Chapter 149: 211. Xuanqing Palace, Evaluation, Undercurrents, Dao Companions (Seeking Subscriptions)

After mastering the Mountain and River Seal, Song Cheng knew that this world possessed both "breadth" and "depth."

"Breadth," though distant, is still reachable.

But "depth" might be close at hand, yet impossible to cross.

Just like ants, which clearly exist in the human world, yet can never "arrive" in the human world.

For humans, the Reappearance World is the same.

It is a place that only those of a higher level—whom ordinary people or even members of great families might call "deities"—can enter.

Even "ghosts" do not enter that place; rather, for some reason, they become a piece of "scenery" in the Reappearance World, just like planting ornamental flowers and plants along the streets of that world.

Song Cheng followed closely behind Lian Chanxi as she entered the Reappearance World.

It was truly a matter of one step.

Lian Chanxi was in front, shackling She Yitu, and everything around them was flowing in black and white; even the two of them had turned into black and white.

The entire Funiu Mountain of the Wanling Empire had not changed, only it lacked life; the green mountains and clear waters had simply turned into an ink-wash landscape. Song Cheng had long known about this.

The Reappearance World is mostly the same as the real world; the floating shadows of the real world are cast here, and only in the Ghost Domain or some very high-level places would it be different from the real world.

Song Cheng looked at Lian Chanxi. The woman with the tall silhouette had pure white skin, ink-black hair, and a touch of lips like fresh cherry blossoms on a branch—petite and exquisite. Her eyes carried a cold, playful air of scrutiny, her chest had deep cleavage, and her long legs were soul-stirring.

At this moment, Lian Chanxi took out a token from her bosom with an "Ink Plum" floating on it. The token suddenly changed, transforming into a winding path that appeared before the three of them.

"Keep up," Lian Chanxi said.

Song Cheng glanced at the "Ink Plum" token, said nothing more, and followed.

The three stepped onto the path.

Clearly, this path was the way to the "Master Sect."

Upon stepping on this path, distance shrank into inches, and in no time, they arrived before an ink-wash palace wreathed in dense black and white Qi.

Xuanqing Palace.

Three large characters were inscribed on the plaque at the entrance. The name was quite otherworldly, and everything here was just as its name suggested: not in the human world, devoid of vanity; walking through it was like walking inside a painting, where one forgets both favor and humiliation.

However, a spark of curiosity suddenly arose in Song Cheng's heart. He recalled the "Heart Eye" he had first comprehended. What the "Heart Eye" saw seemed to be this very kind of ink-wash world. But the difference was that the human world's ink-wash world was very faint—at least, it was countless times fainter than this place.

The dark ink of the distant mountains and the freehand brushwork of the floating clouds; everything in the palace was flowing in black and white. The sense of shock it filled him with made Song Cheng think of scenes like the "Star Ring" or even the "Spinning Arm."

'I never expected the Reappearance World to have such architecture. Is this architecture carved into the depths of the world, undying and indestructible, existing forever?'

Song Cheng, like a country bumpkin entering the city, watched and pondered.

However, the emptiness and silence here also left a deep impression on him.

Unlike any faction he had ever imagined, this place was terrifyingly quiet and terrifyingly empty.

Let alone people, there wasn't even a single flower or blade of grass in the palace.

Lian Chanxi, pulling She Yitu, strode proudly ahead with her ink-wash long legs.

As they walked, the two arrived at an empty courtyard. In the courtyard was a pool of water as if filled with spilled ink. A burly man, as sturdy as a bear, was sitting bare-chested by the pool, as still as a rock. He gripped a fishing rod, watching the calm, unruffled water, fishing motionlessly like a sculpture.

From afar, this looked like a "Fisherman's Portrait," except the man did not fit the image of a fisherman at all, giving one the awkward feeling of a "big man holding an embroidery needle."

Song Cheng swept his gaze over him and saw at a glance that this man was also an existence of "Earth Grade Grade C," with data around "7510~11000," similar to Lian Chanxi.

Everything here gave him a sense of novelty, as if "opening a new window and seeing new scenery."

The man also noticed the outsiders.

His gaze swept quickly over Song Cheng and She Yitu, finally landing on Lian Chanxi, and he asked curiously, "Senior Sister Lian, why have you shackled Yitu?"

Lianchanxi said, "Lost Spirits have appeared on Funiu Mountain."

