Chapter 483: Prepared and Simulation Begins!

After a while.

A knocking sound came from outside the elegant chamber, followed by the manager's soft voice.

"Master, Master Yu has declined the cave dwelling we carefully selected for him."

"As for the offer of free expenses for Master Chen and his party today, Master Chen likewise politely refused."

Inside the room, Liu Xing fell into a brief silence.

"Understood. You may withdraw."

Liu Xing sighed softly; she had already prepared the cave dwelling Yu Ke had chosen, yet never expected it to be rejected.

"You sister, what do you think?"

Yu Ke is merely an outer sect disciple, but if he successfully establishes his foundation and shines brightly in the upcoming outer sect examination, aided by talents like Chen Jingqiu, Li Qingshui, and Lan Yu,

his future will surely make him a pivotal figure in the Shenxiao Sect.

Xia Youlan's gaze suddenly fixed on the tea on the table, the very spot where Yu Ke had sat, as if lost in thought.

Why did she care so much about Yu Ke?

Her mood today had been so unsettled.

Perhaps because no one had ever easily ignored her presence for so long.

Coupled with the accidental shattering of the Jade Pixiu, and Yu Ke being merely an ordinary outer sect disciple,

it had thrown her off balance.

Liu Xing opened her crimson lips and continued: "Today, seeing Chen Jingqiu in person, he truly is extraordinary—far surpassing even the rumors."

"If he enters the outer sect examination, all eight inner sect branches will vie to claim him."

"But this time, it seems difficult to cultivate goodwill with this Chen family's storm."

Her words carried a trace of regret.

Hearing this, Xia Youlan instinctively took Liu Xing's hand, her eyes filled with guilt: "I've been foolish as an elder sister—I've let you miss such a golden opportunity. I truly feel ashamed."

"Sister, you're joking. The outer sect isn't just about Chen Jingqiu."

"There are other prodigies in the outer sect who are friendly with our Hongyun Merchant Guild—I can introduce them to you."

Xia Youlan felt curious; she hadn't expected this leader of the Hongyun Merchant Guild to already have someone she'd bet on.

"Who? Can anyone rival Chen Jingqiu?"

Liu Xing's expression held a touch of awe: "For this opening of the Yunxiao Immortal's mountain, prodigies from the Three Zhou and even farther regions have come seeking her teachings."

"They may fall slightly short of Chen Jingqiu, but they are the most prominent figures in this outer sect examination."

"Prince Chang Hua of the Changying Divine Dynasty, only three days ago joined the Shenxiao Sect's outer sect. At his birth, a city was shrouded in fiery clouds for three days straight, and before establishing his foundation, he already mastered two fire-elemental Dao arts."

"Cai Ying of the Great Zhou Divine Dynasty was born accompanied by a true phoenix feather, with a true spirit reborn from fire to guard his path."

"Peng Chuan of Zhaoyao Mountain had a dragon's head teach him the Dao at age three..."

Liu Xing mentioned several others.

Yet!

Xia Youlan seemed distracted; her thoughts drifted elsewhere, suddenly recalling Yu Ke's early history she had once investigated in the outer sect.

Ordinary.

Born into a collateral branch of the Yu family of Luoshui, he began cultivation at six, with no remarkable achievements.

In the four years since joining the sect, he diligently cultivated, yet remained unremarkable among the outer sect disciples.

"Yu Senior Brother, accepting this cave dwelling would be perfectly fine."

"Even if you have no immediate need to reside, you may rent it out—the profits all belong to you."

Mi Die silently lamented; a cave dwelling's value was comparable to a fortune.

For Lady Liu to offer it so freely was truly generous.

Yu Ke gently shook his head, pondering inwardly.

To receive such a lavish gift without merit is to incur a debt.

In this world, the free things are often the most expensive.

Rather than bear this obligation, he'd rather owe the little rich girl fifty thousand spirit stones—it would be simpler.

