"May I meet the Cave Master and inquire directly?" Yu Ci's voice was very gentle.
Tie Lan fell silent for a while, and Yu Ci felt that he must be communicating with the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave through some secret method. Then, Tie Lan shook his head, "The Master is currently indisposed, but let me relay his message: in the Sword Immortal's Secret Domain, you are a destined visitor."
"A destined visitor?" Watching Tie Lan retreat, Yu Ci's expression remained unchanged. The ambiguous words lingered in his heart for a moment before dissipating. Given the temperament of the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave, his words should not be taken lightly, but blind trust could also lead to an unfavorable outcome.
One thing was certain, the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave did indeed pay a certain degree of attention to him. Looking back, this attention likely originated from when he forcefully condensed the Upper Cave-True Starlight Sensing Divine Thunder Talisman. The other party required a cultivator with accomplishment in talisman techniques, which was likely true, but whether he would really unlock the three talisman seals remained unknown.
Yu Ci pondered for a moment, feeling that his previous speculations had been shattered by reality, making his mind even more chaotic. He decided not to think too much about it. Without enough information, all thoughts were just wild guesses. But trapped inside this Manifested Flying Boat, where could he go to gather information?
He sighed and sat cross-legged on the bed, trying to stabilize his heart-mind. But what he could usually do easily seemed a bit more challenging now.
Could it be that the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave was repeating his old tricks and spying on him again? As soon as this thought arose, Yu Ci dismissed it. There was something different about this feeling, as if some message was pulsing on his spirit platform, constantly distracting him. The source of this message seemed familiar, but it was too faint, as if it was separated by a layer and very distant.
Suddenly, the image of a fish-dragon appeared in Yu Ci's Heart of the Lake.
Of course, it wasn't the Divine Power External Appearance of the Inner Void of the Heart, but the "little guy" in the far distance... really far away!
Yu Ci had been cautious about the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave and had kept the "little guy" in a complex cave system. The Manifested Flying Boat had left decisively and could not be recalled. It should still be in the Sunken Sword Cave. However, the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave had said that there were four thousand li to the Sword Immortal's Secret Domain, and the Flying Boat needed to travel for an hour. Calculating the time, at least a quarter of an hour had passed, and they must have traveled three to four hundred li. The "little guy's" reaction on the other side was constantly weakening, but it still existed.
"Isn't the effect of the Divine Consciousness Starlight limited to fifty miles?”
Yu Ci was both shocked and elated. Ever since he had unlocked the Strange Power of the Divine Bronze Mirror, the fifty-mile limit had always been there. This was the case when the Divine Map was present, and even more so when it disappeared, with no progress made. However, unexpectedly, today it broke through abruptly.
After much consideration, the changes today compared to the past could only be attributed to a few factors: the accomplishment of the Life Death Talisman, the condensation of the True Talisman Seed, the acquisition of the Void Mirror Plate, and the Infinite Void Divine Illumination Scripture. Although the latter two were closely related to it, he had not yet benefited from them. Therefore, it must be the Life Death Talisman or the True Talisman Seed - that is, a breakthrough at the Cultivation Level - that led to this change.
"Indeed, all Divine Power, Strange Power, only when the foundation is stable and the Cultivation Level is reached, can their effects be seen.”
Yu Ci suppressed the joy in his heart, as well as the idea of taking out the Divine Bronze Mirror and the Void Mirror Plate for deep research. He was still wary of the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave's covert surveillance methods, unwilling to digress, focusing his thoughts and attention on the slight sensation in his heart, grasping the changes within.
However, it must be said that under the circumstances of being hundreds of miles apart and the distance constantly increasing, this sensation could only be a sensation. To issue commands as before, or to use its six-sense perception for his own use, was impossible. Yu Ci could only carefully enhance the Divine Soul Power, doing his best to maintain this fragile connection.
After doing this for a while, he found that under such circumstances, the energy consumption far exceeded that of the past, as if he was constantly Drawing Talismans. From this, he thought of today's gains: "Such Divine Power must have special usage methods, most likely recorded in the Infinite Void Divine Illumination Scripture, but it's a pity that it's difficult to decipher in a short time…”
Thinking about the Power of Shaking the Gods in the Mirage Jade Scroll, like falling into the abyss of Demons, Yu Ci was wary, but also had a bit of longing: "When I return to the Sect, I might as well let Old Master Zhu and other great powers take a look, there might be a way to comprehend it.”
Speaking of which, a copy of the 'Infinite Void Divine Illumination Scripture' is no less valuable than any treasure within the Sword Garden, especially after learning about Old Master Zhu's background. Yu Ci thought that the old man would be very pleased. Of course, the idea of keeping it for himself had crossed his mind, but compared to the act that could win the favor of the Sect, such a thought seemed rather narrow-minded.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Finally, after a distance of about a thousand miles, the connection in his heart grew weaker and weaker until it finally broke. Yu Ci was already quite satisfied. He remembered the feeling at this extreme limit, took out a Spirit-Nourishing Pill from the Sect's Mountain Gate, and quickly entered meditation.
After a period of recuperation, Yu Ci naturally woke up. Although the Flying Boat was as stable as ever, through a subtle bodily sensation, Yu Ci felt that the Flying Boat must have stopped.
He got up and left the cabin, heading to the small hall with transparent walls. Halfway there, he ran into Tie Lan who had come to inform him. They both went in together. Through the transparent cabin wall, Yu Ci indeed saw that the earth and stone structure outside was relatively stable. The Flying Boat must be stationed somewhere underground, and he wondered what the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave was planning.
