74: Chapter 74

With the previous lesson learned, Chen Xuan's joy was not particularly great at this moment.

Please don't let it be some God-tier Cultivation Technique that's just here to disgust me!

For others, a Divine Ability plus a Cultivation Technique would be an unimaginably great Opportunity, but for Chen Xuan, it was a grievance he couldn't even find a place to cry about. From the moment he opened the novice gift pack and obtained his Golden Core cultivation, Chen Xuan already possessed a top-tier Cultivation Technique customized by the System; even compared to a High Grade God-tier one, it would still be a notch inferior.

There was a soft "click" sound!

The double-layered mechanism suddenly opened up.

The lower space was slightly narrower than the upper one, lined with a layer of dark gold silk. The object lying quietly in the center of the silk made Chen Xuan breathe a sigh of relief.

It was a piece of black jade about the size of a bottle cap. Rather than calling it a jade stone, it would be more appropriate to call it a jade fragment. Its edges were jagged and uneven, looking as if it had been dropped and shattered on the ground.

Chen Xuan reached out and picked up the jade to examine it.

The touch was far colder than ordinary jade, even carrying a dense, almost metallic texture. Someone who didn't know better would think they were holding an ordinary stone.

At first glance, it was unremarkable; at second glance... it was still unremarkable!

"What on earth is this thing?" Chen Xuan frowned slightly, his fingertips repeatedly stroking the surface of the jade fragment.

Since it could be placed together with a God-Tier Divine Ability, it certainly wouldn't be an ordinary item. However, aside from its heavy feel, this fragment didn't have even a trace of spiritual energy fluctuation, being more deathly still than the most common mundane iron.

Could it be a Magic Treasure?

Chen Xuan tried to inject a trace of Spiritual Qi into the fragment. The energy, which contained his own cultivation, had just touched the surface of the jade when it instantly disappeared like a clay ox entering the sea, without even stirring a single ripple.

"???"

"Does it require a drop of blood to recognize its master?" With a thought, he flicked a drop of crimson essence blood.

The blood droplet landed on the fragment. The moment it touched the stone surface, it transformed into a line of blood and was instantly absorbed by the jade fragment. The originally dull black jade suddenly lit up, and thousands of fine threads instantly appeared on its smooth, dark surface.

At this moment, the entire piece of jade seemed to be woven from these threads.

"I guessed right!"

Before Chen Xuan had time to examine this sudden change, a powerful suction force suddenly came from where his fingertip touched the fragment.

He felt a violent tremor in his Sea of Consciousness, and the scene before his eyes changed instantly.

In the next second, his consciousness was in a boundless Chaos space, surrounded by grey airflows slowly churning. Within this Chaos, there were eight circular stone platforms emitting a faint white light.

Above each stone platform floated an ancient character.

From one to eight!

Chen Xuan scanned the surroundings. The other seven stone platforms were empty, with only the characters floating quietly in the silent Chaos. Could this be the interior of that jade fragment?

What did the eight positions represent?

What exactly was this jade! Numerous questions filled his mind.

Chen Xuan looked up slightly and found that the number above the stone platform he was standing on was "Six."

He tried to circulate his Divine Power to investigate the movement on the other stone platforms, but his Divine Thought was blocked by the Chaos airflows as it extended outward.

After researching for a while without result, Chen Xuan took a deep breath and tried to concentrate his mind to exit this space. As his thought moved, the surrounding Chaos airflows began to rotate violently, and the scene before him quickly dissipated like shattered glass.

His entire consciousness returned to the Sect Main Hall, and Chen Xuan could clearly perceive it now.

That Black Jade Fragment already had a mysterious connection with him. With just a thought, he could go back to that strange space.

Well, I'll find an Opportunity to ask Qi Yue later and see if she has heard of this type of Magic Treasure... At this very moment!

A piece of news was spreading rapidly in the outside world.

"Good heavens, what on earth did this Dao Seeking Sect do? To actually provoke the four Hegemon-level Forces to join hands and crusade against them."

"What? Four Hegemon-level Forces joining hands? Is that for real? Which four? Is there any force in this Eastern Region that requires them to join hands?"

