Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1207 Shao Shang
He knelt before the hall and cried his heart out for a while, until his limbs were burning hot and his heart and lungs were burning. All the chill that had spread from his heart to his limbs and bones was gone, and he was able to stand up.

'In principle, one should burn incense and bathe to show respect!'

So he lowered his head, looked around, and tiptoed. He noticed a sound coming from the ruined ground. He brushed aside a few pieces of rubble and saw small, silvery puddles of water in the cracks between the stones.

'There used to be a pond in front of this main hall.'

He carefully scooped up a handful of water, washed his face, and retied his hair before taking one step and bowing at a time to reach the top of the main hall. Although the hall doors were dilapidated and weathered, they still completely concealed the interior.

Yuan Shang pushed the door slightly inward, and it opened easily. Gentle light shone in from the outside, revealing the floor as white as jade. The interior was surprisingly intact. The light shone on the jade pillars standing in the hall, and the laurel-patterned pillars faintly flowed with silver light.

He suppressed his trepidation and excitement as he stepped inside, knelt down in the overly spacious hall, and respectfully said:
"Xi Shaoshang, a cultivator under the Qingxuan Great Dao Gonghua Daogui Shenyang Daotong lineage, attained the radiance of enlightenment, overcame the calamity of cold, and ascended to heaven to see the Heavenly Pool. Today, he is confirmed to have achieved enlightenment and requests an audience with... the Taiyin Messenger..."

He recited the mantras and techniques passed down within the Daoist tradition in a low voice, but there was no response in the empty hall; only his voice faintly echoed.

Yuan Shang had a premonition in his heart. He knelt quietly for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and said:

"I apologize for my offense..."

So he stood up and walked deeper into the hall, following the light that shone from the outside.

What gradually emerged from the darkness was an octagonal table, exquisite and noble. Although there were no obvious patterns, it faintly emitted a crystal-clear moonlight. The jade cushion was empty, so he had no choice but to continue walking inside.

The hall was much larger than it appeared from the outside, and it grew taller and taller as you went deeper inside. Every ten floor tiles on either side, there was a jade table and a futon. Yuan Shang's eyesight wasn't very good, and he didn't dare to touch anything carelessly. When he reached the highest point, he calculated the location and began to ponder:
There should be... thirty-two desks.

Upon reaching the deepest part, they finally saw the main seat in the innermost part of the hall. Although it was pitch black, they could still see some extremely beautiful and mysterious patterns. Yuan Shang dared not go forward and stopped at the foot of the main seat.

'Although the Xuan Hall is still relatively intact, it is completely empty, as if no one has been here for many years…'

He calculated the time with his fingers, and his heart sank:
'That's true... There were quite a few immortals in ancient times, but they have become extremely rare since the Middle Ages. The Dan and Han families have also declined one after another... It's been at least a thousand years since the last one...'

'But how could the Great Dao of Yin have fallen to such a state!'

Yuan Shang's gaze turned somber, and his initial joy gradually turned into a shadow.

'And me... what am I now! Jie Lin? A True Person? Yet I possess no supernatural powers whatsoever. Upon closer examination, I'm just like a mortal!'

He did become a disciple, but if you really want to remember, Yuan Shang clearly remembered that he did indeed perish at the Chunyi Dao Sect!

It is said that when a True Lord achieves enlightenment, there is a fear that his position is not upright. When he first ascends to the throne, his position is unstable and he is subject to the calamity of holding the position. He is easily harmed by others, and many True Lords have perished at this threshold. The emperors of the former Qi and the latter Zhao dynasties all perished not long after they achieved enlightenment. Although Jie Lin cannot be called a True Lord, he still has a Xuan position. He has not been able to sense Taiyin, so in the eyes of the underworld, he is just a demon. With the magic treasure, his cultivation and soul have long been like fleeting clouds.

'Perhaps…perhaps there really was such a mysterious palace in ancient times…it merely saved my life; my supernatural powers…were truly shattered.'

He retreated, utterly bewildered, closed the main hall's entrance door, and descended the steps. He glanced at the other islands floating in the sky, but lacked the ability to fly up and investigate. He lowered his head, thinking to himself:
'Whatever happened, how could the Taiyin Ancestral Court be reduced to such a sorry state?'

He silently began sweeping the courtyard.

Since he began cultivating, Yuan Shang had hardly moved anything with his body. These scattered, heavy stones, which looked like fragments of palaces, were moved little by little and piled up on the side of the main hall. During this time, he also identified a few pieces of jade and filled them into the dilapidated Xuan Hall.

He tidied up with a sense of loss, and when he got tired, he would lie down in the ruins to rest. Without needing to drink or eat, his body would quickly regain its strength and he would get up and continue working. After an unknown amount of time, he finally cleaned up all the ruins in front of the main hall and saw the clean and smooth jade floor.

