The architectural layout of the city atop the red cliffs is in fact, quite simple. From the foot to the waist of the mountain are the dwellings of the servants, their families, and retainers. After hundreds of years of development, it has grown into a self-sufficient small town.
The main residence of the White Sun Mansion sprawls from the mountaintop, built in accordance with the mountain's terrain, often in treacherous locations. These places are not suitable for ordinary people to live in, but for Cultivators, this is not an issue. Yu Ci, a male, sees it very clearly. The reason for such a layout is not because the Cultivators of the White Sun Mansion are keen on ascetic cultivation, but because the builders have tried to incorporate the most valuable Spiritual Vein Acupoint Eye on the cliff into the architecture for convenient cultivation.
Therefore, these perilous structures have become Yu Ci's favorite places to "visit". Here, he can always find the leading figures in the mansion, observe their cultivation, and their various schemes, finding endless amusement in it.
But before that, he needs to ignore the ugly blotch gradually forming on the Divine Map.
The blotch appears somewhere in the Deep Layer of the Cinnabar Cliff. It's not just a blotch, but a vague area of about a mile, where the situation inside is not invisible, but is distorted by some enormous force, causing all light and shadow images to be severely distorted and unrecognizable.
Seeing this, Yu Ci is not surprised at all, because similar emotions had been evaporated by him two days ago. He knows very well what is hidden in this distorted light and shadow.
The old fellow is still cultivating—that vague area is precisely the exclusive Meditation Room of Tu Du, the Chief Elder of the White Sun Mansion.
Most people in the mansion know that this legendary creature, who has lived for three hundred years, often secludes himself for several years in order to extend his life. Some servants in the mansion may never have seen him in their entire lives. Naturally, they regard this old creature as the most mysterious person in the mansion, and the various legends surrounding him have never ceased, even spreading outside the mansion, becoming more bizarre as they spread.
The most powerful Cultivator in the city atop the sheer cliff is of course Jin Huan, the Mansion Master of the White Sun Mansion, but the most mysterious Cultivator is definitely Tu Du, the Chief Elder of the White Sun Mansion. This is a consensus among the residents of the city atop the sheer cliff.
But for Yu Ci, the only thing he needs to meet the mysterious Chief Elder is a little patience.
After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, the distorted light and shadow area begins to move.
It begins to rise, its impact always confined to a radius of one mile, with no intention of spreading to the surrounding area. The speed is also very fast, in a flash, it reaches the ground, another flash, and it's in the sky a hundred feet high. At this point, the full view of the Meditation Room is revealed, the interior is very simple, the only eye-catching thing is the figure lying flat with closed eyes on the couch.
This person is Tu Du.
No one would believe it if they were told that the Chief Elder of the White Sun Mansion is just such a dried-up, breathless old man, thin and small, covered in a black robe like a blanket. If it weren't for the detailed scenery revealed by the Divine Map, Yu Ci might not even notice his breathing.
After several days of observation, Yu Ci believes that what is now in the Meditation Room is probably just a shell, and the thing causing the distorted light and shadow is the old monster's Yin Spirit. This old monster is probably at the end of his lifespan, his flesh body weak to the extreme, hence the need for constant seclusion and cultivation to prepare for emergencies. His daily activities are simply replaced by the Yin Spirit's out-of-body experience.
It was from Yu Ci that he truly witnessed the appearance of the Yin Spirit's departure, an enlightening experience. There was nothing of interest in the Meditation Room. Yu Ci shifted his attention to the sky, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't penetrate the distorted light and shadow to see the details within.
This was the limitation of the Divine Map.
Through several days of observation, Yu Ci found that the Divine Map, when investigating individuals like Tu Du with astonishing cultivation levels, would be subjected to intense interference, resulting in blurred images. This was not without warning. In previous days, in the Sky Rift Valley, the Divine Map's projection range would shrink by more than 40% every night. Considering that the night was the active period of terrifying Birds of Prey, this was likely a more thorough interference scenario.
And this... was good!
This was not self-consolation. Yu Ci was not afraid of such variables. On the contrary, if the Divine Map was truly unchanging, he would feel uneasy. Things that do not change lack spirituality, and without spirituality, there is no possibility of further development. He now saw that the Divine Map was limited, but he also saw the infinite possibilities hidden within this limitation!
Only through change could he uncover deeper secrets of the Divine Bronze Mirror. Of course, this could also make his ambitious mind more settled.
Yu Ci did not plan to waste time here. He temporarily ignored the spot in the high sky, shifting his focus elsewhere. Clearly displayed in the Divine Map, twenty feet underground on the slope of Cinnabar Cliff, there was a large Alchemy Chamber. Inside was a metal sphere about a foot in diameter, placed in the center of the room. The sphere was covered with complex patterns, intricate yet beautiful, surrounded by a ring of steel frames fitting its outer contour. The metal sphere hovered within, slowly rotating and rolling, quite marvelous.
Stolen novel; please report.
When Yu Ci last visited, he learned that this device was called a "Water Elixir Furnace". Unlike a typical furnace used for igniting and refining elixirs, this one contained a legendary medicinal solution for soaking Shrimp Whisker Grass.
The timing was just right. The shop that purchased the Shrimp Whisker Grass had already delivered today's only harvest, that is, the thousands of Shrimp Whisker Grass from Yu Ci, to this location. Inside the Alchemy Chamber, after another round of verification, someone climbed onto the frame with a Stone Box, found the medicine inlet of the Water Elixir Furnace, and poured all the Shrimp Whisker Grass into it.
Beside, eight Apothecaries formed a circle, their expressions serious, their hands began to form seals, activating the complex Rune Array on the elixir furnace, stimulating the medicinal solution's effects.
