Chapter 119: Record of the Vermilion Bird

The last time Hua Changxi was kidnapped here for a blood sacrifice, bandits guarded her upon arrival, daring her not to look around; after being rescued, her father immediately took her away, so she never got a proper look at this underground city.

Emerging from the Transmission Platform, one finds a vast, empty square.

Hua Changxi scanned the square, which held nothing except a stone stele standing against the rock wall directly opposite the Transmission Platform.

Perhaps due to the immense passage of time, the inscriptions on the stele had become completely blurred, revealing only faint traces of characters missing strokes and limbs.

Hua Changxi stared for quite a while but failed to piece together even a single character.

Within this underground city, aside from the Transmission Stone on the platform, only this stele might hold some research value.

Therefore, she did not give up immediately.

Recalling how she had previously retrieved the Transmission Stone, Hua Changxi condensed fire in her right hand and swept it outward; with a loud boom, the stele was engulfed in raging flames.

While continuously channeling spiritual power into the flames, Hua Changxi circulated the Zhu Que Breathing and Absorption Technique.

Amidst the burning flames, the stele slowly changed from its original blackish-gray hue to red, resembling an iron block glowing under fire.

Once the stele turned completely bright red and translucent, Hua Changxi felt the ground beneath her feet vibrating.

The tremors grew increasingly violent, accompanied by a roaring sound, as if something were about to burst forth from the earth.

The ground shook so fiercely that Hua Changxi could barely stand, forcing her to constantly retreat backward.

Amidst the violent shaking, Hua Changxi saw the stele rising; no, it was not growing taller itself, but a stone pedestal was emerging from underground, lifting the stele and making it appear higher.

Just as Hua Changxi felt her internal spiritual energy nearing exhaustion, the pedestal fully revealed itself, and the ground ceased its trembling.

The pedestal was pyramid-shaped with nine tiers of steps, with the stele standing at the highest point.

When the pedestal fully manifested, the stele also changed: atop the previously bare stone, a lifelike Zhu Que now appeared.

Sensing the stele suppressing the flames she had condensed, Hua Changxi decisively withdrew her spiritual power.

As soon as the spiritual power retreated, the stele began to cool; when it returned to its blackish-gray color, several lines of characters shimmering with a red luster appeared on its surface.

The first thing to catch the eye was five large characters: Zhu Que Transmission Stele.

"Before the spirit of Zhu Que, I solemnly swear: I shall inherit the might of Zhu Que to guard the peace of the four directions; with the power of the blazing sun, I will cleanse the world of evil spirits; by the brilliance of crimson feathers, I will protect the well-being of all living beings."

"...Safeguarding peace under heaven, preserving an era of prosperity and constancy; this body shall not perish, this vow shall not shift. Should I break this oath, may spirits and gods jointly execute me; let the sacred majesty of Zhu Que witness my original intent."

Hua Changxi gazed at the characters on the stele and could not help reading them aloud; upon finishing, she stood dumbfounded as the characters flew off the stone one by one, merging into her brow.

Only after all the characters had fully merged did she regain her senses.

Then, she felt like crying but had no tears!

She had gone through all this trouble to excavate the stele, only to place a tight fillet curse upon herself.

The content of this inscription was clearly a Heavenly Dao vow!

Based on her deduction, the normal procedure to obtain the techniques within the Zhu Que Transmission Stone should require swearing an oath before the stele before one could enter the Transmission Platform.

She had luckily obtained the technique first without swearing, exploiting a loophole, but now she had personally come along to plug that very gap.

Standing beneath the stele, Hua Changxi looked up at the lifelike Zhu Que carved upon it, feeling the domineering aura emanating from it, and covered her face with a sigh.

Eliminating evil spirits, safeguarding peace...

She considered herself a righteous person who would not turn a blind eye upon encountering demons, yet actively choosing to do so felt entirely different from swearing an oath to do it.

Having sworn the oath, she felt an added weight of responsibility on her shoulders.

She longed to live freely and spontaneously, unwilling to be bound by too many constraints.

This heavy burden of responsibility had arrived too suddenly; she was completely unprepared for it.

After standing beneath the stele for a while, Hua Changxi prepared to leave this place of sorrow; just as she walked toward the exit, she noticed a surge of red light emanating from the Transmission Platform and hurried over.

Reaching the stone doorway, she saw the Zhu Que Transmission Stone, which she had previously thrown into the magma, standing steadily in the center of the Transmission Platform.

Hua Changxi fell into deep thought, turning her head to look at the stele.

It must be that since she had just sworn the oath, she could now enter to receive the techniques.

Hua Changxi's eyes flickered; she had already received techniques twice, could she receive them again?

Thinking thus, she stepped onto the Transmission Platform and placed her hand on the Transmission Stone.

Inside the Transmission Stone, another Zhu Que materialized, but this time, Hua Changxi merely glanced at it before feeling an overwhelming force, like mountains collapsing and seas overturning, pressing down upon her.

