Begin your practice with the crane-shaped stance.

Chapter 124 Bloodline

Qin Wan climbed the steep mountain path and arrived at Qingxiang Xiaozhu, the secluded place where Gu Yue was in seclusion.

This unique courtyard is cleverly nestled on a protrusion of a steep cliff, surrounded by clouds and mist, like a secluded fairyland.

Although the small dwelling was not luxurious, it exuded a cool and quiet Taoist charm, which was managed by Xiao Hong, Xia Dong's former concubine and now the personal maid of the Lonely Moon Immortal.

Qin Wan stood outside the courtyard gate, tightly clutching the jade box delivered by the red-robed envoy from the Tongxuan Division.

Her heart was still beating a little fast, and what lingered in her mind was the breathtaking shock she felt when she opened the jade box—it contained dozens of spiritual herbs, including a ten-thousand-year-old one.

She knew that such cultivation resources were not something she could touch, and that handing them over to her master immediately was the wisest decision.

Just as Qin Wan was tidying her clothes and preparing to respectfully knock on the door to request an audience, a clear and ethereal voice resonated directly in her mind.

"Wan'er, there's no need for you to come in."

Qin Wan trembled slightly and immediately lowered her head respectfully.

This is a divine transmission from Master Gu Yue Zhenren.

Although Gu Yue's voice still lacked much emotional fluctuation, it conveyed a sense of composure and control: "I am already aware of the visit of the red-robed envoy from the Tongxuan Division, as well as your opening of the jade box and discovery of the spiritual medicine within."

Upon hearing this, Qin Wan felt a surge of intense awe.

She then realized with a start that although her master was in seclusion, every blade of grass, every tree, and every movement of the entire Lonely Moon Peak had already been completely enveloped by that terrifying Purple Mansion stage divine sense.

In the eyes of his master, his every move was nothing more than a transparent painting.

The extraordinary abilities of such a powerful cultivator made her feel increasingly insignificant about her own cultivation level, and at the same time, she developed a deeper sense of reliance on her master.

"Put these spiritual herbs here," Master Guyue's voice transmission sounded again, his tone carrying a rare ripple. Clearly, even a Grandmaster of the Purple Mansion realm could not remain indifferent to such a quantity and quality of rare and precious herbs. "I do need them for the time being."

"Yes, sir." Qin Wan didn't dare to hesitate for a moment and quickly and respectfully agreed.

Qin Wan took two steps forward and carefully placed the jade box containing the ten-thousand-year-old elixir on the bluestone table outside the Qingxiang Xiaozhu.

She had just straightened up when the heavy wooden door of the small house was pushed open a crack with a slight creak.

Xiao Hong, dressed in a simple blue dress, quietly walked out.

Xiao Hong's expression was calm and capable, having long since shed the timidity of her former ordinary maidservant. After bowing slightly to Qin Wan, she gently and neatly put away the jade box, then turned and retreated back into the courtyard, closing the gate behind her.

Qin Wan looked at the wooden door that had been closed again, stood respectfully for a moment, and then turned around and retreated along the misty mountain path. Her heart was filled with anticipation for the future development of Lonely Moon Peak and the power of her master after he emerged from seclusion.

Inside the secluded room of Qingxiang Xiaozhu, the subtle fragrance of incense rose gently.

Xiao Hong respectfully carried the jade box into the room, gently placed it on the bluestone table in front of Gu Yue, and then silently withdrew, closing the door tightly behind her.

Gu Yue sat cross-legged on the futon, her gaze fixed on the open jade box.

Inside the box, dozens of spiritual herbs lay quietly, their dense spiritual energy almost tangible, permeating the secret chamber.

Even though she had already opened up her Purple Mansion, a deep sense of solemnity flashed in her eyes when she saw such a grand undertaking.

Her slender fingers hovered lightly above the elixir, sensing its immense medicinal power. Her voice, clear and deep, echoed slowly in the secluded room: "Master of the Profound Realm, what exactly do you intend to do—"

Gu Yue knew very well that the Tongxuan Division Master, with his unfathomable cultivation and immense power in the court, would never send such a generous gift simply to "show goodwill" to a newly promoted Purple Mansion cultivator like her.

Behind such a move must lie extremely deep calculations and schemes.