Mostly because he didn't need the cave dwelling; he already had a house in the outer court—he was only here to establish his foundation.

Xie Wanwan agreed, knowing well how hard it was to repay a favor.

Wang Yunxi's eyes flickered, believing this was Liu Xing's ploy to win over her cousin.

After carefully inspecting the cave dwelling, Chen Jingqiu nodded slightly and said:

"Yu Junior Brother, this place is perfectly suitable for foundation establishment—the time differential with the outside world is only half a moment, and the Dao's laws are complete."

"Moreover, the cave contains a mid-grade spirit vein, and beneath the pond lies a spirit gathering array—more than sufficient for foundation establishment."

Hearing this, Yu Ke carefully examined the cave dwelling.

The cave spanned roughly ten li in diameter.

In the center stood a four-story ancient-style pavilion, with wind chimes hanging at each corner; a gentle breeze made them chime softly, clear and pleasant.

Beneath the pavilion, a tranquil pond mirrored the sky, its spirit fish gliding through, stirring gentle ripples.

Along the pond's edge, moss-covered rockeries and willows complemented each other, swaying lightly in the wind, radiating vitality.

The climate here was pleasant—no heat, only refreshing coolness.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Chen," Yu Ke said gratefully.

Chen Jingqiu asked with concern: "Yu Junior Brother, have you prepared everything needed for foundation establishment?"

Yu Ke had not been careless—he had purchased all required spirit treasures and herbs from merchants, spending thirty thousand spirit stones in total.

Chen Jingqiu took something from his storage pouch and said: "This is the Eight Scenery Palace Lamp. Hang it in the cave—it suppresses fortune and gathers spiritual energy. I lend it to you, Yu Junior Brother."

With that,

a pale yellow lantern appeared in Chen Jingqiu's hand, its four sides carved with Bagua patterns.

Wang Yunxi's expression changed slightly; she was secretly astonished—her cousin had given this spirit treasure to Yu Ke? This was the very item bestowed upon him by the Chen family's ancestral elder upon his coming of age, meant for self-defense!

Yu Ke hesitated, but finally accepted it, bowing respectfully:

"Thank you, Senior Brother Chen."

Seeing this, Chen Jingqiu realized the hour was late and departed without further delay.

Mi Die also took her leave:

"Yu Senior Brother, if you need anything, you may contact me anytime via the communication jade token."

"At the top of the pavilion is a great bell; if an emergency arises, strike it with spiritual power—the guarding Elder outside will hear and open the cave."

After thanking her, Mi Die left reluctantly.

Now, inside the cave, only Xie Wanwan and Yu Ke remained.

Yu Ke suddenly remembered: tomorrow was the day Xie Wanwan and Lan Yu's group would enter the Hidden Immortal Realm for trial.

Xie Wanwan whispered: "I wish you success in your foundation establishment, Senior Brother Yu."

"And I wish you, Junior Sister Xie, a bountiful harvest in the Hidden Immortal Realm."

Yu Ke still harbored doubt—he could not understand why Xie Wanwan was willing to risk her life and enter the perilous Hidden Immortal Realm so resolutely.

"Senior Brother Yu, goodbye!"

Xie Wanwan seemed to have something to say, yet ultimately remained silent.

After seeing Xie Wanwan off, Yu Ke sealed the cave's entrance and meticulously inspected every inch—from top to bottom.

He even checked beneath the bed in the third-floor meditation chamber, turning over every corner.

Behind every door, he searched thoroughly.

He even stared blankly at the fish in the small pond, and did not overlook the grass outside the pavilion.

The site of foundation establishment must never be taken lightly.

His cultivation was still shallow; the spiritual awareness from his Divine Acupuncture Point could not extend far enough to scan directly.

Only after thoroughly inspecting the entire ten-li cave did he finally feel satisfied and return to the third floor.

The third floor was the most spiritually dense area.

