The area surrounding the Jiantian Si pagoda was heavily guarded. No unauthorized personnel were allowed to approach, and a large contingent of Tian Du guards patrolled within a kilometer radius.
At the highest level of the Jiantian Si pagoda—the thousand-zhang summit—it was completely swallowed by thick clouds.
Layer upon layer of clouds churned and clustered tightly together, wrapping the pagoda’s peak in an impenetrable shroud, preventing anyone from seeing it clearly.
But inside that peak, the scene was dim and profound.
Within the pagoda’s attic, only a few faint, golden-yellow candle flames flickered in the deep darkness.
They were like weak yet mysterious stars in the night sky.
Scattered in the corners of the surrounding walls were some strange, exquisite crystals.
These crystals, about the size of pebbles, emitted a soft glow that intertwined with the candlelight.
Together, they sketched out ethereal and captivating contours within the dim space, faintly radiating an air of profound mystery and antiquity.
At the very center of the attic, where the light was brightest, several figures draped in gray robes and hoods sat quietly together.
The fabric of the gray robes was fine and smooth, yet it bore an aged luster, covered in layers of wrinkles that seemed like lines carved by the passage of countless years.
Beneath the deep shadows cast by their wide gray hoods, their faces were completely hidden, impossible to discern.
The distance between these individuals was close, yet they maintained an apt silence.
Only when an occasional breeze swept through, inadvertently stirring the hems of their robes, did it reveal their presence.
In the middle of their circle lay two mirror-like round objects.
One of these mirrors appeared quite large, while the other was noticeably smaller.
Moreover, one side of each mirror’s rim was tightly joined together, as if they were naturally one piece.
The large mirror stood about as tall as an adult human, floating silently in midair.
Its rim was completely encased in crimson crystals.
These crimson crystals looked like solidified flames, radiating a scorching, intense heat.
However, the mirror’s surface gleamed with a bluish-bronze luster, upon which countless mysterious patterns were etched, twisting and winding.
These patterns looked ordinary, like those on an ancient well, devoid of any ripple.
Beside the large mirror, the smaller one was only about a third of its size.
Its rim was inlaid with dark crystals, deep in color yet subtly flowing with a cold, moonlit radiance.
This was the most important treasure of the entire Jiantian Si.
The Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Mirror!
A Moon-grade Nine-Pattern Sacrificial Artifact!
Even within the entire Great Xia Dynasty, aside from Sun-grade sacrificial artifacts, it was among the most precious.
The Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Mirror was personally bestowed upon the Jiantian Si by the Holy Ancestor of the Great Xia Dynasty, serving as the pagoda’s guardian treasure.
The larger mirror was called the Sun Mirror, used to survey the realm, reflecting all hidden powers.
The smaller mirror was the Moon Mirror, used to capture the essence of any living being, leaving it nowhere to hide.
The next moment, these two tightly joined mirrors unexpectedly underwent some subtle changes.
The Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Mirror suddenly trembled, causing the surrounding air to quiver slightly.
Then, gentle ripples began to emanate from the mirror’s surface, like a pebble dropped into a calm lake.
But these ripples weren’t spreading through water; they were spreading across the tranquil mirror surface.
Each ripple on the mysterious, pattern-covered mirror emitted a faint, profound radiance.
This wondrous change naturally caught the attention of the figures before the mirror.
The bodies beneath the gray robes and hoods tensed simultaneously.
Their previously lowered eyelids snapped open, their eyes shooting out sharp glints, fixed intently on the Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Mirror.
The leading figure was an old man. His face was etched with deep and shallow wrinkles, and his gray-white beard trembled slightly with his hurried breath.
Deep within the old man’s eyes, a startling sharp light suddenly burst forth, like two solid blades, causing the distant candle flames to flicker violently.
Simultaneously, an invisible, immense force spread out from the old man, violently agitating the surrounding air, which let out a low, howling sound.
The deathly silence in the attic was abruptly broken, and a low, resonant voice echoed.
“The Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Mirror is acting up again?”
“Within just a single day, not only did it detect the auras of those heretics from the Pure World White Lotus Sect, but also the power of a Celestial Demon-level beast.”
On the bluish-bronze mirror surface of the Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Mirror—
The previously calm, abyss-like surface began to ripple like water, slowly revealing two indistinct, static images.
