“Listen to yourself…” A Taiyan Sect cultivator glanced at Fang Zaiji.
“So many years have passed, even a monkey would have gained wisdom by now. Let alone our [Dao Deviation Stone Mother].”
They scoffed at Fang Zaiji’s doubts.
However, Fang Zaiji subtly signaled Xu Bai and transmitted a message:
“Sect Master, something feels off. I remember that back then, the Taiyan Sect was extremely wary of the [Dao Deviation Stone Mother] developing self-awareness.”
“After all, a cultivator’s lifespan is limited, while the Stone Mother’s lifespan is infinite. If it truly gained sentience…”
“Who really holds authority in the Taiyan Sect would be uncertain. We should be cautious.” Fang Zaiji warned.
Xu Bai nodded slightly but maintained a calm demeanor.
Feigning curiosity, he asked, “To be honest, since we traveled here from afar, we do have some understanding of your Taiyan Sect.”
The middle-aged cultivator from Taiyan Sect was visibly surprised by Xu Bai’s words. Then, his face lit up with excitement.
“So, you have some knowledge of divination? It seems you are truly fated with our Taiyan Sect!”
“As for your concern…”
With a smug expression, he said, “Who said our Taiyan Sect has been isolated for thousands of years? In reality, at regular intervals, our sect sends out special envoys to gather intelligence on the Xuanhuang Realm, allowing us to constantly refine and correct [the Stone Mother’s] predictions.”
“Otherwise, the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance’s conquest of the various worlds only happened recently. If we hadn’t foreseen it in advance, how could we have reacted so quickly?”
“Correction, I see…” Xu Bai nodded thoughtfully.
“Alright, enough talk. Are you willing to join our Taiyan Sect or not?”
By now, they were approaching the floating city in the sky. Among the Taiyan Sect disciples, a short, hunched cultivator finally lost patience.
“I must admit, I am a bit tempted.” Xu Bai stroked his chin.
Fang Zaiji immediately shot him a glance.
The Taiyan Sect disciples brightened at his words.
“However, I still have some concerns. Actually, before coming here, I already joined another sect. And due to certain special circumstances, I cannot leave. Would that be an issue for you?” Xu Bai asked sincerely.
“Huh?!”
The Taiyan Sect disciples collectively froze, momentarily halting in midair. They turned to stare at Xu Bai.
“Are you messing with us?!” The short cultivator erupted in fury.
Just as he was about to take action, the middle-aged cultivator raised a hand to stop him.
“Senior Brother’s instructions didn’t explicitly forbid this.” He pondered for a moment, carefully assessing Xu Bai before gritting his teeth and saying, “I can’t make this decision myself. Come with me to the sect first! Whether you can join or not, Senior Brother will decide.”
Xu Bai hadn’t expected the Taiyan Sect to be this eager to recruit disciples—to the point of tolerating such conditions.
However, he had no reason to refuse and simply nodded.
Upon reaching the floating city in the sky, Xu Bai finally noticed that the entire city was encased in a layer of transparent crystal for protection.
As the crystal reflected the middle-aged cultivator’s face, a familiar blue glow flickered across its surface.
In the next instant, the middle-aged cultivator transformed into a streak of blue light and vanished into the city. The other disciples followed suit.
“You can enter directly,” the middle-aged cultivator said from beyond the crystalline barrier.
Seeing this, Fang Zaiji hurried ahead of Xu Bai and flew into the city.
As he approached the transparent barrier, it was as if it didn’t exist at all—allowing him to pass through without any resistance.
Fang Zaiji looked around but did not notice anything unusual.
Only then did he signal Xu Bai that he could proceed.
The moment Xu Bai leaped through the crystal wall, it felt as if he had passed through a space composed of countless mirrors.
He saw numerous versions of himself, each seemingly experiencing different events.
In an instant, he returned to reality.
“Let’s go. I’ll take you to see Senior Brother,” the middle-aged cultivator glanced at Xu Bai and said with a smile.
As they walked through the Floating City, they could see many cultivators from the Taiyan Sect around them.
Their cultivation levels varied, ranging from Qi Condensation to Soul Transformation.
There were even one or two white-bearded cultivators, causing Fang Zaiji to show a solemn expression. Clearly, they had reached the Dao Integration stage.
These cultivators all seemed quite at ease—some were whispering to each other, others were calculating something with their fingers.
Some were even toying with an object in their hands, resembling a Rubik’s cube. Judging by the constantly shifting images on its surface, it seemed similar to the Heavenly Lock Treasure Box that Li Fan had once found in the Yixing Tomb.
As Xu Bai and his group passed by, these cultivators only cast a casual glance before withdrawing their gazes.
No one paid much attention to Xu Bai’s unparalleled beauty.
Even stranger was that when they greeted the ones leading the way, they addressed each other solely as “Senior Brother” or “Junior Brother.”
Even those white-haired Dao Integration elders were addressed in the same manner.
Xu Bai couldn’t help but furrow his brows slightly.
“Sect Master, have you noticed anything off?” Fang Zaiji quietly transmitted his voice.
“It is a bit strange. The strength of the Taiyan Sect has been preserved too perfectly. Just from what we’ve seen along the way, there were no fewer than ten Dao Integration cultivators, right? Does the Taiyan Sect really have such profound foundations?”
“Moreover, Dao Integration experts addressing Qi Condensation cultivators as brothers…”
A look of intrigue appeared on Xu Bai’s face.
“No, that’s not it!” Fang Zaiji’s voice became slightly urgent.
“When I first came in, I didn’t realize it. But after observing for a while, I finally noticed…”
“This place is eerie!”
Xu Bai’s footsteps paused slightly. “Eerie? Elder Fang, what do you mean?”
“Sect Master, look carefully at these people again. They aren’t actually real!” Fang Zaiji’s voice trembled slightly.
“Even this city beneath our feet might be an illusion!”
Hearing Fang Zaiji’s reminder, Xu Bai’s eyes sharpened.
As he continued walking forward, he carefully observed once more.
With his unparalleled talent, one of the greatest under heaven, Xu Bai soon detected some abnormalities.
Every cultivator in this Floating City, from Dao Integration down to Qi Condensation—
The faint aura emanating from them was exactly the same!
It was as if they were all the same person!
Only their faces were different.
At that moment, the middle-aged cultivator leading the way seemed to sense Xu Bai’s reaction.
He suddenly turned his head, revealing a sinister smile. “What’s wrong, fellow Daoist? Do you have any doubts?”