The dark-faced Taoist said no more. With a flick of his sleeve, he swiftly floated toward the inner gate.
He seemed exceptionally familiar with everything in this hall. After passing through a grand hall and several corridors stretching over a hundred zhang, his vision suddenly brightened, revealing a serene courtyard before him.
The courtyard was lush with vibrant flowers and trees, adorned with enormous blossoms the size of sea bowls. At the entrance stood two palace-robed women, their faces veiled with silver gauze.
These women had jade-like skin and graceful figures, their auras faint yet unfathomable, exuding an air of profound mystery.
“Greetings, Immortal Maidens. I have come to pay my respects to the Palace Master,” the dark-faced Taoist said with utmost courtesy, bowing to the two women.
“Lord Li, we dare not accept such courtesy from you. Please enter quickly. The Palace Master has been waiting for some time,” one of the women replied with a smile, sidestepping his bow with a sway of her waist.
“Haha, you jest, Immortal Maiden. Then I shall proceed to meet the Palace Master,” the dark-faced Taoist replied with a chuckle, bowing once more before stepping into the courtyard.
Passing through a fragrant flowerbed, he soon arrived at a small patch of verdant grass.
Surrounding the grass were elegant pale purple-flowered trees. Before one of them stood a woman in a violet robe, her head lowered as she admired the blossoms.
“Greetings, Palace Master!” the dark-faced Taoist said respectfully, stepping forward and bowing deeply.
“Nephew Li, there are no outsiders here. Must you keep calling me ‘Palace Master’? Just address me as ‘Aunt,'” the woman said lightly, still not lifting her head.
“I dare not! We are within the Nine Origin Sect. I would not wish to invite gossip. If someone were to report careless words to the Overseers, it would bring inconvenience to both of us,” the dark-faced Taoist replied solemnly.
“You are far too timid. With those Overseers around, we Palace Masters are practically shackled. It’s far less free than staying within the sect. Perhaps I should resign and recommend you for this position instead,” the woman finally raised her head, revealing an exceptionally fair complexion and striking eyebrows that lent her an air of natural authority.
“Cough… Palace Master, the Ancestor would never allow it. Though the Golden Crane Immortal Palace governs only a minor territory in the Immortal Realm, it still represents the face of our Nine Origin Sect. Countless immortals reside under its rule—how could someone of my meager cultivation presume to lead it?” the dark-faced Taoist shook his head repeatedly.
“Hmph, you smooth-talker. Your master and the other elders—each far more powerful than I—why don’t they take up this role? Just because I entered the Ancestor’s lineage later than them, I’ve been stuck here for over a hundred thousand years. Isn’t it time for a change?” the woman snorted.
“Haha, before joining the Ancestor’s lineage, Palace Master was already the ruler of a minor spirit realm. Leading this Immortal Palace is but a small task for you. My master and the other elders, accustomed to their leisurely ways, could never have brought the Golden Crane Immortal Palace to such prosperity,” the dark-faced Taoist flattered.
“That does sound pleasing. Your master and those elders—either utterly detached from worldly affairs, emerging from seclusion once every tens of thousands of years, or as emotionless as stone statues. Especially your master—whenever I saw him in the sect, I’d flee as far as I could, never daring to approach within several zhang,” the violet-robed woman gritted her teeth, as if recalling something unpleasant.
The dark-faced Taoist could only smile wryly.
Not just this junior aunt—even he himself would tremble in his master’s presence, scarcely daring to speak a word.
“By the way, today isn’t a council day. What urgent matter brings you here? Earlier, through the Heaven-Gazing Mirror, I saw you nearly forcing your way past the gate guards,” the woman suddenly asked, recalling his purpose.
“Reporting to the Palace Master, I’ve come to deliver news regarding the task the Ancestor personally assigned me,” the dark-faced Taoist said gravely, lowering his voice.
“What? That matter? Wait—let us speak within my Spirit Domain,” the woman’s languid expression instantly sharpened.
With a flick of her finger, a white streak appeared in the air, rippling outward.
The streak unfurled into scattered rays of light, transforming the surroundings.
In an instant, the scenery shifted into an exquisitely decorated hall, complete with tables, chairs, and two rows of beautiful palace-robed maids standing silently on either side.
The dark-faced Taoist’s eyes swept over the expressionless maids, his face betraying astonishment:
“To have cultivated the Spirit Domain to the third layer—the ‘Spirit Manifestation Realm’—where domain spirits can be conjured! Though these spirits appear weak in cultivation and intellect now, with careful nurturing, they will become formidable allies.”
“I only recently advanced my Spirit Domain from the ‘Creation Realm’ to the ‘Spirit Manifestation Realm.’ That’s why I’m eager to return to the sect and consolidate my progress. Of course, if the Ancestor were to emerge and offer guidance, it would be even better. Nephew, take a seat. Within my Spirit Domain, even the Overseers’ instruments cannot easily intrude. Now, speak plainly of that matter,” the woman said calmly, seating herself on the central throne.
“Then I shall overstep,” the dark-faced Taoist said, sitting on a nearby chair.
“I recall you began handling that matter centuries ago. Have you found results?” the woman asked, her tone growing solemn.
“Over these centuries, I exhausted every method and finally, at great cost, managed to trace some clues with the help of a friend’s rare treasure,” the dark-faced Taoist replied gravely.
“Any cost is justified if we locate that traitor. When he fled our Nine Origin Sect with that artifact, he vanished without a trace. Though we hold his soul tablet, some heaven-defying treasure or art has obscured his life force. Even the Ancestor, breaking precedent, sought to pursue him personally but was blocked by other formidable figures and forced to retreat. Only centuries ago, when you reported his soul tablet reacting again—and in dire straits—did the Ancestor assign you this task. That traitor’s death matters little, but the artifact he stole is tied to our sect’s future. It must be recovered,” the woman’s voice grew stern, her expression imposing.
The dark-faced Taoist stiffened, rising to bow:
“Aunt need not worry overly. Though the traitor’s soul tablet is cracked, he likely won’t perish soon—he’s likely trapped somewhere. The only trouble is my findings: the traitor is no longer in the Immortal Realm but has descended to a lower realm.”
“A lower realm? Some minor spirit realm? That’s no issue—with precise coordinates, we can expend immortal spirit stones to activate the Descent Platform. Unless… he fled to one of the Lost Realms?” the woman’s eyes narrowed.
“Aunt guessed correctly. The traitor is indeed in a minor spirit realm within the lost Southern Archipelago. The exact realm remains uncertain, but given time, we’ll pinpoint it. However, after the great upheaval, the hundreds of realms in that archipelago lost their coordinates with our Immortal Realm. The Descent Platform cannot reach them,” the dark-faced Taoist said gloomily.
“This is troublesome. Since the Southern Archipelago shifted, without the Immortal Realm’s support, not only can we not descend, but ascension from there has also become exceedingly rare. Those who do ascend are invariably prodigies of astounding talent and potential—never to be underestimated,” the woman mused.
“I’m well aware. The renowned Celestial Eminence of our domain ascended from a Lost Realm, achieving fame within a mere million years and even becoming a disciple of the Vast Dharma Emperor,” the dark-faced Taoist said, a hint of envy in his voice.
“Enough about ascendants. Without coordinates, reaching these Lost Realms is impossible by conventional means. We must consult the Ancestor for a solution. Given the traitor’s state, sending one or two down should suffice to capture him. Still, I wonder—how did he even reach those realms?” the woman’s eyes glinted coldly.
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