Chapter 45: The Sun Rises Within

Shen Tang rolled her eyes at him without saying much, and the group had already arrived at the Sword Sect’s dungeon.

Lu Xingzhou didn't let them go in, only letting A Nuo push him inside.

Before long, Bai Chi’s angry roar came from inside: "Lu Xingzhou, you actually dare to defy the world and refine a Soul Banner!"

"Don't talk nonsense, what Soul Banner, this is a proper Human Emperor Banner!" Lu Xingzhou’s voice came: "My Human Emperor Banner is only a few souls short of a thousand, and it can be upgraded. Brother Bai’s whole family coming to sit on the chair is a great honor."

"Lu Xingzhou, you... ah!"

The sound stopped, Dugu Qingli shook her head, pushed Shen Tang, and turned to leave.

She also didn't understand; she used to be very disgusted with these things, but when Lu Xingzhou used them, she didn't feel anything wrong at all.

It’s really strange.

So she asked: "Lu Xingzhou uses evil cultivator methods, which the righteous path does not tolerate and the imperial court strictly forbids. Why don't you have any reaction at all?"

"Why should I care about that? What does it have to do with me how Bai Chi died." Shen Tang asked strangely: "I should be the one asking why you don't have any reaction?"

Dugu Qingli opened her mouth, and after a long while, she repeated: "What does it have to do with me how Bai Chi died."

Shen Tang laughed and asked again: "The Incense-Burning Tower is one thing... do you think those people from the Lingyun Gate didn't deserve to die?"

Dugu Qingli thought for a while and shook her head: "No. If they made trouble at my sect’s ceremony, they would probably die even worse. They dared to come here to make trouble, just thinking we were easy to bully, thinking we wouldn't dare to kill no matter what. Any strong sect’s ceremony, everyone knows that provocation has a price."

"Yes. Just bullying us for being weak, never thinking we would really dare." Shen Tang looked at the dark night sky in a daze and whispered to herself: "I want to know more about how he... thinks when today’s events reach the capital."

Late at night, the Demon Suppression Division in the capital received a transmission talisman from Xiazhou and rushed into the palace to report to Gu Zhanting.

Gu Zhanting stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the report, silent for a long time.

After a long while, he sighed in a low voice: "Yitang is a phoenix among people; the mere Xiazhou naturally cannot stop her style. Fortunately, she also has a tacit understanding... With her current stable footing and an alchemist by her side, it’s impossible she has no way to treat her legs, yet she hasn't treated them to this day. That is telling me, please rest assured, Father."

After a pause, he ordered the people around him: "No matter who is secretly coordinating and instigating, let him roll back. I said I would support the Profound Heaven Sword Sect; am I just farting!"

The people around them only agreed, and they all had some judgments in their hearts.

The Emperor feels some guilt for the Princess in his heart...

Clearly a phoenix among people, yet she voluntarily fled to a desolate city to establish herself and was bullied by a group of ordinary factions; clearly she could treat her broken legs, yet she let herself be paralyzed, indicating no intention to compete.

Even if an Emperor has a heart of iron, he is still his own daughter, the little bun he liked very much when she was a child. Seeing her so aggrieved, how could there be no softness in his heart?

Unfortunately, there is some softness, but not much. Otherwise, he should punish the coordinator, not just let him roll back.

Then someone asked: "Your Majesty, the Incense-Burning Tower maliciously assassinated the Princess, this matter..."

Gu Zhanting said coldly: "The Incense-Burning Tower’s strength is average, just with a wider face. Yitang is probably not easy to deal with. Pass it on, the Incense-Burning Tower violated my meaning; from now on, no one is allowed to help, otherwise it is a provocation to me. As for it itself, we don't need to worry about it; leave it to Yitang to play with slowly."

"Yes."

At this moment, Shen Tang and Lu Xingzhou had already arrived at the former location of the merchant firm, standing on the roof of the highest building, looking out between the two mountains.

The clouds in the winter night were very thick, the stars and moon were hard to see, and there was no light. The two mountains were close at hand, but they were still dark and unclear.

At first glance, the mixed mass looked more like a huge pill furnace. The candlelight on Danxia Mountain was like the jewel glow embedded in the pill furnace.

They were waiting, waiting for the moment of sunrise.

There was a huge Spirit-Gathering Array hidden at the bottom of the building. At this moment, the spiritual energy in the array was extremely majestic, reaching the energy level of the upper three grades. No matter how many purposes the ceremony had during the day, collecting spiritual energy and gathering it here was the final link.

There are two types of Spirit-Gathering Arrays: one is for daily gathering of heaven and earth spiritual energy for cultivation absorption, and the other is this kind of stealing and storing the overflow of combat power, including the soul power of the dead, which is also needed for spirit gathering.

This type belongs to a completely evil scripture, and in essence, it is a kind of sacrificial method. If it is expanded, it is the sacrifice of mountains and rivers.

Shen Tang and Dugu Qingli probably never thought in their lives before that they would participate in an evil scripture, let alone be the main force.

Shen Tang sometimes wondered, does she look like a muddled emperor bewitched by an evil Daoist?

But sitting side by side with him on the roof at this moment, quietly waiting for the sunrise, makes people feel very peaceful in their hearts.

If it weren't for the two people pushing the wheelchair behind them, it would be even more perfect... Now it’s hard to even talk.

She thought for a long time and squeezed out a sentence: "If breaking this also requires a specific date, what should we do?"

"There’s nothing we can do if that’s really the case, but I don’t think it should go that far... After all, sealing the Spirit Spring has already borrowed the timing, and repeating it doesn't make much sense." Lu Xingzhou said in a daze: "I have another hesitation now, not knowing whether I should continue."

