499: Chapter 499 The Whereabouts of the Xikan Cauldron

A year ago, Sect Master An Suxin went to the Southern Li Flame Sea to find a Heaven And Earth Treasure to improve her daughter's Spiritual Root.

Deep within the Southern Li Flame Sea, she met a woman who was also searching for spiritual items.

The two hit it off, traveled together for a time, and got along quite well.

When that woman learned she was searching for spiritual items for her daughter, she generously gave her some water from the Five Elements Chaos Spirit Pool.

Sect Master An Suxin was extremely grateful, saying that if there was a chance in the future, she would definitely have An Ruosu acknowledge Shui Wanqing as her godmother.

Of course, she did not tell Ling Hao about this part later.

"That Fellow Daoist is Shui Wanqing."

When Sect Master An Suxin said this, her gaze softened slightly.

"Fellow Daoist Wanqing often mentioned Moon Shadow Sect Master, and her words were full of… praise."

She paused when she said the word "praise," recalling the tone Shui Wanqing had used at the time.

It was by no means ordinary admiration, but a tone filled with pride and attachment, as if she were speaking of some treasure of the human world.

"She knew I was skilled in painting, so on a whim, she described your appearance, and had me paint this on the spot.

After seeing it, she said it was very similar, but the spirit between the brows had not been captured yet, so she had me revise it several times."

Sect Master An Suxin flipped the scroll over, revealing the back.

"Fellow Daoist Wanqing also left a sentence on the back of the painting. She said that only Chaos Spiritual Power could make the handwriting appear."

Ling Hao took the scroll and injected Chaos Spiritual Power into the back of the paper.

A line of delicate and gentle handwriting slowly emerged:

"If she seeks help, Sect Master, please help her ~"

At the end of the sentence, a crooked little smiley face was drawn.

Ling Hao looked at that line of text and the little smiley face, and in his mind, he pictured the expression on Shui Wanqing's face when she said those words.

That woman, as gentle as water and humble in her speech, had rarely acted spoiled, yet she used "~" and a wavy line.

This contrast caused the corners of his mouth to lift involuntarily.

Yu Lingshuang walked over with a pot of fresh tea, stood behind Ling Hao, glanced at the line of text, and said softly:

"It is indeed a rare sight."

Ling Hao composed himself, put away the zhen cauldron and the portrait, and his expression became more solemn.

"Sect Master An, the sentiments behind this zhen cauldron and the portrait can protect you and An Ruosu twice."

He took out two sword talismans from his sleeve.

The talisman paper was pitch black, slightly heavy in the hand, and faintly had Sword Intent circulating.

On the face of the talisman, a small sword was drawn with Chaos Spiritual Power; the lines were extremely simple, yet it felt as if it would break out of the talisman the next moment.

"These are two sword talismans capable of a full-strength strike at the Mahayana Stage. Just use your Spiritual Power to activate them when needed."

Sect Master An Suxin accepted them with both hands and thanked him solemnly.

Outside the hall, An Ruosu had been waiting for a while and was feeling a bit bored.

Seeing Sect Master An Suxin come out, she immediately went up to meet her.

"Mother!"

Sect Master An Suxin smiled kindly, and toward Ling Hao on the side, she said softly:

"This child, An Ruosu, has been spoiled by me. If she has done anything wrong before, I ask Moon Shadow Sect Master to be more forgiving."

Ling Hao looked at An Ruosu.

She lowered her small head. From Ling Hao's angle, he could see her flushed earlobes and slightly trembling eyelashes.

Her slender neck was flushed with a thin layer of crimson, which spread deep into her collar.

Ling Hao shook his head:

"Not at all. I like her very much, especially when she smiles."

He remembered that day on the wasteland, the way An Ruosu looked when she smiled—her two shallow dimples filled with sunlight, like the first ripple spreading after spring water breaks the ice, gentle and bright.

An Ruosu's face turned completely red instantly, and even the sides of her neck were stained with crimson.

She lowered her head in a panic, her two hands twisting together.

Sect Master An Suxin looked at her daughter's appearance, then looked at Ling Hao, a flash of helplessness in her eyes.

She gently patted her daughter's hand and added:

"There is one more thing that might interest Moon Shadow Sect Master. I heard news that the East Sea Chamber of Commerce will hold an auction in the Fire Tortoise Kingdom, an Eight-Rank Cultivation Nation.

