107: Chapter 107

"The Pavilion Master went out on business yesterday and is estimated to return to the Sect in about two days," Elder Fang explained.

"I wonder what is the purpose of this Fellow Daoist's visit to the Pavilion Master?"

"This..." Xiao Yun was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected that the Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion would actually not be in the Sect.

Chen Xuan raised his eyes, his gaze falling upon Elder Fang. Since that Pavilion Master was out, he might as well ask this Elder Fang; after all, he was only approaching this with the mindset of giving it a try.

In truth, deep down, Chen Xuan did not believe that the Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion could give him an answer. After all, since that jade stone was placed together with a roll of a God-tier Cultivation Technique, it certainly would not be an ordinary Magic Treasure.

Chen Xuan estimated that the most likely origin of this jade stone was the Profound Realm.

Might as well treat a dead horse as if it were alive!

Chen Xuan said calmly, "I have come this time mainly to inquire about some matters. Since the Pavilion Master is not here, I wonder if Fellow Daoist would be willing to chat with me?"

Elder Fang smiled, "Of course. Please, both of you, come inside."

Under Elder Fang's lead, Chen Xuan and the other arrived at an elegant room on the seventh floor of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. Sandalwood incense rose in curls, and several maids elegantly brewed celestial spirit tea. Only after discarding the first pour did they fill a cup for Chen Xuan and his companion.

Elder Fang sat before the desk and asked straightforwardly, "Is Fellow Daoist from another domain?"

"The East Domain, Dao Seeking Sect!"

Elder Fang was slightly surprised upon hearing this... He remembered that the East Domain was the most barren and weak, yet such a figure had actually emerged from there.

With a casual wave of Chen Xuan's hand, a celadon jade bottle manifested in the air and slowly flew toward Elder Fang. "A small greeting gift."

Just as Elder Fang was about to decline, a faint medicinal fragrance wafted into his nose, permeating his very core along with his breath.

"This is..." Elder Fang's pupils shrank suddenly. He immediately grabbed the porcelain bottle and poured out a Medicinal Pill; it was actually a sixth-grade elixir, the "Yi Ling Pill."

He subconsciously tightened his grip on the porcelain bottle, and his breathing couldn't help but quicken slightly.

Aside from those few Elders of the Medicine Pavilion, only the Alchemy Saint Yun Shu could refine such a Medicinal Pill.

Furthermore, this quality... The last time he had seen an Yi Ling Pill, it had come from the hands of the Medicine Pavilion's Grand Elder.

Just who on earth was the person before him to be so generous? Even the Medicine Pavilion Master certainly wouldn't take a whole bottle of sixth-grade elixirs as a greeting gift.

Elder Fang took a deep breath, briefly adjusting his loss of composure, and his tone couldn't help but carry a bit more sincerity as he said, "Fellow Daoist is far too polite. I wonder what matters Fellow Daoist wishes to inquire about? This old man will certainly tell you everything I know without reservation."

Chen Xuan was slightly surprised. He had originally intended to prepare a Flat Peach as a greeting gift, but later, after discovering several bottles of Medicinal Pills in the storage ring of the Medicine Pavilion Elder, he had simply picked one at random.

He hadn't expected the other party to like it so much.

Xiao Yun stood to the side, his face similarly full of shock.

Senior is truly... He manages to astonish people every time. This magnanimity... to give away an entire bottle of sixth-grade elixirs without even blinking an eye.

It's almost as if he picked them up for free!

"I want to check a jade stone," Chen Xuan spoke slowly. With a slight movement of his fingertips and a flash of light, a blue-black jade stone projection manifested in his palm.

"This item... has Fellow Daoist ever seen it? Or heard of it?"

Elder Fang reached out to take the image of the ordinary jade stone, the burly old man frowning slightly. "Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment while I consult some ancient books."

Chen Xuan gave an "En" and picked up his teacup, taking a full sip.

Elder Fang flipped through ancient books while carefully studying the jade fragment. At first glance, it was unremarkable, just an ordinary jade stone; upon further inspection, it remained unremarkable.

He tried to circulate his Spiritual Qi and use his Divine Soul to examine it, but the results were all for naught.

If it were anyone else, he estimated he would have said something like: 'You aren't here to toy with me, are you?' But given the previous gesture, Elder Fang was certain of one thing: this jade fragment was definitely extraordinary.

No one would use a bottle of sixth-grade elixirs to toy with him. What exactly was the origin of this jade stone?