"Lost Spirits?" The burly man was stunned, then said, "Senior Sister, do you have proof?"

Lianchanxi said huffily, "You can go to Funiu Mountain and see for yourself."

The burly man's gaze fell on She Yitu, and he asked in a muffled voice, "Yitu, what exactly happened?"

By now, She Yitu had already given up on everything. His face was full of madness, his eyes were splitting, and he said hoarsely, "I just refuse to let nearly ten thousand years of cultivation go to waste!"

Lianchanxi scolded, "I brought you back only to send you to reincarnation, so as to prevent you from falling into a Lost Spirit. This is not killing you, so how can it be a waste?"

She Yitu suddenly raised his head, his white hair and beard trembling, his lips twitching a few times, and he burst out, "Which of us who reached this realm didn't seize every opportunity?

Reincarnation? Reincarnation?!

Once reincarnated, one falls into eternal reincarnation, indistinguishable among the masses, and can never jump out! Why can't I rely on being a Lost Spirit and become a Lost Spirit?

One becomes a Lost Spirit after death, but what if I actively research how to become a Lost Spirit while maintaining my sanity? Why is this not allowed?"

Lianchanxi rolled her eyes, too lazy to talk to him. She just looked at the burly man opposite and said, "Junior Brother Yang Teng, you see? This is being obstinate and unyielding."

The burly man nodded silently, then suddenly looked at Song Cheng and said, "Is this the little junior brother Senior Sister brought back? But to enter Xuanqing Palace, one still needs to have their strength evaluated, right?"

Lianchanxi glanced at the "little fellow with a decent appearance" behind her and said, "He is a rising star with good talent."

"Alright, then without further ado, Senior Sister, please enter the palace quickly." The man called Yang Teng stepped aside slightly, letting the two go deeper.

He, however, turned his head slightly and looked at She Yitu, who was shackled, a look of contemplation appearing in his eyes.

Song Cheng followed behind Lianchanxi, walked through another ink-wash corridor, and finally arrived at the main hall of Xuanqing Palace.

On the side of this main hall, there were some scattered courtyards.

Lianchanxi pointed to the third courtyard on the right and said indifferently, "Little Song, go directly there for the evaluation. When you meet Chen Lao, just say I brought you."

"Then Sister Lian, remember to come find me later."

"I will," Lianchanxi said. "However, if your evaluation is below Grade C, then put those thoughts away from now on. Just call me Senior Sister, and don't mention the talk of Dao companions again."

Song Cheng nodded.

Then the two parted ways.

In the distance, the gates of Xuanqing Palace opened and closed.

Song Cheng withdrew his gaze. He was full of curiosity about everything here, and a faint joy arose in his heart.

In the human world, he already had a sense of loneliness and isolation, because no matter what, even his relatives and friends were no longer the same kind of existence. They had no common topics, nor would they do things together; only past bonds maintained that relationship, keeping it from fading.

Yet loneliness had indeed always been there.

The world was vast and wide, but Song Cheng was just a solitary person, empty and alone.

But now, the appearance of this Xuanqing Palace gave him a sense of joy, as if he had found a "tribe."

A moment later.

The third courtyard on the right.

Song Cheng stepped inside and saw an old man with "Data: 7820~12010" sitting before a pure white cauldron, in which something red was being stewed, looking like meat. Song Cheng sniffed, and a peculiar "appetite that only arises for a Mountain and River Lord" was reborn.

One must know, ever since stepping into the realm of a Mountain and River Lord, Song Cheng had actually ceased to care about human food, nor was there any need to consume it.

One might ask, whether a plate of "Nine-Turn Large Intestine" is fragrant or foul, how would the mountains and rivers care? Thus, after stepping into this realm, Song Cheng truly had a feeling of "all desires being lost."

Before, when he saw Lian Chanxi, he had recovered his lust.

And now, he actually had an appetite! "No one has come for a long time." The old man was surrounded by swirling black and white Qi, his face wearing a smile.

Clearly, he held no arrogance toward this "newcomer here for testing"; after all, those who could come here possessed extraordinary strength, so his expression also carried a touch of courtesy.

Song Cheng bowed and said: "Junior Song Cheng, greetings to Chen Lao. I came here with Senior Sister Lian, and she recommended I come here for an evaluation."

Chen Lao nodded, then beckoned and smiled: "Newcomers to Xuanqing Palace are very, very rare. It is not easy to come here; meeting is fate. Come, sit opposite me; the meat in the pot is almost ready."

