Chapter 334: Xuan Kong Shan's Move, the Birth of a Treasure Artifact

At the very summit of Xuan Kong Shan stood a small, humble temple—Xiao Miao.

Compared to the gilded, grand temples scattered across the mid-slope, this one appeared strikingly plain. Its mud-brick walls and wooden pillars were weathered and cracked, bearing the deep marks of time. Only a few monk’s quarters were visible, barely enough to house three or five people.

Great Elder arrived, his expression solemn.

Bowing deeply, he said with utmost reverence, “Master, esteemed Tai Shang Elders, Xuan Yi has urgent matters to report.”

Inside Xiao Miao, there was no reply.

Great Elder showed no impatience. His face remained respectful, and he waited patiently.

After about half a moment, a calm, gentle voice finally drifted out.

“Enter.”

With a soft creak, the door opened on its own, as if stirred by no wind.

Great Elder bowed once more before stepping inside, moving with care until he stood in the empty courtyard. There, he remained still, waiting in silence.

“What is it?”

After a long pause, the voice spoke again—faint, drifting from somewhere unseen.

At the same time, Great Elder sensed several invisible gazes resting upon him.

He dared not delay. Bowing low, he said, “Master, some time ago, you dispatched Xuan Ming and his companions to Zhong Zhou to seize an opportunity hidden in the veil of fate. But today, the junior monk responsible for cleaning the Hun Ta discovered that all of their Hun Deng had gone dark. I suspect they have perished in the outside world. This matter is grave. I dare not act on my own. I have come to seek your guidance—and that of the other Tai Shang Elders—on how to proceed.”

Silence settled around him.

Yet Great Elder could feel the weight of those unseen gazes grow heavier.

His expression remained composed, but inwardly, pressure mounted.

At last, the calm voice returned.

“Indeed. I have just divined the truth. Their fates have been severed. They are truly dead.”

Great Elder’s heart leapt. “Master, can you divine who killed Xuan Ming and the others?”

“Impossible,” the voice replied, slow and deliberate. “Though the laws of the outside world have begun to stabilize and the veil of fate has cleared somewhat, divination remains difficult. Pushing through the barrier of realms, using the power of the heart temple to trace their fate lines—this is already the limit. And the one who killed them… is no ordinary foe. They bear artifacts that shield their fate, making divination even more impossible.”

The voice carried no emotion—no grief, no anger. As if the deaths of Xuan Ming and his companions were mere ripples in a still pond.

Great Elder felt a pang of disappointment, yet pressed on. “Then, Master, do you believe it was the Three Holy Lords of Sheng Shan? Or perhaps someone from one of the other three secret sanctuaries?”

He hesitated. “I fear there may be a plot against us.”

“Too early to judge,” the voice said. “Xuan Ming and his companions carried powerful treasures—Jiang Mo Jin Gang Chu and others. By all rights, few outside could have harmed them. But the Three Holy Lords of Sheng Shan are bound by the sanctity of their realm. They would not act recklessly.”

“So it must have been someone from one of the other three secret sanctuaries?” Great Elder asked quickly.

“The path of fate is still unclear. Nothing can be said for certain. For now, send someone to investigate.”

“I have already dispatched Xuan Yi to Wu Jian Lou, instructing them to send out scouts to search for answers.”

“Good. Xuan Kong Shan has long protected Wu Jian Lou. It is time they proved their worth.”

“But Master,” Great Elder added, “since the Great Transformation and the Qi Lu Fu Su, Wu Jian Lou has shown signs of unrest. They are not entirely loyal.”

“Nonsense,” the voice dismissed. “A pack of vermin lurking in the shadows. They will come to their senses in time. You may leave now.”

The voice held no further words.

“Yes, I take my leave,” Great Elder said quietly, bowing deeply before slowly retreating from the temple.

Once he was gone, Xiao Miao fell silent once more.

After a long while, the gentle voice spoke again.

“Elders, what is your view of what Xuan Yi has reported?”

After a dozen breaths, a hoarse voice replied, “Wait and watch. Our greatest priority now is to solidify our cultivation. We must wait for the Heaven and Earth Laws to stabilize completely. Only then can we step into the next realm, form the Golden Pill, and return to the Golden Pill realm. Once that happens, no conspiracy—no grand design—will matter.”

“Precisely,” another voice said. “No matter how loud the outside world rages, it is merely petty squabbling. Once our strength returns, we can crush them all with a single hand.”

“Only if we recover before the ancient immortals of the other sanctuaries. Then, all advantages, all first steps, will belong to Xuan Kong Shan.”

The other two voices echoed the same sentiment.

“Very well. Then we shall wait and watch. Let Xuan Yi and his kind stir the waters first.”

The calm voice spoke once more, soft and final.

Xiao Miao fell silent again, untouched by any further words.

As Great Elder exited the temple, a figure appeared at the base of Xuan Kong Shan, riding a glowing light that swept through the air toward the earth below.

After a while, the figure landed before a remote village. With a flick of his hand, the glowing light shrank rapidly, folding into his palm—a small boat shaped from a single green bamboo leaf.

It was Xuan Yi, sent by Xuan Kong Shan to Wu Jian Lou.

His arrival was so conspicuous that the villagers had already spotted him.

A fat, greasy man stepped forward, bowing low with obsequious respect.

“Master Xuan Yi, what wind brings you to our humble village?”

Xuan Yi looked down at the man with clear disdain. “No need for pleasantries. Where is your leader? Take me to him.”

The fat man, utterly oblivious to the disdain, continued to smile. “Our leader awaits within. Please, follow me.”

Xuan Yi hesitated, then followed.

But after only a few steps, his brows furrowed.

