On the highest peak of the Immortal Palace's sacred mountain, a peak named "Jietian", stood a vast and magnificent white palace known as the "Tianxing Pavilion". This was the primary residence of the Immortal Palace's master.
However, this palace was not originally known by this name. It had only been eighteen years since it was renamed the "Tianxing Pavilion."
It was now midnight, and a torrential downpour was raging outside. Within the vast, towering great hall of the Tianxing Pavilion, candlelight flickered. Dozens of massive pillars supported the ceiling. At the northernmost end of the hall sat a giant, exquisite golden throne, carved with statues of soaring dragons. This was the seat of the Immortal Palace's master.
Wei Wuyin sat alone upon the throne. Clad in a thin robe, his face was stern as he pondered something, or perhaps he was waiting for something. A cascade of red hair fell past his shoulders to his waist. The wind and rain howled outside, and rainwater drifted in through the curtains, bringing with it a mountain breeze that stirred his long red hair, causing it to fan out like a burst of crimson flames.
He merely sat there alone with his hair unbound, yet his presence was overwhelming, as if an inexplicable pressure loomed over all mortal things.
Suddenly, Wei Wuyin let out a cold snort. His sharp, profound eyes snapped open, staring directly at the window. A wisp of black mist seeped in through a gap in the window, carried by the rain. The mist grew thicker, coalescing in the great hall below the throne.
The black mist quickly took shape, and from it emerged the figure of a burly old man. He was dressed in a black robe, held a raven-head cane, and had white hair and a beard. His face was a map of wrinkles, his expression cold, and his appearance somewhat ferocious and terrifying.
It was none other than the Elder of the Demon Cult: the Ancient Elder, Xie Mo!
Wei Wuyin was not surprised to see the Ancient Elder appear. He remained seated upon his throne, his figure imposing and majestic, and said in a low voice, "You are punctual as always."
The Ancient Elder looked at Wei Wuyin's heroic figure on the throne, chuckled dryly for a moment, then his face returned to its cold, stern state. He said in a gloomy voice, "Heh heh heh, when have I ever been late for an appointment with Your Imperial Majesty?"
It seemed this Elder of the Demon Cult was quite familiar with Wei Wuyin.
Wei Wuyin said in a deep voice, "Is the Demon Cult's plan to attack the Qiyan Palace a mere diversion, or are they truly after the Secret Treasure of the Imperial Sword? And what kind of conspiracy is that demoness, Yin Luoyan, plotting now?"
The Ancient Elder stared at Wei Wuyin's stern face and sneered, "Heh heh, this plan was not orchestrated by the Holy Maiden, but by another. However, I am not one of the masterminds and have no part in the planning, so I'm afraid I cannot give Your Imperial Majesty an answer."
He paused, then continued, "I have heard that the Barbarian King and the Witch Queen of the Northern Wetlands have both led their elite barbarian forces south, mobilizing their entire strength. In my opinion, regardless of who is behind the Demon Cult, Your Imperial Majesty should exercise extreme caution regarding the Qiyan Palace."
When Wei Wuyin heard that the "Barbarian King and the Witch Queen" had arrived in the Central Plains, his cold eyebrows twitched. He knew this was indeed a grave matter. As the leader of the Wetlands, the Barbarian King's martial arts had long reached a state of perfection. Wei Wuyin had fought him once in his early years, and being young at the time, he had suffered greatly at the Barbarian King's hands.
The Witch Queen was even more mysterious. It was known that she not only possessed profound martial arts but was also skilled in demonic sorcery and bewitching people's hearts. It was said her status was subtly even higher than the Barbarian King's, making her the spiritual leader of all the barbarian tribes.
The two fell into a momentary silence. After a while, Wei Wuyin sneered and said to the Ancient Elder, "In that case, it seems the Demon Cult is determined to get the Secret Treasure of the Imperial Sword this time. I will not be merciful. Whoever dares to invade will be completely annihilated!"
The Ancient Elder said, "Given Your Imperial Majesty's divine power, they will surely be prepared. However, it is easier to dodge an open blade than a hidden arrow. You must think carefully about your defenses."
Wei Wuyin said in a deep voice, "Of the Seven Great Secret Treasures, only one has yet to appear in the world. Have you found any clues over the years?"
The Ancient Elder pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "The Ye family of the Tianya Pavilion has not been involved in the mortal world for centuries. Even with my power, I have been unable to find them all these years. I fear that unless a heavenly secret is revealed, the Ye family will not easily set foot in the mortal realm."
He added, "For now, the secret treasures of the Hu and Huangfu families have yet to be obtained by Your Imperial Majesty. It is better to focus on the present and advance our plan. I have already planted agents within the Desolate Water Castle, preparing for our future move against the Huangfu family. You can rest assured on this front."
Wei Wuyin did not respond. The Ancient Elder continued, "In my opinion, the most urgent task is to win over the Dong family of the Heavenly Strategy Mansion. The divine halberd 'Feitian' is a peerless treasure and a powerful aid for Your Imperial Majesty's grand ambitions in the future. The young master of the Dong family is naive, shallow, and lecherous. If we use women to tempt him and find a way for his old man to die, he will surely fall into the palm of your hand."
Wei Wuyin's expression changed slightly, and he said displeased, "Regarding Miaoshu, I still need to consider it carefully. For now, we should only proceed with a cautious plan."
The Ancient Elder laughed loudly. "Your Imperial Majesty, the Little Palace Mistress is a person worth ten thousand chariots, with a body of gold. I hope you will watch over her carefully and ensure nothing happens to her. I am speaking of another matter."