Shen Tang was stunned: "Why? It’s already reached this step."

Lu Xingzhou sighed: "If a former immortal secret realm is indeed hidden here, it may not be something we can afford."

Shen Tang smiled: "At least we can be sure that before this place was sealed, Xiazhou was better than it is now. It can be seen that even if it is powerful, it does not belong to the type that will be detrimental to the outside world. At most, the crisis is only internal. Right?"

"Hmm."

Shen Tang said softly: "Then that’s it. Whether there is a crisis is still unknown; it may just be a peaceful treasure land. Even if there is, it is just an internal matter and will not harm others. We will just face it together."

Lu Xingzhou turned to look at her side profile. He knew that Shen Tang had no great need for this decryption. The foundation of the current Profound Heaven Sword Sect had already been laid. As long as it developed step by step, it would be a prosperous strong sect in no time. If she wanted to decrypt, she could wait until the sect was strong and do it slowly; there was no need to rush to take risks now.

The one who was really anxious was him, Lu Xingzhou.

Not long ago, Dugu Qingli’s suggestion about changing bones was still in his ears. Before, there was no such condition, so he wouldn't think about it blindly. But if this was an immortal secret realm, there was a great possibility that immortal bones or other beneficial heavenly materials and earthly treasures really existed.

Lu Xingzhou looked calm on the surface, but in his heart, he didn't know how much desire was suppressed. All his arrangements recently were for this.

But he also knew that there were unknown dangers inside, and he didn't want to involve others too much.

But she said, we will just face it together.

Lu Xingzhou’s somewhat tense expression slowly relaxed, and he revealed a smile: "Hmm."

The first ray of daylight gradually appeared in the distance, and neither of them spoke anymore, staring tightly at the space between the two mountains in front.

A halo of light appeared slowly at the top of the sun in the mountain col.

Lu Xingzhou suddenly ignited a talisman, and the Spirit-Gathering Array at the bottom of the building seemed to receive a signal, and the stored power began to slowly release downward into the depths of the earth’s veins.

The gathered power continued to sink, and the sun in the distance slowly floated up, looking as if the sun in the distance rose because the power here pressed down. The scene was very mysterious.

When the stored energy was exhausted, a small part of the sun was still hidden under the mountain col and did not fully come out. Lu Xingzhou was prepared, and the talisman flew straight down, transferring all his power into the array.

Immediately after, A Nuo, Qingli, and Shen Tang took turns in a relay.

When more than half of Shen Tang’s spiritual energy was injected, the sun finally jumped into a complete circle, looking very much like a pill jumping out of a pill furnace.

Lu Xingzhou’s talisman rose again, and the illusion-breaking array pre-arranged in the mountain col shone brightly.

The soft, rising warm sun suddenly bloomed with dazzling brilliance, reflecting on the array between the mountains. In an instant, light flowed and covered the mountain col.

The entire space of the mountain col seemed to be slightly distorted by the light, but if you looked closely, there was no change.

"It’s now." Lu Xingzhou slapped his wheelchair and shot toward the mountain col.

The crowd followed closely and rushed straight to the center of the mountain col.

Even though they were prepared, they were still shocked by the scene that met their eyes.

The originally ordinary soil of the mountain col was covered with various mysterious textures at some point, and even the color changed from the color of ordinary soil to a color with a bit of white jade. The center was in the shape of a yin-yang fish, one half fire, one half ice blue. At this moment, the two sides were not biting together, but slightly opened, as if opening a door.

The mountain col was very large, not a small acre of land. Looking around, everything within sight had changed, looking very spectacular, as if they were in an immortal scene.

Shen Tang took a deep breath: "You are right, this door was opened by the Spirit-Gathering Array, and the point of opening the door is on the side of the merchant firm. After the door is opened, the sunlight shines into the bottom, and the illusion-breaking array responds and takes effect, only then can the real scene be revealed. Plus the previous combination of water and fire, if any of the three links is missing, this puzzle cannot be solved."

Looking at Shen Tang’s almost worshipful gaze, Lu Xingzhou shook his head, not feeling proud.

It seemed that he only started to ponder after getting the Huo residence, but in fact, he had been pondering these for more than half a year, starting from when he ran to Danxia Mountain to be an alchemist. It should even be said that the fuse had already existed ten years ago.

Once the secret was revealed, there were many mixed feelings.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!" The mysterious changes here naturally attracted the attention of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect disciples. Jin Mingxiu, Tang Yunzhong, and others flew over, and they were all shocked when they saw this: "Sect Master, this is..."

Lu Xingzhou arranged the concealment array around him in a leisurely manner without speaking.

"It’s a secret realm, the specifics are unknown." Shen Tang responded as if nothing had happened: "Wait for Elder Lu to set up the concealment array, and this place will also be concealed. Uncle Zhong will lead the core disciples who can be trusted to guard it, and even ordinary disciples are not allowed to leak it. Let’s go in and see the situation first... Remember to seal the road entrance outside, and no one is allowed to approach or disturb."

As she spoke, her beautiful eyes fell on Jin Mingxiu, and she ordered casually: "There may be danger below. Hall Master Jin has profound cultivation, so come in with us."

Everyone felt that this arrangement was very normal. Tang Yunzhong took the order solemnly and arranged for the guard. A Nuo and Dugu Qingli each carried a wheelchair and jumped down first.

Jin Mingxiu’s eyes moved slightly, as if there was a smile, and he quickly chased down.

Just as the figures of the crowd disappeared, before Lu Xingzhou’s concealment array took effect, the ground had already closed naturally, the textures disappeared, and it returned to the appearance of an ordinary mountain col, with no more peculiarities.