Chapter 55

See? The function I just discovered—this dragon stele is practically a treasure.

By means of the oral formula, one can control it to capture images within a five‑li radius, broader than the divine sense coverage of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator. Jiang Tu, bored along the way, discovered it while tinkering with the dark chamber behind the stele.

Jiang Yu stared at the 3D image, "Flip it—just now in the right‑side dark alley, two people were fighting."

"Let's see if they'll feel like they're being watched."

Jiang Tu did as instructed; in an instant the dark alley zoomed in and enlarged, revealing two cultivators fighting with short blades without using any spell techniques.

Not long after, one was stabbed through the heart and slumped sitting against the wall; the other felt inside his bosom and pulled out a jade tablet.

"Taiji Fish Plaque!" both Jiangs exclaimed simultaneously.

Before their voices even faded, the Taiji Fish Plaque flashed with mysterious light and exploded into fragments in the victorious cultivator's hand.

That cultivator's half arm was blown to a bloody mess, yet seemingly startled by something, he merely wrapped his wounded hand with spiritual power and swiftly fled.

Shortly thereafter, a few more cultivators dropped into the dark alley; judging by their attire, they appeared to be the law enforcement squad of the Luoyue Sect.

Jiang Tu still wanted to observe further, but Jiang Yu noticed one of them raise his head, looking doubtfully toward the plaza.

"Turn it off." The world of cultivation never lacks those with keen and powerful divine sense.

Jiang Tu decisively carried it out; one person and one demon faced each other in silence for a long while, then it produced the fish plaque from the hidden chamber and said: "That one just now has surely already been recognized as master."

"You holding this and getting no reaction is probably because you already have a mark on your hand."

"Just leave it; someday we'll give it to someone fated." Jiang Yu withdrew her divine sense, but then she heard Guan Zian'er speaking with someone outside the door.

She didn't mind much; instead, she calmed her thoughts and truly entered meditation.

So she didn't see it—Jiang Tu, unwilling to give up, opened the dragon stele once more to observe secretly.

This time it was careful, not directing its gaze at the law enforcement members but focusing on the corpse.

Then it witnessed a wondrous scene: a law enforcement member's hand on the corpse, besides pulling out a hidden storage bag, also felt out an identical fish plaque.

Jiang Tu's eyes widened instantly as he watched the fish plaque and storage bag placed into a small wooden box, then carried away together with the corpse.

It wanted to call Jiang Yu, but discovered her companion was cultivating.

It endured and endured, until Jiang Yu finished her cultivation, then it sent a sound transmission about what had just happened.

"Two pieces?"

"Mm, according to Jiang Bai's saying, these things are rare, yet in just a short year we've already seen three."

"You say, could it be that the Great Luo Cave Heaven is about to open early, and you, too, should start foundation building early."

"I've just advanced to the ninth layer of Qi Refining; foundation building is impossible for me."

"We can notify Jiang Bai once more, to have him check what's the situation." Currently, no matter how excellent a secret realm or cave heaven, to Jiang Yu it's not as important as solid cultivation.

As for whether Jiang Bai can enter, cough, that's not really related to her.

But our dragon treasure needs soothing: "Jiang Tu, think calmly—over all those years you've spent in the cave heaven, have you ever seen it open early?"

"It opens every three hundred years; I've only been inside for over a hundred years." Jiang Tu retracted into his shell and stopped speaking to her.

Jiang Yu also didn't indulge it; one's life is one's own, and the consequences of forced foundation building are unpredictable.

Moreover, even if I can't get in this time, there's still a spare fish plaque in the space; Jiang Tu can later take it and find someone else to acknowledge as master.

But Jiang Yu simply refuses to pierce that layer of paper, leaving it to remain closed off.

The two companions, for no reason, ended up angry with each other.

Even when the morning arrived and the tower ship lifted its ban, permitting disciples to wander the market for an hour, Jiang Tu still didn't emerge from his space.

Before disembarking, Guan Zian'er asked: "Senior Sister Jiang, yesterday the Eclipse Moon Tiger asked you to buy it food; aren't you going down to get something for it and for Jiang Tu?"

"No thanks, there's also breakfast on the ship."

"Could you help bring some fresh, distinctive meat?" Seeing her agree, Jiang Yu handed over a small bag of spirit stones.