The figures in these images were precisely the Primordial Spirit Phantom of the old crone from the Pure World White Lotus Sect and the Primordial Spirit Phantom of the Lion Lord.
“Hmm?”
“In Feihe Prefecture, within the Nether Province of the Southern Domain?”
“I recall that young Li Chengxing went there personally, didn’t he?”
“And also, that old immortal heretic, Bai Gu, actually deigned to release her Primordial Spirit Phantom to appear in Feihe Prefecture of the Nether Province.”
The old man’s gaze, sharp as a hawk’s, locked onto the old crone’s Primordial Spirit Phantom. A storm seemed to be churning deep within his eyes.
The next second, the old man focused his gaze, sending a piercing beam of light into the Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Mirror.
After a few breaths, the confusion on the old man’s face vanished, replaced by an expression of surprise.
“That old immortal Bai Gu actually forcibly separated this strand of her divine sense.”
“I see. No wonder she dared to appear openly within the Great Xia Dynasty.”
For a Divine Mansion realm martial artist, the power of divine sense was their most important source of strength.
If a Divine Mansion martial artist completely separated their divine sense from their main body, they would permanently lose a portion of it.
That could potentially lead to chaos in the Divine Mansion, incomplete divine sense, and a significant drop in strength.
“After separating her divine sense, even I, the Director, using the Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Mirror, cannot capture her soul aura.”
“What a decisive move!”
The identity of this speaking old man was now evident.
He was the master of this thousand-zhang pagoda, the Director of the Jiantian Si, Lü Ze!
He was also a veteran who had served three Great Xia emperors, a monster who had lived for four to five hundred years, a peak Divine Mansion Primordial Spirit True Person!
As a minister of three dynasties, Lü Ze, the Director of the Jiantian Si, held an extremely high status within the Great Xia Dynasty.
However, Lü Ze had remained inside the Jiantian Si pagoda for centuries, never venturing out, as if there was nothing in the world worth his attention.
Compared to Lü Ze’s calm composure, the three men behind him found it hard to maintain their composure.
“What!”
“The Primordial Spirit Phantom of that heretic Bai Gu appeared within the Great Xia Dynasty?”
“Director!”
“Director, should we inform the Vermilion Bird Guard immediately?”
Upon hearing this, Lü Ze did not respond immediately.
He remained composed and calm, slowly extending his right hand, palm facing up.
In an instant, the air above his right palm seemed to be stirred by an invisible giant hand.
Centered on Lü Ze’s right palm, the air spun wildly, forming a small vortex.
Then, from a certain direction within the attic, a blur shot towards him like an arrow released from a bow.
Looking closely, it was a small object, moving at an astonishing speed, leaving only a faint trail in midair.
It was a token crafted from purple crystals, about half the size of Lü Ze’s palm.
The purple token was wreathed in strands of mysterious purple light, like ethereal purple smoke rising gracefully, emanating a unique nobility and authority.
If Lu Xuan were present at this moment, he would surely recognize it.
The token in Lü Ze’s hand was identical to the one in his own possession.
However, Lu Xuan’s token was red, while the one in Lü Ze’s hand was purple.
This purple token was, of course, the Jiantian Si’s means of contacting the Vermilion Bird Guard.
Specifically, it was the token to directly contact the Director of the Vermilion Bird Guard.
After obtaining the purple token, Lü Ze clenched his five fingers, and his divine sense began to flow into it.
Suddenly, a dazzling purple light cluster slowly emanated from the purple token, hovering in the air above the attic.
Lü Ze calmly looked at the mysterious purple light and spoke slowly, his voice steady and clear, seeming to pierce through the hazy glow.
“Director Zi, a Primordial Spirit Phantom of Bai Gu has appeared in Feihe Prefecture of the Nether Province in the Southern Domain.”
“That old immortal Bai Gu has already separated this strand of Primordial Spirit power. Its location cannot be traced.”
“There is also a mysterious demon beast’s Primordial Spirit Phantom.”
“However, that mysterious demon beast’s Primordial Spirit Phantom seems to have used some mysterious method to escape the power of the Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Mirror. Its whereabouts are unknown!”
Lü Ze’s voice was clear and forceful, echoing continuously within the attic.
