Chapter 546: Inevitable Doom?

Counting the previous time he had listened to the Heavenly Sound, this was the third time Li Yuan had seen Chi He Lian.

The previous two times he had sized her up as well, but just like with Huang Huang Longzi and the other great masters, the light of the weapons was shrouded in a faint mist.

But at this moment, a sidelong glance revealed the light of all the weapons clearly visible.

Among them, there were three treasures of the seventh rank and above, and what drew his attention most was not the 【Scarlet Cloud Whip (tenth rank)】 and 【Scarlet Cloud Garment (ninth rank)】, but the 【Tongshi Orb (seventh rank)】.

【…"Grand Void Mirror" — one of the sub-bodies peeled off from it, when held, allows one to dream-walk within the "Grand Void Divine Realm"…】

【Wielding Requirement: Chi He Lian】

【Wielding Effect:??】

The Tongshi Orb, with only a sidelong glance, almost made Li Yuan unable to look away. Regarding the little mother dragon's lingering attachment, and suspecting it was a treasure related to the "virtual world," he too harbored some thoughts about it.

"Ahem…"

Seeing that he seemed somewhat dazed, Long Xi Xiang gave a light cough and reminded him: "In front of Senior Qin, you must not be rude."

"This junior lost his composure."

Li Yuan hurriedly gathered his thoughts, cupped his hands in apology.

"Young men admiring beauty is common to all, what rudeness or apology is there to speak of?"

Qin Yun waved his hand, not taking it to heart, merely smiling: "Speaking of which, this isn't the first time you've met, is it?"

Young men admiring beauty…

Li Yuan almost choked, but fortunately his control over his body was exquisite, and he showed no outward sign: "I once had the fortune of a single meeting with Senior Chi He Lian."

"We've met."

Chi He Lian was sparing with words, but the fingers gripping the umbrella handle couldn't help but tighten. She was naturally sizing up Li Yuan as well, but her divine realm was sealed and her spiritual senses suppressed, so for the moment she couldn't use secret arts to observe his innate endowment.

But the fact that she had misjudged was undeniable; she might doubt the academy secret arts, but she would not doubt the Eight Directions Temple — those invited to open the temple must at least possess a sixth-rank or above endowment. Yet she still found it inconceivable that a small mud pond could have nurtured a true dragon; such things had only ever appeared in legends.

"Unfortunately, she had misjudged."

Qin Yun glanced at Chi He Lian, a slight ripple stirring in his heart — hadn't he himself also misjudged?

This boy's constitution was likely even more peculiar and extraordinary than anticipated. It was fortunate he had met himself; if he had met the old gentleman Confucius…

Not knowing what came to mind, Qin Yun's eyelid twitched.

"Senior Qin, this poor Daoist has already had a banquet prepared; shall we move? The wind is strong here, not a suitable place for discussion."

At this moment, Nie Xianshan spoke up.

"Then shall we take a few steps?"

Qin Yun saw no objection.

"After you, Senior."

Long Xi Xiang was quite enthusiastic, leading the way ahead.

Li Yuan followed behind, his sidelong gaze occasionally sweeping over Chi He Lian — more precisely, the Tongshi Orb. His eyes burned with desire, but this thing seemed to be bound to its owner? 1 "This boy…"

Chi He Lian only felt a chill run through her body; the way this boy looked at her was far too heated — could he really have taken a fancy to this old lady? 2 She felt some disgust, but on second thought, her mind became active again. Although this boy's origins were humble, his talent was astonishing, and he had become a temple-opener. If by some chance…

With each person's thoughts running in different directions, they soon arrived at the Surging Wave Hall, where Xin Xin Wenhua had long since set out the banquet, standing at the front of the hall to welcome them.

The atmosphere at the banquet was passable. Whether Long Xi Xiang or Nie Xianshan, both were quite warm toward this old senior, continuously discussing martial cultivation, spirit manifestations, and divine realms.

Li Yuan drank a pot of Hundred Grass Brew, committing the conversations of the few to heart — what he could understand he mulled over, what he couldn't he noted down. So-called martial foundation was accumulated drop by drop like this.

