Chapter 82

Xie Zongyuan rolled up his sleeves, took out a cloud sand, and pushed it to Zhang Yan, saying, "Senior Brother Zhang, I have not failed in my mission."

Zhang Yan clasped his hands and said, "I have troubled Senior Brother Xie." He picked up the cloud sand, glanced at it casually, and put it in his sleeve.

His expression was completely natural, and from the surface, it seemed that this item was of little importance to him.

He then took out five porcelain bottles and placed them on the table, saying, "This is the Tranquility Pill, personally refined by my master. Please have Senior Brother Xie deliver them to the other senior brothers."

Xie Zongyuan's eyes lit up with joy, and he said, "With these pills, we will not fear the纠缠 of the Yin Demons."

Zhang Yan, however, said, "Yin Demons are easy to control, but small people are hard to guard against. I believe this journey will not be smooth. What does Senior Brother Xie think?"

Xie Zongyuan naturally understood the implications of his words, and laughed out loud, saying, "Am I Xie Zongyuan, a person who hesitates? Junior Brother, you can rest assured."

Both of them understood that Fang Zhen had a vengeful personality. He had been punished by the sect for their previous actions and must have harbored resentment. Once inside the demon cave, he would likely act without restraint and would not remain calm.

After a brief discussion, Zhang Yan bid farewell to Xie Zongyuan and returned to his room.

It was six days until the first day of the next month, the day when the sea eye would open.

The time was neither long nor short. Zhang Yan thought for a moment and decided that there was no need to rush in condensing the mystic light seed.

The Yin Heavy Water recorded in the Lan Yun Secret Manual had immense power. He had not had the time to condense it recently, but the spiritual energy here was as abundant as that on Spirit Page Island. He decided to take advantage of these few days to refine a drop.

After making up his mind, he sat on a mat and silently began to circulate the technique.

He had practiced this technique in the残玉 no less than a hundred times, and now he was familiar with it. His breath flowed smoothly without any obstruction.

Time passed quickly, and by the sixth day, all the cold energy in his qi acupoints had been completely dispelled. Upon internal inspection, he saw a drop of water floating in his chest, resembling a piece of black jade.

This drop of water was only the size of a thumb, but according to the Lan Yun Secret Manual, it had the power of a thousand catties. However, he had not tested it, so he did not know its true power.

At this moment, Zhang Yan sensed someone lingering outside the door and opened his eyes, saying in a deep voice, "Who is outside the door?"

The voice of a female attendant outside replied, "Is Senior Brother Zhang there? Today is the day the sea eye opens. The other senior brothers did not disturb you during your seclusion these past few days and asked you to meet them at the Flying Crane Tower after you emerged."

"I understand, you may go."

Zhang Yan tidied himself up and left the side hall. It was inconvenient to fly in the Shouming Palace, so he walked up the stone steps. After about a quarter of an hour, he arrived at the Flying Crane Tower.

The female attendant verified his identity and let him in.

Inside the tower, there was a cave about ten feet in size in the center of the main hall. The surging seawater inside roared continuously. A layer of white jade was built around it, resembling a well railing.

This was the sea eye, which connected to the demon cave.

The demon cave was not static; its energy fluctuated like breathing. It absorbed energy on the first day of the month and expelled it on the fifteenth. Therefore, on the first day, one could enter the demon cave by following the current of the sea eye.

On the west side of the main hall, Fang Zhen, Feng Ming, and three other cultivators stood together. When they saw him enter, all but Feng Ming gave him unfriendly looks.

On the east side, a young cultivator with a pale complexion stood quietly, not speaking. He was likely the member of the Han family. Behind him were five cultivators who seemed to be his attendants, but they did not show any sign of respect.

At this moment, a cry came from a corner. Zhang Yan looked over and saw Liu Tao talking to a weeping female cultivator. Xie Zongyuan stood nearby, shaking his head, while Zhao Zhen had his arms crossed and a cold smile on his face.

