Chapter 270 - Mysteries That Couldn't Be Unraveled

“Esteemed Senior, what’s inside the ancient scroll? Who entrusted you to protect it?” Xiao Chen finally came up with these questions after sorting out his thoughts to the best of his ability.

The figure finally moved as he heaved a sigh. “It’s been so long. Generation after generation has come and go. To be honest, I can’t remember why I have to protect the ancient scroll anymore…”

This made Xiao Chen feel an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. It had an impossible task trying to learn what had happened thousands of years ago. Judging from the one-half of the scroll that the Xianyong Sect possessed, the scroll seemed to contain vague details about the fall of the Immortals and Devils. There was even a mention of the Three Emperors Grand Formation, whom Xian’er was a Formation Spirit of. These mysteries were becoming increasingly impossible to unravel.

He was also certain that the scroll wasn’t limited to its writing. There was likely a space within the scroll that hid an earth-shattering secret.

There was no clue whatsoever about the location of the other half of the scroll. If it was true that Qianyu Nishang stole the scroll, the other half was likely in the hands of the Thousand Feathers Sect. But would she leave such an important artifact with her sect?

It was all a riddle!

He felt very helpless in his pursuit of the truth of what happened all those years ago. Why did Qianyu Nishang leave the Mystic Cyan Sect and establish her sect? Where was his Master now? Where should he even begin searching for her in this wide world?

Perhaps deep inside, he knew he would find her one day. Only, he didn’t know if he would be able to accept the unpredictable outcome.

The figure guffawed. “Young man, you seem to have many secrets as well.”

Xiao Chen shook his head. “They’re not secrets. They’re questions that I don’t have an answer for.”

Zhiluan had been watching them talk in silence. He suddenly said to the figure, “This conversation has gone on long enough. Don’t you intend to compensate me after putting me in so much hardship back then? Thanks to you, I can’t even outrun or win this brat. God, I’m livid…”

The figure smiled. “Hehe, alright then. My friend, I did use you to block that Phantom King’s attack back then. But if I hadn’t captured you, you would’ve been eaten by him…”

“Meow! You! I was just a passerby! Passerby! You used me as a shield!” Zhiluan’s temper exploded after hearing what the figure said.

“Hehe. There’s nothing we can do about that now. Otherwise…”

The figure sounded as if the vicissitudes of life had washed him anew. He pointed to the shrine he had emerged from. “There’s a magic tool down there that can improve your magic power. Consider that my compensation.”

Zhiluan placed both paws in front of his chest and moved his head sideways. He said unforgivingly, “What? No way! Don’t try and fool me with some shabby object! What magic treasures haven’t I seen when I was at the Heavenly Court? Humph!” Zhiluan lifted his paws to his chest and moved his head sideways.

“Hehe. Up to you.”

“You vile person!” Zhiluan gnashed his teeth. Moments later, he moved around the place but dared not to approach the shrine out of fear of a trap. He pointed his paw at Xiao Chen. “You! Get the magic tool for me!”

Xiao Chen was so distracted by his own worries that he couldn’t be bothered with Zhiluan. He turned to look at Ziyun’er and pointed to the shrine. “Girl, can you help him…”

Without waiting for him to finish, Ziyun’er walked to his side and sat down.

Zhiluan stomped his feet in anger. He looked at Qingluan and was about to raise his paws when she glared at him. His neck shrank in fear.

“You, you’re all despicable! Wait till my magic power returns! I swear I’ll strike you with lightning from the Ninth Heaven!” he yelled as he carefully approached the bottom of the shrine and felt around its interior. Jingling noises resounded when he touched an unknown object, scaring him so much that he somersaulted backward.

Ziyun’er burst into laughter. “This little cowardly cat! Even the sound of bells scares you.”

Zhiluan seethed. “You… Despicable!” He walked toward the shrine again after drumming up his courage. He reached in with his paw and pulled the object out. It was a necklace with a purplish-golden bell.

Ziyun’er couldn’t help laughing heartily this time. “Necklace with a bell! It really suits a kitty cat!”

“You… You…”

It hadn’t been easy for Zhiluan to summon the courage, but what he got in return was something a house cat would wear. He felt cheated. He felt as if his frail little heart had suffered grievous harm.

He threw the necklace with a bell on the ground in a fit of anger and pointed to the figure as he seethed. “You! How dare you make a fool out of me! I, the great one… the great one…” Towards the end of his sentence, he sounded as if he was about to break into angry tears.

The figure guffawed. “My friend, this is no ordinary bell. It’s the Taoist Goddess of Mercy’s Purple-Golden Colored Glass Bell that can ward off evil spirits. Devils and demons alike will withdraw once the bell rings. Forget it if you don’t want it.”

Ziyun’er patted the dust off her hands and got up from the ground. “Never mind. If the kitty cat doesn’t want it, I’ll take it.”

Zhiluan dashed toward the purplish-golden bell and protected it in his embrace. “This is his compensation! Why would I give it to you?”

He then walked to one side and mumbled to himself, “Wait till my magic power returns. I promise I won’t let you off…” He placed the necklace around his neck and examined how he looked. To his dismay, he really looked like a house cat.

Xiao Chen continued to be assailed by worries. He wasn’t sure how long it had been by the time the first ray of sunlight filtered in. The figure suddenly said, “You can leave now that it’s bright out. The Phantom King won’t dare to come out anymore.”

