A Mortal's Start in the Spirit Beast Mountain

Chapter 253 Madam Wen and Qing Yi

"This is the Void Heaven Palace..." Luo Ming murmured to himself. Even though he had heard about it before, he was still shocked to see the ancient cultivators' work in person.

"Tsk tsk, what a grand display!" The voice of Tianjing Sanren came from inside the Xuan Yuan Pearl, carrying a hint of reminiscence and novelty. "Back then, I also had a fragment of the map, but unfortunately, I was at odds with the Star Palace at that time. I was afraid that if I went in, I would be trapped by those old guys, so I had to give it up with a heavy heart."

"I never imagined that after so many years, I would be able to witness this legendary first secret realm of the Chaotic Star Sea through your eyes. I'd love to see just how many ancient treasures it holds, and what kind of scenery it possesses."

Upon hearing this, Luo Ming smiled slightly: "I've heard that the hall is filled with countless treasures, including elixirs, ancient artifacts, cultivation manuals, and even the legendary Heaven-Mending Pill. But I wonder what the ancient powerful beings intended by building this hall, spreading out numerous fragments of maps, and opening it every three hundred years to select cultivators to enter? Could it truly be, as rumored, merely a test for future generations to leave behind their legacy?"

"A test? An inheritance?" Heavenly Mirror Hermit scoffed. "Perhaps there were, but the minds of ancient cultivators were never so simple. Back then, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was abundant, and powerful beings emerged in great numbers; moving mountains and filling seas was nothing more than a matter of course. The purpose of building such a secret realm must have been far-reaching. Perhaps it was to gather fortune, perhaps it was for some kind of selection, or perhaps... the palace itself was part of a larger scheme. Now, the spiritual energy of the human realm is far inferior to that of ancient times, and many secrets have long been lost. The truth is unknown to modern cultivators."

The two were communicating with their divine senses when another streak of earthen-yellow light flew hesitantly from afar. Within the light was an ordinary-looking middle-aged cultivator in a yellow robe, at the early stage of Core Formation. He saw Luo Ming standing alone before the magnificent entrance light and shadow of the Void Heaven Palace, neither entering nor leaving, and alarm bells immediately rang in his mind.

In such a place of opportunity, murder and theft of maps are commonplace. He immediately slowed down, stopping warily a hundred feet away. He had already summoned a tortoise-shell-shaped magic weapon to protect himself, his eyes fixed on Luo Ming as if facing a formidable enemy.

Luo Ming noticed the wary gaze from the other party, was taken aback at first, then realized what was going on and couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing. He had only been attracted by the magnificence of the Void Heaven Palace, expressed his feelings briefly, and exchanged a few words with the Heavenly Mirror Hermit, yet he was being treated as a highway robber.

He shook his head, no longer lingering. He cast a calm glance at the yellow-robed cultivator, then looked at a nearby open area. With a flicker, he transformed into a streak of light and headed straight for the seemingly illusory yet actually stable passageway at the palace entrance.

Seeing Luo Ming enter decisively, the yellow-robed cultivator visibly breathed a sigh of relief, but still cautiously looked around for a moment to make sure no one else was hiding. After waiting a few more breaths, he carefully rode his escape light, quickly passed through the light curtain, and disappeared into it.

Just after Luo Ming and the yellow-robed cultivator entered the hall, a flash of light appeared in an open area, revealing a young cultivator in a green robe. This person frowned slightly as he looked towards the entrance of the Void Heaven Hall. After pondering for a moment, he slowly concealed his figure.

High above the palace, several beams of light, varying in intensity, were faintly visible in the distance, hurtling towards this direction.

As Luo Ming stepped into the light curtain, the scene before him suddenly changed. The majestic outline and flowing light of the Void Heaven Palace outside vanished instantly, replaced by a vast hall with dozens of huge stone pillars in the center, large enough to accommodate several people standing there.

His arrival immediately attracted the attention of the locals, but after seeing Luo Ming, they basically just glanced at him and then paid no more attention.

Because Luo Ming's appearance was that of an ordinary Core Formation cultivator, he was inconspicuous here.

At this moment, the hall was sparsely populated, with only about twenty people. They were scattered around a few stone pillars near the entrance, some sitting cross-legged on the pillars, silently meditating; others standing alone in a corner, their eyes warily scanning each new intruder. Everyone maintained a considerable distance, and an unspoken wariness and silence permeated the air between them.

Luo Ming's gaze swept quickly across the area, and he felt somewhat relieved. It seemed he had indeed arrived early. The "Old Demon Han," who had caused quite a stir here in the original timeline and whom he had been particularly concerned about, had clearly not yet arrived.

Without making a sound, he used his escape light to quietly descend towards an ordinary stone pillar at the edge. As soon as he landed, like the others who had arrived earlier, he sat cross-legged on the pillar, his eyelids slightly lowered, seemingly meditating and regulating his breathing, but in reality, he was secretly observing the people in the hall.

These early arrivals came in all shapes and sizes, some fat, some thin, some male, some female. Although it was difficult to sense their cultivation levels through divine sense due to the restrictions of this place, those who could come here were at least peak Foundation Establishment cultivators with valuable treasures; otherwise, coming here would basically be suicide.

One of them instantly captured most of Luo Ming's attention.

She was dressed in simple palace attire, yet her graceful figure was undeniable. It occupied a stone pillar that was slightly closer to the center by itself.