Zhang Yan walked over and asked, "Senior Brother Xie, what's going on?"

Seeing Zhang Yan arrive, Xie Zongyuan sighed and pointed to the female cultivator, saying, "This is Lady Chen, a disciple of the Shouming Palace. Her husband entered the sea eye last month and never came out. She is now begging the others to take her into the demon cave, pleading bitterly, almost to the point of kneeling. Although she is a cultivator, she has a deep affection for her husband."

Zhang Yan smiled and said, "Cultivators may cultivate, but they are not yet immortals. They still have emotions. Some seek fame, some seek wealth, and some seek power. Lady Chen, I believe, seeks love."

Hearing this, Xie Zongyuan teased, "I wonder what Senior Brother Zhang seeks?"

Zhang Yan's lips gradually curved into a smile, and he said, "Nothing else, but immortality."

Xie Zongyuan laughed and said, "Indeed, transcendence and freedom, without any constraints, is what we all desire."

As he spoke, a rumbling sound suddenly echoed through the hall, and everyone's eyes involuntarily turned to the entrance of the cave.

The seawater first bubbled out, then seemed to be sucked away from below, forming a whirlpool that slowly sank.

Someone exclaimed, "The time has come, the sea eye is open!"

Fang Zhen and his group reacted the fastest. Seeing the sea eye open, they all cast a spell, and their bodies were enveloped in a glow. They leaped into the sea eye one after another, disappearing almost instantly.

The Han family disciple picked up an incense burner, shook it, and a cloud of smoke enveloped him and the five people behind him. He took a few steps forward and leaped into the sea eye, vanishing in an instant.

Seeing this, Liu Tao looked at Cheng An and said, "Senior Brother Cheng, we can set off now."

Cheng An hurriedly took out a token and waved it. A beam of light flashed, and a boat appeared before everyone.

The boat was flat and wide, resembling an old turtle. It had mechanical gates on both sides and open windows on the top. The boat emitted a fragrant aroma, making one feel refreshed.

Zhao Zhen eagerly stepped into the boat first.

Seeing everyone leave, Lady Chen's cries grew louder.

Zhang Yan glanced at her. She had willow-like eyebrows and cherry lips, and her body looked extremely frail. Her sobs were heart-wrenching, evoking sympathy. However, he was thinking about something else.

He called out to Xie Zongyuan, "Senior Brother Xie, since Lady Chen is a disciple of the Shouming Palace, she must be familiar with the path in the demon cave, which would be beneficial to us. Why not take her along?"

Xie Zongyuan shook his head and said, "I had the same idea, but the Fragrant Sand Boat can only carry five people, and we cannot take her."

Zhang Yan pondered for a moment and said, "This is simple. I have the Xuan Luo Dao Yi, a gift from the Water Kingdom, which can protect me from water, fire, and metal. Senior Brother, take her along, and I will go alone."

"Ah?" Xie Zongyuan was quite moved but hesitated, saying, "But this will inconvenience you, Senior Brother Zhang."

Zhang Yan smiled and said, "Why say that? You and the others are just going ahead."

Hearing that Zhang Yan was giving up a spot, Lady Chen wiped her tears and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Senior Brother."

Zhang Yan said calmly, "No need for formalities, Lady Chen. I believe you understand my intentions."

Lady Chen nodded gently and said, "I understand. With my master's guidance, I have been to the demon cave multiple times. I may not be familiar with it, but I can recognize the path."

The sea eye would remain open for only an hour, and there was no time to waste. After making the decision, everyone said their goodbyes to Zhang Yan and entered the Fragrant Sand Boat.

Soon, the boat transformed into a beam of yellow light, shot into the whirlpool, and disappeared in an instant.

Now, the hall was empty. Zhang Yan cast a spell, and his Dao Yi glowed. He took a deep breath, looked at the rapidly spinning whirlpool, and leaped down.

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