Chapter 63

In the summer, the temperature in Qinghai Province is moderate, with a pleasant climate, making it a prime destination for tourism and sightseeing. Many wealthy individuals from the Great Gan Empire purchase land along the coast of Qinghai, building villas as summer retreats to escape the heat.

During the height of summer, the beaches are always crowded with people coming to vacation and cool off. With the vast population of the Great Gan Empire, it has become increasingly difficult to find a quiet beach along the coast of Qinghai.

However, at the most picturesque Qixia Bay Beach, the beach was empty, with only a few people sitting in a man-made cooling area near the sea, totaling just six individuals.

"Hasn't anyone from the Wen Dao Academy arrived yet?" The speaker was an elder from Sidian Cliff, dressed in black, his robust physique barely concealed, his muscles bulging from his arms and chest, making him appear intimidating. Most people who knew him jokingly called him "Old Yan the Odd."

"The Wen Dao Academy has always placed great importance on etiquette. They usually arrive two to three days before any gathering. It's quite strange that they are late this time." Chu Lingfeng, the representative sent by Lingxiao Holy Land to attend the Ancient Divine Script Symposium, was over 150 years old but still considered quite young among the older generation. He looked like a refined young nobleman, handsome and extraordinary.

"If they don't come, so be it. The sage of the Wen Dao Academy is overly rigid. In recent years, his achievements in divine scriptology have stagnated. This time, they probably have a clear understanding of their own limitations and don't want to come and embarrass themselves." The divine calculator from the Seven Stars Pavilion stroked his long beard, looking quite like a sage.

Each of the three leaders was accompanied by a "young generation" member under fifty years old. In the Holy Lands, where cultivation is profound and lifespans often exceed two hundred years, fifty years is indeed considered young.

"I actually admire the integrity of the Wen Dao Academy. They would rather stagnate than conduct human experiments." Old Yan the Odd sneered, unexpectedly speaking up in favor of the Wen Dao Academy. "Unlike your Seven Stars Pavilion, which appears righteous but secretly does anything."

"Talk about it, has Sidian Cliff never done it?" The divine calculator retorted, "Moreover, when we find people for experiments, it's always consensual, not forced. We don't treat people like animals like the Dark God Temple. What's wrong with that?"

"Let's not argue anymore. The ship from Bingchi Island is here." Chu Lingfeng pointed to the horizon.

A small black dot was gradually getting larger, approaching the group at an astonishing speed, soon revealing itself to be a large ship.

Before long, the large ship approached the shore and stopped just before running aground. A woman in white floated from the deck, gracefully stepping through the air toward the group.

She was a Spirit Venerable!

As she drew near, the young man behind Chu Lingfeng looked up at the woman in the air. She had a beautiful face, a slender figure, and her white clothes fluttered in the breeze, making her look like a transcendent beauty.

However, her face was cold and expressionless, exuding an aura that warned others to keep their distance, making it difficult to feel close to her.

"I am Li Bing from Bingchi Island, welcoming all esteemed guests from the Holy Lands!" The woman's voice was clear and pleasant, but her tone was cold, lacking the warmth of a welcome.

"I didn't expect Deputy Island Master Li to come in person." Chu Lingfeng, an elder of Lingxiao Holy Land, held a high position and did not dare to show any disrespect to the woman who appeared to be only in her twenties or thirties.

"Deputy Island Master Li." Old Yan the Odd and the divine calculator also bowed in greeting.

"Where are the people from the Wen Dao Academy?" Li Bing scanned the group and suddenly frowned.

"The Wen Dao Academy hasn't arrived yet. Should we wait a bit longer?" Old Yan the Odd seemed to have a good relationship with the Wen Dao Academy and did not want them to miss this gathering.

"The symposium is a joint agreement among the five parties. We cannot delay everyone's time for the sake of the Wen Dao Academy. I think we should consider them as having forfeited." The divine calculator seemed to be at odds with Old Yan the Odd.

After a moment's thought, the beautiful woman Li Bing said, "Since the Wen Dao Academy is late and did not send a messenger in advance, we will not wait for them. Please board the ship."

The divine calculator, upon hearing this, glanced at Old Yan the Odd and a smug smile appeared on his face.

"Hmph." Old Yan the Odd was quite displeased, instinctively disliking the elder from the Seven Stars Pavilion.

At that moment, a sharp cry pierced the sky, causing a slight pain in the eardrums of everyone present.

The elders present, all Spirit Venerables and rare powerhouses in the cultivation world, were experienced and calm.

However, upon hearing the sharp cry, the Spirit Venerables sensed a hint of threat and became alert.

A gray shadow darted down from the sky at an incredible speed, so fast that even the young geniuses of the Holy Lands had difficulty tracking it with their eyes. As it neared the ground, the gray shadow suddenly slowed down, landing softly without a sound, performing a high-difficulty maneuver with ease.

When the gray shadow landed, everyone focused their attention and saw that it was a gray eagle, about two meters tall with a wingspan of nearly five meters. Its feathers were bright, its eyes sharp, and its three large claws glinted with a golden light. It looked majestic and imposing.

"Sorry for being late. Please forgive us." An old man with dark skin and an ordinary appearance dismounted from the eagle's back, followed by a young woman in white, as beautiful as a celestial being.

The two had a commanding presence, as if they had just made a grand entrance.

"Old Ning, your entrance is quite impressive." Old Yan the Odd, who knew the old man and his granddaughter well, was stunned.

The divine calculator and Chu Lingfeng exchanged glances, clearly not expecting such a scene.

Even the cold and distant Deputy Island Master Li Bing showed a hint of surprise in her eyes.