Song Cheng glanced at the "Favorability 70" above Chen Lao's head, then sat down generously, and without hiding his curiosity, asked: "Chen Lao, what is being cooked in this pot?" Chen Lao said: "Lost Fish." Then he asked: "Have you eaten it before?"

Song Cheng said: "Let alone eaten it, Junior doesn't even know what this Lost Fish is."

Chen Lao did not hide it either, watching the pot intently while fueling the Yang fire, and narrated slowly: "The limit of a Soul is Dharma Heaven and Earth."

"But in the end, it is only Dharma, only an image, and not Heaven and Earth."

"Therefore, there is the seizing of mountains and rivers to transform into Heaven and Earth; this is called Suppression."

"The Suppressor is Yang."

"The Ghost is Yin."

"When Suppression and Ghost fuse, if the fusion is successful, whether the consciousness of the Suppressor or the Ghost dominates, one will become a Mountain and River Lord."

"And if the fusion fails, it is nothing more than losing consciousness, but the power remains... that, we call a Lost Land."

Song Cheng nodded; he understood. The Jilei Mountain Mountain God and that doctor who single-handedly caused "many tragedies like the Extreme Bliss World" had both turned into Lost Lands after failing.

This should also be the "official" term for the "Chaos Journey."

Chen Lao said: "It seems your knowledge is not shallow."

After saying this, he added: "Of course, besides failed fusions, we Mountain and River Lords, and even stronger beings, all end up the same when we die."

When mortals die, it is the end of everything; the body turns to dust.

But at a level like yours and mine, when we die, the remaining power returns to Heaven and Earth, but such power is ultimately too strong, and after returning, it still becomes a Lost thing."

The mortal world's earth, because of Yin Qi, can give birth to evil Ghosts.

This plate of Lost Land, likewise, will give birth to all kinds of terrifying things because of Yin Qi.

Demonic beasts that touch a little will become Lost Beasts, but Lost Beasts are nothing."

"What is truly terrifying and horrible are those things that arise naturally... the larger ones are called Lost Spirits, and the smaller ones are Lost Fish."

"Lost Spirits cannot be eaten, but Lost Fish can."

"Outside, there are many Lost Fish, both in quantity and variety, and we can catch Lost Fish in the Reappearance World."

"Once caught, roast them with the Yang fire here to purify the Lost Qi within, and they can be consumed as pure Yin-Yang power."

"This is a delicacy; not only is it delicious, but it can also enhance strength, and it can also prolong the peace of that world outside."

"Lost Spirits... are they that terrifying?" Song Cheng asked curiously.

Chen Lao said: "The rise and fall of the Ghost Tide are brought about by the turbulence of Lost Spirits. The more Lost Spirits there are, the greater the Ghost Tide, and if the Ghost River spreads across the human world, then no one can be spared."

Song Cheng thought for a moment and said: "Just now, Senior Sister Lian brought me here, having captured that She Yitu. And that She Yitu seemed to be planning to become a Lost Spirit... May I ask Senior, what is going on with this?"

Chen Lao was stunned, a hint of obscure strangeness flickering in his eyes, then his gaze shifted to the pot, and he said: "It's ready."

As he spoke, he reached into the pot, his fingers moved, and pieces of fish meat flew up from the fish that had been stewed until it turned gray.

Those pieces of fish meat were as light as feathers, flying to Song Cheng's mouth.

Song Cheng opened his mouth and inhaled.

This fish meat was truly "fragrant and melted in the mouth."

At the same time, it was accompanied by an increase in the power within his body; although this increase was not reflected in the "data growth of strength," it gave Song Cheng a feeling that "as long as I keep eating, my strength will truly increase."

Chen Lao ate the remaining half of the Lost Fish and then said: "Little Song, let's do the evaluation now."

Song Cheng stood up, first saying "Thank you, Chen Lao, for the fish," then asked: "How should I be evaluated?"

Chen Lao said casually: "All mundane methods are meaningless. Bring out your Mountain and River Seal and exert your power here; let me see your level."

As the words fell, the atmosphere from when they were eating fish vanished, and the air became murderous.

And Chen Lao's expression also became serious, watching intently.

