With a single step, the previously vanished Purple Song Sage reappeared in Yun Qingxue’s sight. However, what followed was the realization that the place they now stood was no longer the thatched cottage from before.
Yun Qingxue had no idea where she had stepped after following the Purple Song Sage. The surroundings were shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see the path ahead. Relying solely on instinct, she guessed she was in some kind of passageway.
Ahead, aside from the faintly discernible figure of the Purple Song Sage, nothing else was visible.
“Disciple, make sure to stay close to your master,” the Purple Song Sage cautioned again, his tone laced with concern.
Yun Qingxue acknowledged with a sound, her nerves taut as she carefully observed every movement of the Purple Song Sage, committing them to memory and mimicking them as she moved forward.
After walking for about the time it took half an incense stick to burn, the passageway reached its end. Passing through an exquisite small door made of black iron, the space before them suddenly opened up.
Beyond the black iron door at the end of the passageway lay a magnificent palace.
The Purple Song Sage halted at the threshold of the black iron door and turned back, his expression solemn as he addressed Yun Qingxue. “I have set up three formations here.”
With a wave of his hand, Yun Qingxue looked into the chamber and saw three spots glowing with golden light within the opulent palace. Within the radiance, faintly visible were strange, intricate symbols.
“Those three spots are the formations I laid,” the Purple Song Sage pointed out, not rushing forward but patiently explaining the formations to Yun Qingxue.
“Look at the formation to the east—that is the Sumeru Illusion. Once triggered, it will generate illusions. If one fails to escape within half an hour, they will perish inside.
“Now, observe the formation to the west—that is a formation within a formation. Once activated, it is extremely difficult to undo. Unless one is a master of formations, entering it is a death sentence!
“The central formation serves as the link between the eastern and western formations, creating a chain reaction. No matter which formation an intruder triggers, the other two will activate as well!”
At this point, the Purple Song Sage paused, stroking his chin with a fox-like grin as he looked at Yun Qingxue. “Disciple, don’t you feel a bit of admiration for your master now?”
Yun Qingxue had been listening intently to his explanation of the formations, but his sudden shift in tone made her roll her eyes in exasperation. “No,” she replied coldly.
The Purple Song Sage’s face immediately fell.
“So, the treasures hidden in your thatched cottage are these formations?” Yun Qingxue raised an eyebrow.
“Of course not!” the Purple Song Sage retorted with a frown, looking wounded. “Disciple, you underestimate me too much. Do I look like some poor man who hoards trivial trinkets as treasures? Your master is not short on wealth! Stay close—I’ll take you to see the real treasures now!”
With that, the Purple Song Sage stepped out of the passageway. Yun Qingxue didn’t dare slack off and quickly followed in his footsteps.
The Purple Song Sage led Yun Qingxue through the opulent palace with a peculiar gait.
Before Yun Qingxue’s eyes, the surroundings transformed once again…
The grand palace vanished, and the space around them expanded infinitely upward. Spiral staircases, layer upon layer, seemed to stretch toward the heavens, while the walls adjacent to the stairs were lined with countless square niches, densely packed like bookshelves embedded in the stone, each filled with books.
Yun Qingxue gazed up the staircases—there were endless rows of books, too numerous to count.
“Is this another illusion?” she asked uncertainly, glancing around at the Purple Song Sage.
“No! This is no illusion!” the Purple Song Sage chuckled, pointing at the neatly arranged, countless books. “These books are the treasures I told you about!”
“These books?” Yun Qingxue frowned at the densely packed volumes and instinctively asked, “Are they all some kind of extraordinary cultivation manuals?”
The Purple Song Sage smiled proudly. “My disciple is indeed clever! These books are the result of my painstaking efforts to collect them. To put it bluntly, even the Heavenly Emperor’s personal library might not rival mine in size!
“There are ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine volumes here, covering every conceivable subject—cultivation methods, immortal techniques, medicine, astronomy, geography, divination, strategy, politics—you name it.
“If you could absorb all the knowledge contained within these books, it would be an inexhaustible, invaluable resource! Tell me, doesn’t that count as treasure?”
“Of course it does!” Yun Qingxue nodded, staring at the endless sea of books. After a moment of silence, she tentatively ventured, “Master, with so many books here… could I borrow a couple to read?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a pang of unease. Since the Purple Song Sage regarded these books as treasures, he likely wouldn’t lend them out so easily…
The categories of cultivation methods and immortal techniques he had listed earlier were simply too enticing—she couldn’t help but blurt out her request.
“Disciple—?” The Purple Song Sage frowned at her, his eyes filled with unmistakable displeasure.
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