Chapter 125 - 81: Heaven-Opening Secret Realm, Nascent Soul Level 3

Chapter 125: Chapter 81: Heaven-Opening Secret Realm, Nascent Soul Level 3

When Xuzhuang and Sun Suzhen left the Cloud Palace, it was already late. In the far west, the sun had sunk halfway behind the clouds, its afterglow dyeing the Celestial Vault.

The two of them stood outside the Cloud Palace and admired the sunset for a while, only looking away after the sun had completely dipped below the clouds.

Xuzhuang was about to say his goodbyes to Sun Suzhen, but Sun Suzhen spoke first. "Junior Brother Xu, do you have a moment to stop by my place for a while?"

Xuzhuang wasn’t actually free. He had been delayed on Little Cyan Mountain for several months and still had many studies to attend to.

However, he sensed that Sun Suzhen had something he wanted to say. After a moment’s thought, he replied, "Alright. It has been some time since I last visited Su Zhen Peak. I’ll take this opportunity to have a cup of Spirit Tea at your residence."

Sun Suzhen laughed. "What a coincidence. Someone just sent me a box of Jade Tree Tea the other day. Very little of this tea is produced, even over a decade, and this box is a premium selection. I haven’t even opened it yet. Today, you’ll be the first to try it, Junior Brother."

And so, the two of them summoned their light arts, leaving the Cloud Palace behind. They got their bearings and flew off, arriving at Su Zhen Peak in just a few moments.

Xuzhuang was no stranger to Sun Suzhen’s residence and was quite familiar with the place. As he followed Sun Suzhen into his magnificent palace, the Daoist Children and handmaidens within all bowed in greeting.

The two arrived in the main hall and took their respective seats as host and guest. Sun Suzhen was in no hurry to begin their conversation. He summoned a handmaiden and instructed her to serve the Immortal Tea.

Since he was already here, Xuzhuang was in no rush either. He calmly waited as the handmaiden served the Jade Tree Tea. He took a small sip and, just as he’d expected, a sweet and soothing fragrance filled his senses. It was indeed an excellent flavor. As for the Spiritual Qi it contained, it was of little consequence to a cultivator of his level.

After they had some tea, Sun Suzhen finally smiled. "What do you think, Junior Brother? Is the Jade Tree Tea to your liking?"

Xuzhuang replied, "It is quite good, indeed."

Sun Suzhen said casually, "If you like it, Junior Brother, I know a way you could have a steady supply."

Xuzhuang asked with a smile, "Are you offering to spare some for me, Senior Brother?"

Sun Suzhen burst out laughing. "The Yun Family only sent me one box of this Jade Tree Tea! I need to save it for myself!"

"Oh? The Yun Family?" Xuzhuang murmured thoughtfully, his fingers tracing the rim of the teacup.

Sun Suzhen said, "That’s right. In fact, it’s thanks to you, Junior Brother. The Yun Family knows that you and I are on good terms, so they sent this tea and asked me to act as an intermediary."

Xuzhuang knew he was getting to the heart of the matter. He didn’t press for details, but listened intently.

But then, Sun Suzhen gave a mysterious smile and abruptly changed the subject. "The recent ceremony was the first time you saw Yun Yaoguang—Senior Sister Yun—wasn’t it? What was your impression of her?"

Xuzhuang’s eye twitched. "What do you mean by that, Senior Brother?"

Sun Suzhen said calmly, "The current Patriarch of the Yun Family, our Junior Martial Uncle Yun Hengce, has no sons, but three daughters. The eldest is already married to a disciple of the Han Family, so her future is secure. The second daughter, Senior Sister Yaoguang, has refined a Top-grade Golden Core and is the pride of the Yun Family for the last few generations. That leaves the youngest daughter. While she is well-behaved and beautiful, she has little talent for cultivation, and he wishes to find a suitable husband for her..."

Here, Sun Suzhen chuckled and continued, "When it comes to the most promising and brilliant talents in our Tai Su Sect right now, your name, Junior Brother Xu, is impossible to ignore."

"So, Junior Martial Uncle Yun came to me specifically, asking me to gauge your interest. From the way he put it, if you just give the word, he’ll arrange the marriage between you and his youngest daughter."

"However, I assumed your standards must be extremely high, Junior Brother. You wouldn’t choose a Daoist partner unless she could support you on your cultivation path, so I wasn’t originally planning to get involved."

"But when I tried to decline, Junior Martial Uncle Yun said that if you were interested in Senior Sister Yaoguang, you could also try getting to know her. He’s agreeable to that possibility as well."

"This..." Xuzhuang felt the teacup suddenly turn scalding hot in his hands. He raised it to his lips, then set it back down on the table. He let out a helpless sigh and began to formulate a refusal.

Seeing his expression, Sun Suzhen understood his thoughts. "No need to feel awkward, Junior Brother," he said with a smile. "Junior Martial Uncle Yun only asked me to gauge your interest. I’m just a bit blunt and ended up telling you the whole story."

Xuzhuang breathed a sigh of relief. "I have already dedicated this life to the Great Dao and have no intention of starting a family for the time being. Please, Senior Brother, decline Junior Martial Uncle Yun’s kind offer for me."

Sun Suzhen wasn’t surprised. "Very well," he said. "But even though a marriage alliance is off the table, they’ve still extended an olive branch to you. You should consider interacting more with the Yun Family. They may be in decline, but they still have the foundation of a great clan..."

A flicker of understanding crossed Xuzhuang’s eyes as he suddenly recalled an important matter. "What are you implying, Senior Brother?" he asked.

Sun Suzhen said lightly, "There are just over thirty years until the True Monarch’s Innate Tai Su Realm opens. Are you confident you can form your Nascent Soul within that time, Junior Brother?"

"If you can’t, relying on the power of a great clan wouldn’t be a bad option. Even in decline, the Yun Family still has the resources of a great clan. Supporting one more True Disciple, in addition to Senior Sister Yaoguang, to obtain a spot for the True Monarch’s Innate Tai Su Realm should be well within their means."

At these words, Xuzhuang’s brow furrowed slightly. He took a small sip of his Spirit Tea and was lost in thought.

The True Monarch’s Innate Tai Su Realm was a secret realm left behind by the sect’s Revival Ancestor Grandmaster, Jade Longevity True Monarch. Legend had it that those who entered could witness the True Monarch’s reenactment of the world’s creation—the very formation of the Tai Su.

Even for disciples who didn’t cultivate one of the three core true transmissions, an opportunity like this was a godsend, offering boundless benefits.

The True Monarch’s Innate Tai Su Realm opened once every five hundred years, and countless disciples yearned to enter and cultivate within. However, the number of available spots was always limited. The rules for allocating these spots were, one might say, both perfectly fair and perfectly unfair.