"Whoosh~"

Sensing danger, Hua Changxi rode a cloud and flew off the Transmission Platform at maximum speed, rushing out through the stone door.

"Thud~"

The instant Hua Changxi burst through the stone door, she was still grazed by the tremendous force radiating from the Transmission Platform, causing her to fall flat on the ground, prostrated with her limbs spread.

"Rumble~"

The stone door slammed shut, blocking that sky-high torrent of force.

Hua Changxi lay prone on the ground motionless for a long time; only after a while did she grimace in pain and crawl to her feet.

As soon as she stood up, she noticed numerous bloody scratches appearing on her body.

Just now, merely being grazed by that tremendous force had torn her skin and flesh; had she been struck directly, she feared she would have been crushed into minced meat.

Hua Changxi endured the pain and swallowed a Restoration Pill; what was going on? Clearly, touching the Transmission Stone the previous two times had posed no danger!

Hua Changxi recalled the trials she had encountered when previously touching the Transmission Stone: "Could it be that the techniques within the Transmission Stone are granted in stages? Only when one's cultivation reaches a certain realm can they receive the next stage of techniques?"

Moreover, the techniques within the Zhu Que Transmission Stone were not easily obtained; one had to undergo a trial before receiving them.

Currently, as a Nascent Soul realm cultivator with considerable strength, she could withstand the trial for receiving the next stage of techniques, but the trial for the stage beyond that was something she could not endure.

Hua Changxi gazed at the tightly closed stone door, clutching her chest and feeling her heart pounding violently; merely recalling that tremendous force left her with lingering fear.

Well, she had better leave immediately.

Limping away from the square, Hua Changxi navigated through the underground city based on her memory of the entrance; however, upon reaching the end of the corridor, she found not the original tunnel entrance, but a stone door.

As Hua Changxi approached the stone door, it opened automatically; after she passed through, it closed automatically behind her.

The previously half-collapsed dilapidated temple was gone, replaced by a magnificent grand hall.

The main hall was vast and empty; the statue that had previously been reduced to nothing but its base was gone. Only a rectangular offering table of indeterminate material stood in the due north position, while a red jade pendant shaped like Zhu Que hovered in midair at the center of the hall.

Looking at the pendant, Hua Changxi instinctively reached out her hand, but just as she was about to grasp it, she withdrew it.

Even the cultivation techniques within the Zhu Que Transmission Stone required swearing oaths before the Heavenly Dao; who knew what price one would have to pay for taking this pendant.

Hua Changxi stared at the pendant for quite a while before her longing for a life of freedom finally conquered her fear of shouldering responsibilities and moving forward, leading her to choose to abandon the pendant.

Shifting her gaze away from the pendant, she circled the hall once more, found nothing else, and walked out.

"Lingguang Hall!"

Hua Changxi looked at the plaque above the hall entrance: "So this isn't a temple after all, but a Daoist hall."

She had been captured by cultivators at dusk, yet now it was broad daylight, nearing noon; Hua Changxi hadn't expected to spend an entire night in the underground city, so she immediately rushed toward Jingcheng.

Not long after she departed, several cultivators appeared outside Lingguang Hall.

All of them were from Jingcheng and knew the area fairly well; seeing this hall suddenly restored to pristine condition, they hastily sent messages home.

An hour later, one Prince of the Blood, two Dukes, and three Marquises arrived here in succession.

Hurrying as fast as she could, Hua Changxi finally returned to the Hua family before noon; today was her birthday, announced half a month ago, with the family planning to celebrate, yet she had nearly been late herself.

"Mother, I'm back."

Hearing Hua Changxi's voice, Lady Yao hurried out from the kitchen, looking at her with feigned reproach: "Why are you back so late?"

Hua Changxi smiled as she approached: "Something came up unexpectedly. Mother, what delicious food have you made for me?"

Lady Yao looked helpless: "You! Don't worry, most of the dishes today are your favorites." Saying this, she glanced toward the main room: "Hurry and greet your grandfather and grandmother; today's feast was paid for with their silver."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi looked surprised: "Has the sun risen in the west?"

In previous years on her birthday, the family provided only two eggs; if she wanted anything else, her parents had to spend their own money to buy extras.

Lady Yao glared at Hua Changxi: "Speak properly. Today is your own birthday; take it easy and don't go looking for trouble."

Hua Changxi was displeased: "Mother, trouble always finds me; I dislike complications and never actively seek trouble, you know."

Lady Yao retorted: "Haven't you caused enough trouble within this family already?"

Hua Changxi corrected her seriously: "That wasn't causing trouble; that was resistance."

Lady Yao looked at her: "We are all one family; what are you resisting?"

Hua Changxi replied: "I resist you forcing me to do things I dislike, and I resist you imposing your ideas upon me."

Unwilling to argue further, Lady Yao said, "The more we talk, the more energetic you get," while pushing her toward the main room: "Hurry and greet your grandfather and grandmother."

