Chapter 262: Ulterior Motives

"Since that is the case, then we shall respectfully comply!"

Sweeping a glance toward Ye Yuemiao and the others, and seeing that they were all hesitant and afraid to speak their agreement, Nanxuan Laozu gave a light smile and said.

Many of the disciples behind had long wanted to enter the Immortal Palace to take a look. Ye Yuemiao, keeping her composure, turned her head slightly to look toward Zhang Nuo. She saw that Zhang Nuo's expression was grave, with flashes of light constantly flickering in his gaze; it appeared he was extremely uneasy about this place.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang! It seems you also sense that there is something fishy about this matter!"

Her red lips moved slightly as Ye Yuemiao sent a voice transmission to Zhang Nuo. Upon hearing the voice that sounded like heavenly music, Zhang Nuo shifted his gaze and saw the young girl in purple not far from him.

This woman was dressed in purple, like a fairy descended from the nine heavens, fresh and refined, untainted by a single trace of worldly aura.

"I have a strange feeling in my heart. I wonder how Fellow Daoist Ye views this?"

Nanxuan Laozu's cultivation was not much different from the white-robed monk, so naturally, he had the confidence to break out of the 'Immortal Palace'. But Zhang Nuo and the others were different from him; the disparity in cultivation between them and the other party was too vast. If something truly went wrong, he would become the cannon fodder at the bottom. Having stayed in the Nanxuan Sect for so many years, he understood Nanxuan Laozu's character all too well!

If not for the fact that they had to come to the Xianhuan Continent this time, he would never have stayed close to Nanxuan Laozu for long! Ye Yuemiao's thoughts were somewhat similar to his. Although she did not know Nanxuan Laozu's character, in terms of strength and cultivation, if something were to happen, this person would be the most likely to escape!

"I also feel it is strange; it is better to be careful!"

Through the last time in the mist, Zhang Nuo had been able to quickly sense Guangbai's ill intentions, so Ye Yuemiao concluded that this person was extraordinary. By communicating with him beforehand, perhaps if they really encountered danger, they might be able to receive a warning in advance.

At this moment, Nanxuan Laozu was already following behind the old monk, and the two were walking toward the direction of the 'Immortal Palace'. Zhuo Zhiyan and the others also followed behind.

The 'Immortal Palace' ahead looked as if it were within reach, but on foot, there was still a long distance to cover.

"May I ask, Fellow Daoist, is this the Xianhuan Continent?"

Walking along the way, Nanxuan Laozu kept observing everything around him, but after a long time, he had not discovered any information about danger, so he felt a little more at ease. Seeing the old monk only intent on moving forward, he then spoke up to ask.

"Xianhuan Continent?"

Upon hearing this name, the muscles on the old monk's aged face twitched several times, but because he was facing away from the group, no one noticed. He quickly returned to normal, and after a long, loud laugh, he said:

"Xianhuan! Seeming immortal and seeming illusory, that is a void and ethereal place; a monk like me dare not hope for it!"

Like Zen words, and yet like a monologue from the heart, the old monk's words left everyone confused.

"Fellow Daoist has lived here for so long, have you not discovered the strange phenomena in the sky?"

Having lived in the Mist Sea for so long, it was impossible for the old monk not to know about the Xianhuan Continent, so Nanxuan Laozu was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"I naturally know of this, but as for the specific location of the Xianhuan Continent, this old monk does not know. Furthermore, there are many dangers in the vast Mist Sea; I fear that before the Xianhuan Continent is found, this old life of mine would be lost!"

The white-robed monk's words were spoken with perfect reason, as if he had seen through the mystery and did not wish to lose his life over this matter.

As the two spoke, after walking for a while, they finally arrived at the entrance of the 'Immortal Palace'. The old monk leaped lightly and jumped up.

Having walked all the way here, Nanxuan Laozu and the others had not discovered any danger at all, so they followed up with peace of mind. The moment their feet landed on the steps of the 'Immortal Palace', a surge of Spirit Power as vast as a flood instantly spread through their entire bodies!

"What dense Spirit Power!"

Zhang Nuo was slightly startled; he had not expected that just one step away, the inside and outside of the 'Immortal Palace' would be so different. Outside the palace, the Spiritual Qi was slightly thin. Along the way, Zhang Nuo had been thinking that the old monk said he cultivated here, but the Spiritual Qi here was not particularly lush. However, once he entered the palace, this thought of his changed. It seemed this 'Immortal Palace' must be some kind of treasure; otherwise, it could not possess such powerful Spirit Power.

Likewise, the others also felt this. Nanxuan Laozu's gaze flickered, and his heart stirred slightly. If he could have such an 'Immortal Palace', he would likely have already advanced to the Nascent Soul Late Stage! Why would he have to run all the way to the Xianhuan Continent to seek opportunities?

The old monk looked back at the group's reaction, then slowly turned back again. However, the moment he turned back, a trace of a triumphant smile appeared on his face.

"Please, patrons, take a seat inside!"

Leading the way, the old monk walked through the 'Immortal Palace'. In front of the 'Immortal Palace' were over a hundred white Jade Token steps. The surface of these steps emitted a faint cyan light, and in the mist, it truly had some immortal aura!

The group stepped onto the stone steps; the feeling under their feet was like treading on thin mist. Every step taken on the stone steps felt void and empty.

