ILDV Chapter 82

Yin Lang had him summon Xu Rong.

After bringing the person over, Qin Xun retreated to stand guard outside the door.

Yin Lang beckoned, signaling Xu Rong to come closer. 

Xu Rong immediately clung over like a puppy, only to be stopped by a single finger, regretfully halting across from the stone table.

“Too close,” the other person said with distaste.

Xu Rong smiled awkwardly, concealing the viscous desire flowing in the depths of his eyes.

Don’t be too hasty.

Jiang Mingyue told him that the true admission limit for the Tianxuan Secret Treasury was the Spirit Transformation stage. Wait a little longer, wait until Feng Lan dies in the secret realm, then no one will compete with me for Shizun.

He counseled himself, as if trying hard to suppress the desire that was about to erupt.

The youth raised his head and smiled obediently, “Shizun, did you summon me for some instruction?”

Shen Muxuan pulled something from his sleeve, pressed it between two fingers, and pushed it before him, “Take it.”

Xu Rong looked down.

Three irregular jade fragments were pieced together, forming a nearly semicircular jade piece. The jade was pure white throughout, with a smooth and delicate surface. The incomplete characters on it looked like an inverted ‘chuan’ (川).

He quickly recognized the origins of two of the jade fragments—one he had obtained from Lin Xinqiao, and one was recently stolen for him by Jiang Mingyue.

His face showed hesitation, “Shizun, this…”

Shen Muxuan said, “This jade is indeed a good thing, able to protect you thoroughly in the secret realm. Therefore, when you received this object, I did not speak out to stop you.”

A smile had just appeared on Xu Rong’s face when Shen Muxuan changed his tone, “In ordinary secret realm competitions, if something is seized, then so be it. But this object’s origins are improper—there was no choice but to take it without permission. After this secret realm excursion ends, prepare an apology gift. You will personally go to apologize and return the items.”

Xu Rong’s heart shook violently as he looked up sharply.

Shen Muxuan’s eyes were clear and upright, open and aboveboard. Although he hadn’t said anything, Xu Rong understood—he knew everything.

His chest heaved violently. After quite some time, he lowered his head again and said sullenly, “This object is too precious, this disciple dares not accept it.”

Even if he didn’t know exactly what treasure this jade fragment was, judging from the frenzied behavior of Jietian Dao Sect these past two days, he could realize just how valuable it was.

“What are you thinking? I’m only lending it to you temporarily. You’ll have to return it to me when you come back.”

The hard fan bone tapped lightly on his shoulder, “One Golden Core Formation cultivator mixing into a group of Nascent Soul and Out-of-Body stages—you brat, look at your small frame and see if you can handle it. Don’t be all wishy-washy, take it and get lost quickly. Don’t disturb my peace here!”

Xu Rong took the jade fragment and left.

Qin Xun still couldn’t let it go, “Master, giving him such an important item, are you really not worried that…?”

“Don’t worry.”

As soon as the person left, ‘Shen Muxuan’ automatically exited the stage. Yin Lang leaned back and sneered, “With the Heavenly Dao watching, the item is safer with him than if I held it myself.”

“Also, pay attention these next two days to those sects making the most trouble. After being suppressed for so many days, someone should be unable to hold back soon.”

That night.

Yin Lang, who had been meditating cross-legged on the bed with closed eyes, opened them. He silently got out of bed, walked to the window, and reached out to push open the wooden window.

The wind carried an extremely faint scent of blood, strand after strand continuously drifting from the distance. Yin Lang lightly sniffed, then reached out to twist a wisp of invisible wind, carefully sensing the spiritual energy in the bloody scent that was so faint it was hard to distinguish.

It was ‘Jiang Mingyue’.

Why would this impostor run out so late? Judging from the degree to which the bloody scent had dispersed, she should have lingered nearby for quite some time.

A figure flipped over the courtyard wall. Qin Xun landed steadily, and upon looking up, discovered his master standing by the window in his robes.

Yin Lang had asked him to watch the movements of the lower-ranked sects. Not long ago, a portion of sects that finally couldn’t hold back had united and headed to the front of Jietian Grand Hall, so Qin Xun hurried to report.

Mistakenly thinking Yin Lang had interrupted his cultivation because he sensed these people’s movements, Qin Xun said in slight surprise, “Those people should have just arrived at the front of Jietian Grand Hall. From the looks of it, it seems the Sect Master is going to make an appearance.”