"Thank you for your help!" Old Ning bowed to the eagle.

His granddaughter, Ning Jie, gently stroked the eagle's feathers and said softly, "Please convey my greetings to him."

Although the eagle could not understand the language of Old Ning and Ning Jie, it could sense their goodwill, nodded to them, and then spread its wings, rising into the sky and disappearing into the clouds.

"Deputy Island Master Li, I apologize. My granddaughter and I got separated on the way, causing a delay." Old Ning bowed to everyone, "If it weren't for the help of this eagle friend, we might have missed this grand event."

"It's fine." Li Bing shook her head.

"Old Ning, where did you find this big bird?" Old Yan the Odd, being familiar with Old Ning, spoke casually, "I can sense that it has the combat strength of a Spirit Venerable."

The others also showed curious expressions.

"This is a long story. If you don't mind, I'll tell you more on the ship." Old Ning, noticing a hint of impatience on Li Bing's face, quickly said.

"Let's go." Li Bing coldly said, then turned and floated back to the ship.

The elders from the Holy Lands led their younger members, floating through the air and boarding the ship. The large ship turned and sailed away, its speed far surpassing that of naval vessels from the secular world...

***

In Lin Zhiyun's boudoir.

"Speak, what do you need from me?" Lin Zhiyun, seeing Zhong Wen's smiling face, knew he must have a request.

"Palace Master Sister, last time I obtained a batch of ancient spirit techniques from the Jile Gang. Although they are not of high grade, two of them are still somewhat useful. I thought of translating them for the disciples to practice, but as you know, I don't recognize the Great Gan script, so I'm asking for your help." Zhong Wen clasped his hands in a pleading manner.

"Why don't you ask Xiao Die..." Lin Zhiyun, halfway through her sentence, remembered that Zhong Wen had only told her about his knowledge of ancient divine script, so she changed her words, "If there aren't too many, it's not a problem."

"There are quite a few, but most are just gold-grade trash. I don't need to translate them urgently. Only the few platinum-grade ones need your help." Zhong Wen rubbed his hands and smiled.

Hearing Zhong Wen refer to gold-grade spirit techniques as "trash," Lin Zhiyun's lips twitched, still feeling uncomfortable with the term.

"Let's start." She took out paper and pen, determined to finish the translation quickly and send Zhong Wen on his way.

It wasn't that Lin Zhiyun disliked him, but as a conservative and single woman, she felt it was inappropriate to have a young man stay in her boudoir for too long.

Zhong Wen then took out several platinum-grade spirit techniques from his pocket and opened the first one: "Palace Master Sister, this first spirit technique is called 'Whirling Wind and Falling Goose Sword Technique,' a platinum-grade sword technique. I'll read it out, and you write it down. Follow the page breaks and spacing as I say, and I'll need to add some illustrations later..."

"Alright." Lin Zhiyun nodded.

As Zhong Wen began reading the content, Lin Zhiyun started writing. Her pen moved quickly and silently, and Zhong Wen, glancing at her work, could see that her handwriting was very elegant, indicating she had received good education.

The two were very close, and as Zhong Wen read the ancient text, he enjoyed the scent of the incense and Lin Zhiyun's fragrance, occasionally looking at her delicate profile, finding it very pleasant both visually and olfactorily.

Zhong Wen's voice was clear and his reading rhythm was good, gradually calming Lin Zhiyun down. She began to get used to his presence, and the room was filled only with Zhong Wen's reading and Lin Zhiyun's light writing, creating a harmonious and peaceful atmosphere.

After a hard afternoon's work, a copy of the 'Whirling Wind and Falling Goose Sword Technique' without illustrations was completed. Seeing the result of their efforts, the two smiled at each other, feeling a bit closer.

"Palace Master Sister, let's stop here for today. I'll add some illustrations and put this sword technique in the library for everyone to practice. We'll translate a platinum-grade knife technique tomorrow afternoon." Zhong Wen smiled, "I'll be back."

Lin Zhiyun, intending to refuse, found herself saying a soft "yes" instead.

Back in his room, Zhong Wen added the illustrations to the spirit technique and made a new copy, working late into the night. Finally, he saw a message on the mental bookshelf:

"Task 1 Completed: Translated an ancient text into Great Gan script, length: good; quality: excellent; please draw for a reward: 1. Great Gan Beauty Rankings; 2. Senluo Wanxiang Divine Technique; 3. Nine Palace Confusing Steps."

Seeing the generous rewards, Zhong Wen resisted the urge to go find Leng Wushuang and the little girl, and mentally said, "Draw!"

"Congratulations, you have received the reward: Nine Palace Confusing Steps!"

"Not bad." Zhong Wen, seeing the Star Spirit-grade spirit technique step on the bookshelf, felt relieved, but then saw another message:

"Task 1 Completed: Translated an ancient text into Great Gan script, length: good; quality: excellent; please draw for a reward: 1. Great Gan Spirit Medicine Distribution Map; 2. Senluo Wanxiang Divine Technique; 3. Innate Child Technique."

"Two draws! Must be because of the high quality of the translation?" Zhong Wen, excited, said, "Draw!"

"Congratulations, you have received the reward: Senluo Wanxiang Divine Technique!"

The task list was updated:

"Task 1: Translate ten books written in Great Gan script, rewards based on length and quality."

Just one task, and he received a Star Spirit-grade technique and a Star Spirit-grade divine technique, making Zhong Wen feel like he had used up all his luck in one go.

However, after carefully reading the new ancient texts, he frowned, realizing the task was not as simple as he thought.

Because both techniques were quite complex...