The village was a nightmare. Bones, dried animal carcasses, and rotting remains littered the ground. Shadows in the dark houses watched from within, their eyes cold and hungry. The air was thick with unease.

“Master Xuan Yi, is something wrong?” the fat man asked, alarmed.

Xuan Yi let out a cold snort. His robe flared with a sudden burst of golden light.

Instantly, from the darkness on both sides, agonized cries echoed.

The fat man paled. “You fools! How dare you stare at Master Xuan Yi? I’ll deal with you later!” He turned back to Xuan Yi, bowing repeatedly. “Forgive these blind worms, Master. I’ll punish them myself. Don’t let this delay your mission.”

Xuan Yi said nothing. His face remained expressionless.

He wasn’t one to waste energy on vermin—especially not when he still needed them for his task.

Eventually, they reached a tall wooden tower.

“This is where our leader awaits, Master,” the fat man said, gesturing grandly, but not stepping inside himself.

Xuan Yi, unshaken, entered.

But inside, his unease grew.

A leader of a wretched, hidden sect—protected only by Xuan Kong Shan’s mercy—dared to play games with him?

If not for the task at hand, he would have already unleashed his wrath.

Inside the tower, a black figure stood facing the wall, hands clasped behind his back. His presence was faint, elusive—so subtle that Xuan Yi couldn’t be sure if he was real or an illusion.

A chill ran through Xuan Yi. This man’s cultivation level surpassed his own.

The figure turned slowly, revealing a face that smiled warmly.

“Forgive me for not greeting you properly, Master Xuan Yi. Rarely do celestial guests grace our humble abode.”

Xuan Yi remained cold. “Enough pleasantries. I’m here with a task.”

Though he sensed the man’s cultivation was higher, Xuan Yi showed no deference.

“Tell me, what urgent matter from the mountain requires our help?”

“Some time ago, my senior brother Xuan Ming and Xuan Nu led disciples to the outside world to seize a fated opportunity. Now, they have vanished. No word. No trace. I need you to send out more people to search for them. And learn what has happened in the outside world these past days.”

“Xuan Ming and the others… missing?” The black figure looked genuinely surprised.

A flicker of shock crossed his face. He hadn’t expected Xuan Yi’s visit to be about this.

“Are you saying… someone dared to attack Xuan Kong Shan’s disciples?”

“Indeed,” Xuan Yi said flatly. “Not only them—your own disciples who went with them are also gone. So you need not do much. Just find out where they are. That’s all.”

The black figure felt a chill.

The tone in Xuan Yi’s voice made it clear: Xuan Ming and his companions were likely dead.

He realized the gravity of the situation.

“Rest assured, Master Xuan Yi. I will act at once.”

Xuan Yi nodded. “Choose your best people. Send them to the boundary gate. Someone will take them through. Remember—find Xuan Ming and the others first. Do not interfere with other matters. If you do, the consequences will be yours alone.”

With that, he turned and walked out, the fat man trailing behind.

Xuan Yi did not look back.

Staying even a moment longer would be an insult.

Standing before the tower, the black figure watched Xuan Yi’s figure fade into the distance. His expression was unreadable.

Then, a shadowy figure materialized beside him.

“Master,” the figure whispered, “Xuan Kong Shan grows bolder. A mere Qi Cultivation cultivator, barely past the stage, dares to command us like a servant. How dare he disrespect you!”

“Under the same roof, what choice do we have?” the black figure sighed.

“They are disciples of Xuan Kong Shan. One of those old monsters up there could crush us with a single finger. And they control the gate to the outside world. If you were in our place, wouldn’t you act the same?”

The shadow fell silent. He knew the truth.

After a long pause, he said, “Master… what do you make of what Xuan Yi said? Could it be that someone dared to strike against Xuan Kong Shan?”

“Who knows?” the black figure mused. “But one thing is certain—outside events have changed far more than we imagined. Even Xuan Kong Shan cannot fully control the situation. This… is our chance.”

The shadow’s eyes brightened. “Master… you mean—?”

“Take command of this mission,” the black figure said. “Do not hurry back. This is the first real chance to gather intelligence from the outside world. Use it well. Only when we fully understand the state of the world outside should we return.”

“Yes, Master,” the shadow bowed. “I understand.”

“Go. Choose your own people—clever, alert ones. This may be the only chance to break free from Xuan Kong Shan’s grip.”

---

Meanwhile, Lu Qing had no knowledge of what transpired within Xuan Kong Shan.

At this moment, he was fully focused, channeling the power of the Lihuo Ding to forge his own unique seal within a grayish-purple gourd.

He was nearing the final stage.

With the last seal struck, the gourd flared with a dim, grayish glow.

This light was not like the plague-ridden, death-filled gray of the Plague Elder. It was different—mystical, profound, pulsing with the essence of creation, the power to shape and transform all things.

As the light slowly faded, the Lihuo Ding spat out the gourd, which floated into Lu Qing’s hands.

“Indeed, he has mastered the secret techniques of the Lihuo Sect,” the figure watching from the shadows—Yan—whispered, certain now.

Lu Qing had not only inherited the true art of the Lihuo Sect, but had reached a level of mastery that rivaled even the sect’s most accomplished disciples of old.

“Congratulations, young master. The Treasure Artifact has been successfully forged.”

Lu Qing shook his head. “It’s only a beginning. Much remains to be done.”

His cultivation was still too weak. Even with the Lihuo Ding’s aid, he had barely managed to inscribe a few layers of seals into the gourd.

This gourd was still only in its initial form—far from complete.

To refine it further, he would need to grow stronger.

Yet even in its unfinished state, Lu Qing could feel the gourd’s power. It was no ordinary object.

He activated his abilities, peering into the gourd’s depths.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end