There was indeed a crescent-shaped pool in front of the hall. Despite the pool being full of pebbles, the water inside was still clear and bright. Perhaps there used to be a bridge over the pool, but it has now been destroyed, leaving only one or two stone pillars. Yuan Shang rested for a while, then rolled up his sleeves and went into the pool to clean it up.

He looked inside and was instantly stunned.

In the clear reflection was a young man with a straight nose, slightly high eyebrows, and somewhat thin cheeks. He looked like a Taoist priest. Yuan Shang raised his hand and touched his face, feeling the skin beneath the tears.

'This is... me back then... when I had just reached the Foundation Establishment stage...'

He felt as if he had been transported to another world. He took two steps forward and discovered that something was reflected on the water.

It was a token.

This ornament, no longer than a forearm, is pure white with silver-white lunar patterns painted on the bottom, and a circle is drawn in the very center, making it look extremely luxurious. It is quietly reflected in the water.

This thing wasn't submerged in the water; it was just a reflection, yet it inexplicably hovered around Yuan Shang's waist in the reflection. The young man touched his empty waist, then tremblingly raised his hand to touch the reflection.

The pool water was icy cold to the touch, yet he managed to grasp the long token and gently remove it from the water. The perfectly round pattern quickly revealed a seal script character:
【郗】.

This caused a surge of heat to rise on his face, and excitement and joy welled up in his heart. Yuan Shang couldn't help but reach out and gently touch that seal character.

In an instant, a strong sense of coolness surged into his mind. Yuan Shang felt a strong sense of grasping, as if he had passed through layers of clouds and suddenly saw a pavilion shrouded in mist, with faint sounds of tinkling music.

"This is…"

……

'A latecomer is truly useless!'

Dangjiang put down his pen, let out a deep sigh, rolled up his sleeve to look at the token, and found that it had no color at all. He was speechless and raised his eyebrows to look up.

White steam billowed in the attic, where a woman in a tea-white dress sat silently at her desk, writing with a pen. He had no choice but to look away and swallow his frustration.

Dangjiang has lost count of how many days he has been forced to serve as a slave—Chi Buzi has descended to the mortal realm and there has been no news of him since. All he has done here is revise his cultivation techniques day after day.

Fortunately, Li Xianguan's work was never static. In recent days, the number of scrolls sent to his pavilion had decreased, and he finally had a break, so he went to visit Shao Hui Pavilion—the only place he dared to go.

He was restless below, and Shao Hui above seemed to notice him and glanced at him.

Shao Hui has been more relaxed these days. She specializes in Shao Yin, unlike Dang Jiang who is good at a little more. However, she received a reward from Zhengao and a book of essays by an ancient writer.

This collection of essays was truly astonishing. Occasionally, a sentence or two contained profound insights that directly pointed to the essence of Shao Yin, which she found like a fine wine. Shao Hui was completely absorbed in reading it and didn't want to waste a moment. Dang Jiang below had been sighing for a long time, so she had to raise her eyebrows and say:
"It's a long way off! When he came to the heavens back then, that guy surnamed Chi had only mastered the fourth divine power. He was still far from perfecting his divine power and couldn't achieve it overnight... Besides, given his personality, he wouldn't ask for gold unless he was forced to or had absolute certainty."

Dangjiang sighed and said:

“I know that, but… the method for obtaining gold is extremely valuable… and it seems he can no longer regain his memories… where would I find so many immortal techniques to exchange for the method of obtaining gold? I…”

Before he could finish speaking, the woman in the main seat seemed to sense something, suddenly looked up in surprise, hurriedly stood up from her seat, stepped out of the room, and politely said:

"Which colleague has come to visit?"

Shao Hui was not a minister of Taiyin. She was assigned to this place at the edge of the sky. Apart from a certain celestial official who came with a true decree, no one would come to visit her. This was the first time Dang Jiang had seen her so surprised. His eyes lit up and he stood up, pretending to be respectful as he went out to greet her.

But then he saw a young man standing blankly in the courtyard. He looked quite otherworldly, but his eyes were full of shock and confusion. He looked around at the maids around him, seemingly at a loss. It wasn't until the fairy maids came out of the hall to greet him that he suddenly came to his senses.

Having lost all his cultivation, he couldn't discern the extent of the woman's abilities. Judging from her appearance and demeanor, she was likely a powerful cultivator. Therefore, he tentatively bowed and said:
"This humble servant greets Your Excellency!"

This bow startled Shao Hui quite a bit. She immediately recognized the person's attire as that of a Yin spirit, quickly stepped aside, and hurriedly helped the person up, saying:

"I am Shao Yin Wu Gui Fairy Maiden, Shao Hui... I wonder which pavilion or government official you serve? Since you are dressed in Tai Yin attire, I absolutely cannot accept this courtesy!"

