Offering Salted Fish to Master - C4
Chapter 4
Clueless
Not only did Liao Tingyan panic, but so did the head of the palace, several palace owners, and the elderly Dongtianzhu. The younger disciples were unaware of why this ancestor was so aggressive. Still, the older members, who had lived for several thousand years, understood and felt a bitter disappointment in their mouths.
Even after five hundred years, this ancestor's fury had not only remained unchecked but had grown even more terrifying. If this matter were not resolved, their Gengchen Immortal Mansion—a large sect that had lasted for hundreds of thousands of years—would likely be shattered in their generation. This left them in despair at the thought of facing their ancestors.
At that moment, the head of the palace could not afford to focus on anything else; the ancestor’s anger was more intense than they had expected. He had to brace for the worst.
“Ancestor, five hundred years ago, shortly after you went into retreat, the master passed away. Before he departed, he left you a letter, hoping it would be delivered to you in person.” Kneeling on the steps of the Three Sacred Mountains, he no longer exhibited the authority he usually held before the disciples.
Despite the tension, everyone listened intently to the ancestor; their ears perked up.
“Come in,” the ancestor commanded.
The head of the palace rose, entered the clouds and mist surrounding the Three Sacred Mountains, leaving the group of disciples outside, anxiously waiting.
Liao Tingyan reflected that the ancestor's voice did not sound aged at all. In fact, it had a youthful vigor to it, maintaining an air of ferocity.
Not long after, the clouds suddenly dispersed, revealing the true visage of the Three Sacred Mountains to everyone.
The Three Sacred Mountains had been sealed for five hundred years, and the younger disciples had never seen their proper form. As they beheld it now, they were awestruck. The vast expanse of the mountains was devoid of grass or trees; instead, it was paved with jade and adorned with intricate, mysterious patterns. At first glance, it appeared to be a single entity, but upon closer inspection, one could discern that it contained countless formations.
At the center of the mountaintop stood a circular palace complex, with structures scattered at varying heights, all surrounding the tallest tower in the middle, which was topped with golden tiles and adorned with red walls. It looked magnificent, but around the palace stood hundreds of dark iron pillars, entwined with a massive black chain tightly wrapped around the central tower. Floating above was a large jade plate inscribed with runes.
This scene, reminiscent of a 'Five Elements Mountain' that suppresses the Monkey King, suggested that something terrible was being contained, rather than indicating a peaceful retreat.
Liao Tingyan realized this and, glancing at the striking companions around him, suddenly felt a pang of insecurity. Since this ancestor was akin to a “Grand Sage Sun,” he wondered why they were seeking out not a Tang Seng or Tathagata, but instead a group of spirit bones, snakes, demon princesses, and peacock princesses. Was it possible they intended to sacrifice these beings to appease the ancestor and calm his wrath?
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Even when the principal shouted from the stage, "You will all die when the results come out this time!" her momentary fear gave way to apathy. After all, everyone was in the same situation. She stopped dwelling on the distant possibility of death and instead focused on the pain in her legs, wishing she could sit down and rest.
Looking around, she realized she was probably the one with the lowest cultivation level in the crowd. Moments ago, the aftermath of the ancestor's presence had caused her to have a nosebleed. How was she supposed to handle this? She shifted the weight from her left foot to her right and back again, until the head of the palace, who had ventured deep into the tiger's den, emerged from the principal's room.
He appeared battered and was in quite a dishevelled state. The jade crown he wore was shattered and precariously perched. His handsome face was a mix of red and white, striking in its oddity. Breathing heavily, he weakly commanded, "The Master has already left seclusion. If you are not pleased, please leave."
"You, go in and serve your master well," he directed towards the Hundred-member Women’s Group.
The leading female disciple was said to be related to the palace's head from the younger generation and was appointed as the group's leader. At that moment, she faced the palace's head with fierce determination, resembling a revolutionary martyr. Resolutely, she led her sisters into the Three Sacred Mountains.
Everyone's footsteps felt heavy; there was none of the excitement or anticipation that they had initially felt. Over time, they had calmed down and realized that something was amiss, filling them with panic. Liao Tingyan's steps were also labored, compounded by the genuine pain in her legs. The expansive Three Sacred Mountains loomed large, with their beautiful jade-paved ground stretching endlessly. It felt as if they were walking like ants, unable to reach the finish.
As the saying goes, "Wangshan ran to death," and an unusual pressure hung in the air. Liao Tingyan wasn't the only one feeling it; even those with higher cultivation levels struggled. The female disciples could hardly bear it any longer.
"It seems we can't use spiritual power freely. What’s going on?" someone whispered tentatively.
Others gazed at the towering black iron pillars and chains that loomed above the clouds, feeling increasingly uneasy. "What’s the meaning of these chains?" they wondered anxiously.
These flowers are, like the sun and the moon. Why are there so many suns and moons here?" After walking through the outermost blood-red high wall, another girl found something wrong, and there was a flowerbed in front of them, as if it grew around the entire circular building.
Liao Tingyan looked at the flowers. The flowers were like peonies, the flowers were white, the stamens were black, and the branches and leaves were dark. They looked strange and beautiful. After all, she was not born and raised, and she had little knowledge. She didn't know the origin of this flower named Sunyueyoutan, which could scare a group of girls into trembling like ghosts.
She wanted to ask, but everyone's faces were as white as flowers, and they looked strangely scary, so she shut up.
When they arrived, the surroundings were silent, there was no wind, and they didn't know where to go.
"Should we continue to move forward?"
"Of course, I have to go to see the master." The head of the palace pretended to be calm.
"But where should we go?"
