Chapter 658 - 265: Moon Embracing (Part 3)

The dishes were few, but each was exquisite.

The main course was a platter of meat ribs, roasted to a glistening golden-brown and exuding an indescribably rich and exotic aroma.

Beside it was a cup of clear broth, so translucent one could see to the bottom, with only a few leaves and a jade-white segment of lotus root floating within.

Additionally, there were several side dishes made with Spirit Fruits and Treasure Medicines, every single one a rarity.

Chen Qing’s gaze swept over the dishes. At the level of a True Disciple, the Sect did indeed provide a monthly ration of Exotic Beast Meat and Treasure Medicine to aid in one’s Cultivation.

He could enjoy such things in his own courtyard on True Martial Peak, but the platter of Exotic Beast Meat before him was clearly of a far higher grade than the common fare in his monthly allotment. It was likely the most precious cut from some incredibly powerful Exotic Beast, and its value was immense.

Nan Zhuoran was the first to raise his Jade Cup. His gaze swept across the nine True Disciples present, a gentle smile on his face as he announced loudly, "Today, I, Zhuoran, have returned from my travels. I’ve prepared a simple meal and wine to gather with all my junior brothers and sisters. Our Celestial Treasure Upper Sect has stood strong to this day because of the endless stream of brilliant talents from generation to generation, passing the torch ever onward. May we, as fellow sect members, cultivate diligently and without pause. Let us drink!"

"To our First Senior Brother!"

Everyone raised their cups in response. Whatever their inner thoughts, smiles graced their faces as they drained the wine in a single gulp.

The wine was smooth as it went down, then instantly transformed into a warm current that spread through their limbs and bones.

Putting down his Jade Cup, Nan Zhuoran turned to Ji Yunliang beside him and asked in a level tone, "Junior Brother Ji, on my way back, I heard that there seemed to be some kind of disturbance within the Grotto Heaven some time ago?"

The moment he spoke, the Moon Embracing Pavilion, which had been filled with the low hum of conversation, fell instantly silent.

Everyone froze, their gazes subtly shifting to focus on Nan Zhuoran and Ji Yunliang.

Even Ruan Lingxiu sat up a little straighter, a flicker of attention in her beautiful eyes.

Ji Yunliang set down his Jade Chopsticks and shook his head slightly, his tone tinged with a hint of resignation. "It’s true. There was a violent surge of Primordial Qi. The commotion was significant and alerted several of the Elders who were in Cultivation there. I investigated afterward, but unfortunately, I found no abnormalities, nor could I find the source. It was as if it were just a random fluctuation of the Grotto Heaven’s own Primordial Qi."

Nan Zhuoran nodded. "Oh? Even you couldn’t find any clues, Junior Brother Ji? How strange. I vaguely recall some scattered records in the Sect’s ancient texts mentioning that a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land can sometimes experience resonant disturbances due to certain special circumstances. I wonder if this incident is related..."

A glint flashed in Ji Yunliang’s eyes; he had naturally picked up on Nan Zhuoran’s probing. With a wry smile, he said, "I have also heard of what you speak, First Senior Brother. But the records are ancient and vague, making it difficult to discern fact from fiction. For the past thousand years, there has been no shortage of senior experts within the Sect seeking that so-called ’catalyst.’ In the end, their efforts were all in vain. Perhaps it truly was just a normal fluctuation."

On the surface, the two were discussing the disturbance in the Grotto Heaven, but their words were laced with hidden barbs.

Listening to their exchange, Chen Qing grew more and more puzzled.

Although he had been promoted to True Disciple, he hadn’t held the rank for long and had limited knowledge of the Sect’s deeper secrets.

’This "Grotto Heaven disturbance"... it seems to be a big deal, doesn’t it?’

He couldn’t help but glance at Qu River, who was sitting beside him.

Qu River understood his unspoken question and sent a secret voice transmission: "Junior Brother Chen, since you are now a True Disciple, it’s time you gradually learned some of the Sect’s secrets. Legend has it that when the Sect Founding Ancestor established the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect, besides the publicly known legacy, he also left behind a more secret and powerful inheritance that was never fully passed down."

"Over the past thousand years, countless prodigiously talented senior experts within the Sect have exhausted themselves searching for it, but all came up empty-handed. Over time, many began to doubt whether this inheritance truly exists, suspecting it might have been lost to the river of time, and so they gradually gave up."

He paused for a moment, then continued his transmission: "But there have always been those who firmly believe the inheritance still exists, and that the right time simply hasn’t come, or that a certain ’catalyst’ is missing. The Grotto Heaven is the very core of our Sect and is deeply connected to the Founding Ancestor. Every time an unusual disturbance occurs there, it puts these people on high alert, as they believe it might be related to that lost inheritance."

"The Founding Ancestor’s inheritance?" Chen Qing was shaken and asked via transmission.

He thought of the purple cluster of light in his mind and its strange reactions to the Celestial Treasure Tower and the Grotto Heaven.

Qu River shook his head, his transmitted voice tinged with skepticism. "Who knows? Maybe it exists, maybe it doesn’t. Even if it does, after all these years, how many prodigiously talented people in the Sect have failed to find it? I don’t hold out much hope. Better to focus on the tangible and steadily improve your Cultivation than to chase after something so ethereal."

Hearing this, Chen Qing nodded silently and asked no more questions, but his mind was already in turmoil.

The Founding Ancestor’s inheritance... the purple cluster of light... the disturbance in the Grotto Heaven... The clues were faintly connecting in his mind, making him realize that he had, perhaps inadvertently, brushed against one of the Sect’s deepest secrets.

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