"I mentioned this to you years ago. That woman with the surname Ning has been by your side all along. Her martial arts are high, and she harbors a grudge against you. She is extremely dangerous. To hesitate is to invite disaster."
"That young master of the Dong family is full of youthful vigor. One look and you can tell he's a good-for-nothing who can't resist temptation. If we can use the Holy Consort to win them over, our grand plan will be within reach!"
"That woman is in her prime, with a strong libido. You need only indulge her a little, and she will naturally be unable to resist the temptation of the men around her. When that Dong fellow is trapped in this tender trap, won't he be at your mercy, to be turned as you wish?"
The Ancient Elder's words left Wei Wuyin silent.
After a long while, he said in a deep voice, "How is 'he' now?"
The Ancient Elder Xiemo laughed, his voice rasping as he said, "Your Imperial Majesty, you must not let your mind be distracted. After all, our grand plan is the most important matter. As for such personal affairs, this old man will help you resolve them properly."
Wei Wuyin's expression was uncertain. He sneered, "I never said I wanted to conspire with you on any grand plan. If I hadn't been secretly leaking information about the orthodox sects to you all these years, how could you have sat so securely in your Elder's position under that demoness?"
The Ancient Elder smiled, "It's good that Your Imperial Majesty understands. We are merely in a relationship of mutual use. But rest assured, as long as you harbor the ambition to dominate the world and are dedicated to collecting the seven secret treasures, this old master will continue to serve you faithfully and will never betray you. After all, eighteen years ago, we already got on the same boat, hahahaha!"
When Wei Wuyin heard him mention this, a murderous intent suddenly appeared on his face, but it vanished in an instant. The Ancient Elder keenly caught this. He cleared his throat and said in a low voice, "Very well, this old man has said what he needed to. I urge Your Imperial Majesty to act with caution."
With that, he turned and leaped into the black mist behind him, his figure disappearing. The cloud of black mist, as if it were alive, drifted to the window and slipped out through the gap.
In the vast, lonely palace, only Wei Wuyin remained, sitting expressionless on the throne. The sound of wind and rain continued to echo from outside the hall, like a roar sweeping across the earth, constantly shouting in his ears.
***
Mo Xingyun ran sadly and alone through the mountain forests and wilderness. Since leaving the Evil Moon Demon Cult, he had been through too much.
Ever since he came of age, all he had experienced were conspiracies, schemes, and mutual deception. This was the first time he had encountered such genuine emotion, and it turned out to be with his own half-sister. For a moment, he truly did not know how to handle it.
However, he was inherently calm and reserved, not one to drown in his emotions. He quickly regained his composure and touched the pouch at his waist. Inside was the secret scroll he had stolen from his mother's chambers. He had already confirmed that the scroll was treated with oil and wax, so even if it got wet in the rain, it would be unaffected.
Soon, he reached the hidden entrance to the Evil Moon Cave. Although Mo Xingyun had failed to complete the task given to him by the Demon Queen on this trip, he had at least found this treasure and gathered a great deal of intelligence, which should be enough to make up for his failure.
As he ran, Mo Xingyun thought for a moment and grew cautious. He stopped at the foot of a mountain, took out the secret scroll, and began to read it himself. The rain had stopped by now, and the sky was dimly lit, with dawn about to break. The surrounding wilderness was silent.
The scroll unfolded, divided into two parts. The writing on the upper part was mottled and looked very ancient, with many damaged and missing characters, making the meaning only vaguely discernible.
Mo Xingyun strained his eyes to read by the faint light. It began with a lengthy account of a great battle in ancient times, seemingly a conflict between two great gods on the earth. One of the gods was defeated, fell, and was sealed. The location of the seal was right where the Immortal Palace's sacred mountain stood. What followed was a record of events he couldn't understand or see clearly, along with some crude drawings.
He had no interest in these ancient affairs and skimmed through them quickly. The lower part seemed to have been written by the successive masters of the Immortal Palace. The handwriting became progressively newer, and the damaged parts fewer and fewer. Finally, he could clearly see what the previous master of the Immortal Palace had written: the Celestial Pearl was placed at the top of the "Xuan Palace" tower and could only be opened by someone with the bloodline of the Immortal Palace's heir. The gesture to open it was also recorded on the scroll.
This passcode had been revised once. The handwriting was graceful, and it looked as if it had been written by his mother, Ning Xuefei. It seemed she had recently placed the treasure inside. Even Wei Wuyin, lacking the Ning family's bloodline, would be unable to touch this treasure.
There were many other dense annotations around the scroll, which Mo Xingyun couldn't read all at once. He put the scroll away, thinking to himself that this treasure could not be handed over to the Demon Cult. The Demon Cult was merely his temporary shelter; he would eventually sever ties with them. His family's secret treasure had to be inherited by him—it was the key to his comeback and revenge.
He made a mark on a thick tree trunk nearby, buried the scroll deep in the soil beneath it, and cleaned up the area. Seeing that there were no flaws, he composed himself and then headed towards the Evil Moon Cave.
Just then, the small black silk hairball he always kept on him suddenly trembled slightly.
"You're going there? Then I will hold my breath and completely seal my consciousness. There are old acquaintances of mine there, and I'm afraid they'll easily recognize me." Long Yue's voice came through.
"Alright, Master. You and the Evil Moon Cult..."
"Don't ask too many questions. When the time is right, I will tell you myself."
Before Mo Xingyun could finish his question, she cut him off, and then he found that her voice had disappeared, and even her presence seemed to have completely vanished.
An unprecedented sense of loneliness instantly enveloped Mo Xingyun.
*****
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