After Lü Ze finished speaking, the expressions of the three men behind him turned somewhat grim.
The Jiantian Si, possessing the Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Mirror, was admitting it couldn’t identify the source of the troubles plaguing the land.
In the past, no matter what methods those people used—as long as they didn’t involve powers beyond the Sun-grade sacrificial artifacts—they could be revealed by the Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Mirror.
Never before had they been as helpless as today, unable to even find a trace of their targets.
All this was due to the earth-shattering upheaval in the Spirit Ruins, which had affected the Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Mirror with chaotic celestial forces.
Now, the Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Mirror could, at best, detect enemies at the Divine Mansion realm or above.
As for the remnants of the Pure World White Lotus Sect below the Divine Mansion realm, the mirror was powerless.
“Bai Gu’s Primordial Spirit Phantom?”
“A demon beast’s Primordial Spirit Phantom?”
After uttering these two surprised questions, the purple light cluster paused.
The dreamlike purple glow trembled slightly, then spoke again, its voice ethereal and distant, as if coming from a faraway place.
“I understand!”
As the words faded, the dazzling purple light cluster dissipated into the void instantly, leaving no trace, as if it had never existed.
Lü Ze was unfazed by its disappearance. Without turning his head, he moved his lips and spoke in a flat but unquestionable tone.
“You three, go to the imperial palace immediately and report this matter to His Majesty.”
As the Director of the Jiantian Si, Lü Ze’s most important duty was to guard the Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Mirror, allowing no mishap.
Unless summoned by His Majesty’s decree, Lü Ze would never leave the Jiantian Pagoda lightly.
“Yes, Director. We take our leave!”
The three rose quickly, bowed respectfully to Lü Ze, and then strode swiftly out of the attic.
After their footsteps faded into the distance and vanished completely—
The attic was left empty and silent. Only then did Lü Ze turn his gaze back to the Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Mirror standing in the hall.
The mirror’s reddish light flickered erratically. The expression of the old crone’s Primordial Spirit Phantom was fully revealed in Lü Ze’s eyes.
Lü Ze narrowed his eyes for a closer look. On the old crone’s Primordial Spirit Phantom’s face was a complex, unpleasant expression.
What was particularly noticeable was the palpable anger in her eyes, surging like a hidden undercurrent.
Who on earth could have caused that old ghost Bai Gu to look like this? Truly rare.
Could it be that mysterious Deputy Director of the Vermilion Bird Guard?
The one His Majesty had exceptionally appointed as the fourth Deputy Director of the Vermilion Bird Guard—Lu Xuan!
Only a handful of people knew about this new Deputy Director of the Vermilion Bird Guard, Lu Xuan.
And Lü Ze was among that handful.
Interesting.
This old man hasn’t seen such a monstrously talented youth in many years. It seems these old bones of mine are truly aging, heh.
By the time Lu Xuan arrives at Tian Du, his name will spread throughout the entire Great Xia Dynasty.
Perhaps, in that major event not too far off, he might bring His Majesty some unexpected surprises.
Of course, whether that surprise is good or bad will depend on His Majesty’s fortune.
After all, with a martial arts prodigy like Lu Xuan—one who appears only once in ten thousand years—who could possibly guess what he’s truly thinking?
While Lü Ze was marveling at Lu Xuan’s talent,
Lu Xuan himself was currently feeling rather frustrated. He hadn’t expected a peak Great Demon King-level beast to slip away right under his nose.
What made it worse was that he had experienced this exact same frustration not long ago.
It was with that so-called Eight Great Clans member, the Wu family.
Lu Xuan still carried the sacrificial artifact left behind by that Wu family member.
However, that artifact was already bound to its owner, preventing Lu Xuan from refining its primordial essence power.
Great Demon King beast, Wu family member—I, Lu, have noted you both. We’ll settle accounts another day.
Lu Xuan’s figure flickered and weaved above the clouds.
After a short while, the scenery of Bifeng Valley gradually reflected in his eyes.
The pitch-black curtain of the sky had already vanished without a trace, revealing the scene within.
This time, Lu Xuan didn’t need to intervene. With Mu Yun’s assistance, Li Chengxing was like a tiger with added wings.
With overwhelming dominance, they had forcefully suppressed and killed those two heretics of the Pure World White Lotus Sect, Hong Ying.