After several days of reconnaissance, Yu Ci finally understood that even the White Sun Mansion could not control the generation of Fish Dragon Grass. They could only stimulate the activity of Shrimp Whisker Grass with their unique medicinal solution, passively waiting for one or several Shrimp Whisker Grass to "suddenly awaken", devouring the vitality of their kind, and eventually forming Fish Dragon Grass, much like a dice roll hoping for good fortune.
Therefore, White Sun Mansion must have a sufficient amount of Shrimp Whisker Grass as a base in order to ensure the potential production of Fish Dragon Grass. However, the final outcome still depends on luck. It is said that last year, the mansion was quite unlucky. Nearly three hundred thousand stalks of Shrimp Whisker Grass were collected, but only eight were successfully stimulated, falling short of the minimum standard of "ten stalks". As a result, they failed to exchange for the "Cold Jade Cleansing Heart Pill", which greatly displeased Mansion Master Jin Huan.
Exchange? Indeed, this is the most significant discovery Yu Ci has made from observing White Sun Mansion for several days. In the end, White Sun Mansion didn't know the true purpose of Fish Dragon Grass. They produced Fish Dragon Grass to send somewhere else for exchange. What they got in return was the 'Cold Jade Cleansing Heart Pill' that Yu Ci had heard of.
From this perspective, the lofty cultivators of White Sun Mansion aren't much different from those herb gatherers who live like ants.
Regardless of these differences, for today at least, White Sun Mansion is somewhat lucky. Shortly after thousands of Shrimp Whisker Grass were put into the alchemical furnace, the medicinal solution inside suddenly began to bubble. This was the reaction of a stalk of Shrimp Whisker Grass being activated, quickly absorbing the vitality of its kind. The apothecaries and servants outside were initially surprised, then plunged into chaos. A swift-footed servant sprinted out to bring the good news to the celestial lords.
For them, the creation of any stalk of Fish Dragon Grass is precious, as luck is not in their hands. Every success is a gift from heaven.
Yu Ci took one last glance at the water alchemical furnace. The thin metal wall was virtually nonexistent in the Divine Map. Inside the furnace, the temperature of the medicinal solution remained cool as at the beginning, but it was boiling non-stop as if it was being heated. Among the intertwined Shrimp Whisker Grass, three stalks were slowly swelling, quickly changing from hair-thin to straw-thick. Numerous tiny scales were rapidly spreading on them, and the grass leaves were writhing in the bubbling medicinal solution, as if alive.
This is it!
Yu Ci's thoughts slightly shifted, and the Divine Map in front of him changed again. While White Sun Mansion had a quick way of passing messages, it still couldn't beat the speed of his thought transfer. Soon, he focused his attention on an independent courtyard located beneath the peak of the eastern side of Cinnabar Cliff.
This was the residence of Lu Yang, the chief steward of White Sun Mansion. His position was only below Mansion Master Jin Huan and Elder Tu Du, making him the undisputed third most powerful person in the mansion. He was also in charge of all the mansion's regular affairs, effectively the butler of White Sun Mansion. Any report on this matter would inevitably have to go through Lu Yang first.
However, as he shifted his attention, he saw Lu Yang hastily coming out, instructing his disciple about something. Yu Ci was slightly surprised. The White Sun Mansion was indeed a local hegemon, and even their message delivery was quite sophisticated. But soon, he realized it was a misunderstanding. A servant rushed in from the small courtyard, knelt down, and from the shape of his lips, it was clear that he was shouting, "Master Lu, rejoice! The Fish Dragon Grass has succeeded!"
Lu Yang, a man of short and stout stature, with a square face and thick lips, was not one to smile or speak lightly. He had an imposing aura, but upon hearing this news, he was overjoyed. His face was no longer as stern, and he laughed at his disciple, "The Mansion Master just returned, and we have this good news. Your matter has more hope... But don't be too happy too soon, focus on your practice. When you come back, I will test your work."
The disciple responded with a nod.
"Jin Huan is back?" Yu Ci discerned this from the lip movements. He had known a few days earlier that Jin Huan had been away for several months due to some business. In these few days, he had almost met all the important figures in the White Sun Mansion, except for this lord of the mansion. He didn't expect him to return at such a time.
Yu Ci had seen Golden Elixir cultivators like Purple Thunder, Red Yin Twin Immortals, and others. He had served them closely for many years and was no longer surprised by them. This time, he returned to Sheer Cliff City and observed the Old Monster Tu Du, who had been in seclusion, through the Divine Map. However, the image of the dying old man was somewhat disappointing. So, what would this Cultivator, who was said to be just one step away from the Vacuum Walking realm, look like?
Unable to suppress his curiosity, Yu Ci raised his viewpoint, switched to the full view of the White Sun Mansion, and looked for Jin Huan's traces.
What he saw was another "spot", similar to the influence of Tu Du's Yin Spirit, but the range was nearly fifty percent larger. This "spot" slowly moved from the front yard to the middle yard, and finally stopped in the largest meeting hall in the mansion. It no longer moved, causing the surrounding buildings to twist and form a chaotic whirlpool of light and shadow, which was quite eye-catching.
At this time, Yu Ci clearly saw that several mansion managers led by Lu Yang gathered from all directions and entered this twisted light and shadow.
Yu Ci confirmed that the center of the spot must be Mansion Master Jin Huan of the White Sun Mansion! Wasn't this the procedure after returning to the mansion and convening a meeting?
Having understood this, Yu Ci no longer did those useless things, withdrew his thoughts from the vicinity of the meeting hall, prepared to take a tour elsewhere, and then tried to find out the news after the high-level officials of the White Sun Mansion finished their meeting. However, at this time, he saw someone hurriedly coming out of the blurry light and shadow.
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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e