At the banquet, Qin Yun did not mention the purpose of his visit, and Long Xi Xiang and the other two tacitly did not ask, merely raising cups in pleasant talk, like old friends reuniting after many years.

"He came to see me,"

"What does he intend?" Li Yuan turned his wine cup, pondering inwardly. With Chi He Lian in hand, if Qin Yun only wanted to enter the temple, there was no need at all for him to come seeking him.

Feeling somewhat wary, Li Yuan also occasionally raised his cup, but part of his attention always remained on Chi He Lian. This visitor from beyond the heavens had clearly suffered a great loss at Qin Yun's hands.

She didn't dare look at Qin Yun even once the entire time.

"Tongshi Orb…"

Li Yuan still couldn't forget about it. He quietly pressed the Dragon Mirage Belt at his waist, waking the slumbering little mother dragon.

The latter was in the middle of drawing on his true qi to repair her shattered divine realm, and upon being awakened was first displeased, but Yu Yu Xuanji immediately sensed something was off.

"Tongshi Orb!"

The little mother dragon's voice was extremely shrill: "This, who is this person? That purple jade at her waist is the Tongshi Orb!"

"Her name is Chi He Lian, she claims to be from the Poison Dragon Academy."

Li Yuan took an unhurried sip of wine, communicating with the little mother dragon.

"Poison Dragon Academy?"

The little mother dragon was startled and exclaimed, but Yu Yu Xuanji quickly calmed down: "Hmph, true inheritors of the Poison Dragon Academy rarely leave the Celestial Market; this woman is at most an inner disciple, her status not necessarily much higher than mine."

"Hmph, a Poison Dragon disciple, how impressive is that?"

"Mm, an inner disciple of the Poison Dragon Academy has a status much higher than that of a descendant of the Dragon Mirage King's bloodline." Li Yuan automatically translated in his heart — he understood the little mother dragon well enough: the more she emphasized something, the less true it was.

"Unfortunately, once the Tongshi Orb recognizes a master it cannot be changed…"

The little mother dragon muttered: "How about you snatch it over first, then we'll talk?" "."

Li Yuan sipped his wine unhurriedly, chatting with the little mother dragon. Chi He Lian's appearance had greatly stimulated her; she was talking far more than usual.

"Speaking of which, this old man came to Mount Hengshan this time for this boy."

When the banquet was half over, Qin Yun suddenly spoke, and the hall instantly fell silent. The smiles on Long Xi Xiang's and Nie Xianshan's faces also vanished.

"May I ask, Senior, what business do you have with him?"

Long Xi Xiang was sitting close to Li Yuan, his expression now somewhat Solemn.

"Naturally, it concerns the Eight Directions Temple."

Qin Yun hadn't even set down his wine cup — he seemed not to have noticed the tension of those at the banquet, merely casting a casual glance: "That Peering Spirit Sacrifice of the imperial court, this old man witnessed it with his own eyes back then."

The moment he said this, the atmosphere at the banquet grew even more Solemn. Nie Xianshan set down his wine cup, and the Pure Yang Sword resting beside him trembled, emitting a "clang."

"The tricks of the imperial court — how can they be trusted lightly?"

Long Xi Xiang glanced at Xing Xin Wenhua, who hurriedly gathered his thoughts and filled Qin Yun's cup.

"The Spirit-Divination Sacrifice is a secret ritual passed down within the Tian Shi Heng Cloud Demon clan. Through this sacrifice, one can indeed glimpse a corner of the future."

Chi He Lian spoke up at the right moment.

"Just because you say so, does that make it true?"

Nie Xianshan gave a cold snort: "The imperial court cannot be trusted, and outsiders from beyond the heavens cannot be trusted either!"

"Trusted — they can still be trusted."

Qin Yun glanced at Nie Xianshan, looking somewhat helpless: "There's no need for you all to be so tense. Would an old-timer really make things difficult for a junior?"

"Senior, you'd better state your purpose."

Long Xi Xiang also pressed down on his wine cup.

Li Yuan silently switched his control. With ten bone ornaments upon his body, his perception instantly soared to its peak. He focused his senses and could faintly detect the shifts in emotion among those present.

