68: Chapter 68 Lingxu Pavilion

Second floor of Haiyue Inn.

Ye Yuan held the wine pot, his wrist tilting slightly as the wine fell into a crude porcelain bowl, splashing a few drops.

The Old Beggar grabbed a hundred-year-old ice fish from the plate on the table and, without even scraping off the scales, stuffed it directly into his mouth and chewed vigorously. The fish bones crunched loudly, and the fishy scent mingled with the aroma of wine, spreading across the table.

Chu Kuangren stood at the top of the stairs, his hand on his sword hilt, his feet rooted to the spot, not daring to take half a step forward.

"I haven't eaten a living thing in eight thousand years. This ice fish tastes bland, but it's barely enough to sharpen my teeth." The Old Beggar spat out a fish bone, picked up the broken bowl, and drained the wine in one gulp.

Ye Yuan set down the wine pot, his fingers brushing over the texture of the tabletop.

"Senior has a good appetite. The Eastern Region has abundant seafood. If Senior wishes to eat, the Ye Family can provide plenty."

The Old Beggar wiped his mouth with the back of his greasy hand.

"Provide meals? This old man has a large appetite; I'm afraid I'll eat your Ye Family into bankruptcy." He pulled a grimy wooden plaque from his robes and tossed it casually onto the table. "Can you read?"

The wooden plaque was neither metal nor jade, covered in cracks, with two ancient seal characters carved on it: Lingxu.

Ye Yuan looked at the wooden plaque. Far away in the Central Region, Gu Sheng simultaneously retrieved System data in his mind.

[Lingxu Pavilion, hidden in the Ling Peak, does not involve itself in disputes. It inherited its Legacy from the Immortal Realm and has existed since the ancient era. This old man is a living fossil.] The System's mechanical voice sounded, carrying a hint of amusement as if watching a play.

Ye Yuan pushed the wooden plaque back.

"Lingxu Pavilion. Rumor has it you don't concern yourselves with worldly affairs. How does Senior have the time to come to Tianshui City to join the commotion?"

The Old Beggar tucked the wooden plaque back into his robes and let out a wine-scented burp.

"The shackles of the Heavenly Dao have loosened. This old man's back and legs were aching from sleeping in the mountains, so I came out to stretch my limbs. The Gu Family is causing quite a stir in the Central Region, and your Ye Family has run off to the Eastern Region to pull the carriage. The ancient remnants are all in a hurry to stake out territory; this old man has to see how much ability the youngsters of today have."

The Old Beggar pointed at the three Silver Flood Dragons lying by the pond in the backyard.

"That Old Loach from the Dragon Clan still has such a soft temper. Back then, his spine was broken by the Immortal Realm, and now he can't even protect a few little snakes."

Ye Yuan tapped his finger on the table, producing a crisp sound.

"The Great Era has arrived; those with ability shall occupy it. If Lingxu Pavilion wants a piece of the pie, the Ye Family can cooperate."

"Cooperate?" The Old Beggar laughed, revealing uneven yellow teeth. "Little fellow, don't talk so big. The waters of the Eastern Region are bottomless. Those umbrella-wielding assassins from the Yanyu Pavilion, those Alchemy-obsessed lunatics from the Changsheng Pavilion—which of them isn't an old monster who has lived for thousands of years? Does your Ye Family think you can stir up these waters with just a Nascent Soul Stage junior and an Ancient Desolate Magic Body?"

Ye Yuan did not respond.

The Old Beggar stood up and patted the dust off his hem.

"The wine is good, the fish is a bit lacking. This old man will go wander elsewhere. Sect Master Chu, don't squander what little foundation the Penglai Sword Sect has left."

The Old Beggar walked to the stairs, his worn straw sandals creaking on the wooden boards. He stopped but did not turn around.

"Eight thousand years." The Old Beggar scratched his messy hair. "This old man has slept for too long, my brain isn't working very well. However, the records of Lingxu Pavilion have been passed down from the ancient era until now without missing a single word. Everlasting Gu Family, Hidden Ye Family... I've searched through my memories, but I can't find a single trace of them."

He turned his face, his cloudy eyes staring at Ye Yuan.

"I hope you truly have such great ability. Don't let the wind be so strong that you trip over your own tongue when the time comes."

After speaking, the Old Beggar walked down the stairs and quickly blended into the crowd on the long street, leaving no trace behind.

Chu Kuangren stood to the side, his hand on his sword tightening and then loosening. The Old Beggar's words were incredibly damaging. Lingxu Pavilion was a living fossil passed down from the ancient era; if even they had never heard of the Gu Family and the Ye Family, the origins of these two families would have to be questioned.

Ye Yuan leaned back against the chair, his fingers playing with the empty wine cup.