He took out the "Eight Scenery Palace Lamp" Chen Jingqiu had just given him.

The lamp was extraordinary—far beyond ordinary spirit artifacts. The moment he removed it, Yu Ke felt the surrounding space stabilize noticeably—it truly suppressed fortune and gathered spiritual energy.

Yet,

Yu Ke had no intention of using the Eight Scenery Palace Lamp immediately; he had only known Chen Jingqiu for a few days, and their bond was still shallow.

Though Chen Jingqiu had helped him multiple times, Yu Ke deeply understood the principle: "Never let your guard down."

Just as he was about to return the lamp to his storage pouch, the Kunxu Cauldron in his heart sea suddenly trembled—a mysterious aura wrapped around the Eight Scenery Palace Lamp.

The once bright and dazzling lamp began to dim slowly, as if losing its former radiance.

The Kunxu Cauldron struck again.

"Dong—"

It rotated slowly within Yu Ke's heart sea, releasing an ancient and mysterious aura.

A phantom four-legged, two-eared cauldron slowly floated out, hovering above the very top of the cave.

Yu Ke, witnessing this, felt a flicker of surprise—it was the first time he had seen the Kunxu Cauldron manifest so visibly.

The great cauldron, like a solemn monarch, surveyed all directions.

Finally!

The entire cave mansion was shrouded in the aura emanating from the great cauldron.

The Kunxu Cauldron then slowly, contentedly, returned to Yu Ke's heart sea.

～

～

Chen Jingqiu and Wang Yunxi were just stepping out of Hongyun Trading House, having boarded the carriage drawn by Leize's White Tiger.

At this moment!

Chen Jingqiu suddenly wore a strange expression, pausing slightly, as if sensing something.

Wang Yunxi, seeing this, asked curiously:

"Cousin, what's wrong?"

Today, your cousin even lent out the precious 'Bajing Palace Lamp' so easily—this is a treasure imbued with eighteen sealing runes, possessing divine effects of 'warding off disaster,' 'avoiding calamity,' and 'protecting the household.'

Simply carrying this treasure allows one's fortune and cultivation base to vanish as if one were an ordinary mortal—even a cultivator who has entered the Fifth Heavenly Ladder cannot perceive it.

And yet, he lent it out so casually, even offered it willingly.

"Cousin, when I reach Foundation Establishment, can you lend me the Bajing Palace Lamp as well?"

After lowering his head in thought, Chen Jingqiu said: "It seems I overthought it—Yu Shi-di already possesses a great treasure of his own."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yunxi grew slightly displeased.

"Cousin, you weren't even listening to me!"

Chen Jingqiu smiled and shook his head: "Cousin, one must have foresight. After Yu Shi-di reaches Foundation Establishment, he will likely soar beyond measure and achieve something extraordinary."

Wang Yunxi blinked and smiled:

"I understand—you see great potential in Yu Shi-jie, which is why you treat him so highly."

But Chen Jingqiu shook his head again.

"Even if Yu Shi-di had no such potential, I would still treat him this way."

"Why?"

"No reason."

Wang Yunxi watched as her cousin walked calmly into the carriage, so frustrated she nearly stamped her foot.

Who, after all, is your cousin?

～

～

Night had fallen.

Time within the cave mansion moved a quarter-hour slower than the outside world.

In the small pavilion on the third floor.

Yu Ke slowly opened his eyes.

The self-contained realm within the cave mansion could even show the moon—no different from the outside.

He suddenly recalled that within the Kunxu Cauldron, there too were sun, moon, mountains, rivers, and the turning of heaven and earth.

Could it also be a cave mansion?

The four moons had reached the zenith of the sky.

The cauldron in Yu Ke's heart sea, within the Niwan Palace, trembled, emitting a deep, mysterious rumble.

Zi Shi has arrived!

The cauldron shook.

"Dang—"

A stream of faint, clear light and swirling chaotic energy surged forth; characters appeared upon it.