At this time, there weren't many people in the small hall, and Yu Ci recognized them all. The most noticeable were Wen Shifei, Di Tianluo, and Di She gathered together, and in the middle of them was a glaring Blood-Colored Human Shadow. At this moment, Wen Shifei was reaching into the brain of the blood shadow, creating an eerily bizarre scene.
The noise of Yu Ci's entrance made the three of them turn around. Their eyes met, and Yu Ci naturally didn't see any goodwill. Even Wen Shifei was giving him a strange look.
"From the same Demonic Sect, birds of a feather," Yu Ci commented, shifting his gaze. There were four Lone Cultivators in the hall, who seemed to have formed a group, far away from Wen Shifei and his companions. Yu Ci's gaze swept over them and finally rested on a female cultivator in the corner, shrouded in a black robe.
She was the only one he could have a few words with here. Yu Ci walked over, and as he got closer, he was surprised. The aura on Incense Slave was a bit off, just as he had felt in the Manifestation Hall, too tense, as if she was ready to kill at any moment. The situation was indeed dangerous now, but looking at her, she didn't seem like a novice either, so why couldn't she hold back?
Before he could grasp what was happening, a warning flashed. Yu Ci turned his head, only to be met with Wen Shifei's smile, which brought an unpleasant sensation to his heart.
"Who might this gentleman be?" The tone was far from polite, carrying an air of condescension.
It should be noted that the earlier display by the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave had swept away all the Nature-Connecting Cultivators in the hall, including most of the Early-Stage Golden Elixir Cultivators. Aside from Yu Ci, the lowest Cultivation Level present belonged to a Lone Cultivator from the south, who nonetheless possessed the standard of a Middle Stage of Golden Elixir. Compared to this, Yu Ci was indeed the one with the lowest Cultivation Level. This was even after Yu Ci had formed a True Talisman Seed. To those uninformed, they would only think he was at the Cultivation Level of the Mechanism of the Cauldron. Otherwise, the situation would have been even more unbearable.
Yet, Yu Ci was not afraid, nor did he respond directly. Instead, he gestured towards Di Tianluo: "The King of Slaying and the Light Demon Sect seem to be on good terms. Didn't you think to ask them?"
Wen Shifei, while not exactly ugly, had a face that was quite off-putting. He leaned in closer:
"Are you from Half Mountain Island?"
Feeling the strange look from Incense Slave at his side, Yu Ci couldn't help but smile. Indeed, ever since his encounter with Di Tianluo, they had been constantly befuddled by his True Talisman Seed and swordsmanship, misunderstanding his identity to this very day. Thinking about it, Wen Shifei should have also crossed paths with him before, but at the time, Wen Shifei was too focused on competing with Hua Xifeng to pay attention to the Nature-Connecting Disciple in the middle of the Lichen Sect queue.
The only one in the hall who knew his true identity was Incense Slave. However, their relationship didn't seem to be on good terms, so the information remained undisclosed. Well, there was also Xiao Fuyun, who had turned into a Blood Shadow Demon, but he was completely devoid of consciousness, so there was no need to mention him.
In a real fight, having the identity of Half Mountain Island as a cover wasn't something Yu Ci was opposed to. However, in a direct conversation like this, if he continued to hide, it would seem petty. Shaking his head, he said, "I am not from Half Mountain Island..."
"It's alright, don't deny it. Seeing you walk together with a disciple of Rakshasa, I knew you must be an authentic half-mountain cultivator, having truly received the teachings of Immortal Ye Bin!"
Wen Shifei's smile became increasingly irritating, his words seemingly laden with deeper implications. Yu Ci had heard similar statements from Di She and others, but he was truly in the dark, only sensing the heavy malice in their words, his eyes growing cold.
But Wen Shifei wasn't done. He reached out, intending to pat Yu Ci's shoulder, "Kid, are you actually a woman? That would make more sense..."
There was definitely an underlying meaning to his words, but the literal interpretation was enough to stir murderous intent in Yu Ci's heart. He didn't want Wen Shifei's hand on his shoulder, and he moved to block the other's wrist.
As their wrists were about to meet, a thought suddenly occurred to him: "Wen Shifei has such a big reputation, how could he be so shallow?"
At that moment, he felt a tightening sensation, his body immobilized. As his heart pounded, he saw Wen Shifei in front of him, equally immobilized, his face also turning pale. In an instant, he knew that the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave had intervened.
"The Secret Domain is within sight, are you all ready?"
The Master of the Sunken Sword Cave's deep voice resounded in everyone's ears: "Before entering the Secret Domain, I have something to say: I have been trapped in the Sword Garden for countless years, living eternally, all because I lack one thing, which has made it difficult for me to truly attain Dao. That thing is within the Secret Domain... Forget the other items, if any of you hide this thing, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Although Wen Shifei was restrained, his reaction was extremely quick, he immediately asked, "Does the Cave Master only want that one thing?"
"Hah, how could that be possible?"
The Master of the Sunken Sword Cave burst into laughter: "The items in the Secret Domain, there are many that even I can't resist. These treasures are only for The Predestined One. If they truly fall into my hands, I won't be polite."
His words were honest, but no one liked them. However, he quickly changed the subject: "But if you're worried about me forcibly taking things, that's needless worry. Not to mention I haven't stooped that low, once you enter the Secret Domain, you'll see that the place has long been shattered by sword strikes, the treasure hideout is in ruins. Describing it as 'A World Apart within Arm's Reach' is most apt. If you are truly fated to enter and obtain treasures, the chances of interference are slim. If you're lucky, you might even make a fortune..."