In but a few breaths of time, the unending drone echoing in the valley had transformed into a humming resonance, reaching every corner of the valley. As the sound waves undulated, the light waves of the Clear Mind Incantation diffused.
This Divine Light was unlike the ordinary Clear Mind Incantation. At its first touch, the gushing Divine Light permeated like water, from outside to inside, cleansing every limb and bone. For a moment, the whole body felt pure and ethereal, a cool breeze seemed to rise within, ascending straight into the Brain Palace, making the senses sharp and the whole person felt as if reborn.
Ordinary Clear Mind Incantation could never have such an effect. Yu Ci sighed in a trance-like state, this was the "Qi Leading Method". It was not a simple sum of one plus one, but an absolute level of elevation.
However, compared to the Qi Leading Method, Yu Ci felt that being able to "Knowledge Aperture" or "open the aperture" on the Talisman was his greatest achievement in these days. Now thinking about it, Elder Jie Liang's requirement for him to practice the Qi Leading Method was probably meant to help him understand the "aperture" of the Talisman and truly master the Talisman.
Riding on the momentum of the successful application of the Qi Leading Method, Yu Ci, in one breath, drew more than a dozen Clear Mind Incantations. Some used the Qi Leading Method, some did not, but his grasp of the aperture became increasingly precise.
However, Yu Ci was well aware that he was still a distance away from truly mastering the Qi Leading Method. Because he had only understood the mystery of the aperture of the Clear Mind Incantation, to extrapolate this knowledge to the Five-Thunder Talismans, Godspeed Talisman, Great Sun Talisman, and other Talismans he was good at, and successfully "lead the Qi" through the aperture, he still needed great effort and hard work.
But that didn't matter, Yu Ci had already found joy in the process, a joy that could not be overshadowed by any hardship.
**********
As Yu Ci continued to find joy in his cultivation in the mountains, Murong Qingyan, who had been "traveling through mountains and rivers", arrived outside Cliff City after a journey of more than twenty days.
It was deep into the night, the female cultivator stood on a high mountain outside the city, looking down at the vast city.
The night view of Cliff City was starkly divided. The northern Cinnabar Cliff, mostly hidden in darkness, resembled a crouching beast, staring at the brightly lit New City opposite, constantly asserting its sphere of influence. The Old City, sandwiched in the middle, flickered with a few vague lights, serving as the backdrop to this static picture.
The cold wind howled on the high mountain, fluttering her skirt. Murong Qingyan gently gathered her scattered hair, her gaze moving from the physical city to the dark clouds above.
To the common eye, this was just a normal gloomy weather, with surging cold air, perhaps there would be snowfall at night. But the female cultivator saw things differently. Through some special sense, she knew that an extremely cold force, like a giant Iceberg, was towering above the clouds, its icy chill permeating the cloud layer, brewing a special snowstorm.
The female cultivator waited for a moment, estimating that the chilling cold high in the sky had accumulated to a certain level, she parted her vermilion lips, a layer of enchanting fluctuations resonated within her body, amplifying and spreading out.
Without any sound, the shockwave propagated through the air, instantly spreading from the peak of the mountains behind the city to the area below, known as New City. It continued to diffuse, sweeping across the central city area in an instant, crossing Cinnabar Cliff, and eventually fading into silence.
Atop Cinnabar Cliff, Li You, a male cultivator, was sulking alone in the secluded courtyard of White Sun Mansion, specially arranged for him.
Lately, he had been in a foul mood, his usually bright smile noticeably subdued.
Everything began from the night of the great battle at Nanfrost Lake. At that time, he and Meng Wei, a female cultivator, had gone to welcome Murong Qingyan, another female cultivator. They had encountered Nan Songzi, and after only a few exchanges, he had laid down an Illusion Array, trapping both Li You and Meng Wei. Meng Wei managed to break free from the array quickly, but Li You was stuck, struggling for a long time before finally escaping.
By the time he arrived, the battle at Nanfrost Lake had already ended. He had been sidelined, and to add insult to injury, Meng Wei had been severely wounded, and her recently achieved Golden Elixir was in danger of being shattered.
Li You was extremely frustrated!
It was only later that he found out that Meng Wei had successfully established the Mechanism and condensed the Golden Elixir two months prior. He was not surprised or jealous of this, as he fully recognized Meng Wei's excellence. After all, how many cultivators from the Discipline Department would dare to confront the respected elders of the Sect at the tender age of seven, righteously denouncing their wrongdoing?
In the seventy to eighty years since that incident, Meng Wei was the only one.
It was widely agreed within the Sect that Meng Wei was the strongest candidate to take charge of the Discipline Department in the future. Li You wholeheartedly accepted being surpassed by her in cultivation progress.
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However, this did not excuse his inaction that night.
Compared to his peers in the mountain, he, Li You, was considered outstanding, but when compared to the endless masters of the outside world, he was still insignificant.
He must at least achieve the Golden Elixir! In a major Sect like Lichen Sect, only by achieving the Golden Elixir could one initially qualify to stand on their own.
His desire to return to the mountains and focus on his cultivation was growing more intense. However, the reality was that he had to stay in Cliff City, representing the Lichen Sect, consolidating the city's forces, and resisting the impact brought about by the turbulence in Sky Rift Valley.
From the looks of it, it would still be a considerable amount of time before he could return to the mountains.
Damn Sky Rift Valley, damn Cliff City, damn…?