Hua Changxi knew clearly there was a generation gap between her and her family; some things simply could not be explained, so she ceased speaking, stepped into the main room, and said: "Grandfather, Grandmother, I am back."

Upon seeing her enter, Old Master Hua and Old Lady Hua showed no displeasure at her late return; indeed, Old Lady Hua smiled and beckoned Hua Changxi over.

"Ninth Daughter, come quickly. Old Master Hua Tai learned today is your birthday and specially sent you a birthday gift. The He family also sent a congratulatory gift; come see if you like them."

The gifts from the Hua Tai family and the He family were all placed in the main room; Hua Changxi walked over to examine them. Though the presents were exactly what a young lady would like, showing both families had chosen them with care, her impression of these two families remained truly poor.

Inside the room, all the younger generation, including Hua Six, were present; even Hua Four, Hua Seven, and Hua Twelve, who had been cultivating at the Marquis Manor, had returned.

Hua Three understood his sister's nature; seeing her remain silent, he knew she had no interest in the gifts from Old Master Hua Tai's family and the He family. Unwilling to let their grandfather and grandmother feel disappointed, he smiled and walked over.

"Ninth Daughter cannot use all these things by herself; let's share some with the other sisters."

Hua Changxi glanced at him; she understood clearly why the Hua Tai family and the He family had sent her gifts. After a moment's thought, she decided to state her feelings directly.

"Grandfather, Grandmother, I do not like Old Master Hua Tai's family or the He family, and I do not wish to have excessive entanglements with them."

At these words, the chatter in the room ceased instantly.

Hearing this, Old Lady Hua looked at Old Master Hua.

Old Master Hua remained silent for quite a while before saying: "Old Master Hua Tai is, after all, an elder of our clan, and Third Master He is your Fifth Sister's husband; how can there be no entanglements?"

Hua Changxi replied: "I have no objection to how you interact with them; I am only speaking for myself—I do not like them."

Old Master Hua frowned, suppressing his anger as he said: "Ninth Daughter, today you have reached your coming-of-age; you are an adult now. How can an adult act solely based on personal preference?"

Hua Changxi responded: "If I lacked ability, enduring it would matter little, but now that I have the power to say no, I do not wish to endure it anymore."

Hearing her words, Hua Six and the other juniors looked at her with admiration; none of them possessed such confidence.

Old Master Hua's brows knitted even tighter: "Ninth Daughter, one must have magnanimity; otherwise, your path will grow narrower and narrower."

Hua Changxi disagreed: "Grandfather, I believe I am quite magnanimous; as long as no one crosses my bottom line, I will not condemn them outright. However, Old Master Hua Tai and Third Master He feed off others' blood for profit while wearing the face of benefactors, which is truly nauseating."

Old Master Hua intended to speak further, but Old Lady Hua stopped him.

Thus, the room fell silent.

Unwilling to ruin everyone's good mood, Hua Changxi proactively broke the silence by asking about everyone's cultivation progress; after gauging her family's approximate cultivation levels, she said:

"Cultivators cannot focus solely on cultivation; they must also learn skills. Among alchemy, formations, talismans, and artifact forging, one must study at least one."

Saying this, she looked at Hua Four, Hua Seven, and Hua Twelve: "While you were at the Marquis Manor, did the people there allow you to access these subjects?"

Hua Four shook his head: "The cultivator Fang, who teaches us, only tells us to focus on improving our cultivation as quickly as possible."

Hua Changxi said: "Having guidance in cultivation is a good thing, but you cannot follow others blindly; do you have any thoughts of your own?"

Having been exposed to cultivation for only a few months at most, many things remained unknown to them; hearing Hua Changxi's question, they found themselves unable to answer.

Hua Six spoke up directly: "Ninth Sister, what do you think we should study?"

Hua Changxi replied: "Then I will offer my opinion for your reference only; cultivation is ultimately your own affair, and how you proceed must be your own decision."

"Third Brother, Fourth Brother, and Eleventh Brother, who possess Wood Spiritual Roots, would do best to study alchemy; of course, talisman crafting and formation setting are also viable options."

"Seventh Sister, with your Fire and Wood Spiritual Roots, alchemy suits you best."

"Twelfth Sister possesses the Five Elements Spiritual Root; her cultivation speed will be slower, but she can study alchemy, formations, talismans, or artifact forging, depending on what she prefers."

"Sixth Brother, with his Fire Spiritual Root, is suited for artifact forging."

"Since we are one family, it is best if the arts we choose to study do not overlap; this way, we can support each other in the future and share resources."

Hearing these final words, Old Master Hua looked satisfied: "Excellent; you are one family and must support and uphold one another. Only then can our family go further and further."

Since beginning body refinement, he had clearly felt his health improve day by day; now, with such promising grandchildren, he seemed to glimpse the day when the Hua family would rise ever higher.