Chapter 1048

What's hard about finding a single blue flower?

At once, the Four Secret Agents followed Zhu Tie Dan's orders and split up to search.

The only thing they knew was the flower's color; everything else was unknown.

As they searched, they combed every inch, every corner.

Even the crevices in corners and walls were not spared.

Cheng Shifei kept shouting loudly, claiming he had found it.

Zhu Tie Dan, naturally overjoyed, immediately rushed over to look.

But what Cheng Shifei found was either flowers of other colors or blue weeds.

As for the blue flower mentioned by the old monk of Xin Chan Hall, none of them had found it after searching for a long time.

Thus passed roughly an hour.

They had turned the spacious stone hall upside down, yet still no trace of the blue flower.

Cheng Shifei, being lazy, immediately panted heavily and sat in the corner, complaining:

"I'm exhausted—I'm truly dead tired, Young Master that I am!

What damn blue flower? There's none here at all!

Shenhou, is your intelligence wrong?

Or did you old man forget?"

At Cheng Shifei's teasing, Zhu Tie Dan's face immediately fell.

"Cheng Shifei, do not disrespect the Shenhou."

Among the Four Secret Agents, Duan Tianya most admired Zhu Tie Dan, so he was the first to rebuke.

Though Cheng Shifei's cultivation surpassed Duan Tianya's, he still held deep reverence for him.

Hearing Duan Tianya's reprimand, he merely stuck out his tongue like a child and said nothing more.

At this moment, Zhu Tie Dan was also growing anxious—he had searched for an hour, scouring the entire stone hall.

Yet the Tian Xiang Doukou mentioned by the Xin Chan Hall monk remained nowhere to be found.

Could these old monks be deliberately mocking him?

While he was lost in wild thoughts, Shangguan Haitang let out a startled cry, pointing at the stone platform where the strange man sat:

"Oh no! We've searched every inch and corner—yet we never searched this stone platform!

Could it be…?"

The stone platform was where the strange man had attained nirvana; Zhu Tie Dan had falsely claimed the man was the legendary Tianchi Guixia, his former master.

Thus, during their search of the stone hall, none of the Four Secret Agents dared disturb the strange man.

Hence, this stone platform had become the only spot untouched.

Instantly, all Four Secret Agents turned their gazes toward Zhu Tie Dan.

After all, this legendary hero was Zhu Tie Dan's benefactor, and since the Shenhou valued affection and loyalty, disturbing him required the Shenhou's permission.

Hearing Shangguan Haitang's voice and seeing the Four Secret Agents look at him, Zhu Tie Dan's old face flushed red.

He never imagined that his own performance would end up backfiring on him.

Fortunately, this strange man was certainly not Tianchi Guixia and owed him no favor whatsoever.

Touching his remains or searching his petrified platform caused Zhu Tie Dan not the slightest inner conflict.

Even if the man truly were Tianchi Guixia, Zhu Tie Dan likely wouldn't care.

At once, Zhu Tie Dan bowed deeply again toward the strange man on the stone platform, feigning deep reverence:

"Elder Guixia, the Tian Xiang Doukou is of vital importance to this humble disciple.

My beloved Su Xin will die without this Tian Xiang Doukou.

If she dies, I have no wish to live.

With no other choice, I must disturb you, Elder.

I beg your spirit in the heavens not to blame Wu Shi and the others."

His words rang with deep affection and loyalty.

Shangguan Haitang's admiration for his adoptive father rose yet again.

After speaking, Zhu Tie Dan straightened up and waved his hand:

"Search quickly—but be careful not to disturb the Elder Guixia's remains too much."

"Yes!"

The Four Secret Agents bowed in unison, then moved to the edge of the stone platform and began searching.

The stone platform was small, barely large enough for two people to sit.

Add to that the stone itself and its cracks and crevices.

A thorough search took less than the time to brew a cup of tea.

"Nothing…"

Duan Tianya, assigned to search beneath the stone platform, examined carefully.

Not a single blue flower, not even a weed.

"…"

Guihai Yidao said nothing; after meticulously searching his assigned area, he gave Zhu Tie Dan a cold shake of the head.

With two failing to find it, Zhu Tie Dan grew increasingly restless.

Had he abandoned the Thirty-Six Heavenly Stars and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends, only to end up with nothing but an empty basket?

Then what purpose did it serve—after all my scheming, faking death in Jiuzhou, allying with the Xin Chan Hall monks, fleeing to this foreign Great Ming, and replacing Zhu Wushi?

Originally, this Iron Gall Spirit Marquis was none other than Zhu Wushi, the Iron Gall Spirit Marquis of the Great Ming of Jiuzhou!

At that time, he commanded ten Generals, hundreds of thousands of elite troops, and countless Great Ming experts all served under his command.

Just as he was about to seize the throne, the Qinglong Society launched its purge plan.

Overnight, the entire Great Ming court was purged.

Even the young Emperor was replaced by the Southern Prince Wang Shizi through disguise.

More than half of the Great Ming's Imperial Protectors and Imperial Court Protectors were members of the Qinglong Society.

In an instant, the tide had turned; the Iron Gall Spirit Marquis was filled with furious resentment.

Just as the Qinglong Society overthrew the Great Ming, the Sword Realm was opened.

The Great Dragon Head, Ximen Wudi, personally headed to the Sword Realm and has rarely appeared in Jiuzhou since.

The Great Qin, Great Yuan, and Great Tang empires would never allow the Qinglong Society to tower over them.

Therefore, they secretly incited various factions to strike back against the Qinglong Society.

The Iron Gall Spirit Marquis was secretly courted by the Great Yuan, who even brought him the You Dongying expert, Quan Dao Shen.

With this, the Iron Gall Spirit Marquis finally dared to counter the Qinglong Society and plotted to seize the Great Ming throne he had long desired.

A massive rebellion swept across the entire Great Ming.

The flames of war even reached the Great Ming capital.

Just then, the Great Ming sent numerous experts from the Eastern Depot, Western Depot, and Embroidered Uniform Guard to rescue Mount Wudang.

All were annihilated beneath Mount Wudang.

This left the capital's defenses stretched thin.

Just as the situation became desperate, the Fourth Dragon Head of the Qinglong Society, Senior Xiaoyaozi, appeared out of nowhere.

He brought forth the raging Black Dragon and the War God Hall, causing the Iron Gall Spirit Marquis's dozens of armies to collapse utterly.

Afterwards, in a chaotic battle, the Four Secret Agents were killed, and the Hu Long Shanzhuang was wiped out.

With no other choice, the Iron Gall Spirit Marquis faked his death and went into hiding.

Just when he believed all was lost and he had no chance of revival,

He was forced to conceal his identity while being hunted by the Qinglong Society.

Those several old monks from the Xin Chan Tang somehow sought him out.

They told him of the miraculous properties of Tian Xiang Doukou and revealed the existence of another Great Ming world.

If he replaced Zhu Wushi in that Great Ming world and seized the Tian Xiang Doukou, he could make a comeback.

Thinking of the Great Ming throne he had long desired, the Iron Gall Spirit Marquis, unwilling to give up, agreed to cooperate with the Xin Chan Tang.