Chapter 80

At Xie Zongyuan's invitation, everyone boarded his Dragon Tooth Flying Boat.

This flying boat, worthy of a Xuan Guang cultivator, was as fast as sword flight, and in less than a day, a palace with green tiles and red pillars appeared in the distance.

From afar, a auspicious aura rose from the roof, connecting with the auspicious clouds in the sky. A beam of jade light pierced through the clouds, illuminating the three tiers of jade steps in front of the hall, making them look like ice and crystal, clear and splendid. The green smoke from the bronze incense burner also appeared misty and ethereal, with smoke swirling around.

Xie Zongyuan exclaimed in amazement, "Wow, the spiritual energy is surging to the sky. This Peng Zhenren must have deep cultivation. When he operates his mystic arts, it actually causes a resonance between heaven and man, accompanied by clouds and mist. It seems that our Mingshang Sect will soon have to be called the Ten Great Zhenren."

Zhao Zhen snorted and interjected, "Is it really that simple? It looks like a small step, but it's actually a world apart. My great-uncle once said that if this Peng Zhenren can cross this threshold within a hundred years, it would be fine. If not, he will likely have no hope for the rest of his life."

Although Xie Zongyuan did not agree, he did not dare to say more as they approached the Shouming Palace, for fear that Peng Zhenren would hear and cause trouble.

Zhao Zhen, however, thought his words were sharp and to the point, and could not help but feel smug.

Zhang Yan found it amusing in his heart. On the journey, whenever someone brought up a topic, Zhao Zhen would always come in with a counter-argument, becoming more and more spirited the more he argued. His words, though twisted, were truly annoying. If it weren't for the fact that they still needed him to lead the way, he would have been kicked off long ago.

Seeing the flying boat arrive, a Daoist nun with a proper face and a touch of beauty came forward, bowed, and said, "Are the senior brothers here to cultivate in the demon lair?"

Liu Tao and Zhang Yan exchanged glances, and Xie Zongyuan asked curiously, "Apart from us, are there others coming here?"

The Daoist nun smiled and said, "As the senior brother guessed, five days ago, Fang Zhen, a disciple of Zhenren Yan, came here, saying he would bring several senior brothers to cultivate in the demon lair. Three days ago, several senior brothers from the Yunlang Han family also came here. With all of you, there must be about twenty people."

The Yunlang Han family?

Even Xie Zongyuan was slightly moved. The Yunlang Han family was one of the five major families, a family of families within the Mingshang Sect. Disciples from such families rarely interacted with other disciples in the sect. It was unexpected that they would come to cultivate in the demon lair, clearly to prepare for the attack on the Three Ponds and to improve their cultivation as soon as possible.

The Daoist nun continued, "The Sea Eye opens on the first and fifteenth of every month. The senior brothers will have to wait a few days. May I know your names? I will go in to clean the rooms and prepare the vegetarian meals."

Xie Zongyuan was about to answer when Zhao Zhen suddenly sneered, "There's no need to say our names. I'm afraid we'll be eating tongues tonight."

The Daoist nun was taken aback, her face turning slightly red, and she immediately looked embarrassed and angry. Without a word, she turned and walked away.

Xie Zongyuan shook his head and said, "I didn't expect Fang Zhen and the others to come."

Zhang Yan's eyes flickered, and he said, "It's not surprising. Fang Zhen is also at the third level of Ming Qi. They must have learned that the sect is about to attack the Three Ponds, so they came here to cultivate. Besides, everyone knows that Zhenren Zhu and Zhenren Yan are close friends. Zhu Zhenren's disciple, Zhuang Bufan, has suppressed the demon lair for sixteen years without a single demon escaping. He must be very familiar with the situation inside, so it's not difficult for him to guide Fang Zhen and the others."

"Suppress?" Zhao Zhen, upon hearing this, was full of disdain, and he sneered, "It's just a pretext for openly cultivating mystic arts. If it weren't for the restrictions of the Shouming Palace, the demons inside would have long escaped. Whether he is there or not makes no difference."