Among the auction items is a sub-cauldron, the Kan Cauldron. This auction will be in three months."

"Oh?" Ling Hao raised his eyebrows, and the corners of his mouth slowly lifted.

If this were true, of the eight sub-cauldrons: the Xi Kun, Xi Dui, and Xi Qian were in the hands of the Saint; the Xi Gen and Xi Xun were in the hands of the Sword Peak Master; the Xi Li was in his own hands; the Xi zhen cauldron had just arrived; and the Xi Kan Cauldron was about to appear.

The whereabouts of all eight sub-cauldrons were now clear.

Ling Hao saw Sect Master An Suxin and her daughter to the courtyard gate.

After walking a few steps, An Ruosu suddenly turned back and took a quick look at him:

"Senior… that pool water, I used it. It was very effective."

After she finished speaking, she felt that her words were abrupt and aimless, and her ears turned even redder.

"That is good." Ling Hao smiled, "Cultivate well."

An Ruosu nodded vigorously, turned around, and quickly followed her mother.

After walking a long way, she still looked back.

That figure in green robes was still standing under the bamboo fence, like an ink wash painting that had not yet dried.

She did not dare to look back again.

...

Yingxian Peak, Guest Hall.

Frost-white sunlight slanted down from the high windows, cutting the bluestone floor of the hall into light and shadow.

Outside the hall, Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui wore a frost-white wide-sleeved robe, her white hair hanging down to her waist like a waterfall.

Her face was as cold as frost, and there was not a ripple in her light gray eyes.

Her purpose for this trip was clear—to invite the Golden Crow Saintess, Saintess Yan Xueyuan, to witness the ceremony of removing the Sect Master of Qingmu Cliff.

Gan Yiyi walked out of the hall.

"Supreme Elder Jin, please. You can come in with me alone."

"Thank you."

Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui left Junior Sister Tang Yuanxiang behind and entered the hall with Gan Yiyi.

Inside the hall.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan stood by the window, cold, arrogant, and imposing.

She was a completely different person from the little crybaby she was in front of Ling Hao.

"Supreme Elder Jin, what brings you here?"

Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui bowed slightly, her voice cold and clear:

"Your Highness Saintess, three days from now, Qingmu Cliff will hold a ceremony for the succession of the Sect Master.

Sect Master An Suxin has been having an affair with a Mortal and has tarnished the reputation of the Sect for many years.

This seat will remove her from the position of Sect Master and abolish her cultivation according to the Sect's rules.

I ask that Your Highness Saintess be present to witness this and legitimize this purging of the Sect."

In her view, although the Golden Crow Saintess had no real power, she represented the face of the Golden Crow Holy Land.

With the Saintess present, the matter of removing the Sect Master would have the endorsement of the Holy Land, and the remnants of the Sect Master's faction would not dare to act rashly.

Otherwise, it would still take some effort.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan did not turn around; the light outside the window outlined the silhouette of her skirt, interwoven with fiery red and snow white.

"What does your Sect's business have to do with me?"

A trace of surprise flashed in Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui's light gray eyes.

Her white eyebrows furrowed slightly; she had not expected this vase Saintess, who usually dealt with all parties perfunctorily, to be so direct today.

Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui tried to persuade her again.

"Your Highness Saintess, Qingmu Cliff is a subsidiary Sect of the Golden Crow Holy Land.

Sect Master An Suxin's daughter, An Ruosu, has inferior talent and has disgraced the Sect, which is to the Golden Crow Holy Land—"

Saintess Yan Xueyuan turned her head, her cold and beautiful profile like an ice sculpture.

"I said, it has nothing to do with me.

If Supreme Elder Jin has nothing else, please return.

I will leave Qingmu Cliff in two days; these trivial matters need not be mentioned again."

The two looked at each other.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan and Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui could both be called cold beauties.

However, they were cold in different ways.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan's coldness carried arrogance, especially after Ling Hao had been nourishing her with Yang Qi for days; beneath that cold arrogance, a hint of allure faintly showed, like spring water that had just melted beneath an ice layer, inadvertently rippling with light.

Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui, on the other hand, was like a piece of mysterious ice submerged at the bottom of a thousand-year cold pool—without light, without grain, without waves, truly cold to the extreme.

Just looking at her seemed to make one feel frozen.