【Begin simulation?】

Yu Ke sank his spirit into the cauldron.

Agree!

Simulation begins.

【This year, you are ten years old.】

【This year, Xie Fu is having a hard time—especially the several main ladies of the Xie family, and the old matriarch, all wear expressions of deep worry.】

【Throughout the mansion, whether servants or maids, all walk with caution, daring not to laugh or play lightly.】

【All of this stems from Xie Hong, the eldest master of the Xie family—your father—who suffered a crushing defeat against the Great Sui on the border.】

【The news reached Jingcheng; Left Chancellor Su Jing flew into a rage and stripped Xie Hong of his title, Marquis of Dingyuan.】

【He did not replace the commander on the battlefield, but allowed him to redeem himself through merit.】

【Su Jing even manifested his Yangshen body and traveled tens of thousands of miles to personally oversee the battle at Hulao Pass.】

【That same summer, the Great Sui deployed the Eight Gates Golden Lock Array at Hulao Pass and shattered the Great Qi again, slaughtering thirty thousand, and setting fire to Gaowang Slope.】

【The Great Sui also allied with the Dragon Palace of Dezehu, launching a two-pronged assault and capturing thirty cities of the Great Qi.】

【In this war, Guo Xun of the Great Sui shone brilliantly—he not only severely wounded your father Xie Hong, but also broke through into the Xuandan Realm, the martial god tier, becoming the undisputed star of the age.】

【The former head of the Academy, now the Great Sui's State Preceptor, descended like divine troops with four hundred thousand soldiers, shattered Xie Hong's Black Crow Army atop Mount Dingjun, and annihilated Su Jing's Yangshen.】

【The State Preceptor personally wrote a letter to Su Jing, Chancellor of the Great Qing.】

【"The Xie family's pillar has crumbled into ruins; Su Jing's strategy amounts to nothing."】

【Upon reading this letter, Su Jing flew into such a rage that he swept his sleeve—and the western wall of the Taihe Palace collapsed with a thunderous crash.】

【By year's end, the Great Qi army retreated to Zhuya Commandery to regroup, reluctantly ceding one province.】

【The news of defeat spread like a blizzard, reaching every corner of the Great Qi.】

【In the capital, Bianjing, public outrage surged; petition after petition flooded the Academy and the imperial court like an endless tide.】

【The Great Qi, a thousand-year-old empire that saw itself as the rightful heir of heaven and earth, had inherited the glory of the Warring States, the Four Kingdoms, Yan, and Tang.】

【All nations paid tribute; barbarians looked up in reverence.】

【Yet now, it was being driven back by the Great Sui—a nation once deemed barbarian by the Central Plains—and had even lost a province.】

【This was a disgrace beyond measure!】

【On the streets of Bianjing, countless students marched in fury, vowing to erase this shame.】

【Within the Academy, masters, between lessons, dissected the reasons for the defeat.】

【It was Xie Hong's fault!】

【He rushed forward in greed, ambushed at Sishui Pass during a night raid on the Great Sui, trapped within the Eight Gates Golden Lock Array, causing Sishui Pass to fall.】

【The terrain advantage, once defensible and offensive, instantly turned into a crippling disadvantage.】

【The tide of battle shifted swiftly; after the inferno of Gaowang Slope, the army collapsed like a flood, Xie Hong barely escaped capture, lost vital cities, and was forced into a reluctant retreat.】

【It was Xie Hong's fault—this blame echoed through every alley and lane, drowning him in infamy.】

【Xie Hong was further demoted, his reputation ruined, and the entire Xie family tainted.】

【When servants of the Xie family went out to buy goods, they were pointed at and mocked.】

【The once-celebrated martial prodigy and Marquis of Dingyuan became the people's scornful nickname: "Xie Ruins."】

【Another year passed—you have fully regained your sight.】

(End of Chapter)