Yin Lang paused slightly.

He nodded as if nothing had happened and instructed. “Mm, I know.”

He asked again, “What about Xu Rong?”

Qin Xun instinctively replied, “Haven’t seen him. At this time, he should already be asleep.”

Seeing his master change clothes as if preparing to set out, Qin Xun was about to follow when Yin Lang tossed a small box into his arms. “No need to follow. Continue watching the movements in front of Jietian Grand Hall. If Jietian Sect Master’s true body never appears, return here immediately to find Xiao Chang’an, then bring Chao Liang to find me.”

His movements were light and quick. In a few flashes, he landed on the courtyard wall of Ji Chang’an’s small courtyard.

Inside the room, the female disciples slept soundly. Ji Chang’an stood in the shadows by the wall holding her sword. Seeing him, she looked up with an eight-toothed smile, pointed in a direction and said cheerfully, “They went that way! ‘Jiang Mingyue’s’ cultivation is too strong, I didn’t dare get too close. But the most likely possibility is these two locations.”

She tossed up a map with two different points marked on it.

Ji Chang’an said vaguely, “The original… was to the north, but that place is really too far. Under these circumstances, [she] basically has no possibility of opening it there.”

Yin Lang caught the map and hummed in acknowledgment, “So, what happened?”

“…” Ji Chang’an was stunned.

Seeing this person’s unshakeable calm appearance, she had thought he already had a good idea in his heart. Turns out it was all an act—he didn’t know anything at all!

Then what are you running around for in the middle of the night!

Yin Lang glanced at her, “There’s a smell of blood.”

His hundreds of years of struggling in the Northern Demon Territory hadn’t been for nothing.

Ji Chang’an explained sullenly, “‘Jiang Mingyue’s’ cover was blown, and she also stole that treasure from Jietian Dao Sect, so she’s being hunted. She gave the treasure to Xu Rong, so when she ran away, she brought him along… that’s what I overheard.”

She wasn’t clear about the situation where ‘Jiang Mingyue’ had already been exposed among the upper echelons of Jietian Dao Sect. The real situation was a bit more complicated.

[Saintess], [Saint], [Daozhu].

Throughout history, the true identity of Jietian’s Saintess/Saint should have been the carefully cultivated successor of the [Daozhu]. They would be taken from their parents’ side when they were too young to remember, selected for their exceptional talent, and personally raised by the [Daozhu].

But ever since the path of ascension was severed thousands of years ago, Wu Daozhu, forced to remain in the cultivation world, forcibly changed this inheritance rule that had been passed down for tens of thousands of years, turning the Saintess/Saint into the inheritor of the Sect Master position. It was precisely because of this that Jiang Mingyue, the so-called successor, had cultivation far stronger than the Sect Master’s disciples of the other two sects.

Because she was originally being cultivated as the next generation [Daozhu].

After her identity was changed, Jiang Mingyue’s position in Jietian Dao Sect became awkwardly stuck in the middle. Called the Sect Master’s successor, yet the Jietian Sect Master didn’t dare truly order her around; called the Saintess, yet she had been explicitly stripped of her status second only to Wu Daozhu. Fortunately, Jiang Mingyue had a gentle and peaceful temperament, and didn’t become extreme despite suddenly suffering such a fall in status.

But it was precisely because of this awkward position that after Jiang Mingyue became ‘Jiang Mingyue’, even though everyone knew something was wrong with her, Wu Daozhu happened to be quite interested in this otherworldly soul that had torn through the world’s barrier to arrive. Before Wu Daozhu explicitly ordered her elimination, no one dared truly harm her. They could only let her think her disguise was very good as she went around ruining the Saintess’s reputation.

It wasn’t until ‘Jiang Mingyue’ stole the jade fragment with the Heavenly Dao’s tacit approval that Wu Daozhu was truly enraged. Unable to leave his hidden seclusion where he was avoiding the Heavenly Tribulation, he furiously ordered Jietian Dao Sect to set aside all other matters and pursue ‘Jiang Mingyue’ with full force to recover the jade fragment.

“No wonder even her cultivation was injured.”

‘Jiang Mingyue’s’ insistence on bringing Xu Rong along when fleeing probably had nothing to do with so-called ‘true love’—it was purely for the [Protagonist’s Halo] and the [Secret Realm Key] rolled up in the treasure map.

