Chapter 280: Nine-Colored Profound Water

Chapter 280: Nine-Colored Profound Water

The Master of the Martial Palace said, "The Millennium Ancient Demon arrived from beyond the heavens a millennium ago and was suppressed by the Demon Palace. It has always been an ancient calamity, not something an ordinary person could subdue. In my early years, I once ventured to the Demon Palace in the Fire Demon Mountain Range, but in the end, I stopped outside its gates and did not enter. The escape of the Millennium Ancient Demon from the Demon Palace was something I anticipated, though it happened sooner than I predicted."

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "Could even the Palace Master not subdue it?"

"To speak with some selfish honesty, I could suppress it, but I cannot kill it. If I were to spend the remainder of my life suppressing it, I would have no energy left to cultivate the Martial Path. In thirty years, my life force would wither away. Tell me, should I spend the last thirty years of my life suppressing the ancient demon, or should I seek higher realms in the Martial Path?" the Master of the Martial Palace replied.

Ning Xiaochuan understood him well. "All humans have selfish desires. Besides, this isn’t truly selfishness—it’s merely the pursuit of greater heights on the Martial Path, the aspiration to reach its pinnacle. In truth, the Palace Master has already done more than enough for the Yulan Empire. For two hundred years, you have presided over the Emperor's Martial Palace, strengthening the empire’s power tenfold. The Martial Path has flourished, with countless nobles and heroes emerging, and the military’s might has shaken the world, forcing even the mightiest to bow and nations to pay tribute. This is nothing short of a golden age in the Yulan Empire’s history."

"The Palace Master could have pursued the Martial Path’s Pinnacle a century ago. Yet, bound by a promise, you remained in the Yulan Empire for another hundred years, wasting the prime of your cultivation. Leaving now is more than fair to the world. If I were in your place, I too would choose to seek the Martial Path’s Pinnacle."

The Master of the Martial Palace nodded. "Though the Millennium Ancient Demon is vicious and cruel, the Yulan Empire has no shortage of Hidden Experts. Some of them may be names you’ve never heard, but their mastery of the Martial Path has reached unimaginable heights. So even if I leave the Yulan Empire, you need not fear the land turning into a battlefield of carnage. There will always be those who step forward to deal with it."

To be called an "expert" by the Master of the Martial Palace—such individuals must be truly extraordinary. Just what level had their cultivation reached?

The Master of the Martial Palace continued, "The Yulan Empire is the homeland of the Heavenly Emperor. The opportunities here may even surpass those beyond its borders, though only those truly fated may discover them."

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "What of the Imperial Authority Token?"

"Find a worthy talent among the imperial family and pass the token to them. If you can teach them a thing or two, all the better. Consider this my way of lending you the token—repaying a favor. What do you think?" the Master of the Martial Palace proposed.

Ning Xiaochuan cupped his hands respectfully. "This junior will ensure the Imperial Authority Token is passed to a truly outstanding individual."

With that, Ning Xiaochuan stored the token and stepped into the White Cloud Cave Heaven.

The White Cloud Cave Heaven was perpetually shrouded in mist, with only faint glimpses of palace pillars, tiles, and upturned eaves visible. At times, strange sights appeared—when the clouds parted, ten suns could be seen suspended in the sky; in certain places, floating mountains drifted through the void; and deep within the white clouds, the faint outline of a Nine-Colored Immortal Pool could even be glimpsed.

These scenes were all shrouded in mist, only becoming faintly visible when the mist thinned. It was impossible to tell whether they were real or illusory.

All Ning Xiaochuan could see were nine white palaces, their rooftops adorned with plaques inscribed with green gold characters: Heavenly Qian Palace, Heavenly Kan Palace, Heavenly Gen Palace, Heavenly Zhen Palace, Heavenly Central Palace, Heavenly Xun Palace, Heavenly Li Palace, Heavenly Kun Palace, and Heavenly Dui Palace.

Among them, eight palaces were closed, their gates hung with jade plaques bearing the character "Silence," indicating that disciples were cultivating inside. Only the Heavenly Li Palace's gate stood open, its plaque displaying the character "Enter."

In the White Cloud Cave Heaven, only nine disciples were permitted to cultivate at the same time, and these nine palaces served as their training grounds.

"There must be more than just nine disciples in the White Cloud Cave Heaven. There are definitely others cultivating here. To avoid detection, I should make some preparations first."

Ning Xiaochuan approached the Heavenly Li Palace but stopped short of entering. Instead, he pulled the gate shut and flipped the jade plaque on the door, changing it from "Enter" to "Silence."

Bypassing the Heavenly Li Palace, Ning Xiaochuan cautiously followed a white jade path deeper into the White Cloud Cave Heaven.

The surroundings were thick with white mist, limiting his vision to just three meters ahead. The path beneath his feet grew increasingly indistinct, and even with his keen eyesight, Ning Xiaochuan could barely discern the way.

After an unknown length of time, he had traversed thirty-one forks in the road, always choosing the left path and leaving marks at each junction. Yet, despite his caution, he eventually lost his bearings.