Xie Zongyuan coughed and glanced at Long Tao, who understood and immediately said, "This is my first time at the Shouming Palace. I wonder if there are any scenic spots. Why don't Brother Zhao take me on a tour?"

Without waiting for Zhao Zhen's response, he dragged him away.

Cheng An had not spoken throughout the journey. Seeing this, he hesitated for a moment and then followed Long Tao.

Xie Zongyuan called Zhang Yan to a secluded corner and said, "We are not familiar with the passage under the Sea Eye. The only one we can rely on is Zhao Zhen, but he is boastful and frivolous. I'm not sure if he can handle this task."

Zhang Yan, seeing that Xie Zongyuan was also frustrated, could not help but laugh and said, "If you use someone, don't doubt them. If you doubt them, don't use them. Besides, his words are not entirely baseless, just sharp-tongued. Senior brother can just treat it as a joke."

Xie Zongyuan nodded and said, "What I'm worried about now is that Fang Zhen and the others might try to trip us up when they learn we are also going to the demon lair."

Zhang Yan understood the implication and thought for a moment before saying in a serious tone, "We must be cautious."

At this moment, the Daoist nun who had left earlier returned, but now her face was expressionless. "Senior brothers, I have checked, and the guest rooms are full. The Shouming Palace is inhabited by female cultivators, so it is not convenient to accommodate outsiders. Since you are all cultivators who live on air and dew, I'm sure you won't mind spending a night outdoors."

Xie Zongyuan frowned. To him, it didn't matter much where they stayed, but since Fang Zhen and the others were staying inside the palace, and they were staying outside, they would be laughed at and it would damage the Xie family's reputation.

Zhang Yan, however, thought it was better this way, as it would avoid any unnecessary trouble with Fang Zhen and the others.

At this moment, he heard someone behind him call out in surprise, "Senior Brother Zhang."

Zhang Yan turned around and saw Qin Nan standing not far away, her face flushed, wearing a Daoist robe similar to the one the Daoist nun was wearing. He was surprised and said, "Junior Sister Qin? Are you cultivating here?"

Qin Nan looked delighted and said, "Yes."

She thought for a moment and then turned to the Daoist nun and said, "These senior brothers are guests from afar. Since the guest rooms are full, please prepare a side hall for them to rest."

The Daoist nun bowed her head and said respectfully, "Yes, Senior Aunt."

Xie Zongyuan chuckled and said, "Since my junior brother has met an old friend, he must have a lot to talk about. I'll go for a walk elsewhere."

With a flick of his sleeve, he walked away.

Zhang Yan smiled and said, "I wonder how Junior Sister Qin and Peng Zhenren are addressed?"

Qin Nan looked a bit embarrassed and said, "I was originally a registered disciple under Senior Brother Chen, but then the Ancestor saw me and took me as a closed-door disciple."

Zhang Yan looked at Qin Nan carefully and sighed, "Junior Sister Qin has great fortune."

They had only been apart for about half a month, but Qin Nan had already reached the peak of the first level of Ming Qi and was about to break through to the second level. The speed of her cultivation improvement was truly astonishing.

Qin Nan looked at Zhang Yan with wide eyes and said, "Senior Brother, are you also here to cultivate in the demon lair?"

Zhang Yan said, "Yes, have you been here before?"

Qin Nan nodded vigorously, "Yes, I have been cultivating there every day recently."

Zhang Yan suddenly understood. No wonder her cultivation improved so rapidly. Thinking of this, he asked, "Since you have been here before, do you know the path under the Sea Eye?"

Qin Nan thought for a moment, and then her eyes lit up. "Senior Brother, please wait a moment."

She turned and left, and after about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, she returned, handing over a square piece of silk about a foot in size. It was covered with dense, indistinguishable red lines. "This is a drawing I saw in my master's study. I copied it, but I'm not sure if it's useful. Senior Brother, you might as well take it."

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