Inside the Star-Plucking Tower in the Central Region, Gu Sheng looked at the light screen and tapped the tabletop.

[Host, the boast has been punctured. They found no such people.] The System chimed in.

"It would be a miracle if they could find anything. With identities created by the System, where could he possibly go to check?" Gu Sheng picked up his teacup. "However, this old man did provide a reminder: the waters of the Eastern Region are much muddier than those of the Central Region."

Ye Yuan looked up at Chu Kuangren: "Sect Master Chu, are you doubting the Ye Family?"

Chu Kuangren gave a dry cough: "The Senior's words, after all, make one think a bit more."

"Lingxu Pavilion is content to stay in its little corner, yet they truly think they are the orthodox representatives of the Heavenly Dao?" Ye Yuan sneered. "When the Immortal Realm collapsed, they hid in the Ling Peak like shrinking turtles. When the Ye Family was fighting above the Nine Heavens, they didn't even have the qualification to watch the battle. The fact that they haven't heard of us only shows they aren't standing high enough."

Chu Kuangren was stunned by this statement. The tone was so grand that he had no way to refute it.

The scene shifted back to the Central Region.

Central Region, Taichu Holy Land.

The sound of a zither rang out sharply.

Luo Qingxue sat cross-legged on a green stone, her ten fingers plucking the nine nether soul-suppressing zither. The sound waves transformed into physical blades, continuously cutting at the sect-protecting grand array.

Cracks crisscrossed over the green light screen.

Inside the main peak hall of Taichu, the atmosphere was oppressive.

Holy Lord Taichu took a step forward and stood in mid-air. The pressure of the Saint Realm spread out, causing the birds and beasts of the entire mountain range to lie prostrate on the ground, trembling in fear.

"Xuanming Goddess, do you truly wish to provoke a war between our two sects?" Holy Lord Taichu's voice was like thunder.

Luo Qingxue looked up, her hands never stopping: "Pavilion Master Gu sent me to break down the door. If the door isn't broken, I cannot leave."

Holy Lord Taichu laughed out of extreme anger and pressed his hand down.

A giant golden palm condensed out of thin air, striking down directly toward Luo Qingxue.

Luo Qingxue did not dodge or avoid it; she pulled the zither strings to their limit and suddenly released them.

An extremely cold sound wave met the giant palm.

The two forces collided without making a sound, but space itself rippled violently.

Thunderclouds rolled in the sky.

The Laws of the Heavenly Dao sensed power exceeding the limits. Purple tribulation lightning darted through the clouds, locking onto the main peak of Taichu.

Holy Lord Taichu's face turned ashen. If he continued to attack and the Heavenly Tribulation struck down, half of the Taichu Holy Land's ten-thousand-year foundation would be destroyed. Before the arrival of the Golden Great Era, the Heavenly Dao's suppression of Saints remained severe.

"Withdraw!" Holy Lord Taichu gritted his teeth and forcibly dissipated the giant golden palm.

The thunderclouds in the sky lost their target but did not dissipate. A bolt of purple lightning as thick as a thigh struck off-course, hitting the mountain gate archway of the Taichu Holy Land.

A corner of the archway collapsed.

Luo Qingxue pressed down on the zither strings, and the sound waves vanished.

"The door is broken. Farewell."

She picked up the nine nether soul-suppressing zither and transformed into a black rainbow, disappearing into the clouds.

Holy Lord Taichu stood in mid-air, watching the collapsed mountain gate, his blood and Qi churning.

Qi Yuan flew out from the main hall, his voice trembling: "Holy Lord, we're just letting her leave like that?"

"Otherwise?" Holy Lord Taichu looked at him coldly. "Invoke the Heavenly Tribulation to level the Taichu main peak? The Everlasting Gu Family sent her here precisely to test whether this seat dares to break the restrictions."

Qi Yuan lowered his head and remained silent.

"Pass down the order to seal the mountain for three months. Before the Great Era stabilizes, no one is allowed to go out and cause trouble." Holy Lord Taichu flicked his sleeve and flew back into the hall.

Heavenly Saint City, Star-Plucking Tower.

Gu Sheng looked at the skyrocketing destiny points on the System panel. The Taichu Holy Land suffering a setback and the Empress of Great Xia's enthronement—these two events had earned him a fortune.

"After deducting daily expenses, how much is left?" Gu Sheng asked.

[Available destiny points: 2,700,000 points.]

"Draw cards." Gu Sheng gave the order decisively. "The situation in the Eastern Region is too complex. Ye Yuan, even as a Nascent Soul Great Perfection with an Ancient Desolate Magic Body, cannot suppress the scene. In the Lingxu Pavilion, any old monster that jumps out could crush him to death. I need to assign him a Dao Protector."