The old dragon-head was tense; the old Daoist Nie was wary yet with a hint of eagerness to try; Chi He Lian's heart churned with fury.

And Qin Yun "was like a dormant volcano…"

Li Yuan detected no malice, but he did not relax his vigilance.

"It is also connected to the Eight Directions Temple."

Qin Yun thought for a moment, then looked at Chi He Lian: "You speak."

Chi He Lian's face was dark as still water. Li Yuan could feel the raging fury in her heart, yet not a trace showed. She nodded and said: "The Eight Directions Temple once drifted within Tian Shi Heng for a long time, and it also once… opened. Tian Shi Heng — that is, the Heaven Beyond the Heavens you speak of."

"Impossible." Before her words had finished, the little mother dragon let out a great cry: "How come I've never heard of this?"

"Let her finish first."

Li Yuan pressed his belt.

The table fell silent. Everyone looked at Chi He Lian. She swept a glance at Li Yuan and began: "That time, someone entered the Eight Directions Temple. Not long after, the Eight Directions Temple erupted with dazzling radiance, alarming all the various factions of Tian Shi Yuan, who swarmed here…"

"Mm?"

Li Yuan's eyelid twitched.

"You mean that once the Eight Directions Temple opens, it will inevitably alarm the other factions of Tian Shi Heng?"

Long Xi Xiang's expression changed.

He knew little about that Tian Shi Yuan, but if the appearance of the Eight Directions Temple drew forces from beyond the heavens, that would clearly be no good thing.

"Correct."

Chi He Lian's expression was indifferent.

"What Heaven Beyond the Heavens, what Tian Shi Yuan — just because you say it, does that make it so?"

Nie Xianshan, however, did not believe it. He frowned at Qin Yun: "Tower Master Qin, you'd better speak plainly."

"This time, the one who should truly tour the Eight Directions Temple is you."

Qin Yun sighed. He missed Long Long Yingchan a little — that old Daoist had spent decades shuttling through mountains and forests, dealing with birds and beasts so much that conversing with him was far too much effort.

If nothing one says is believed, then what's the point of saying anything?

"This 'not long after' — how long exactly?"

Li Yuan suddenly spoke, drawing the eyes of everyone at the table.

Chi He Lian was somewhat surprised. She answered: "Last time, after the Martial Immortal Gate opened the temple, a hundred years passed before sunlight blazed across the star river. This time, perhaps it will also be a hundred years?"

Chi He Lian was not certain. This time she had come with her fellow disciples to catch that old turtle; she had not come specifically to seek the Eight Directions Temple, and had not deliberately gathered intelligence.

So this is that calamity?

Li Yuan's heart stirred, and he believed most of it.

When he listened to the Heavenly Sound, the wooden slip had also mentioned calamity. If the many factions of Tian Shi Heng came swarming in, that would indeed be no good thing.

But after pondering, he faintly felt something was not quite right.

Even if there were forces from beyond the heavens entering the Eight Directions Temple, for him, would that necessarily count as an irresistible calamity?

Or is it that one cannot win, nor can one escape?

"Whether forces from beyond the heavens will descend, whether it is good or bad — no one can foresee. But what this old man wishes to speak of is not this matter." Qin Yun swept his gaze over the crowd, his gaze falling on Li Yuan.

"Sunlight blazing across the star river, illuminating Tian Shi Heng — what dazzling brilliance would it take for the many factions of Tian Shi Heng to see it all at once? Think about it — Tian Shi Heng is a place where stars gather, vast beyond measure…"

"Mm?!"

Before he could finish, the expressions of everyone present had all changed.

"You mean?"

The Pure Yang Sword hummed and quivered. Nie Xianshan, both shocked and doubtful, could not help but look toward the sunlight reflected on the snow and ice pillars outside the hall: "The sun?"

The sun — Li Yuan's heart pounded violently for an instant, and he looked instead at the great black umbrella Chi He Lian had never set down.

"Correct."

Chi He Lian slightly raised the black umbrella and said calmly: "In the seventy-third epoch of origin, the Eight Directions Temple appeared in Tian Shi Heng. At that time, there were three days of utmost brilliance, their radiance dazzling, illuminating the star river!"