Chapter 167: Chapter 28 Zhilan Valley
After listening to the explanation, Zhang Xuan fell silent.
No wonder Empyrean Kong shi spoke so urgently, it indeed seemed very dangerous.
Outside there were people hunting him down everywhere, and within the God Realm, destiny was singular… Once he failed to assimilate, being erased was only a matter of time.
“Heaven Mandate Domain… are they all the same, or are there differences?”
Zhang Xuan continued to ask.
If there were tiers, and Empyrean Kong shi encountered a lower-tier one, with his abilities, he should be able to cope. If it were too high-tier, even if he went, he would probably be helpless.
“Of course there are differences!”
Han Xiao said, “The stronger the Fate Master was in life, the more formidable the Heaven Mandate Domain they form. The mainland’s most famous forty-seven domains are said to be left by forty-seven cultivators who reached the Life-taking Realm or above; each of these cultivators stood at the pinnacle of the mainland, having innumerable followers, creating Heaven Mandate Domains that no one could unravel!”
Zhang Xuan’s eyes showed confusion: “If entering them means there’s no return, how is their strength and formidability determined?”
If all Heaven Mandate Domains were the same, with no return from any, then there couldn’t possibly be a way to know the tiers or levels, because no one would be able to communicate this information.
Han Xiao said, “Although Heaven Mandate Domains are dangerous, they also present great opportunities. Many artifacts are born within, some of which are extremely rare on the mainland, or even impossible to find forever! Furthermore, some simpler domains are not entirely unsolvable, and there have been many cultivators who were quite ordinary before, stumbled into one, and gained a legacy that greatly advanced their cultivation…”
Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.
If there was even a one percent chance, or even one in ten thousand, to become a master, it would tempt countless people to take risks because everyone would think they could be the destined one.
The greatest cause of death for people is overconfidence.
“As for how the tiers are known, it’s possible to enter the outskirts of a Heaven Mandate Domain and have a chance to leave. Not only are there artifacts, but there are also some forged Heavenly Mandate Vitalities. The denser the Yuan Power, the higher the tier! The tier of the domain is mostly judged by this, of course, if it’s known who the domain was formed by at the time of their demise, it can also be deduced from their previous strength and heavenly tier.”
Han Xiao continued, “Based on these, the world’s most famous forty-seven domains have been ranked in order. The higher the rank, the more difficult it is… The reason I said that the Mandate Chaos Master can no longer leave is because the entire Zhou Yi Dynasty only has one domain!”
Zhang Xuan’s expression became stern as he realized, “You mean to say… this domain is within those world-renowned forty-seven?”
Han Xiao nodded, “Yes, exactly the 21st-ranked ‘Zhilan Valley’, it’s unclear which powerhouse left it. It was discovered three thousand years ago, and tens of thousands of Fate Master have entered since then, all have perished! I heard this Mandate Chaos Master is not high in cultivation, wanting to escape is adding difficulty to difficulty, it’s almost impossible now.”
Zhang Xuan’s whole body jolted, feeling a strong sense of caution arise in his heart.
He had thought that he just needed to improve his cultivation to go find Empyrean Kong shi and figure out a way to rescue him, but now it seemed he needed to understand the Heaven Mandate Domain better before setting out, otherwise, not only could he fail to rescue him, but he might also trap himself, which would be a loss indeed.
“Let’s not talk about this…”
Not wanting to dwell on this matter, Han Xiao looked over with confusion, “A few days ago, you told me you had found some anomalies in Baiyan City and wanted to investigate. Why have you returned so soon? Did you discover anything, and why didn’t you report back to me upon your return?”
Zhang Xuan’s heart went cold.
He had thought Ling Buyang hadn’t mentioned the matter of Baiyan City, so he could suppress the news completely, but it turned out he had discussed it in detail with this person.
As for how much had been reported, he knew nothing… Saying too much could blow his cover; saying too little could arouse suspicion!
What to do?
He had thought he could delay it for a few days until his cultivation feared no one. To his dismay, as soon as he arrived, he encountered the most powerful man in the entire Heaven Mandate Hall, a hellish start indeed!
After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan said, “Thank you for your concern, Hall Master. I did find some anomalies, but they were all smoothly resolved…”
This was a catch-all phrase, acknowledging the anomalies which were resolved… While it seemed a good response, it essentially revealed nothing, making it impossible to use it against him.
“Resolved? Could it be… did a Mandate Chaos Master really emerge?” Han Xiao frowned.
Zhang Xuan hadn’t expected him to even mention this and his scalp tingled as he hurriedly explained, “A Mandate Chaos Master isn’t so easy to encounter; it was Xu Xin reporting falsely out of a desire for Merit Points.”
“Falsely reporting? That’s not right; I’ve studied carefully what you told me, and it seems highly likely that it involved a Mandate Chaos Master…” Han Xiao continued.
“I had heard Xu Xin’s words and mistakenly thought they were true, so I hurriedly reported to the Hall Master. But when I went there, I found it was all hearsay, just a young man with decent talent!” Zhang Xuan said.
“I see!”
Han Xiao nodded, then remembered something and said, “Since it has nothing to do with a Mandate Chaos Master, and you went to the Zhou Yi Dynasty and did nothing… By that account, your Merit Points are basically zero, I won’t be able to help you with what we discussed last time…”
“…”
Zhang Xuan felt his brain was about to explode.