On the mere hundred-plus stone steps, the group seemed to have walked for several years. That feeling of time flowing like water was very profound.

Finally, they finished walking the last stone step. Appearing before them was a wide hall. In front of the hall stood more than a dozen jade pillars, as if they were the pillars supporting the 'Immortal Palace', but anyone with a discerning eye could see that even without these jade pillars, the hall would not collapse because of it.

"Please, enter the hall!"

The old monk flicked his robe sleeve and simultaneously made a gesture of invitation toward the direction of the hall. Afterward, he led the way in front! Looking at the white-robed monk, his movement technique was very elegant; while walking, it seemed as if his feet were treading on air. A layer of faint white spirit light hovered between the old monk's soles and the ground.

"This monk is very strange!"

Walking almost at the very back, Ye Yuemiao sent a voice transmission to Zhang Nuo. When they were going up the stone steps just now, because the cyan light on the surface of the steps blocked the old monk's soles, she had not noticed this point, but now that they had left the steps, the woman immediately felt something was wrong.

"Fellow Daoist Ye has noticed it too?"

Zhang Nuo had also noticed the old monk's footsteps, but what made him feel slightly surprised was that Ye Yuemiao had things to say to him, yet she did not say them to Nanxuan Laozu.

"Yes! Even if one's cultivation has reached the Nascent Soul Stage, there is absolutely no need to walk like this, unless he is hiding something!"

As she spoke, golden light flashed in Ye Yuemiao's beautiful eyes. Inside her pupils, countless golden rays bloomed, and for a moment, her eyes, which were like autumn water, became like gold.

Lifting her pretty face slightly, the young girl looked at the white-robed old monk leading the way, but to her shock, her pupil technique secret method was actually unable to see through the monk's true form!

At the same time, the moment Ye Yuemiao activated her pupil technique to look at the monk, the white-robed old monk's heart trembled slightly, and he turned his head abruptly, his gaze sweeping toward the young girl.

Fortunately, Ye Yuemiao was quick-witted. Just as the monk turned his head, she closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they were exactly as they were before! A beautiful smile appeared on her face, and she nodded lightly toward the old ancestor, appearing to be extremely full of praise for this 'Immortal Palace'.

The old monk returned the smile as well. After turning his head back, the monk felt that something was not quite right in his heart. With his cultivation, that feeling just now was clearly someone spying on him, but when he looked back, everything was as usual!

Just as the white-robed old monk turned his head, Ye Yuemiao cast her gaze onto Zhang Nuo. From the moment the woman activated her pupil technique to the moment the old monk discovered it, Zhang Nuo had seen it all. He was even more certain that this monk had problems!

"What did you see?"

Zhang Nuo sent a voice transmission to the young girl. The answer he got was just a light shake of her head. He sighed to himself; it seemed this monk was no ordinary person!

Zhang Nuo turned his gaze back to Nanxuan Laozu, only to see him acting as if nothing had happened, his gaze constantly sweeping across the entire 'Immortal Palace', as if all his attention was focused on it, not paying any heed to the white-robed old monk. However, Zhang Nuo understood in his heart that with Nanxuan Laozu's intentions, the monk's footsteps had long been discovered by him, but he was just pretending not to know.

Very quickly, the group arrived inside the hall. The Spiritual Qi in the hall was even denser. Zhang Nuo took a deep breath and felt that such dense Spiritual Qi was almost catching up to what was gathered by the 'Nine Dragon Sword Case'.

The old monk flicked his robe sleeve lightly, and a five-colored glow rolled out. Immediately, many chairs appeared inside the hall.

"My humble abode is a bit simple, please feel free to take a seat."

Zhang Nuo swept a glance at the chairs and saw that these chairs were all carved from white jade. His Divine Sense swept over them and discovered no abnormalities, so he then sat down on one lightly.

Ye Yuemiao, for some reason, found a chair close to Zhang Nuo and sat down beside him. At this time, Nanxuan Laozu sat on the chair at the very front.

"I wonder where you fellow Daoists have come from?"

The old monk sat on a large chair in the center and asked with a smile on his face.

"We are from the Tianyuan Continent!"

Nanxuan Laozu's expression was natural, showing not a hint of pretense.

"Oh! Tianyuan Continent, this old monk has also been there in my early years!"

The old monk appeared extremely excited, as if he had not seen a human cultivator for many years! The two of them kept talking, while Zhang Nuo used his Divine Sense to scan the great hall incessantly, yet he found nothing other than the fact that the Spiritual Qi was dense here.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, with your insight, have you discovered anything amiss?"

Seeing that the old monk was not paying attention to her, Ye Yuemiao sent this via voice transmission. Zhang Nuo shook his head slightly, revealing a helpless expression; at this moment, they suddenly heard Nanxuan Laozu say loudly:

"Haha! Having come here as guests, I have yet to ask for your names, fellow Daoists!"

He seemed to have discovered something and spoke loudly on purpose, as if to remind everyone; upon hearing this, everyone focused their gaze on the white-robed old monk.

"This old monk has not left this place for many years; I expect that even if I told you my name, you would not know it! However, this poor monk has a presumptuous request, though I do not know if you fellow Daoists can agree to it?"

The old monk's refusal to state his name had already made everyone start to suspect him, and now that he was making a request, the situation had become even more suspicious!