Xiao Chen rose to his feet and looked outside. He could only put aside his search for his Master aside for now. The passing of the night ushered in the final training day. He wondered how Brother Yifeng and the rest were faring. He said, “Thank you, Esteemed Senior. Farewell.”

The figure said, “Very well. Young man, go back and tell your companions to stay away from this area. Please also keep this place a secret. The reason I told you so much is that I’m bored…” He muttered to himself, “I think I remembered a little… of why I must protect the ancient scroll. It seems that many years ago, a fairy had entrusted me with the task…”

“What? Which fairy entrusted you with the task?!” Xiao Chen’s expression immediately changed. He was about to leave when he heard what the figure said. The figure chuckled. “I can’t remember very well. It could be a faulty memory too…”

“You…” Xiao Chen frowned. Forget it. This man’s words were confusing and might not completely trustworthy. He swiftly saluted the figure and led Qingluan and Ziyun’er out of the tunnel. Zhiluan trailed after them. When they reached the spot where they had fallen in from yesterday, Xiao Chen thought that it wasn’t easy to find a sentient Immortal Lingzhi. This little thing would surely escape once they left this place.

The sharp-minded Zhiluan took several steps in retreat after detecting his malicious glint. His voice trembled. “What do you want now? I have a magic treasure protecting me now. I’m not scared of you anymore…”

Xiao Chen reached out and summoned him with his psychokinesis. “Look. If not for me, the Phantom King would’ve already eaten you yesterday. Don’t you agree?”

“And I wouldn’t have entered this area if you didn’t chase me! You’re as despicable as that ghost earlier. He obviously used me as a shield but claimed that he saved me…”

“Enough. I don’t need your life, just a bit of your blood.” Xiao Chen took out a small jade bottle.

Zhiluan hesitated for a long time before saying in an incredibly reluctant voice, “Let me get this clear! Just a bit of blood and nothing more!” he muttered inaudibly to himself while mercilessly bit down on his paw. It hurt so much that he grimaced. He filled the bottle with a drop of his blood. “There. Just a bit of blood.”

“The heck! Is that a bit or a drop of blood? “Put more in.”

“Put more in? You think this is saliva?” Zhiluan complained in anger. He added two more drops into the bottle. “There! Three drops of blood. This should be enough, right?”

“D*mn it! Do you have to be so miserly?”

Xiao Chen grabbed Zhiluan’s paw and didn’t let go until he squeezed enough blood to fill half the bottle.

“Thief! Mountain bandit! Fiend!” Zhiluan cursed him out as he ran away while looking at his paw with great heartache.

Ziyun’er burst into laughter. “Stop bullying him, Master. Let’s go.”

The three of them immediately climbed to the surface. When they turned around to look, the secluded path and palace had vanished, leaving behind an endless dark wood. Even though it was daylight, it was still eerie.

“Whoosh!” Zhiluan unfolded his wings and flew away. The distant sound of his voice drifted to their ears. “Once my magic power recovers, I promise I’ll strike you with lightning from the Ninth Heaven…”

Xiao Chen ignored him. His brows were tightly furrowed as he could sense that the jade note he left with the team was crushed. However, there seemed to be restrictions placed on this area as he couldn’t accurately detect the location of the jade note. If he roamed around, he might accidentally trespass into an even stranger place.

While he was hesitating, he heard a distant voice. “Meow…” He saw Zhiluan flying back to them. Ziyun’er laughed. “Great Immortal Zhiluan, hadn’t you left already? Don’t tell me you can’t bear to leave us behind.”

Zhiluan was panting so hard that he couldn’t speak coherently. Xiao Chen looked in the direction Zhiluan had flown back in and saw four to five massive bats flying toward them. Each bat had the head of a demon and looked rather nightmarish.

He whipped out the Unsullied Sword. The sword transformed into several blades of light and charged at the bats. Following some jeering noises, the sword hacked the massive bats to death. He then looked at the terrified Zhiluan. “It’s safe now. You should stop flying around, where there are all the monsters and cultivators roaming around. If they see you, only two outcomes await you: you’ll either be eaten or turned into a pill ingredient.”

Zhiluan was still shaken. Even though he found Xiao Chen despicable, at least the latter didn’t intend on turning him into a pill ingredient. Maybe he wasn’t that bad after all. Zhiluan thought he would be safer with Xiao Chen for now. The rest could wait until they left this area.

Suddenly, the strange voice from yesterday once again emerged from under the ground. “The living who trespass on the Forbidden Land must leave their soul behind…”

“D*mn, he’s so persistent! Isn’t he supposed to stay put during the day?!”

Xiao Chen immediately unleashed his Phoenix’s Wings while Qingluan and Ziyun’er followed suit on their flying swords. The three of them flew toward the distant horizon together.

The deathly aura around them began to dissipate when they had flown some several hundred miles away. Zhiluan was still terrified. “Meow! Now that the Phantom King is about to break his seal, I can’t stay in this haunted forest anymore. I’ll have to find a new place to cultivate.”

After leaving the Abyss of the Nether Spirits, Xiao Chen tried to pinpoint the location of the jade note. An hour later, it brought them to a small cave but it wasn’t the cave with abundant spirit energy from yesterday.

He found Yu Yifeng and the rest there. All of them looked dejected and injured. Yu Yifeng immediately went up to Xiao Chen when he saw him. “Junior Brother Xiao, where did you go last night?”

Xiao Chen looked at everyone with a frown. “I’m fine. What’s wrong? What happened to all of you?”

“All of our Hearts of Illusory Moon have been stolen…” Qingyu replied in a soft voice.