Song Cheng nodded, stepped back a few paces, arrived at the center of the ink-wash black and white courtyard, glanced at the data above Chen Lao's head, then raised his hand, condensed, and the Mountain and River Seal, with its inland fire and seas, solidified extremely quickly, was gripped tightly by his five fingers, and then he flipped and pressed it down.

Boom—the black and white courtyard shook suddenly, with a feeling of a giant hand of a gale slamming down; the originally silent Reappearance World also echoed with a strange sound of a tsunami following this strike, carrying the might of Heaven.

Chen Lao's pupils widened, and he gasped.

"You..."

"You have actually completely mastered the Mountain and River Seal; you have reached the Mountain and River Master Perfection level! You... you..."

He was even stuttering a little as he spoke.

The Reappearance World has rules; no matter how things change outside, when one arrives in the Reappearance World, one's image generally reflects one's "remaining lifespan."

Those with little lifespan left are old men.

Conversely, they are youths.

The lowest is also a youth.

Normally speaking, who among those capable of reaching the Mountain and River Master Perfection level is not a middle-aged person?

Even Lian Chanxi, who has received many resources, still appears as a beautiful woman in her thirties.

Yet the youth before his eyes is clearly in his mid-teens; this is already the youngest appearance in the Reappearance World.

The power Song Cheng displayed was not his full strength, but rather close to the strength of that Yang Teng just now; Lian Chanxi's words, "If your evaluation is below Excellent, then put those thoughts away from now on and just call me Senior Sister; do not mention the talk of Dao companions again," made him understand the rules of this "Xuanqing Palace."

In a place like this, displaying your talent and strength yields far greater benefits than hiding them.

Therefore, he utilized this level of power, then put away the Mountain and River Seal, and cupped his hands in a polite salute: "May I ask Chen Lao, I wonder if my evaluation can reach Excellent?"

"More than just Excellent." Chen Lao looked at the youth before him, his expression suddenly showing a hint of exhaustion, and then he let out a long sigh, "This old man has cultivated bitterly for over five thousand years, exhausting all opportunities, only to barely fully control the Mountain and River Seal. How old are you? Are you two thousand years old?"

Having said that, without waiting for Song Cheng to answer, he muttered to himself: "Impossible, looking at you, you are at most fifteen or sixteen hundred years old. A Mountain and River Master Perfection realm at fifteen or sixteen hundred years old... this... this old man originally thought you had only just entered the Mountain and River Master realm, but it turns out you have already reached Perfection; how is this possible?"

Song Cheng said: "Just a stroke of luck."

Chen Lao sighed and lamented, then took out a strange stone token and handed it to him.

Song Cheng took it and saw the two characters "Top Grade" on the token.

Just as he was about to say something more, Chen Lao waved his hand weakly and said: "Go outside the hall and wait for Lian Chanxi; do not stay here with me."

Song Cheng said "Many thanks," and then departed.

After he left, Chen Lao lowered his head for a long time, looking at the pale gray hair hanging down on both sides, and then reached out to stroke his own skin, which was as old and wrinkled as tree bark, his expression shifting between light and shadow, not knowing what he was thinking.

Song Cheng held the token and stood before the main hall of Xuanqing Palace.

If this were a mundane power, his move just now would likely have attracted a crowd, but clearly, there are very few people in Xuanqing Palace; even though he had a "Top Grade" evaluation and displayed the strength of a genius, it still did not stir up much of a wave.

He did not know how long he had waited before the gates of Xuanqing Palace finally opened.

Lian Chanxi walked out from within, her pretty face furrowed in a frown, showing obvious anger; upon seeing Song Cheng, that anger was slightly suppressed, and she asked: "Is the test finished?"

"Yes." Song Cheng replied, then handed the stone token to her.

Before, he had been following behind Lian Chanxi, but now face-to-face and up close, he finally saw her clearly.

Lian Chanxi's appearance is not that of a young girl, but an incomparably exquisite beautiful woman.

And he is still in the appearance of a youth now.

If they were to become Dao companions, it would feel a bit like a small horse pulling a large cart... An inexplicable emotion suddenly surfaced, but Song Cheng restrained it; it was merely a thought, after all.

Lian Chanxi looked at the two characters "Top Grade" on the stone token and was also stunned for a long while; the look of disbelief in her beautiful eyes slowly spread, and then she looked at the youth before her and said: "Little Song, from now on, you and I are Dao companions."

Having said that, she took Song Cheng's hand and said: "Come, follow me to see Master."

(End of this chapter)