Before Ziqiong could respond, Xu Bai couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked with a puzzled expression, “This transaction is of great importance, and it makes sense that a senior like you would personally oversee it. However, given your strength, concealing your identity should be effortless. Why…?”
“Aren’t you afraid that our Heaven-Suppressing Society might use this information to blackmail you?” Xu Bai’s sharp gaze was fixed on Ziqiong.
Ziqiong replied calmly, “Blackmail? Heh, don’t misunderstand. Although I came here on behalf of the Five Elders Association, that doesn’t really mean much.”
“I’m just running an errand, nothing more.”
Ziqiong’s confident and fearless demeanor made Xu Bai feel a bit uncertain.
“No need to be surprised. In the end, the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance belongs to the Immortal Ancestor. As for me, from beginning to end, I’ve only remained loyal to him and no one else. As for the rest, they are trivial matters.”
“The so-called Great Dao of Fifty, the Heavens evolve into forty-nine. The Tianxuan Mirror seeks to perceive all things in the world, so it is only natural that something beyond its control must exist.”
“Otherwise, this ‘New Heaven’ would be imperfect.”
Ziqiong raised his head to look at the sky, slowly explaining.
“Hmph, but those mortals may not necessarily understand my intentions.”
Though just a few words, the amount of information they contained was terrifying. Upon hearing this, Xu Bai fell into deep contemplation.
“Knowing too much without reaching that realm is not necessarily a good thing.”
Before long, the Immortal Sage Ziqiong interrupted Xu Bai’s thoughts.
With a casual wave, he tossed over the Voidbright Stone Mother containing the transaction materials.
This time, there was no formal contract.
It was evident that Ziqiong was supremely confident in his strength, unafraid of Xu Bai playing any tricks.
Nonetheless, Xu Bai still followed protocol, carefully verifying the material list in the stone
before handing over the previously agreed fifty Endstone Plate.
“This is the first batch. The rest will be delivered gradually in the future,” Xu Bai explained.
The fifty End Disc Plates were not stored in a spatial ring. Instead, they were stacked like thin sheets of paper, overlapping one another.
With a single thought, they would automatically separate, forming individual entities.
Ziqiong picked up one of the discs and examined it thoughtfully. After a moment, he remarked,
“This object seems ordinary, yet it can shield against the perception of the Tianxuan Mirror…Interesting.”
Storing the Endstone Plates away, Ziqiong instructed, “In future transactions, others will contact you. If your Heaven-Suppressing Society encounters any emergencies, you can still seek out Liu Wenyu.”
“However, try not to involve me. Although I don’t mind…”
“If those people set their sights on you, even I won’t be able to protect you.”
Immortal Sage Ziqiong’s figure gradually faded, leaving as suddenly as he had arrived.
“Senior, why does the Five Elders Association keep retreating in the face of the Tianxuan Mirror’s relentless aggression, without even the slightest countermeasure?”
Just before Ziqiong’s figure completely disappeared, Xu Bai asked.
Ziqiong did not answer, merely glanced faintly at the sky before vanishing.
“Hm?” Xu Bai also looked up at the sky.
A moment later, his expression turned grim and fearful.
That “Heaven” was clearly not referring to the Tianxuan Mirror.
Immortal Sage Ziqiong had stated that he remained loyal to the Immortal Ancestor from start to finish.
His final gesture made it even more obvious.
It wasn’t that the Five Elders Association didn’t want to fight back. It was just that, with the Immortal Ancestor present, they dared not act.
Xu Bai couldn’t help but recall the sigh from Mr. Bai’s illusion back then:
“The path of immortality ahead cannot be tread upon, for the Dharma-Transmitting Immortal Ancestor stands above.”
Xu Bai subconsciously clenched his hand.
“In my previous life, perhaps it was the departure of the Immortal Ancestor that caused Ziqiong to once again lean towards the Five Elders Association, becoming a pure spy.”
“But in this life, I used the ‘Chaos’ Character and brought back the already departed Immortal Ancestor. As a result, Ziqiong still holds onto his somewhat unique stance and hasn’t completely acted as a spy for the Five Elders Association.”
In an instant, Xu Bai sorted out the sequence of events in his mind, but countless doubts still surged within him.
The main question was the true purpose of the Dharma-Transmitting Immortal Ancestor.
If his ultimate goal was transcendence and leaving the Xuanhuang Realm, then even if he was deeply concerned about the ‘Chaos’, after returning and finding nothing, he should have chosen to leave again.
However, a long time had passed, and the Immortal Ancestor still lingered in the Xuanhuang Realm without any sign of leaving.
“It seems that the Xuanhuang Realm holds some special significance to the Dharma-Transmitting Immortal Ancestor—something that cannot be casually abandoned.”
“Moreover, the ascension of the Tianxuan Mirror in this world must have been approved by the Immortal Ancestor himself. He needs the Tianxuan Mirror to complete its transformation, yet he tacitly allows for potential flaws…”
“Heaven’s Will has its shortcomings, so he must also impose limitations on the Tianxuan Mirror.”
…
Countless speculations flashed through Xu Bai’s mind.
Even though this physical body was favored by heaven and possessed extraordinary talent, it still felt like looking at flowers through fog—completely unable to discern the intentions of the Immortal Ancestor.
Feeling a bit confused, Xu Bai returned to Tianliang City, only to be summoned by Nangong Shirong.
“Recently, there have been some unfavorable rumors within the territory. Go and handle it.” Nangong Shirong said vaguely.
Normally, Xu Bai was merely a Liaison Envoy of Tianliang Prefecture. In cases of rumors or slander, it would be reasonable for either the Garrison Institution or the Martial Hall to take charge. Yet, Nangong Shirong secretly assigned the task to him alone.
Xu Bai immediately understood.
This matter must not be made public and needs to be handled quickly and cleanly.
It was because of his ability that Nangong Shirong entrusted him with this task.
With orders from his superior, subordinates naturally couldn’t refuse.
“Rest assured, my lord. I will handle it properly.” Xu Bai cupped his hands and confidently pledged.
After leaving under Nangong Shirong’s watchful gaze, Xu Bai inquired around to understand what the so-called “unfavorable” rumors were all about.
It turned out that within Tianliang Prefecture, there was a cultivator named Peng Qing who, shortly before his death, suddenly went mad and began flying around erratically.
While flying chaotically, he babbled nonsense, claiming that he was supposed to live for five hundred years, but now, after less than four hundred years, he was on the verge of death.
He insisted that some thief must have secretly reduced his lifespan.
Peng Qing cursed incessantly, and then, in full view of the crowd, he suddenly dropped dead.
His death was exceptionally tragic—bleeding from all seven orifices and aging hundreds of years in an instant.
His appearance, once that of a middle-aged cultivator, abruptly transformed into that of a decayed old man.