Xiao Yun watched Elder Fang, who was frowning deeply as he flipped through ancient books, and was secretly amazed. Just what kind of treasure was this jade stone that even Elder Fang didn't know about it?

"The Heavenly Secret Pavilion claims to be able to peer into the secrets of heaven and earth, yet it can't even identify a jade stone?"

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a cup of celestial spirit tea had been finished.

Elder Fang's expression changed slightly as he sighed softly, "This jade... this old man has never seen it before. The Heavenly Secret Pavilion houses tens of thousands of ancient books recording the rare treasures of the Central Domain over the last ten thousand years, yet not one is similar to this."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan did not show a very surprised expression; instead, it was a result he had expected.

As expected, since even the Heavenly Secret Pavilion didn't know the origin of this jade stone, it was likely something from the Profound Realm.

He just didn't know what use this thing actually had.

Elder Fang handed back the jade stone with a somewhat embarrassed expression. He had accepted such a large greeting gift, yet in the end, he hadn't accomplished anything.

Chen Xuan said calmly, "I've troubled Fellow Daoist."

"I don't deserve such thanks... This old man's knowledge is shallow; please pardon my ignorance."

Chen Xuan drank another cup of tea and chatted with this burly old man with white hair at his temples about a few other matters.

"Could Fellow Daoist tell me about the Profound Realm?"

Elder Fang nodded and said slowly, "Regarding the Profound Realm, this old man does not know much either. It is all from records in ancient books and what I've learned from conversations with Mysterious Realm Emissaries."

The old man unconsciously rubbed his teacup, recalling the records in the ancient books, his voice taking on a slightly distant tone:

"This old man once found a tattered jade bamboo slip in the pavilion, which said that the Profound Realm is vast and boundless, the scale of the world being far beyond our imagination."

"What is even more astonishing is that for Cultivators of the Profound Realm, reaching the Golden Core in sixty years and the Nascent Soul in a hundred years are commonplaces."

Speaking to this point, Elder Fang couldn't help but nod slightly, a hint of pride in his expression. "Surely Fellow Daoist also knows that above the Nascent Soul is the Soul Emergence Stage. Does Fellow Daoist know what lies above the Soul Emergence Stage?"

Chen Xuan glanced at him and smiled faintly. "The Deity Transformation Realm."

Elder Fang was slightly stunned, a flash of surprise crossing his face.

"And above Soul Transformation?"

"The Void Refining Realm, the Integration Realm, the Ma—"

Before the two words 'Mahayana' could be spoken, Chen Xuan stopped himself.

You, an old fellow with white hair at your temples, is it really necessary to show such a devastated expression over such a small matter?

Elder Fang picked up his tea and drained it in one gulp, likely drinking it as if it were wine.

The Deity Transformation Realm and the Void Refining Realm were names he had only accidentally learned from conversations with Mysterious Realm Emissaries.

Relying on these two bits of hearsay, Elder Fang had frequently bragged to his fellow disciples within the Heavenly Secret Pavilion.

Xiao Yun, who was nearby, was already dumbfounded and deeply shaken; he hadn't expected Senior Chen's knowledge to be so profound.

Seeing Chen Xuan's calm expression, Elder Fang's heart grew even more reverent, and he couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that Fellow Daoist already knew about the matters of the Profound Realm?"

No, this is just common knowledge that every Blue Star person knows... In order not to crush Elder Fang's spirit, Chen Xuan spun a tale casually, "In my earlier years in the East Domain, I flipped through an ancient book that recorded these things. However, as for what lies after the Integration Realm, I am entirely ignorant."

Only then did Elder Fang feel slightly better, and he continued, "Does Fellow Daoist know how this world appears in the eyes of the Profound Realm?"

Chen Xuan shook his head slightly; he truly didn't know this.

Elder Fang's voice lowered as he said, "This place is called the 'Lesser Exquisite Grotto-Heaven' by the Mysterious Realm Emissaries. It is like a glazed cup played with by children; it looks exquisite, but it is ultimately small, closed off, and thin in Spiritual Qi."

"Lesser Exquisite Grotto-Heaven..." Xiao Yun murmured these few words, his heart full of shock and disappointment. It turned out that the cultivation base they spent their whole lives pursuing was actually so not worth mentioning in the eyes of the Profound Realm.

Chen Xuan's fingertips paused slightly, and a very faint light flashed in the depths of his eyes.

It was exactly as he had guessed. This visit to the Heavenly Secret Pavilion could be considered not a wasted trip.