Chapter 691: Invitation

When Yan Buji stepped into the Alchemical Hall with steady strides, his eagle‑sharp gaze immediately fell on the two newly recruited disciples, who stood there a little restrained, their eyes showing curiosity and awe toward the unfamiliar surroundings.

Yan Buji narrowed his eyes slightly and examined the two youths before him. The one on the left was tall and delicate‑faced, with a hint of cleverness in his brows; the one on the right was sturdier, dark‑skinned, giving an impression of simple honesty. Both wore matching teal robes tied with white sashes, looking clean and tidy.

Yan Buji thought to himself, "These two disciples seem to have decent talent; I wonder if they might become capable officers in my Alchemical Hall someday." The thought brought a faint smile to his face.

"What are your names?"

"Reporting to the Hall Master, disciple Zhang Xue."

"Disciple Zhang Cong."

"Are you two brothers?"

"No, we are from the same village, same clan but different sects," Zhang Xue said.

Zhang Cong nodded beside him, appearing more straightforward than Zhang Xue.

Yan Buji nodded, "Since you have entered the Inner Gate, let me, the Hall Master, explain some of its rules to you first."

Yan Buji told them the sect's regulations, so they wouldn't be clueless here.

Then Yan Buji added, "Having finished the rules, your cultivation is still insufficient; focus on practice and aim to breakthrough the Foundation Establishment Stage soon. The basic techniques are all on the shelves of the Alchemical Hall; just take them yourself."

"Understood."

Yan Buji thought for a moment, "Have the disciple tokens been given to you?"

"We have received them, Hall Master."

"Alright, each month go to the Internal Affairs Hall to collect the appropriate Spiritual Stones yourself; if there are sect missions, prioritize your own cultivation first."

"Got it."

Yan Buji gave them a few admonitions, didn't wish to meddle further, and left the Alchemical Hall.

Soon, Yan Buji went again to the Paolong Sacred Land.

After reporting the situation, the mountain‑guard disciples went to the Inner Gate to convey it; of course, Yan Buji slipped some Spiritual Stones to them during the process, otherwise they wouldn't be eager to deliver the news.

In no time.

"Hall Master Yan!"

"Ye Lin, how have you been lately?"

Ye Lin has apparently made great progress over the years, already reaching the mid Nascent Soul stage; his cultivation speed is truly a thousand miles a day!

Yan Buji felt a twinge of envy; he was still stuck in the late Golden Core, barely advancing, while only a genius could enjoy such rapid leaps—truly a lamentable situation.

"Hall Master Yan, let's find a place to talk."

"Alright."

Following Ye Lin's light steps, the two walked through dense forest and winding paths until they reached a secluded valley behind the Outer Gate. The valley was encircled by green mountains, shaded by trees, with a gentle breeze carrying fresh grass and wood scent. A clear brook ran at the bottom, its babbling like celestial music, soothing the heart.

They found a flat patch of grass and gently sat down on the ground. The soft grass felt like a natural carpet, giving a comfortable sensation. After sitting, they quietly listened to the babbling water, as if time had halted. The stream rushed down the mountain, striking stones and splashing crystal‑clear droplets that produced a crisp, pleasant sound—sometimes like a lingering zither, sometimes like lively drums, intoxicating them completely.

"The Outer Gate has places like this?" Yan Buji laughed, looking around at the truly beautiful scenery.

Ye Lin smiled, "I stumbled upon it before; it was said to be a treasure land in ancient times, though for some reason it has fallen out of use now."

"Does this place have a name?"

"It's all called Fei Hu Valley."

Yan Buji nodded, looking at Ye Lin, "May I ask why you summoned me?"

Ye Lin stared at Yan Buji seriously, "Hall Master Yan, why did you join the Great Sinful Sect?"

"There was no choice; I originally planned with Elder Hong Su to return to the Inner Gate, but halfway I ran into the sect's founder, who brought me inside the sect," Yan Buji sighed and laughed.

"That..." Ye Lin was stunned, not knowing how to respond.

"If you don't believe it, you can go ask Elder Hong Su."

"I could never doubt Hall Master Yan, but I heard your time in the Great Sinful Sect wasn't good; it seems you even clashed with your sect leader?"

"Those are baseless; rumors shouldn't be believed lightly."

Ye Lin nodded, "Very well, since Hall Master Yan has his own plans, I won't say more. I came to you this time mainly to invite you to explore a secret realm with me!"

"Secret realm?"

Yan Buji asked curiously, "Where is it?"

"It's a place called Duan Po Mountain, ten thousand li away."

"Duan Po Mountain?"

"Is it that place again?"

Yan Buji recalled that the first time Jian Fan came here looking for the Zhan Ren Sword Fragment, he seemed to have gone there with Hong Su; the new mortal disciples of the Great Sinful Sect also came from Duan Po Mountain.

"What do you know about that place?"

"I heard that back then a massive battle erupted at Duan Po Mountain; countless cultivators fought over a priceless treasure, causing the sky to darken and blood to flow. In the end they even shattered a piece of space, creating a chaotic spatial vortex that swallowed part of the area. This left a nearby mountain's surrounding space highly unstable; entering it could cause one to get lost in the vortex, which is why it's called Duan Po Mountain," Ye Lin explained.

Yan Buji pondered for a moment and asked, "Given that, how can you be sure there's a secret realm there?"

Ye Lin smiled and produced an ancient jade horn.

"Hall Master Yan, take a look."

Yan Buji took the horn and examined its patterns closely.

The designs looked somewhat familiar...

Yan Buji immediately fetched some ancient texts for comparison, discovering the motifs were an old Daoist seal script; he stammered a word‑by‑word translation: "Originates in the east... stars fall upon the wilderness... heavens no longer exist... its deeds become reckless?"

Ye Lin was also surprised, "Hall Master Yan, your knowledge is so extensive? I only learned the patterns were an ancient Daoist seal after having an Inner Gate elder examine them."

"I've seen similar before, so it looks familiar. According to what's written, it seems to describe some eastern constellation that fell to earth and caused an anomaly... east ten thousand li, moving dragons and snakes? Stars spread wings, the sky without rain, two horns... sounds of wind and rain? The place where the Azure Dragon spits water—could it be related to the Wood Dragon?" Yan Buji asked.

Ye Lin's eyes widened in shock, "Hall Master Yan, you're truly impressive—can you deduce all that just from this information?"

Yan Buji recalled hearing that the demon‑race emperor of those days was also of the dragon lineage, which indeed might be linked to the Zhan Ren Sword Fragment.

"That place is probably extremely perilous; by the way, where did you get that thing?"

"It's something I discovered by chance in Long Qi Cheng. How about it? Hall Master, would you be willing to explore it together?" Ye Lin said with a smile.

"Going is not a problem; given the simple and complex ability, they probably already took the Zhan Ren Sword Fragment."

Yan Buji had an extra thought and asked, "Where is Elder Hongxu currently located?"

"I don't know about that."

Huh?

There's a problem.