271: Chapter 270 Su Heng

The hall was brightly lit. Master Xue Mu stood with his hands behind his back in front of a map of the East Sea region, his brows furrowed. On that sea map, the originally marked red dots were nearly double what they had been three months ago, densely packed like a blood-colored spider web, enveloping the entire East Sea region.

Jiang Hanzhou knelt on one knee in the hall, reporting the results of his Dao-Slaying Blade Intent investigation in detail. His voice was calm, but every word was as clear as if carved by a blade.

“My Dao-Slaying Blade Intent sensed a subtle aura on the outskirts of the Scripture Pavilion. That aura shares the same origin as the Cultivation Techniques of the Bibo Pool lineage, but it is colder and more eerie. I suspect that the new host of the Dragon Slaying True Person's remnant soul might be hidden within Bibo Pool.”

Master Xue Mu turned around, his gaze falling on Jiang Hanzhou.

“Bibo Pool?” His brows furrowed even tighter. “Master Qingxuan has presided over Bibo Pool for decades and has never made a mistake. If someone in Bibo Pool were truly possessed by the dragon slaying remnant soul, it would be impossible for Master Qingxuan to not notice.”

“That is why I suspect that person is hidden very deeply,” Jiang Hanzhou looked up, his eyes bright as torches. “So deep that even Master Qingxuan cannot discover them. Or, Master Qingxuan himself might have a problem.”

Master Xue Mu fell silent.

He walked up to Jiang Hanzhou and handed him a dark red token. The word 'Red Fire' was engraved on the token, and fine golden patterns slowly flowed along its edges.

“This is a specially made communication token from me,” his voice was low. “Take it with you. If you encounter danger in Bibo Pool, crush it immediately, and I will arrive at once.”

Jiang Hanzhou took the token and put it into his sumeru pouch.

“Also,” Master Xue Mu continued, “as for Zhou Lie and Liu Ningshuang's side, I have already arranged for them to secretly investigate any abnormalities among the Disciples guarding the Scripture Pavilion. Sun Mo is dead, but he managed the Scripture Pavilion for forty years; it's impossible for him not to have left behind eyes and ears. Among those spies, there might be a hidden pawn of the Dragon Slaying True Person's remnant soul.”

Jiang Hanzhou nodded: “I understand.”

He stood up and walked toward the hall's exit. When he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and said without turning back: “Master, if I discover something at Bibo Pool, should I take action directly or report first?”

Master Xue Mu was silent for three breaths, then spoke slowly: “If the evidence is conclusive, take action directly. If it is only suspicion, report first.”

“I understand.”

Jiang Hanzhou strode out of Lihuo Hall and disappeared into the night.

The next morning, Bibo Pool.

Jiang Hanzhou had changed into the green Daoist robes of a Bibo Pool Outer Sect Disciple. His long hair was tied up with a green jade hairpin, and his face was disguised with a transformation technique, making him look no different from an ordinary Outer Sect Disciple. A common steel longsword hung at his waist, while the tiger soul saber was stored in his sumeru pouch, nourished by the Heart Furnace deep within his Dantian.

He stood before the mountain gate of Bibo Pool and took a deep breath.

Bibo Pool was located at the southernmost end of Dragon Abyss Palace, the shortest of the seven Peaks. However, being short did not mean it was weak. The Bibo Pool lineage was known for its water-attribute Cultivation Techniques, and countless prodigies famous in the East Sea for their Water True Intent had emerged from its generations of Disciples. Master Qingxuan was also one of the three Elders at the Peak of the Dragon-Elephant Intersection Realm in Dragon Abyss Palace, with a cultivation level that was unfathomably deep.

Jiang Hanzhou stepped onto the bluestone steps and walked toward the depths of Bibo Pool.

His pace was steady, and his gaze slowly swept over his surroundings. The scenery of Bibo Pool was completely different from Red Fire Peak. Red Fire Peak was as blazing as fire, with red rocks and fire-attribute spiritual plants everywhere. Bibo Pool, however, was as gentle as water, with green bamboo forests and gurgling streams everywhere. The air was filled with dense Water Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence, and with every breath, he could feel his blood circulation accelerating.

“Stop.”

A cold voice came from ahead.

Jiang Hanzhou stopped and looked forward. A young man wearing the robes of a Bibo Pool Inner Sect Disciple was standing on the steps, looking at him warily.

“Which hall's Disciple are you? What brings you to Bibo Pool?” The young man's voice was cold and hard, carrying a scrutinizing tone.

Jiang Hanzhou took a Jade Slip from his sleeve and handed it to the young man: “I am a Named Disciple under Elder Master Xue Mu of Red Fire Peak. I have come to Bibo Pool to deliver a letter by my Master's order. This is a manual that Master Qingxuan asked someone to pass to my Master, and my Master instructed me to return it personally.”

The young man took the Jade Slip and scanned it with his Divine Sense. The Jade Slip indeed contained Master Qingxuan's True Intent seal and handwriting, and the content was a reply regarding the research of the dao seed. This was something Master Xue Mu had prepared in advance so that Jiang Hanzhou could enter Bibo Pool legitimately.

