99: Chapter 99: A Hidden Land?

[The young girl disguised as a man is named Dantai Yanya, the granddaughter of the First Elder of Xuanding Pavilion.]

[According to her, she came here upon receiving an invitation from Consort Yue.]

[This leaves you even more puzzled. Last night, he said that the secret realm has a deep connection with Tingxue Cliff. Then why invite a girl who has no relation whatsoever, as well as you, a disciple of the Hehuan Sect with an even more absurd identity?]

[However, you have confirmed another matter. When going downstairs just now, you took the opportunity to probe that female Qi Condensation cultivator, and she is a genuine female. That means Tingxue Cliff is not entirely...]

[Consort Yue and Wangyue are merely exceptions.]

[Watching the group gradually enter the Shuangming Mountain Range, your ominous premonition grows stronger and stronger.]

[It is too quiet all around. Where are the demonic beasts? Moreover, everyone's expression is extremely solemn, as if... as if facing some kind of important ritual.]

["Sister Lianhuan, do you have a cultivation partner?"]

[At this moment, Dantai Yanya, who had quieted down for a moment, squeezes up to your side once again.]

["None."]

[You are as steady as Mount Tai, without a shred of a guilty conscience.]

[In reality, you truly don't.]

["Then what do you think of me?"]

["Tsk!"]

[You look at her with disdain.]

[The young girl's appearance is indeed not bad, only slightly inferior compared to yours, but as for that figure...]

[You cannot help but recall a lyric: Only a ghost sleeps on their stomach; that is not a back.]

[Dantai Yanya's pretty face turns red with emotion. She unconvincedly takes a close look at your chest, then silently lowers her little head.]

[At this moment, the young girl's inferiority complex reaches its absolute limit.]

[However, when her peripheral vision catches sight of Consort Yue, she raises her chin once more.]

["Sister Consort Yue also seems quite ordinary."]

[...What are you comparing yourself to her for?]

[You clearly see the corners of Consort Yue's mouth twitch slightly, followed by an awkward yet polite smile surfacing on her face.]

["If you don't like me, how about you marry my big brother?"]

[Simply utter nonsense!]

["Give me the details about your big brother."]

[You develop a tiny bit of interest.]

["My big brother, Tantai Jin! A once-in-a-millennium genius of Xuanding Pavilion, with a superior Heavenly Spiritual Root, already at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage at merely thirty years old, and he has already completed the second revolution of the Nine Revolutions of the Golden Elixir."]

[Dantai Yanya's face is filled with pride.]

[A superior Heavenly Spiritual Root!]

[You are quite tempted. A truly max-level proud son of heaven!]

[Though you don't know how he compares to those with special constitutions, purely in terms of cultivation speed, it is simply ridiculously fast.]

[After reaching the peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage, one needs to use elixirs-forming secret arts to complete nine rounds of dispersing cultivation and nine rounds of recultivation.]

[With each completed revolution, the concentration of one's spiritual power increases by a fraction, until the nine revolutions are completed, allowing one to begin condensing a true Golden Elixir.]

[This is equivalent to walking the path of Foundation Establishment nine times over!]

[This is also why, for ten thousand years in the Tianxuan Sword Sect, there has only been a single cultivator who formed their elixir at the age of one hundred, True Monarch Powang.]

[And he only possessed a middle-grade Heavenly Spiritual Root; it is merely rumored that he also awakened a certain divine body, though whether it is true or false remains unknown.]

["Then am I worthy of your big brother?"]

[You also feel a bit inferior.]

["It's fine, Big Brother likes me the most. I'll act as a matchmaker for you, and he will definitely agree."]

[The young girl slaps her chest with loud smacks.]

[Just as you are about to reluctantly agree, the beast-drawn carriage suddenly stops.]

["We have arrived."]

[Consort Yue gives the two of you a strange look, then lifts the carriage curtain and steps down first.]

[Tsk~ How annoying.]

[As you follow her down from the beast-drawn carriage, what comes into view is a giant stone gate embedded in the mountain body, densely carved with unknown patterns and runes.]

[The surrounding ground appears to have been swept clean and is exceptionally level, looking somewhat out of place against the mottled and ancient stone gate.]

[Stains of blood from unknown creatures still linger on the ground, and the air carries a faint bloody stench.]

[At this moment, on the open ground in front of the stone gate, nine figures dressed entirely in white are sitting cross-legged, seeming to form some kind of profound formation.]

["Let's go."]

[Having arrived at this place, the gentle and graceful temperament on Consort Yue completely fades away, replaced by a cold arrogance identical to that of True Monarch Wangyue.]

[Are they dropping the act?]

[Your eyes flicker slightly, and looking at the tightly guarded battle array around you, you obediently follow along.]

[He who knows the times is a wise man; resisting at this moment will likely only earn you a thorough beating.]

["Cons… Sister Consort Yue."]

[Dantai Yanya seemingly still hasn't figured out the current situation.]

["What is this for? Aren't we here to treasure hunt?"]

[Consort Yue gives the young girl a deep look and says in a calm tone:]

["Yanya, the Tingxue Divine Pavilion made a deal with your grandfather, and you are the bargaining chip of that deal."]

["Wh-What?"]

[The young girl's face turns instantly pale, as if thinking of some bad matter.]

[Yet she seemingly still harbors a shred of expectation.]

["Sister Consort Yue… can you tell me why?"]

["Keep up first."]

[Consort Yue falls silent for a moment, taking the lead and walking toward the stone gate.]

[You exchange glances with Dantai Yanya and slowly follow behind. Until you step through the slowly opening stone gate, her voice sounds once more.]

["Your big brother encountered problems with his cultivation and needs a secret treasure of the Tingxue Divine Pavilion to assist him."]

[With a simple sentence, the entire ins and outs of the matter are explained clearly—meaning Dantai Yanya equals a secret treasure.]

[The young girl falls silent, lowering her head and speaking no more.]

["What about you? Is there anything you want to know?"]

[You are secretly sighing over letting a proud son of heaven slip through your fingers when you see Consort Yue suddenly turn her gaze toward you.]

[Having already reached this point, you simply can't be bothered to hide it anymore.]

["What is your relationship with True Monarch Wangyue?"]

["You really do know him."]

[Consort Yue gives you a deep look, and with a gentle lift of her slender hand, the originally pitch-black passageway is instantly ignited by spiritual fire.]

[What comes into view is a dome embedded with countless pearls, resembling an inverted galaxy. The jade walls on both sides are carved with dragons and phoenixes and outlined with gold paint, flashing with dazzling luster under the firelight.]

[The ground is paved with a certain kind of jade stone, making the entire passageway unexpectedly magnificent.]

[This is by no means an ancient secret realm; rather, it looks like a meticulously crafted palace.]

[Combining the formation outside with the expressions of those cultivators, you have already vaguely guessed the other party's purpose.]

[This setup before you is likely a mortal trap; it just depends on how much benefit or intelligence you can acquire...]