now under the control of our Illusion Spirit Sect."

Without hesitation, Chu Ning turned and left.

He had wanted to leave earlier, and now he naturally didn't want to get involved in any unnecessary trouble.

The short-bearded elder also seemed reluctant to provoke the young sect master of the Illusion Spirit Sect and was about to leave as well.

"Wait!"

Just then, the purple-robed young man spoke up again.

He rode the Purple Cloud Ying towards the two of them.

"I recognize you as an elder of a small sect, so you may leave.

But I don't recognize this fellow cultivator, and the way he looked at me earlier seemed as if he didn't know me.

Are you not from around here?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end