Chapter 554: The Dust-Sealed Years

Su Xuan listened quietly as Xun Zi spoke his heart. After a moment of silence, he said, "I will not hide it from you, Xun Zi. On this voyage, I did indeed gain something. I can say that I have completely unraveled the secret of the Seven Luminaries of the Azure Dragon!"

"Oh?"

Upon hearing Su Xuan's words, Xun Zi’s eyes brightened instantly. The secret of the Seven Luminaries of the Azure Dragon had circulated throughout the world for a millennium. Over countless years, even as dynasties rose and fell—from the Spring and Autumn period to the Warring States, and then the end of the Warring States and the unification of the world by Qin—this secret had persisted. Countless people had exhausted their entire lives trying to uncover it.

This was simply because the content of this legend was far too extraordinary.

It was said that whoever obtained this object could sway the world.

This had driven countless hegemon-level figures throughout history to pursue it relentlessly.

Those who had achieved hegemony wanted to obtain it to ensure their rule would last for a thousand generations, while those who had not yet succeeded but possessed ambition hoped to use it to turn the tide and achieve hegemony themselves.

Now, hearing Su Xuan claim to have thoroughly cracked the secret of this object,

it was impossible for Xun Zi not to be stirred. He never imagined that in his lifetime, he would actually see the truth of this secret. So, sometimes, living a long time is indeed a good thing.

"I wish to hear the details!"

Xun Zi’s attitude was humble, and he looked at Su Xuan with the appearance of one leaning in to listen.

Su Xuan asked Xun Zi a question: "Does Xun Zi know from which era the legend of the Seven Luminaries of the Azure Dragon first began to circulate?"

Xun Zi raised his brows and provided the answer: "I have seen records of this legend in many classics. Based on my deductions, it goes back no further than a thousand years. About eight to nine hundred years ago was the era when the Zhou Dynasty was established. Therefore, the Seven Luminaries of the Azure Dragon very likely originated from the Zhou Dynasty."

Su Xuan confirmed this: "Xun Zi guessed correctly. The Seven Luminaries of the Azure Dragon is indeed related to the Zhou Dynasty. To be precise, its creator was the man revered as the Grand Tutor, Gan Jiang Gan Jiang Taigong!"

"It was actually him?"

Xun Zi was surprised at first, then suddenly realized: "If the Seven Luminaries of the Azure Dragon was created by him, it is barely understandable!"

"It is said that Gan Jiang Gan Jiang Taigong attained the Dao at Qishan and later assisted King Wen of Zhou and King Wu of Zhou in achieving hegemony. Although he was a late bloomer, he possessed talent that could span the heavens and the earth."

"It is no surprise that he could create the Seven Luminaries of the Azure Dragon!"

Su Xuan waited until Xun Zi finished speaking before continuing: "Eight hundred years ago, Gan Jiang Gan Jiang Taigong obtained the Heavenly Book left in the human world from the ancient era by the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden. He contemplated the Heavenly Book at Qishan and subsequently attained the Dao. From the Heavenly Book, he realized supreme military strategies. With the help of these strategies, he assisted King Wu of Zhou in overthrowing the Shang Dynasty and establishing the Zhou Dynasty. Later, he continued to contemplate the Heavenly Book and finally discovered its secret, even taking the opportunity to grasp a trace of heavenly secrets!"

"Through this trace of heavenly secrets, he foresaw that the Zhou Dynasty would perish. At that time, the Zhou Dynasty had just been established. Naturally, Gan Jiang Shang was unwilling to see the dynasty he had painstakingly built collapse just like that. Thus, he left behind many treasures, waiting for the day the Zhou Dynasty perished so that his descendants could use these treasures to restore the dynasty. Afterward, he hid some of the secrets he had glimpsed inside seven bronze boxes and passed down the clues to the treasures along with these boxes."

“Originally, these were actually two different things, but as time passed—perhaps due to some omissions during secret transmissions—they gradually became confused with one another through hearsay!”

"So that is how it is!" Xun Zi stroked his beard and couldn't help but sigh.

"No wonder the Seven Luminaries of the Azure Dragon were clearly hidden overseas, yet throughout history, many people have claimed to have cracked the secret of the Seven Luminaries of the Azure Dragon and achieved hegemony!"

The most prominent example was Duke Zhuang of Zheng from years past.

The transformation of the State of Zheng from weak to strong, becoming a hegemon, was a miracle.

Many were curious about where the power that helped the State of Zheng rise came from. Now, Xun Zi knew: perhaps Duke Zhuang of Zheng, by some stroke of luck, obtained one of the treasures left behind by Gan Jiang Gan Jiang Taigong, which allowed him to prosper and gave the State of Zheng the capital to rise.

Because the clues to the treasures were passed down together with the Seven Luminaries of the Azure Dragon, many people mistakenly thought Duke Zhuang of Zheng had penetrated the secret of the Seven Luminaries of the Azure Dragon.

"Hearing these words from you, Pavilion Master, has resolved many of my confusions."

"Since the true secret of the Seven Luminaries of the Azure Dragon is not the treasure, then what is it?"

Xun Zi continued to ask Su Xuan.

Su Xuan did not hide it: "The true secret of the Seven Luminaries of the Azure Dragon is actually a lost land sealed away in the passage of time!"

"A lost land sealed away in the passage of time?" Xun Zi did not understand the meaning.

Su Xuan said: "It is exactly as the words imply. What is hidden inside the seven boxes is a sea chart of a mysterious location. With the help of this sea chart and certain auxiliary items, one can reach a magical sea area."

Pausing, Su Xuan added: "I will only say one thing, and Xun Zi will surely understand!"

"The Three Immortal Mountains!"

Upon hearing this, Xun Zi’s body jolted suddenly.

The State of Qi was close to the sea, and legends about the immortal mountains on the sea had existed for a long time. Many years ago, King Zhao of Yan, who had once nearly destroyed the State of Qi, had sent people out to sea to search for the immortal mountains, but they returned empty-handed.

"To think that the State of Qin stated its purpose right from the beginning!"

Ying Zheng couldn't help but sigh.

When the Mirage was first completed, the public explanation was that the Qin Emperor admired the immortal Dao, so he had the Imperial Advisor board the Mirage to sail the seas in search of immortals. Some believed this, while others thought it was a lie, and that its true purpose was merely to cover up the matter of the Seven Luminaries of the Azure Dragon.

Xun Zi had not expected that the true secret of the Seven Luminaries of the Azure Dragon was indeed the overseas immortal mountains.

Su Xuan was noncommittal and smiled.

Xun Zi asked again: "In these two years away, did you, Pavilion Master, reach the legendary immortal mountains and see the immortals?"

Su Xuan shook his head: "In this world, there are no longer any true immortals. At the same time, the so-called immortal mountains are beyond your imagination. Except for the last immortal mountain, which still holds some vitality, the rest have long since turned into scorched earth, a scene of utter deathly silence!"

Xun Zi was stunned and said softly: "To think it would be like this!"

He simulated it slightly in his mind and could roughly imagine how disappointed Su Xuan and the others must have been upon successfully reaching the immortal mountains.

After exhausting all efforts and spending so much time to successfully reach the legendary immortal mountains, only to find them dead and devoid of life—it was truly distressing.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at Su Xuan again.

But he only saw that Su Xuan’s expression was incomparably calm.