"Shh, don't you know? It's said that the Dao Seeking Sect alone snatched the Opportunity within the Spirit Void Secret Realm, causing the people from the four Hegemon-level Forces to return empty-handed. Tell me, for those behemoths like the Azure Nether Sword Sect, can they tolerate this?"

"I know, I know! Fellow Daoists, listen to me; I was at the scene at the time. That Dao Seeking Sect Master was simply too arrogant, not giving Fairy Ruyan any Face at all, and insisted on killing the Second Elder of the Crimson Firmament Sect."

"Shouldn't the Secret Realm Opportunity go to the capable? These people from the Azure Nether Sword Sect are truly shameless."

"No, I have to go to the Dao Seeking Sect to report this. If it weren't for the Dao Seeking Sect this time, I wouldn't even have been able to enter that Spirit Void Secret Realm, let alone find that Foundation Establishment Opportunity."

Inside the Bamboo Mountain Sword Sect!

Lin Yifan stood with his hands behind his back, frowning as he stared ahead.

A Disciple quickly came to report: "Sect Master, it has been clearly investigated. The Four Great Sects are assembling the experts in their Sects. In no more than three days, they will set out together for the Dao Seeking Sect."

Upon hearing the report, Lin Yifan's brow furrowed even deeper.

He had already dispatched Bai Tang to the Dao Seeking Sect to notify them of this matter, only hoping that the Dao Seeking Sect could spend money to avert the disaster and survive this tribulation.

The Mountain Protecting Elder spat and cursed, "They couldn't get the Opportunity themselves, so they're teaming up with others to rob it. Such behavior, how is it any different from the bandits at the foot of the mountain?"

"Sect Master, what Realm was that woman in the white skirt who killed the Grand Elder of the Leaving Fire Pavilion that day? Can the Dao Seeking Sect survive this time?"

"It's difficult!"

"That woman's Realm is estimated to be around the Golden Core Sixth Layer; at least, I am not her match. But even so, the Dao Seeking Sect only has two Golden Cores; compared to the Four Great Sects, their foundation is too poor."

The Mountain Protecting Elder nodded slightly; his view was roughly the same.

A Magical Artifact, a Divine Ability, or a Talisman can narrow the gap between Cultivators. What's more, the Four Great Sects have been in the Eastern Region for many years; the foundation within their Sects is far more than just one item.

With the Four Great Sects joining hands, the number of Golden Core Experts is no less than ten!

This time, the Dao Seeking Sect has ultimately ended up at the heart of the struggle.

He hesitated for a moment and said, "Sect Master, do you think if the Dao Seeking Sect is gone, will those Four Great Sects also take action against our Bamboo Mountain Sword Sect?"

The pattern of the Eastern Region has always been one of constant friction between the Five Great Sects, having been eyesores to each other for many years.

The Bamboo Mountain Sword Sect's style of conduct is different from all of the Four Great Sects, and they have long been a thorn in the side of the Four Great Sects. If Liu Ruyan were to instigate a bit, it wouldn't be impossible for them to finish attacking the Dao Seeking Sect and then turn their horses around to eliminate the Bamboo Mountain Sword Sect as well.

Lin Yifan narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing this. He pondered for a moment and said, "What do you mean?"

He naturally knew that the Mountain Protecting Elder's concerns were not groundless. He had long been clear about the greed and ambition of the Four Great Sects, but the current situation was delicate; the slightest carelessness would draw fire to themselves.

"Let's also go and observe secretly. If there's an Opportunity, we'll give the Dao Seeking Sect a hand."

He paused and further explained, "We won't directly state our position. First, send a team of Disciples skilled in concealment and tracking to quietly head to the vicinity of the Dao Seeking Sect."

"If the Dao Seeking Sect still has the power to fight back and the situation is favorable to us, we will lend them a hand in the dark. This can both weaken the strength of the other Sects and preserve the Dao Seeking Sect."

"If the Dao Seeking Sect is already at its wit's end, we can also withdraw in time and make plans early!"