What did we discuss last time?
What are you supposed to help me with… Spell it out, will you!
These vague hints are driving me nuts… I do have the Library of Heaven’s Path, but I’m not a fortune teller…
Seeing him like this, one might think it was due to urgency. Han Xiao shook his head, “Being anxious is of no use. Elder Feng actually found the ‘Purple Bamboo Spirit Pill’ and brought it back. I have already recorded the Merit Points. From what it seems, it is quite unfavorable to you…”
“Yes!” Not daring to interject, Zhang Xuan nodded with a feigned look of disappointment.
Han Xiao smiled, “Keep it up. Didn’t I tell you about two things last time? Since this time it was unsuccessful, you might try the second thing. If completed, the merit won’t be less than Elder Feng’s… However, there’s not much time left for you, only ten days! I still hope you have a chance, and it’s not over before it even starts.”
“Thank you, Hall Master, for your cultivation. I will strive hard…” Zhang Xuan quickly bowed with clasped fists.
Though he didn’t know what the other party was talking about, it was still necessary to make a stance.
“Hmm, continue with whatever you want to look for. I’ll be leaving now…”
With a wave of her hand, Han Xiao didn’t say more and turned to leave. She had only taken a few steps when she suddenly stopped, turned her head, and looked towards Elder Ling in front of her, “Right, the thing I asked you for last time, you said you brought it back from the Zhou Yi Dynasty. Where is it now? Can you give it to me now?”
Zhang Xuan clenched his fist.
The things brought?
To inquire directly… definitely not. But to retrieve… what to retrieve?
Why do leaders always like to speak in riddles? Wouldn’t it be nice to just speak clearly?
“What’s wrong?”
Seeing his uneasy expression, Han Xiao sensed something was amiss, but didn’t realize the person was an impostor; after all, nobody would expect someone to daringly impersonate a Fate Master.
“Hall Master, the item you mentioned, I did bring it back from the Zhou Yi Dynasty, but I didn’t bring it with me this time, that’s why I didn’t dare to meet with you…” Zhang Xuan said with an embarrassed face.
“If you didn’t bring it, that’s fine. It’s not a big deal…”
Shaking her head, Han Xiao put her hands behind her back and slowly walked out.
Seeing her walk away, Zhang Xuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. He continued searching around the Book Collection Vault and found several dozen cultivation techniques for the Dharma Form Realm; although not enough to form a Heaven’s Path Divine Art, they did give him a considerable understanding of this realm.
The Dharma Form Realm is not a single realm but consists of three smaller sub-realms: Detachment, Travel, and Primordial Spirit.
Detachment refers to the spirit leaving the body.
Travel involves the spirit leaving the body and making nocturnal murders. Ling Buyang must have been of this realm to dare to control his spirit to come here, never dreaming that he would die at Sun Qiang’s hands…
As for the Primordial Spirit, it refers to the soul being powerful enough to form a massive Primordial Spirit. Within a certain range, one’s intention can kill. The Hall Master, Han Xiao, is of this level.
He had now broken through to the Divine Soul Realm, with a strength surpassing 99 horsepower. Still, compared to a Fate Master of such caliber, he was indeed significantly inferior.
At the door, looking at the elder guarding the Book Collection Vault, Zhang Xuan inquired, “Our Book Collection Vault’s cultivation techniques for the Dharma Form Realm, only these few? Are there any more?”
The elder bowed, “Reporting to Elder Ling, cultivation techniques of the Dharma Form Realm require possessing a certain Heavenly Mandate to practice, usually passed down in heritage. Even if the Book Collection Vault has them, they can’t be practiced!”
“I know that… I’m just asking if there are any that don’t require a Heavenly Mandate, like those a Life Guardian can cultivate…” Zhang Xuan said.
The elder suddenly realized, “Elder means the ordinary martial arts! The Book Collection Vault should only have this many. Ordinary people can practice them; they are not considered profound and are available for sale at many Merchants.”
Zhang Xuan nodded and spoke no more, stepping out of the room.
This visit had advanced his cultivation to the Divine Soul Realm and had also given him a substantial understanding of Fate Masters and the so-called Heaven Mandate Domain. It was time to return.
He wondered if Sun Qiang had found lodging. If a suitable one was found, he would move in first.
As for returning to Ling Buyang’s house, it’s better not to for now.
Given his current situation, fooling colleagues shouldn’t be difficult, but deceiving the family members would likely not be so easy. If he actually went, he might give himself away after a few words.
Leaving the Book Collection Vault and stepping into the Heaven Mandate Hall, he was thinking about how to contact Sun Qiang when he saw Xie Feng, who had received him earlier, approaching.
“Elder Ling, Lady Yu heard you returned to Han Yuan City and has been waiting for a long time in the adjacent lounge. She said she’d come find you as soon as you come out of the Book Collection Vault…”
“Lady Yu?”
Zhang Xuan frowned.
Who is that?
“Yes!”
Xie Feng nodded.
Zhang Xuan, feigning ignorance, asked, “Did you ask her what she wanted with me at this time?”
Xie Feng hesitated, then said, “I didn’t dare to ask, but I guess it might be related to your bet with Elder Liu…”
“A bet?”
Zhang Xuan was startled, “Could it be… this Lady Yu is a new concubine taken by Ling Buyang?”