Her hair was styled in a high bun, and her face was beautiful, but there was an unyielding frost between her brows and eyes. The cold aura emanating from her body seemed to be even lower than the temperature inside the palace.

Most striking was the longsword with its sheath lying across her lap. Both the sheath and the exposed hilt were pitch black, without any luster or reflection, as if they could absorb all the light around them.

At this moment, she was holding a plain white silk handkerchief, wiping the black sword sheath with extreme focus and slowness, her movements as gentle as if she were handling a lover's skin, clearly showing how much she cherished this treasure.

Luo Ming's heart skipped a beat, and a name almost slipped out: "Madam Wen?"

This woman was the Daoist partner of the Six Paths Supreme Saint, the number one figure in the demonic path. Her strength and background were terrifying compared to Luo Ming's current abilities. His attention to this woman was certainly not out of lust for her beauty—that would be a path to certain death.

His gaze was drawn more to the long, jet-black sword.

A cultivator's natal magic treasure is usually stored in the dantian and nurtured day and night to achieve a connection between mind and spirit, and to be as easy to use as an arm and finger. Ordinary magic treasures are stored in storage bags.

Only those "ancient treasures" that originated from ancient times, possess immense power, but are difficult for modern cultivators to fully refine and absorb due to their unique crafting methods or the excessive power they contain, are chosen by some cultivators to carry directly with them and place them outside their bodies so that they can unleash their power as quickly as possible in the moment of battle.

Last year, he caught a glimpse of the two swords carried by the cold and beautiful girl beside Wen Tianren from afar, and suspected that they were such ancient treasures.

The black sword in the hand of the "Madam Wen" before them, though extremely restrained in its aura, exuded a chilling sharpness that was far beyond that of ordinary magical treasures. It was most likely an extraordinary ancient treasure, and in terms of attack power, it probably possessed extremely astonishing strength.

Luo Ming pondered to himself. His body-refining technique had reached the mid-stage of Core Formation, making his physical body incredibly strong and close-quarters combat an advantage. However, he truly lacked a powerful and "handy" weapon for attacking enemies.

Ordinary magical artifacts are unlikely to break through the protective techniques of high-level cultivators in a single blow, so these ancient sword-type treasures, focused on killing, are his perfect choice. If he could…

The thought had barely formed when he forcibly extinguished it.

The other party is the Daoist partner of a Six Paths Supreme Saint, whose cultivation is at least at the early stage of the Nascent Soul stage, or even higher. The ancient treasure in his hand has unpredictable power. To provoke such an existence for the sake of a sword is no different from courting death.

Luo Ming gave a self-deprecating smile, quietly burying that burning feeling deep in his heart. His gaze also seemed to become more indifferent, shifting away from Madam Wen as if it were just a casual glance, and then observing the other cultivators. However, the corner of his eye could still occasionally sweep over that black figure.

Just as Luo Ming was secretly assessing the black sword and his mind was wandering, the light screen at the entrance rippled again, and a streak of azure light walked over unhurriedly, revealing the figure of an old man.

This man was dressed in a yellow robe, with snow-white eyebrows and a thin face. He had a refined and scholarly air about him. He was none other than Qingyi Jushi, whom Luo Ming had met once before in the Sea Abyss. However, the man had disguised his face at the time, and Luo Ming had never seen his true appearance.

After landing, he calmly surveyed the entire scene, his face bearing his usual gentle smile, as if he were merely attending an ordinary gathering. When his gaze swept over Madam Wen, he paused slightly, then his smile deepened, and he actually took the initiative to fly towards the stone pillar where Madam Wen was located.

"Qingyi greets Madam Bai." The old man stopped a few feet away, cupped his hands in greeting from afar, and spoke in a gentle and polite voice.

Madam Wen did not pause in wiping the sword sheath. She simply raised her cold, star-like eyes, glanced at him indifferently, and nodded slightly: "So it is Qingyi Jushi. Nanhe Island is not close to this place. I did not expect you to be so fast." Her voice was as cold and calm as her eyes.

Qingyi Jushi chuckled and stroked his long, snow-white eyebrows: "This old man is merely relying on an old thing for transportation. In the end, I cannot compare to Madam Wen's supernatural powers. I wonder if your husband, Liu Dao, is now..." His words were quite polite, even carrying a hint of subtle flattery, clearly showing his apprehension towards this supreme saint of the Six Paths.

Luo Ming, watching the whole scene from the corner, thought to himself, "So this is what Qingyi Jushi looks like. He seems like an old schoolteacher from the mortal world."

However, he was not deceived by the other party's harmless appearance. He knew that this person was not simple. It can be said that every rogue cultivator who condenses a Nascent Soul is not simple. Even if they do not have powerful attack methods, their escape methods are definitely first-class.

"Kid, you've been secretly watching this person. Is there something wrong with this old guy named Qingyi?" Tianjing Sanren asked, puzzled, seeing that Luo Ming had been secretly watching the area.

Luo Ming responded quietly with his divine sense: "This person's Daoist name is Qing Yi. He is a rather famous rogue cultivator from Hainan Crane Island in the Chaotic Star Region. His signature magic weapon, which he relies on for fame, is the 'Azure Nether Needle.' The 'Azure Nether Scripture' that I obtained happens to record the method of refining this treasure. Therefore, I guess that the cultivation method he practices, even if it is not the complete 'Azure Nether Scripture,' must be of the same origin as it, or he must have obtained part of the inheritance of refining the Azure Nether Needle from it."