Chapter 1731

Before setting off, they knew that something had likely happened to Qianhuan's cave dwelling.

"Sixty years ago, the Master decided to go into a long seclusion. At that time, he said that he would not be able to come out for thirty or forty years, and told us to wait patiently."

However, this statement had already expired twenty or thirty years ago, and True Person Qianhuan had never come out.

Dong Rui couldn't help but say: "Can't he come out of seclusion halfway?"

"It is rare for the Immortal Venerable to have a whim, only then going into seclusion to comprehend the ultimate principles of heaven and earth. Once interrupted, there may not be such an opportunity again. Therefore, even though the seclusion period he mentioned has passed, none of us dared to harbor the intention of disturbing him; we only maintained the continued operation of the Upside-Down Sea."

He Lingchuan remained expressionless.

At that time, although True Person Qianhuan's seclusion was overdue, the entire Upside-Down Sea operated as usual, the spiritual energy of the Flash Gold Plain nourished this place as usual, and the Immortals and practitioners of the Illusion Sect lived their lives as usual; everything was beautiful, so what was there to be anxious about? "But we were worried, after all, so we repeatedly cast lots and threw divination blocks at the Minghai Hall to communicate with the Master, but the results were sometimes effective and sometimes not." Xiao Wencheng shook his head. "Whenever we asked about this world, there was occasionally a response; if we asked about the Immortal Master himself, there was no news."

Seeking gods and worshiping immortals, even asking the water spirits of mountains and marshes—people in all places use the method of divination blocks.

The results obtained are very simple: "Yes" or "No," "Possible" or "Impossible."

After throwing a few more times, the seeker knows the god's attitude.

However, as an ancient Immortal Venerable with boundless magic power, True Person Qianhuan did not give further feedback to his sect's disciples.

It would be strange if Xiao Wencheng and the others weren't whispering about it in their hearts.

Zhu Xiuer asked: "Is there no way to forcibly interrupt the seclusion? It's been overdue for twenty or thirty years, and there's a foreign enemy invading!"

Everyone is an immortal; it knows very well that so-called "death-seclusion" can actually be interrupted, it just costs a little price.

The path to immortality is long, with many rugged obstacles; what to do if a strong enemy arrives suddenly during seclusion? Interrupting seclusion is the most basic logic. Unless—

Xiao Wencheng hesitated for a moment before saying: "Actually, there were thirteen fellow disciples who followed the Immortal Venerable into the Upside-Down Sea, but now only eight remain. The other five all tried to invite the Immortal Venerable out of seclusion, but they never returned. Including the envoy sent by Lingshan five years ago who made this attempt, the same—"

He shook his head.

Dong Rui frowned: "Inviting the Immortal Venerable out is actually that dangerous?"

That old thing Qianhuan even kills his own immortal disciples? Too brutal.

"Our Immortal Venerable's seclusion is different from other immortals." Elder Liu gave a bitter smile. "Other immortals' seclusion is just seclusion; most of them just sit quietly in their cave dwellings to regulate their breathing, and some high immortals can have a few more tricks. But our Immortal Venerable's true form is a Sea Mirage; when he goes into seclusion, even we disciples don't know how he will change into a thousand forms."

Zhu Xiuer interrupted: "Is there no other way for you to contact Qianhuan?"

"There is." Elder Liu led everyone out of the quiet room and pointed to the bronze bell under the eaves of the main hall. "Before the Master went into seclusion, he told us fellow disciples that as long as we ring this eave bell at a specific frequency, we can invite him out of seclusion early. Of course, one must not ring the bell unless it is a major event."

He added: "No matter how strong the wind is, this eave bell will not ring."

After saying that, he casually summoned a gust of wild wind that whistled over the main hall.

Several large trees nearby were blown crooked and shaking wildly, but the eave bell remained motionless, as if it had been welded under the flying eaves.

"For these decades, we don't know how many times we've rung the bell, and we just rang it today, but it was completely useless."

He Lingchuan thought for a while and suddenly asked: "Was there any catalyst for True Person Qianhuan's sudden long seclusion back then?"

Why specifically sixty years ago, not seventy or eighty years ago? Elder Liu just said that Qianhuan had a "whim," but with the experience of an ancient True Immortal, it is extremely difficult to have another epiphany.

There is a saying: having seen the vast sea, it is difficult to be satisfied with mere water.

Having experienced too much and knowing too much, it is not so easy for the heart to be stirred again.

He hit the nail on the head with this question, because Elder Liu's gaze flickered slightly.

Just that tiny bit of abnormality. But He Lingchuan was so meticulous that he immediately saw that Elder Liu had doubts and didn't know whether to speak or not, so he said: "The more detailed you are, the better Lingshan can make a judgment."

He brought up Lingshan to emphasize that he was representing Lingshan and representing the organization's inquiry.

Dong Rui added unnecessarily on the side: "Maybe we can even help."

Elder Liu didn't hesitate for too long: "There is indeed such a matter. Sixty years ago, the Immortal Venerable sent out a Giant Viper avatar to exchange for a treasure, and only then did he begin his seclusion."

Giant Viper? Related to the Yao Nation?

All three pricked up their ears.

"This treasure is called the 'Great Expansion Heavenly Bead'."

He Lingchuan managed to maintain his expression, but a thunderclap exploded in his heart! The Great Expansion Heavenly Bead!

Did he hear that right? Is it the Great Expansion Heavenly Bead of his Panlongcheng? Dong Rui wondered: "How could it be related to the Yao Nation? Does the Yao Nation hold this treasure?"