To avoid running into Xue Miao, regardless of how small the chance, it's better to move less and have no worries.

Likewise, Xia Bing thought the same, so she sent a message inviting Jiang Yu to have breakfast on the first floor.

Jiang Yu didn't follow her off the ship, which made her very pleased.

While the two were talking, another tower ship descended—it was from the Bai Lian Sect and the Fu Long Guan.

Immediately after, the Luoyue Sect's ship also flew in.

"The person surnamed Xue stood at the bow, gazing this way."

"Huh, on our ship, who sent her a Flying Sword message?" Jiang Tu transmitted a reminder to her.

"Generally, the sects recruit disciples at the same time, and many become friends during their trials."

"She doesn't get along with Uncle Xia, but she might be on good terms with others." The total number of Foundation Establishment cultivators on this outing is exactly two hundred.

After Jiang Yu finished her analysis and quietly thanked it, she heard Uncle Xia say: "During your time at the Wan Jian Sect, stay away from Xue Miao."

"She always finds trouble from tricky places; dealing with her is simply a waste of time."

But some people, the less you want to see her, the more she appears.

That day, three tower ships arrived together outside the Wan Jian Sect's mountain gate, side by side with the earlier-arriving Gui Yuan Sect and Yu Shou Sect.

The Wan Jian Sect also lined up to welcome them; the Golden Core cultivators stepped forward to return the salute and engaged in friendly commercial boasting.

Jiang Yu admired the grand gate of others for a while, then followed behind her uncle as she disembarked.

Once settled, she saw Master Zhuang facing everyone: "Today, the Wan Jian Sect opens the Ascension Immortal Stairs; do not miss this rare opportunity—climb as many steps as you can, it will benefit you."

Having said that, he ordered the disciples to form pairs in two lines, waiting to ascend the steps.

In the distance, only the Wan Jian Sect's Golden Core cultivators could be seen tossing their swords toward the mountain gate steps; with a swish, the sword light shot off like lightning.

After just a few breaths, spiritual light floated on the steps; after a few hums, the steps became two points steeper than before.

"I don't know which is heavier, our martial arts hall's gravity steps or these."

"Senior Sister Jiang, I expect to climb fewer than ten steps; you'll have to give me a hand, lest I lose face before the friendly sect." Guan Zian'er asked Jiang Yu for help.

Jiang Yu handed her a packet of mint sesame candy, "Hold it in your mouth."

"Hng, sweet, numbingly sweet." Guan Shen'er said as she spoke, the team ahead had already climbed the steps.

Not long after, Jiang Yu also stepped onto the steps, but she had clearly seen the people climbing the steps walking slowly earlier; when it was her turn, however, there was no one around.

Furthermore, she couldn't see some Qi Refining fellow disciples behind her and Guan Shen'er, who had not climbed the steps.

"Jiang Tu, can you see me?" She lightly touched the dragon pearl hidden in her waist pouch, glanced at the contract soul seal in her sea of consciousness, and tried to send a mental message.

"I can only see you, but my divine sense is shielded to within a few zhang around me." As soon as Jiang Tu's words fell, a sword qi suddenly attacked from the front.

Jiang Yu dodged with a sideways flick, and as she raised her protective spiritual light, she slapped her storage bag, a long sword appearing in her hand, cling-clang as she cut down the successive sword qi.

Seeing no further attacks, she stepped up one level when a sudden heavy pressure caused the protective light shield surrounding her to shatter silently.

Jiang Yu, who had been mentally prepared, quickly circulated her cultivation technique to counteract gravity, but unexpectedly her dantian's spiritual power was suddenly sealed, and her divine sense was also blocked.

Her heart jolted—was this a simulated Spirit‑Isolating Ground? Then she switched to mundane internal skill.

Fortunately, in the past few years while practicing basic sword techniques, she had also casually trained the mundane martial arts sections from the books.

Jiang Yu shifted her internal energy, suddenly feeling her body's weight lighten by two portions; she lifted her feet and climbed several steps in succession, and after working up a sweat, her vision suddenly cleared.

At a glance she could see disciples from various sects striving to ascend.

With another glance, she saw someone tumbling down from above, and one of them happened to roll right to her feet.