The protagonist’s halo could protect her with a greater chance of escape; the secret realm key was a backup plan in case there was truly no way out—she could open the secret realm on the spot and hide inside. As one of the openers, she could be accepted regardless of cultivation level, while the pursuers above the Spirit Transformation stage could only watch helplessly.

Yin Lang put away the map and was about to follow behind the two from a distance.

Ji Chang’an quickly called out to him, craning her neck to ask, “Martial Uncle, what about me? What about me! Is there anything I can help with?”

Yin Lang thought for a moment, “Don’t sleep yet. If your Martial Brother Feng brings someone to find you later, gather all the sect disciples and bring them over together. If nothing unexpected happens… tonight the gates of Tianxuan Secret Treasury will be opened.”

Ji Chang’an: “!!!”

She was at a loss, “No… why? Was there some change that affected…?”

The original novel hadn’t clearly written out how the Tianxuan Secret Treasury opened, nor was there any auction. It only vaguely mentioned that when the time came, it automatically opened. So Ji Chang’an had no idea there was such a thing as a [key].

“The key to opening the secret realm entrance is with Xu Rong.” Yin Lang left these words and quickly disappeared into the night as a white shadow.

‘Jiang Mingyue’ had arrived not long ago and wasn’t familiar with the Southern Region’s terrain. She could only scramble around like a headless fly, relying entirely on having the Child of Destiny with her to avoid being caught.

Yin Lang unhurriedly followed behind the pursuing Jietian Dao Sect crowd, observing which familiar faces were among them.

The leader was indeed the gray-robed Sect Master, with three or four Tribulation stage cultivators following behind him. However, Hu Yunu’s figure was nowhere to be seen in the crowd.

Yin Lang didn’t believe that this cunning fox demon wouldn’t be watching these people’s movements after knowing the jade fragment’s whereabouts. He was probably, like him, secretly watching them from somewhere waiting for an opportunity.

After all, the Southern Region was still Jietian Dao Sect’s home territory. Once they let loose without holding back, ‘Jiang Mingyue’ was quickly restricted with almost no way out. The snow-white Liuxian dress was dyed red by half, with irregular tears everywhere.

‘Jiang Mingyue’ also became ruthless. Seeing the space available for escape getting smaller and smaller, after being entangled by a Jietian Dao Sect Tribulation stage expert once more, pure white flames suddenly emerged from her body. Her aura surged dramatically, and the snow-white silk ‘whoosh!’ extended dozens of meters, catching that Tribulation stage cultivator off guard and wrapping him entirely into a cocoon.

The pursuers’ expressions were complex and hard to read. Most couldn’t hide their resentful feelings, shrilly shouting, “You evil wretch! Not only did you occupy the Saintess’s body, but you even want to burn her divine soul!”

Such clean and pure soul flame couldn’t possibly belong to this impostor.

With Jiang Mingyue’s good temperament, nearly half of Jietian Dao Sect had quite favorable impressions of her.

They had never dared truly tear off the veneer with ‘Jiang Mingyue’. Besides the Daozhu not giving orders, they also sensed the Saintess’s soul was still sleeping within her body, afraid that if they pushed this impostor too hard, both sides would suffer!

“Heh.”

‘Jiang Mingyue’ sneered dismissively. As long as she could successfully leave these people’s sight and have enough time to open the secret realm, even if she burned the original owner dry, what did it matter to her?

Sensing these people’s obvious intent to retreat, the soul flame rising from her body grew more vigorous. She threatened, “If you don’t want your Saintess’s soul to scatter completely, get lost!”

Even with the Sect Master holding the line, quite a few cultivators really showed signs of wanting to retreat.

Annoyance flashed in the Sect Master’s eyes, but he quickly smoothed it over. He took a deep breath and commanded the cultivators, “Do you all want to violate the Daozhu’s orders?”

But even when he brought out the Wu Daozhu, it only changed these people’s thoughts from retreating to conflicted.

‘Jiang Mingyue’ pointed at him and laughed outright, undisguised mockery in her eyes. “No wonder that old thing Wu Daozhu forcibly made Jiang Mingyue the Sect Master’s successor. Look at her prestige—if this isn’t suppressed, before that old thing finds a way to ascend, he’ll be toppled from his throne by his own disciple!”

