Chapter 43: The Appearance of an Immortal Artifact
"Heaven is Qian, earth is Kun, Zhen is thunder, Xun is wind…"
Inside the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, an elder with white hair and beard held a horsetail whisk, instructing two disciples in the deduction of hexagrams. His voice was deep and calm, like an ancient well without ripples.
The two disciples were fully focused, staring at the tortoise shell and copper coins on the desk, attempting to glimpse the secrets of heaven.
Suddenly—
"Dong—!!"
A bell toll thundered through the skies, and the entire Heavenly Secrets Pavilion shook violently! The elder was caught off guard, stumbling forward, nearly falling as his horsetail whisk flew from his hand.
"Outrageous! Who is recklessly striking the Heavenly Secrets Bell?!" The elder shouted angrily, his white brows standing upright.
"Pavilion Master! Something terrible has happened!" A middle-aged man rushed in anxiously, his face pale. Without even offering formalities, he cried out, "The Immortal Artifact Record has updated!"
"What?!" The elder's pupils shrank, and the anger on his face instantly froze.
"A new Immortal Artifact has been added to the record!" The middle-aged man's voice trembled. "Ranked tenth—Palm Immortal Gourd!"
At these words, the elder wasted no time. His figure flashed and turned into a shadow as he rushed directly toward the forbidden ground of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion—the Star Observation Platform!
Upon the platform stood a massive stone stele. Its surface was like a mirror, densely inscribed with golden words. It was none other than the Immortal Artifact Record!
The elder's eyes swept over it, and sure enough, at the very top appeared a newly added line—
"Tenth · Palm Immortal Gourd (Present in the World)"
"Palm Immortal Gourd…" the elder murmured, shock flashing through his eyes.
"Pavilion Master, this…" The middle-aged man had followed closely, his expression solemn.
The elder drew a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Not long ago, on the Heaven Ranking, that Saint with the surname Chen appeared out of nowhere and ascended to first place. Now an Immortal Artifact has emerged… This world may truly fall into chaos!"
The middle-aged man frowned. "Pavilion Master, the Great Zhou is flourishing. The seas are calm, and the great sects and clans remain quiet. How can chaos arise?"
The elder sneered. "That is because the sects and clans are secretly plotting a world-shaking matter! Originally, this should have occurred on the day of the Heaven Stele's opening.
But that Saint Chen suddenly appeared and ascended to the top of the ranking. No one knew his temperament, so all major powers dared not act rashly!"
"Now, with that Saint still absent, barring any accidents, the sects and clans will soon resume their schemes…" The elder lifted his gaze toward the sky, a trace of worry flickering in his eyes. "Very soon, the heavens will change!"
The middle-aged man's heart trembled, and he was about to ask further, but the elder had already raised his hand, pinched his fingers in calculation, and closed his eyes in deduction.
Moments later, he opened his eyes abruptly, drew out a sheet of yellow paper, and using his finger as a brush, swiftly wrote several lines before handing it to the middle-aged man.
"This is the approximate location of the newly emerged Immortal Artifact. Go and investigate." The elder spoke in a deep voice. "Remember, whether it falls into the hands of the sects and clans or the imperial family of Great Zhou, do not interfere!"
The middle-aged man took the slip of paper, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "But what if a rogue cultivator, by sheer fortune, obtains it?"
The elder was silent for a while before speaking slowly. "If a rogue cultivator obtains it…" His gaze turned profound. "It is like a child carrying gold through a crowded market. You must decide for yourself."
Pausing briefly, he added, "Heavenly treasures are to be possessed by those of virtue."
The middle-aged man nodded, carefully stored the slip, and turned to leave.
The elder stood alone upon the Star Observation Platform, watching the twilight deepen at the horizon. He murmured softly to himself:
"The Palm Immortal Gourd has appeared… When will that Saint Chen reveal himself again?"
"Alas, this world… it is destined to fall into chaos…"
At the same time—
In the Eight Elephants Sect, within the medicinal garden!
At this moment, Han Yu's hands trembled as he held the jade gourd. The thread of silver light at the gourd's mouth appeared especially mysterious under the dim oil lamp. He carefully tilted the gourd, and a drop of crystal-clear spiritual liquid slowly slid down, hovering on the edge as if it would fall yet did not.
"What is this…" Han Yu muttered to himself. His gaze swept over the crude wooden table and suddenly landed on a few wilted seedlings in the corner. They were wild grasses he had casually picked outside the garden a few days ago, meant only to bring some life to the desolate hut.
After a moment's hesitation, he let the drop fall at the root of the smallest seedling.
"Zii—"
A faint sound rang out. The seedling, which had only two tender leaves, suddenly shook violently. Han Yu's eyes widened as he watched the green stem grow taller at a speed visible to the naked eye, leaves unfurling layer after layer, until in a blink it had reached over half a foot tall.
"This… how is this possible!" He exclaimed aloud, then hurriedly covered his mouth, glancing warily at the tightly closed door.
His heart pounded like a drum as Han Yu, with trembling hands, tilted the jade gourd again. A second drop of spiritual liquid fell, and the edges of the seedling's leaves glimmered with silver, the stem thickening further.
When the third drop landed, the entire plant suddenly burst forth seven jagged leaves, faint spiritual light coursing through their veins.
"Seven-Leaf Spirit Ginseng?" Han Yu drew a sharp breath. This was the very same rare spiritual herb cultivated at immense cost in the restricted core of the medicinal garden by the Eight Elephants Sect.
It was said that a single mature Seven-Leaf Spirit Ginseng could allow a cultivator of the Profound Connection Realm to break through a minor stage.
He counted the seedlings on the table with trembling fingers, then glanced at the remaining liquid in the jade gourd. By his estimation, if it were all used, it might be enough to bring forth over a dozen such spiritual herbs.
Suddenly, the moonlight outside was swallowed by dark clouds, plunging the hut into gloom. Han Yu snapped back to his senses, hurriedly sealing the jade gourd.
In a panic, he pulled out the Seven-Leaf Spirit Ginseng by the roots, shoved it into the hidden compartment under his bed, and crushed the other half-grown seedlings, tossing their remains out of the window.
By the time he finished, his back was drenched in sweat. Han Yu clutched the jade gourd tightly, memories flashing of Mo Dao Ren's sinister gaze and the wooden sign outside the restricted garden reading: "Trespassers will die."
"This thing…" He swallowed hard, his voice hoarse and unfamiliar, "absolutely must not be known to anyone."
Carefully hiding the jade gourd in a pouch close to his body, Han Yu checked the doors and windows three more times before blowing out the lamp and lying down.
In the darkness, his eyes gleamed with intensity, his mind already calculating how to make use of this accidental discovery.
Hey readers! If you're eager to dive into advanced chapters, consider joining our Patreon. By joining, you'll get access to 20 chapters ahead and enjoy 8 new chapters per week. Plus, we have 2 more exciting fics with the same chapter release rate, giving you a total of 32 chapters per week! Join now and keep the adventure going!
Patreon: https://patreon.com/Alex_Cruise