Chapter 290 - 159: One-Thought Mind-Killing Sword, Starlight Gathers into Clear Radiance

Chapter 290: Chapter 159: One-Thought Mind-Killing Sword, Starlight Gathers into Clear Radiance

The clouds were vast and boundless. Du Xu Palace broke free from the sea of clouds and rose, and before long, it reached a region devoid of clouds and air. With no points of reference above, below, or in any direction, the palace seemed to be at a standstill as it soared through the void.

In reality, however, not only had Du Xu Palace not stopped, but its flight speed was actually increasing, gradually far exceeding the maximum speed Xuzhuang himself could achieve using Flying Escape.

Xuzhuang waved his sleeve, activating the palace’s wards. The scene outside the hall was instantly revealed. Below, the Shen Zhou Land was already barely visible, yet the starry river above was still nowhere in sight. All around was a dim, boundless expanse, stretching into infinity.

’Above the Gang Qi... to think it’s still so far from outer space.’ Xuzhuang gazed at the empty void outside Du Xu Palace, not finding it dull in the least. Instead, he wondered to himself, ’But why can’t I see the sun or moon?’

He had long known that in a perfected Realm Universe like the Profound Yellow Realm, the celestial sphere was like an egg. The sun and moon moved within this sphere, not in the void of outer space.

If that was the case, then given the magnificence of the sun and moon, he should be able to see them no matter the distance. Yet, upon reaching this place, they had vanished without a trace.

’It seems the Great Thousand Worlds hold many more profound and esoteric secrets than I know.’

Although Xuzhuang was quite intrigued, there was indeed nothing to see here. After a moment, he withdrew his gaze and lay back down on the Smoke Mist. A palace maid had already placed a jade plate of pastries on a nearby stone table, poured wine into an icy cup, and was now offering it to him with both hands. She said softly, "My lord, please."

Xuzhuang smiled. "Thank you, Ni’er, but there’s no need for such ceremony when you’re with me."

There were eighteen maids in total in Du Xu Palace, assigned names in pairs that formed two-character words, such as Hua Wu, Xingyu, and Shumo. Ni’er was one such maid. She and her partner formed the name ’Ni Chang.’

All these names had been given by the previous Palace Master, Master Zhaokong, and Xuzhuang saw no reason to change them.

Judging by their conduct, Master Zhaokong, much like Sun Suzhen, must have had a penchant for luxury. Of course, Daoist cultivators did not necessarily have to live an ascetic life of hardship; it was enough to act in accordance with one’s own nature.

For Xuzhuang, however, while having his wine poured was perfectly fine, being waited upon was unnecessary. He had her place the wine back on the table and then turned to Xue Yuren. "Yu Ren, what did you have to report?" 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

He knew that Xue Yuren had gone to the Ministry of Affairs Hall to retrieve some items, but she was already well-versed in such matters and wouldn’t need to report on them. Therefore, Xuzhuang knew she must have something else to discuss.

Xue Yuren gave a slight nod. She took a roll of Red Dust Silk from her embroidered pouch and said, "Today, Steward Liu told me that there was a surplus of the Red Dust Silk you wanted, my lord. So I went ahead and exchanged for it from him."

"Oh?" Xuzhuang was surprised. He had indeed asked Xue Yuren to inquire at the Ministry of Affairs Hall about the Red Dust Silk, but he knew the item was rare. He hadn’t been too disappointed when they didn’t have any and had been planning to take a trip into the mortal world himself when he had free time. He hadn’t expected such a sudden, fortunate turn of events.

Xuzhuang’s thoughts turned, and he asked, "I presume there were other conditions involved?"

Xue Yuren replied, "Indeed." She then recounted the matter with Steward Liu.

After hearing her explanation, Xuzhuang didn’t comment further. He simply said, "Bring the Red Dust Silk here and let me see."

Xue Yuren presented the silk scroll. Xuzhuang took it and looked it over. Seeing the scenes depicted within, he finally nodded and said, "He was thoughtful indeed."

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly formed a hand seal for a spell. A wisp of mystical vapor was summoned and descended into the scenes on the silk. Before long, Spiritual Qi had washed over the Red Dust Silk several times, causing the images on it to grow increasingly clear.

Then, at a certain moment, as if color had been added to an ink wash painting, the scenes suddenly seemed to come alive. The trees swayed, the rivers flowed, and the pedestrians began to move. All sorts of sounds emerged from it—RUSTLING, the GURGLE of flowing water, and the HUBBUB of a bustling crowd.

The mortal aura within the Red Dust Silk, washed by the pure Spiritual Qi, had actually brought the worldly scene to life.

Xuzhuang’s gaze swept across the scene, finally landing on a forest path outside a large city. The sky had not yet turned to dusk, but it was already heavy with dark clouds. Two men galloped past on horseback, one shouting, "A storm’s coming! We need to find shelter, fast!"

Outside the scene, Xuzhuang suddenly smiled. ’A rainy night at a Mountain God Temple... a fine starting point indeed.’

He suddenly flicked his finger. A strand of Tai Su Sword Qi shot straight down onto the Red Dust Silk. But instead of slicing the fabric, it sank into the scene and vanished without a trace.

Looking back at the scene, a soybean-sized figure had suddenly appeared. He had his hair in a Daoist topknot, wore a wide-sleeved white robe, and was cradling a treasured sword. He was just waking up inside a dilapidated temple.

He sat up in a daze and glanced around, muttering to himself, "Who am I? Where is this?"

Just as he was pondering, a clap of thunder boomed outside. It was followed by a chaotic mix of neighing, hoofbeats, and hurried footsteps as two men in martial attire led their horses through the main gate.

Upon entering the temple, they saw a white-robed Daoist sitting serenely beneath the statue of the Mountain God and were slightly startled. The man with the longer face took a step forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Friend, night is falling and a storm is coming on fast. My brother and I wish to take shelter from the rain in this temple. We apologize for the intrusion."

The white-robed Daoist seemed a bit dazed. He simply grunted an acknowledgment and said, "It’s fine."

The man’s reply was rather dismissive. The traveler frowned but didn’t want to cause trouble. He started to pull his horse aside, but at that moment, the other man suddenly grabbed his arm and whispered, "Brother, look! Isn’t the sword that Daoist is holding the Famous Sword Xuehan?"

The first man looked over and saw that the sword in the white-robed Daoist’s arms did indeed look extraordinary. However, he had never seen the Famous Sword Xuehan with his own eyes, so how could he possibly tell the difference?