“Outrageous!”

The Sect Master shouted coldly and immediately threw himself forward!

Most of the cultivators who came followed closely in the Sect Master’s footsteps. That small portion who were concerned about the Saintess moved two beats slower, and the Sect Master immediately saw and noted down each of their names.

But just that one beat of delay already exposed a weak point. ‘Jiang Mingyue’ didn’t hesitate, immediately breaking through the encirclement from this direction and fleeing far away.

With some releasing water and another fox causing trouble in the shadows, most cultivators wanted to obstruct her but were powerless. They could only hatefully watch the white shadow depart.

Yin Lang glanced in a certain direction. A fluffy snow-white fox tail flashed by. His message talisman vibrated continuously. He hid behind a tree and took it out to look.

‘Master, the Juxiang Sect Master has gathered approximately thirty sect leaders from second-rank and below sects and is making a scene in front of Jietian Grand Hall.’

‘Jietian Sect Master hasn’t appeared. It’s another Tribulation stage cultivator pacifying them, but the effect doesn’t look great. Jietian Grand Hall blocks divine consciousness, so I can’t sense if there’s anyone inside.’

‘The Juxiang Sect Master is deliberately guiding their emotions. It feels like they’re about to start fighting… Huh, the Sect Master came out. The aura on his body is a bit thin, doesn’t seem like his true body.’

‘They’ve started fighting. The Sect Master isn’t his true body. He might be doing another very important thing. I’ll return immediately to find Martial Sister Chang’an.’

After the Taihua Immortal Sect disciples were assembled, the other sects’ reactions wouldn’t be too slow either. The fierce competition for Tianxuan Secret Treasury would probably begin very soon.

Opening the gates so unexpectedly, who knows how many people those fellows from the Northern Demon Territory would manage to throw in.

He sent a message to Li Xing, put away the talisman, and rushed in the direction where ‘Jiang Mingyue’, Hu Yunu, and the others had departed without looking back.

‘Jiang Mingyue’, bringing Xu Rong, finally stopped in a place surrounded by mountains, nearly coinciding with the position Ji Chang’an had marked on the map.

She vigilantly swept a glance behind her. Confirming that the pursuers she had shaken off after making a large circle wouldn’t find this place for a while, she grabbed Xu Rong’s shoulder and urged repeatedly, “Quickly take out the key to open the secret realm gates. Once we hide inside, these fellows can only stare helplessly in anxiety!”

After being taken from his courtyard by her in the middle of the night, Xu Rong had been hidden in Jiang Mingyue’s life-bound artifact the whole time. Besides not being able to move, he had heard everything clearly.

He had been somewhat angry about being forcibly taken away, but after ‘Jiang Mingyue’ softened her tone to explain that the jade fragment was on his body—leaving Xu Rong alone in the sect would be even more unsafe and would implicate Shen Muxuan—that bit of dissatisfaction from being forcibly brought along also dissipated.

Especially since ‘Jiang Mingyue’ had protected him very well. Even when forced to burn the original owner’s divine soul and injure herself until covered in blood, she still forced herself not to bring out her life-bound artifact as a weapon. Xu Rong’s impression of her was actually quite good.

He asked, “Are you sure you can open the secret Treasury entrance here?”

Although there was a [key], the [key] still needed to be inserted into a keyhole to successfully open the door. For a secret realm like Tianxuan Secret Treasury appearing for the first time, how could she be so certain the secret realm’s ‘keyhole’ was definitely at this location?

Of course it’s because the original novel wrote about it!

Originally this was the exit. In the original novel, the entrance location was in the northern part of Zhongzhou near the Northern Demon Territory, but the spiritual energy fluctuations from tearing space were too great—’Jiang Mingyue’ didn’t dare take that risk. Anyway, both the [entrance] and [exit] were boundaries between the secret realm space and Lantian Realm space. Either side would work to enter.

She said vaguely, “I naturally have my own information channels. After all this time, do you still not trust me? Moreover, I still need to rely on you, Young Master Xu, to preserve my life right now. What need would I have to deceive you on such a life-or-death matter?”

‘Jiang Mingyue’ continued, “This entrance opened unexpectedly. If those sects in Jietian Dao Sect react quickly, they might manage to send in some disciples. Those far away, like the demonic cultivators from the Northern Demon Territory, can only depend on their Venerables’ capabilities.”