Li You furrowed his brows. Despite his youthful age, as a cultivator of the Empirical Department, what he never lacked was real combat experience. Long-term battle training had endowed him with an extremely sensitive perception, a keen sense for pressure and danger. He had always been confident in this regard.
Just a moment ago, a similar feeling had flashed by.
He picked up his Treasure Sword and stepped out of the courtyard. The Cinnabar Cliff was very quiet, with no changes. However, the clouds in the sky seemed to be pressing down even lower. Looking up, a fine dusting of snow was already falling.
“It’s snowing!”
The female cultivator extended her finger to catch the small falling ice crystals. The ice crystals quickly melted from her body heat, leaving behind a lingering chill that resonated with the falling snow, causing the temperature to continue to drop.
Just then, someone spoke from behind her, sounding somewhat puzzled.
"Was it you who called me here?"
The female cultivator turned calmly and bowed, saying, “The junior generation, Murong Qingyan, pays her respects to Elder Li.”
The person she was paying respect to was mostly hidden under a canopy woven from shadows, not revealing any part of his face. The place where he stood was noticeably darker than the surrounding areas, as if the already weak night light was completely absorbed.
Facing this person, Murong Qingyan smiled, “Congratulations, Elder Li. After being lost for a hundred years, you finally found your way back. I imagine that outside the limitless vacuum, you have already received divine blessings and your cultivation has returned to its peak, and even further progress is just around the corner.”
Unfortunately, her smile and goodwill did not receive the response they deserved. In the blink of an eye, the light around her body dimmed sharply, and the chill solidified like a tangible thing, like hundreds of sharp knives hanging in the air, making people wonder whether the other party would ruthlessly tear the female cultivator's beautiful body to shreds.
The figure in the shadows did not conceal his somewhat impatient mood, “Cut the crap, girl. You are not the Messenger of the God Lord, so what's the deal with this Demonic Soul Summoning Technique?”
Murong Qingyan responded calmly, “Why does Elder Li have doubts? The junior generation has a special constitution and by a stroke of luck, has been favored by your esteemed sect's God Lord. I can borrow a couple of divine arts to deliver some messages for your sect.”
“Oh?”
The sharp eyes hidden under the shadowy canopy scanned the female cultivator's delicate body. Murong Qingyan was generous, slightly lowering her eyes, her lips curving slightly, allowing the other party to scrutinize her.
After a while, the other party said uncertainly, “Envoy Across Realms?”
The female cultivator's smile bloomed like a fresh flower, “Elder Li has a discerning eye.”
Her flattery was met with indifference from the figure in the shadows, who sneered coldly, “I thought it was someone important, turns out it's just an information peddler.”
Murong Qingyan was not offended. She slightly bowed her body, as if to reintroduce herself.
The so-called "Envoy Across Realms", also known as "Spiritual Witch", refers to a very special bloodline in this world. They are born with the ability to communicate with the mysterious existences in the universe that ordinary people can hardly imagine. They can adapt to the Cultivation World and Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion, and even the special geographical environment of the Outer Realm of the Nine Heavens, freely moving in any corner of the universe.
Moreover, within the cognizance of those dwelling in shadows, certain "Spiritual Witches" of exceptional aptitude are even capable of reaching out to the God Lord of boundless divine powers from legends, conducting limited interactions with these potent entities. They can even offer themselves as sacrifices, paying a certain price to the God Lord they do not pledge faith to, in exchange for certain abilities. It seems that Murong Qingyan is one such individual.
It may seem impressive, but the "Spiritual Witch" has its limitations. Due to their unique constitution, it is difficult for them to achieve significant progress in their cultivation. It is already quite an accomplishment for them to form a Golden Elixir. Their lifespan is relatively short, making it challenging for them to leave a profound mark in this world.
Owing to their unique abilities, they usually serve as messengers between two or more forces, leveraging their exclusive channels to trade intelligence and maintaining relations with all sides. The epithet "information peddler" given by the people in the shadows is quite fitting.
Now that the identity of Murong Qingyan is known, the shadow dweller, Liu Guan, finds it somewhat interesting. He has just escaped from a century of confinement in the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion. Who in the sect that has expelled him would be so timely as to ask a "Spiritual Witch" to contact him?
Murong Qingyan gave a slight smile, pulling out a walnut-sized bell of a purplish-red hue. It emitted a faint glow in the night, and with a shake, a crisp, delicate sound resonated, capturing the attention of the figure in the shadows, Liu Guan.
"Half a year ago, when Senior Liu made a great determination and offered a sacrifice to connect with nature, the owner of the bell sensed it at the moment of recognition. He specially asked me to journey to the Eight Suffering Underworld to contact the senior. However, I didn't expect the senior to drive the cold wave and leave the nether prison. I followed the traces to the Sky Rift Valley and finally met the senior here."
Liu Guan's face was hidden in the shadows, unclear, but the female cultivator could feel his intense interest in the bell she held. She smiled, extending her hand to pass the bell.
Her slender hand reached into the darkness ahead, feeling a slight chill, and the bell at her fingertips disappeared. Murong Qingyan withdrew her hand and softly said:
"The owner of the bell asked me to convey a message to senior: Past matters have been settled, God Lord's grace and might are seen again, why not return quickly?"
************
Unconsciously, it has already been a hundred chapters. Thanks to friends for their tolerance, understanding, and support. In the days to come, "Inquiry the Mirror" will surely present a splendid and grand world to all brothers and sisters with the aim of continuous improvement.
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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e