The White Cloud Cave Heaven seemed boundless. After five days and four nights of walking, Ning Xiaochuan encountered no structures, nor any signs of life. The eerie silence was unsettling.

Finally, he decided to retrace his steps, only to find that all the marks he had left at the forks had vanished without a trace.

"How could this be? Could someone have been following me, erasing my marks?" The thought sent a chill down his spine, and he couldn't help but glance behind him.

Ning Xiaochuan steeled himself, knowing that panic would only lead him further astray in the White Cloud Cave Heaven.

"Heavenly Emperor's Blade, weren't you once the Heavenly Emperor's personal weapon? Surely you've entered the White Cloud Cave Heaven before. Do you know where the Mystic Gate Artifact Codex is kept?" Ning Xiaochuan pulled out the Mystic Beast Manual and tapped it twice on the bone.

The Heavenly Emperor's Blade's voice echoed from the Mystic Beast Manual, "When the Heavenly Emperor established the White Cloud Cave Heaven, my consciousness had just awakened. I was still in a dazed state and not very familiar with this place. However, I recall a 'Hanging Mountain' within the cave where the Heavenly Emperor often meditated and sought enlightenment. If the Mystic Gate Artifact Codex was left behind, it's likely there. But don't forget—our true purpose in coming here is to find clues about the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Palace. That is the priority."

Ning Xiaochuan said, "Legend has it that the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Palace hovers above the Yulan Empire, undoubtedly controlled by the power of formations. The Hanging Mountain also floats within the White Cloud Cave Heaven. Perhaps there’s some connection between the two."

"Makes sense."

The Heavenly Emperor's Blade said, "The jade paths here are formed from condensed Profound Qi, constantly shifting. Carving marks on them is useless. Your mental strength isn’t strong enough yet. Follow me—I might be able to find the Hanging Mountain."

The Mystic Beast Manual flew out of Ning Xiaochuan’s hand, darting toward the right-hand path.

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "You’re not familiar with the White Cloud Cave Heaven. Are you sure you can find the Hanging Mountain?"

"Don’t forget, I was the Heavenly Emperor’s blade. I can still sense traces of his aura," the Heavenly Emperor's Blade declared confidently.

Twelve days later, the Heavenly Emperor's Blade led Ning Xiaochuan to a Nine-Colored River. The river didn’t flow with water but with nine-colored Profound Qi, appearing from afar like a liquid stream.

Following the river upstream, they saw a Nine-Colored Divine Pool suspended among the white clouds. The Nine-Colored Profound Qi in the river poured down from the pool, forming streams of mist that gathered into the great river.

"Do you see that Nine-Colored Divine Pool? It’s a massive Spiritual Node, referred to in the Daoist ‘Spiritual Node Manual’ as the ‘Nine-Colored Spiritual Node.’ This is an exceptionally powerful node, spewing out vast amounts of Profound Qi every moment—enough to sustain a hundred Martial Venerables without exhaustion," the Heavenly Emperor's Blade explained.

A Spiritual Node was like a spring, endlessly gushing Profound Qi for Martial Artists to cultivate. The stronger the node, the denser the Profound Qi in the surrounding area.

This Nine-Colored Spiritual Node was so potent that its Profound Qi had liquefied, becoming the legendary "Nine-Colored Profound Water."

Even a single drop from the pool could transform into a stream of Profound Qi, comparable to the energy contained in a Low-Grade Profound Stone.

Most importantly, the Profound Qi in the pool’s water could be directly absorbed by Martial Artists, whereas the energy in Low-Grade Profound Stones could not.

Thus, a single drop of Nine-Colored Profound Water was worth several times—even ten times—more than a Low-Grade Profound Stone.

Ning Xiaochuan was naturally tempted. This was a treasure for cultivation and alchemy. "If I could collect some of this water, it would surely accelerate Ning Xin'er’s progress on the Martial Path," he mused.

He didn’t need the Nine-Colored Profound Water for himself—his absorption rate was already sixty-four times faster. His main goal was to refine pills and aid Ning Xin'er.

The Heavenly Emperor's Blade said, "The Nine-Colored Spiritual Node sustains the entire White Cloud Cave Heaven’s Profound Qi supply. It’s the foundation of this realm. For Daoist cultivators, it’s practically divine, immensely beneficial to their practice. For Martial Artists, the effects are somewhat weaker. Hmm—someone’s here!"

Ning Xiaochuan had been heading toward the Nine-Colored Divine Pool but immediately halted and suppressed his aura upon hearing the blade’s warning.

There were indeed others in the White Cloud Cave Heaven. If discovered, things could take a dire turn.

Ning Xiaochuan gazed toward the direction of the Nine-Colored Divine Pool. The white clouds that had previously shrouded the pool dispersed, revealing a vermilion pavilion at its center. Inside the pavilion sat a woman clad in white Taoist robes, her long hair cascading like a waterfall and her figure as graceful as the moon, exuding an ethereal and mysterious aura. She sat cross-legged in meditation, absorbing and exhaling the Nine-Colored Profound Qi. A perpetual mist enveloped her form, obscuring her features as if she existed in another dimension altogether. "It's actually her," Ning Xiaochuan murmured, his eyes widening in astonishment.