He asked Zhu Xiuer: "Have you heard of this thing?"

Zhu Xiuer shook its head.

"The Giant Viper avatar was suppressed under the Jade Spring Palace for sixty years, and even fought two divine descents for the sake of the Yao King." He Lingchuan's heart surged, and he couldn't help but say, "I don't understand, why would True Person Qianhuan lower himself to make such an exchange with a mortal nation?"

He spoke obscurely, but everyone present understood his meaning: with True Person Qianhuan's ability, why didn't he just take what he wanted from a mortal nation?

Why be so polite and use his own external dharma image to exchange? When have high immortals ever been so polite to mortals?

When have they ever been so polite? Can an Immortal's external dharma image be given away casually?

Elder Liu's description sounded full of abnormal flavor.

He Lingchuan's question was actually a bit off-center; the focus was not on Qianhuan, but on the Great Expansion Heavenly Bead itself. So he immediately added: "True Person Qianhuan has been in seclusion for a long time; the origin of this Heavenly Bead is very suspicious. Could it be a trap set by the Tiangong?"

"There is some history to this matter." Elder Liu waved his hand. "The Immortal Venerable obtained this Heavenly Bead over a hundred years ago, but he couldn't use it at the time; he had to let it be tempered by the mortal world, meaning the number of commoners had to be large, and it was best if it could also be cleansed by the nation's destiny. Looking around, the only place on the Flash Gold Plain that could still exist was the Yao Nation. Therefore, the Master made a deal with the then-ruler of the Yao Nation and made a blood oath of the heart."

He Lingchuan was clearly standing here, but he felt as if Elder Liu's words were coming from very far away, each word echoing in his ears: "The Master has always been ethereal; his actions and deeds are like snow-goose tracks, difficult to grasp. We are not very clear about this matter, but didn't you say that the Yao Nation had just turned to Miaozhantian at that time?"

He Lingchuan blurted out: "So he wanted to find another layer of protection for the Yao Nation?"

Although the Yao Nation ruler led his subjects to convert to Miaozhantian, one of the conditions was not to submit to the Heavenly God's medicine. Perhaps they always had some worries in their hearts.

"As far as I know, the Yao Nation ruler privately agreed to the Immortal Venerable's deal and suppressed this Great Expansion Heavenly Bead in the palace. In exchange, if the Yao Nation encountered disaster, the Master would let us take action; however, the Yao Nation has always been peaceful, so we didn't have to go to support them. Ninety years later, the Heavenly Bead was completed, and the Master, according to the agreement of that year, sent the Giant Viper avatar to the Yao Nation to act as the guardian beast for a hundred years. Because the cold spring under the Jade Spring Palace was also suitable for the Giant Viper to continue its cultivation."

Dong Rui laughed: "So the Yao Nation was two-faced and insincere from the moment they defected to Miaozhantian. Hehe, it took 150 years to be destroyed; not wronged, not wronged."

The number "150 years" made He Lingchuan feel uneasy.

Historically, Panlongcheng was also destroyed over 150 years ago! In terms of time, isn't it too coincidental?

Why wasn't the treasure bead held by the Black Dragon statue at the south gate of Panlongcheng taken away by Beijia, but instead fell into the hands of True Person Qianhuan? Thinking back that one of the people in charge of Lingshan at that time was True Person Qianhuan, He Lingchuan's jaw tightened instantly.

He still remembered the cheers of the soldiers and civilians of Panlongcheng on the day the treasure bead was embedded, and he also remembered what Zhong Shengguang had said:

I hope that on the day the Great Expansion Heavenly Bead is refined, it will still be in Panlongcheng.

Unfortunately, things went against his wishes.

At this moment, the anger in He Lingchuan's heart was overwhelming.

But he didn't even clench his fists; he just lowered his head slightly, feeling the hatred in his chest boiling.

Dong Rui asked again: "What is the origin of this Great Expansion Heavenly Bead?"

Elder Liu shook his head: "This is the secret of my sect; I cannot disclose it to outsiders."

"Then what is its function? Can you at least say that?" Dong Rui was dissatisfied. "Otherwise, how can we infer?"

"When the Master got it, he was very pleasantly surprised, only saying that it was miraculously boundless; as long as it could be truly refined, one could achieve supreme creation." Elder Liu also felt a bit regretful. "None of us have ever held this treasure bead, so we don't know its true performance."

He Lingchuan forcibly suppressed the thousands of thoughts in his heart and looked at the Haoyuan Golden Mirror; Bai Ziqi's fleet seemed to be about to dock: "If the Immortal Venerable still doesn't come out, if this Tiangong team is invincible, what will you all do?"

Without waiting for Elder Liu to speak, he preempted: "Since Bai Ziqi is leading the team, he must be well-prepared."

Bai Ziqi never disappointed him.

Elder Liu shook his head: "Although the Master is in seclusion, within the Upside-Down Sea, these people cannot win."

Zhu Xiuer heard his sense of inevitability, so it said in a muffled voice: "The immortals whose cave dwellings were hollowed out before also thought so."

It has never been very polite, and Elder Liu was a bit displeased: "I said, the Master's seclusion is different; the Master's blessed land is, of course, also different. These people can get in, but they can't get out."

Can get in, but can't get out? He Lingchuan's gaze flickered, and he suddenly said: "Understood. We have already asked for the truth; please trouble Elder Liu to send us out, we want to return to Lingshan!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the two companions were a bit surprised, but they didn't show it.