“After going in, although I can’t freely use cultivation above the Spirit Transformation stage, the competitors have already greatly decreased. Young Master Xu obtaining that Daoist Tianxuan’s inheritance will be as easy as lifting a hand.”

Xu Rong was flattered to satisfaction. He decisively took out the map obtained from the underground palace outside Beiyu City. When the map was unrolled, the silk thread binding it transformed into golden light and dispersed. An ancient-style key slowly floated up to mid-air.

Seeming to sense something, the key blazed with golden light. A vast expanse of space before their eyes seemed to be stirred by a giant hand. The surrounding scenery twisted and deformed. Pitch-black, terrifying cracks spread across the canvas-like space. Spatial gales howled out. Vegetation was destroyed and withered. Birds cried out in grief.

‘Jiang Mingyue’ timely pulled Xu Rong behind her and erected a protective barrier, preventing him from being shredded into bone fragments scattered everywhere by the fierce dispersing gales.

The verdant colors before their eyes disappeared. A silver-white vortex slowly rotated, spiritual energy surging wildly. Living beings all over the ground continuously repeated the process of being burst apart and regenerating. Only when this vortex completely formed had the gates of Tianxuan Secret Treasury truly opened.

‘Jiang Mingyue’ constantly looked around on guard, nervously waiting. Unfortunately, the commotion from the entrance opening was really too great. No matter how anxious she was, familiar crowds soon appeared on the horizon.

“The secret Treasury gates have been opened!”

“Impossible! How could the Saintess have obtained the key? When she returned from Beiyu City, didn’t she say…”

A figure suddenly emerged from behind the silver-white vortex.

Long black hair, black clothes, stern features. Seeming to hear the clamor here, he raised his head and glanced over from afar. The other’s icy demonic qi almost froze the person shouting loudly.

“That’s… Fourth Demon Venerable Chao Liang!”

“No wonder the secret Treasury gates suddenly opened. I remember when the Saintess returned, she clearly said both the map and key were seized by Chao Liang!”

“Who was in charge of patrol! Are you blind to let such a huge Demon Venerable in like this? Damn it, why does it have to be at this time…”

After a startled cry, the entire scene erupted into an uproar. The Jietian Sect Master was so angry he didn’t even bother about when a Demon Venerable had snuck into the Southern Region. He pulled out his message talisman and commanded the person in charge left at the sect to immediately organize disciples to rush to the entrance, only to receive the other’s gasping reply:

“Sect Master! Those rebellious sects joined forces to attack Jietian Grand Hall. The sect simply can’t spare the manpower right now!”

During the pursuit, the Jietian Sect Master had been urged to manifest an avatar to return and deal with the resisting sects. He had thought it would be easy to suppress them and hadn’t left much consciousness there. Hearing this news, he nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood on the spot.

Damn it! Of all times for these fellows to cause trouble, why did it have to be today!

Spitting blood, he shrieked furiously, “Don’t bother with those things anymore! Tell them the Tianxuan Secret Treasury entrance has already been opened. Immediately organize the sect disciples and have the Tribulation stage Elders work together to tear open space and send people over!”

Chao Liang stood frozen in place with a stiff face, bewildered in his heart.

He had been staying perfectly fine in his room when he was threatened and dragged here by that black-hearted lotus’s disciple, then kicked out with one foot. Immediately after, he was surrounded and watched by a black mass of righteous path cultivators. To this moment, he still hadn’t figured out what the hell had happened!

It wasn’t until he heard the shouts from those cultivators in their anxiety that he suddenly turned to look at the huge silver-white vortex, and at the somewhat familiar back of the male among the two people sneaking toward the vortex gates. In a flash of realization, he understood something.

Back when he left, not long after, he seemed to hear that Shen Muxuan’s little disciple had obtained a Soul Separation stage inheritance in Beiyu City…

He thought about the ambiguous storybooks about Yin Lang and Shen Muxuan spreading wildly throughout Lantian Realm. He thought about how, after returning to the Northern Demon Territory from Beiyu City, he had inexplicably been labeled as the “treasure map possessor,” and about Yan Yan’s crazy targeting. His face gradually darkened like the bottom of a pot.

——Damn you, Yin Lang! You actually made this Venerable take the blame for your little lover’s disciple!!!