The core of this scheme is undoubtedly inextricably linked to the backgrounds of Xia Dong and Qin Wan.

She is both Qin Wan's teacher and Xia Dong's —

Master Guyue lowered his eyes slightly, his right hand unconsciously touching his flat stomach. Feeling the bloodline within his body being slowly nourished by the creation of his Purple Mansion, Guyue's eyes became even more profound, and he murmured, "The bloodline passed down through generations of the Great You royal family is the extremely domineering Nether Phoenix bloodline" — but why don't Xia Dong and Wan'er have it?

Between the two of them, which one truly possesses royal blood? Or—neither?

Gu Yue's brows furrowed slightly.

"No—" She shook her head slightly, immediately rejecting one of her conjectures in her mind. "If Wan'er is a descendant of that royal family, assuming that the Nether Phoenix bloodline in her body was forcibly extracted by someone using a secret method when she was young, given the devastating damage that the removal of such a top-tier bloodline would cause to her innate physical constitution, she absolutely could not have given birth to such an extremely rare and violent extraordinary spiritual root as the Thunder Spiritual Root. This simply doesn't make sense."

With Qin Wan out of the picture, Gu Yue's thoughts naturally turned entirely to Xia Dong.

There are indeed many clues about Xia Xiaozi's background that point to him being the last descendant of the Crown Prince, or perhaps truly a descendant of the Duke of Qi's family.

However, Qin Wan had mentioned that Qin Dafu had prepared three paths for Xia Dong, one of which was to marry into the Duke of Qi's family.

If Xia Dong is truly a descendant of a branch of the Duke of Qi's family, why would he need to marry into the family? If the Duke of Qi has no heirs, he could directly join the main branch from a minor branch.

So, is Xia Donghui the last surviving member of the Eastern Palace?

That doesn't make sense either.

Because Xia Dong does not actually possess the bloodline of the Underworld Phoenix.

After all, she and Xia Dong had once engaged in the ultimate dual cultivation of yin and yang. In that fusion of life and death, she had explored Xia Dong's body without reservation, and even personally accepted and absorbed the "innate essence" within him.

In this world, no one knows the deepest details of Xia Dong's physical body, blood, and magical power better than her.

Gu Yue was absolutely certain that Xia Dong's body was completely clean, containing only the purest innate energy and profound Yin power, with absolutely no trace or hidden aura of the "Nether Phoenix Bloodline".

If Xia Dong is truly royalty, where did his Nether Phoenix bloodline go? If he isn't, why is the Master of the Profound Realm going to such lengths in this game?

Gu Yue gazed silently at the elixir emanating a faint glow on the table, her deep eyes filled with doubt as she fell into deep thought.

Gu Yue's fingertips gently caressed her flat stomach through her clothes, feeling the faint yet pure life force budding there.

"So be it—" Gu Yue sighed softly, suppressing his deep-seated apprehension. "In any case, the Ascension Token of Penglai Dao Sect is now in my hands. I'll just have to take it one step at a time from now on."

She stopped thinking about those complicated worries, and with a thought, a faint blue light emanated from her fingertips. Gu Yue extracted wisps of the extremely cold Taiyin divine light from her body and slowly materialized them in mid-air, transforming them into delicate and supple rays of light.

Next, she took out the extremely rare thousand-year-old celestial silkworm silk and carefully mixed and intertwined the Taiyin divine light with the celestial silkworm silk, just like an ordinary woman, and continued to weave clothes with focused concentration.

On the bluestone couch beside her, several finished garments were neatly folded. Judging from the styles, there were both loose and long adult robes and small and exquisite children's clothes.

Every stitch and every thread perfectly captures the essence of the Yin Dharma.

Gu Yue's movements were gentle and skillful. Her red lips parted slightly, and she unconsciously began to hum a light and melodious folk song.

Xiao Hong learned this children's song by chance while working in the yard recently.

For the high-ranking cultivator of the Purple Mansion who had practiced abstinence for many years, this children's song seemed so out of place, yet it added a rare touch of warmth and maternal love to the cold and secluded chamber.

After humming the tune, her gaze returned to the jade box on the table.

No matter how unpredictable the future may be, with this large batch of high-grade spiritual herbs in hand, whether it's stabilizing her newly opened Purple Mansion realm or nourishing her womb—