“Wait here.” The young man returned the Jade Slip to Jiang Hanzhou and turned to walk toward the depths of Bibo Pool.

Jiang Hanzhou stood where he was, waiting patiently.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the young man returned. His attitude was much softer than before as he stepped aside: “Master Qingxuan has allowed you in. Follow me.”

Jiang Hanzhou nodded and followed the young man toward the depths of Bibo Pool.

The two of them, one after the other, passed through bamboo forests, streams, and stone bridges, finally arriving in front of a green palace. A plaque hung over the palace gate with three large characters: “Bibo Hall.” The handwriting was as gentle as water, yet it contained an indescribable pressure.

“Master Qingxuan is waiting for you in the hall.” After saying this, the young man turned and left.

Jiang Hanzhou pushed open the hall doors and walked in.

In the hall, Master Qingxuan stood in the center with his hands behind his back. He wore green Daoist robes, his hair was white, and his face was lean. A faint water-blue light swirled around him; the light was not dazzling but contained an indescribable length and flexibility.

Beside him stood Teng Yuzhi. Her expression was cold, but in her eyes, a hint of hard-to-conceal worry was hidden.

“Disciple Jiang Hanzhou greets Master Qingxuan.” Jiang Hanzhou knelt on one knee and cupped his hands in respect.

“Rise.” Master Qingxuan's voice was calm but held an indescribable gravity. “Master Xue Mu mentioned your matter in the communication talisman. Your Dao-Slaying Blade Intent sensed the aura of Bibo Pool on the outskirts of the Scripture Pavilion?”

Jiang Hanzhou stood up and nodded: “Correct. Although that aura was subtle, my Dao-Slaying Blade Intent would never be mistaken. It indeed shares the same origin as the Cultivation Techniques of the Bibo Pool lineage.”

Master Qingxuan was silent for a moment, then spoke slowly: “There are more than three hundred Inner Sect Disciples, Outer Sect Disciples, Deacons, and Elders in Bibo Pool. Who do you suspect?”

Jiang Hanzhou shook his head: “I do not know. Therefore, I would like to ask Master Qingxuan for permission to investigate within Bibo Pool for a few days, using my Dao-Slaying Blade Intent to screen them one by one.”

Master Qingxuan looked at him and remained silent for a long time.

Then, he nodded: “Very well. I will give you three days. Within these three days, you may freely enter and exit any place in Bibo Pool, including the core areas. However, there is one condition: you must not alert the enemy. If you find a suspicious person, notify me immediately; do not act on your own.”

Jiang Hanzhou bowed solemnly: “I understand.”

Master Qingxuan took a green token from his sleeve and handed it to Jiang Hanzhou: “This is the Bibo Pool pass. With this token, you can freely enter and exit all areas of Bibo Pool, and no one will stop you.”

Jiang Hanzhou took the token and put it into his sumeru pouch.

Teng Yuzhi looked at Jiang Hanzhou, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she did not speak.

Jiang Hanzhou turned and walked toward the hall's exit.

When he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and said without turning back: “Senior Sister Teng, if I discover something in Bibo Pool, can I ask you for help?”

Teng Yuzhi was slightly taken aback, then she nodded: “You can.”

Jiang Hanzhou strode out of Bibo Hall and disappeared into the morning light.

Bibo Pool, Core Area.

Holding the pass, Jiang Hanzhou moved through Bibo Pool. His steps seemed casual, but his Dao-Slaying Blade Intent was already operating at full capacity in his Sea of Consciousness. The Heart Blade vibrated slightly, and the layer of dark golden halo at the blade's edge slowly flowed, enveloping every inch of space within a hundred-zhang radius.

He was sensing.

Sensing the aura of the dao seed, the aura of the Dragon Slaying True Person's remnant soul, and that subtle, eerie aura that shared the same origin as the Bibo Pool Cultivation Techniques but was even colder.

In the first hour, he screened the Outer Sect area of Bibo Pool. He did not miss the Outer Sect Disciples' residences, cultivation rooms, or martial arts fields. His Dao-Slaying Blade Intent sensed the auras of dozens of dao seeds, but those dao seeds were very weak, not deeply rooted, and still a long way from maturing. Their owners were ordinary Disciples who had entered the Dragon Slaying Cave Mansion and absorbed memory fragments; they could not be the new host for the Dragon Slaying True Person's remnant soul.

In the second hour, he screened the Inner Sect area of Bibo Pool. He carefully investigated the Inner Sect Disciples' Immortal Caves, the Elders' residences, and the branch of the Scripture Pavilion. The aura of the dao seeds here was much stronger than in the Outer Sect area, and a few were even close to maturing. However, he still did not sense that subtle, eerie aura that shared the same origin as the Bibo Pool Cultivation Techniques but was even colder.

In the third hour, he arrived at the core area of Bibo Pool, where the Elders went into seclusion for cultivation.