These words made the young man look up abruptly, staring at her blankly for a moment, a strange feeling rising in his heart:
'The Lesser Yin Wu-Gui Fairy...and the Lesser Yin cultivator...they don't seem like True Lords, more like someone's subordinate. She said...I am a Taiyin official...'

Yuan Shang was capable of becoming a Great True Person, even having the opportunity to achieve the stage of Jie Lin; his intellect and talent were first-rate, and he instantly grasped a great deal of information. He murmured:

"Which pavilion? Which residence?"

He took a deep breath and said:

"Your Excellency...I don't recognize your residence...I came from the [Zhonghan Palace]!"

As he spoke, Shao Hui was also observing him, feeling that the person before her was as ethereal as light. She pondered to herself, but upon hearing the words "Zhonghan Palace," she was suddenly startled, thinking:

'But I've never heard of it…'

She thought for a moment and asked:
"Is it within this realm?"

Yuan Shang raised his head and tentatively asked:

"It shouldn't be...it's a place where Jie Lin resides..."

A look of horror flashed in Shao Hui's eyes as he asked:
"Fellow Daoist... are you Immortal Jielin?!"

Jie Linxian is no ordinary person! Although she does not hold the title of Yu Run, she is at least a True Lord level figure. Under the command of the Taiyin Lord, she is even more formidable. If the person in front of her is Jie Lin, she should be the one to pay her respects!

Upon hearing these three words, Yuan Shang seemed to have found his anchor, his eyes lighting up. But Shao Hui quickly shook his head and asked:
"Or is he one of Jielin's subordinates?"

Yuan Shang raised an eyebrow, finally having a chance to interject, and whispered:
"Xi Shaoshang, a cultivator from the Qingxuan Great Dao Gonghua Dao Gui Shenjing Taiyang Dao lineage, sought to establish a kinship with Lin... As for whether he still is now... it's no longer clear..."

These words didn't elicit any reaction from the woman, but they seemed to explode in Dangjiang's ears behind him, causing him to suddenly raise his eyebrows.

He's been to the mortal realm before, having ventured into the lower world!

He not only ventured out into the world, but also saw all sorts of things through Chi Buzhi's eyes, read all kinds of classics, and even studied the core secrets of the Sun Dao lineage... How could he not know about the Pure Dao lineage!
A person who sounded like a newly accomplished cultivator, who also called himself Chunyi and whose surname was Xi, made a quick connection, and he immediately knew the answer, exclaiming in shock:

"Xi Shaoshang...you are the Yuan Shang Master?! You...you've become Jie Lin!"

Yuan Shang's hesitant expression froze on his face for a moment, all his thoughts were instantly disrupted—he had considered all the adults' attitudes and various answers, and even the fact that his lineage and even his personal affairs were known, which made him uneasy...

But he never expected to hear the words "Old Master Yuan Shang"!
The most familiar tone made it seem as if the other party was a junior from the East Sea, or even a Purple Mansion cultivator from the Sun Dao lineage. He had heard this tone countless times, but it was absolutely impossible for it to appear in this place!
Dangjiang's utter shock even stunned Shao Hui, who froze on the spot. Yuan Shang's gaze was a mixture of complexity and horror as he stared at him blankly, saying in a hoarse voice:
"Fellow Daoist... who are you?"

Dang Jiang understood the difficulty of Jie Lin's feat, and his shock was far greater than Dang Jiang's. He even immediately thought of Chi Buzi and cursed inwardly:

'Look at them! They're so slow and hesitant, even when asking for money…'

Dangjiang thought he had lost his memory, but the most exciting part of his short life was the time he spent traveling the world with Chi Buzi. Although he was constantly outwitting and outmaneuvering Chi Buzi, it was far more enjoyable than the monotonous days in heaven… Although he had never actually met Yuan Shang, this voice suddenly filled Dangjiang with the bittersweet feeling of meeting an old friend in a foreign land. He sighed:
"Back then, while searching for cultivation techniques and traveling throughout the East Sea, I heard of the old master's great name... but I never imagined that I would actually meet him here! I am... Dang Jiang!"

Yuan Shang's premonition came true, and his gaze widened in astonishment. He couldn't recall the person before him, nor had he ever heard of any "Master Dangjiang"... He murmured:
"Dang...Jiang?"

Dangjiang suddenly realized that the other party did not recognize him at all, and said:
"At that time...I...I was..."

He was about to explain in detail, but his origins were too complicated and involved many secrets. The words of Dangjiang were on the tip of his tongue, hesitant to speak, extremely uncomfortable. After a moment of frustration, he said:
"Back then, it was still Chi Buzi..."

"what?"

Yuan Shang felt as if he had heard something utterly unbelievable. A chill ran through him, and for a moment he didn't even have time to pay attention to Shao Hui in front of him. His mind was filled with only this incredible name:
'Late...steps...Zi...Taiyin? Celestial official?'