The concentration of Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence here was dozens of times that of the outside world, and the Water Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence had almost condensed into a physical form, slowly flowing through the air. Jiang Hanzhou's Dao-Slaying Blade Intent was severely interfered with here, as the dense Water Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence acted like a thick curtain, tightly masking all subtle auras.

He stopped, closed his eyes, and pushed his Dao-Slaying Blade Intent to the limit.

The Heart Blade vibrated violently, and the dark golden dragon patterns on the blade burst with brilliant golden light. That light penetrated his Sea of Consciousness and his Physical Body, condensing into a semi-transparent light shield around Jiang Hanzhou. Within the shield, the dark golden halo slowly flowed, peeling away and penetrating the dense Water Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence layer by layer.

Then, he sensed it.

In the deepest part of the core area, within an Immortal Cave heavily guarded by Formations, there was an extremely subtle aura. That aura shared the same origin as the Bibo Pool Cultivation Techniques but was colder and more eerie, as if it had been contaminated by something. The aura contained dense dao seed fluctuations, and the intensity of those fluctuations was several times stronger than when Han Qing died.

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils contracted sharply.

He opened his eyes and looked in the direction of that Immortal Cave. Three ancient characters were engraved on the stone door of the Immortal Cave: Su Heng's Residence.

Great Elder Su Heng.

An Inner Sect Elder of Bibo Pool with a cultivation level of the Early Stage of the Dragon-Elephant Intersection Realm, who had served in Bibo Pool for over twenty years. He was low-profile and reticent, never participating in the factional disputes within the Sect, nor getting close to the Elders of any other Peak. He was like a pool of stagnant water, Cultivating in seclusion day after day without ever making a mistake.

But at this moment, such dense dao seed fluctuations were coming from his Immortal Cave.

Jiang Hanzhou took a deep breath and withdrew his Dao-Slaying Blade Intent back into his Sea of Consciousness. He needed to confirm whether the dao seed inside Great Elder Su Heng had matured and whether he was indeed the new host of the Dragon Slaying True Person's remnant soul.

He walked toward Su Heng's Residence.

When he reached the entrance of the Immortal Cave, two figures stepped out from the shadows and blocked his way. Both were wearing the robes of Bibo Pool Inner Sect Disciples, their expressions cold and their gazes like blades.

“Stop. Elder Su is in seclusion; no one is allowed to disturb him.”

Jiang Hanzhou took the pass granted by Master Qingxuan from his sumeru pouch and handed it to the two: “I have come by order of Master Qingxuan to deliver a secret letter to Elder Su. Please allow me through, Senior Brothers.”

The two took the pass and inspected it carefully. After confirming it was genuine, their attitude softened considerably, but they still did not step aside.

“Elder Su instructed before his seclusion that no one is to disturb him. Give the letter to us, and we will pass it on for you.”

Jiang Hanzhou shook his head: “Master Qingxuan instructed that this letter must be personally delivered to Elder Su. If you do not believe me, you can consult Master Qingxuan.”

The two looked at each other and hesitated. One of them turned and walked into the depths of the Immortal Cave, clearly to consult Great Elder Su Heng.

Jiang Hanzhou stood where he was, waiting patiently.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the Disciple returned. His expression was somewhat strange, and there was a hint of wariness in his eyes as he looked at Jiang Hanzhou: “Elder Su has allowed you in. But only you alone, and you cannot bring any weapons.”

Jiang Hanzhou nodded, unbuckled the steel longsword at his waist, and handed it to the Disciple. He took a deep breath, pushed open the stone door of the Immortal Cave, and walked inside.

The Immortal Cave was dim.

An indescribable fishy-sweet scent filled the air; it was the smell released after a dao seed matured, exactly the same as the scent when Han Qing died. Jiang Hanzhou's brows furrowed slightly, and his Dao-Slaying Blade Intent operated at full capacity in his Sea of Consciousness, ready to respond to any sudden situation at any time.

He walked down the narrow passage toward the depths of the Immortal Cave. Dense Formation patterns were engraved on the walls on both sides of the passage, and those patterns flowed with water-blue light, firmly locking in the Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence within the Immortal Cave so that not a single bit could escape.

At the end of the passage was a spacious cultivation room.

In the center of the cultivation room, Great Elder Su Heng sat cross-legged.

He wore the green Daoist robes of a Bibo Pool Elder, his hair was white, and his face was lean. A faint layer of water-blue light swirled around him, and within that light were indescribable black patterns that crawled slowly under his skin like living things.

Floating in front of him was a palm-sized black jade token.

The token was entirely pitch black, its surface engraved with fine blood-colored patterns that wound like insects and slowly flowed over the token. On the front of the token, two ancient characters were carved: “dragon slaying.” On the back, a diagram of the Five Elements generating each other was engraved, with five colors slowly flowing within the diagram, endless and circulating in a cycle.

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils contracted sharply.

He recognized that token. In the Small World of the Dragon Slaying True Person's Immortal Cave, he had seen an identical token. It was a token left by the Dragon Slaying True Person for his hidden pawns, a switch to activate and harvest the dao seeds.