The Great Hall of the Heavens.
All the leaders and elders who had attended the meeting earlier had already left, and the only ones left in the hall were Zhenren Hengxu who was standing high above, and Xie Buchen who had been kept there by his words.
The great Zhoutian star array was rotating quietly behind him, but he was no longer able to figure out any secrets.
Zhenren Hengxu's gaze fell on Xie Buchen below. He seemed to be looking at him, but also seemed to see something else through him.
There was no talking for a while.
The entire Palace of the Heavens is vast, spacious, and quiet.
It was not until the wind blowing from the sky suddenly filled the hall, making a slightly sharp whimpering sound, that his eyes flickered slightly.
"Do you know why you must be sent on this trip to the Snow Region?"
Xie Buchen is a very patient person.
Previously, Master Hengxu didn't speak, so he didn't interrupt him. Now, when he asked him what he thought about this matter, his face didn't show much expression as usual. He just replied: "Master, I can't guess what you are thinking. But I think it has something to do with me, and it's not a bad thing."
Zhenren Hengxu laughed.
He walked down the stairs slowly, step by step, until he was closer to Xie Buchen, and then he stopped again.
"You guessed right. But it's more than just some relationship."
Xie Buchen raised his eyes and looked at Master Hengxu without saying anything.
"You should know that you are the person that Tianji mentioned who can resolve the Kunwu catastrophe."
“So after Qingfeng Temple disappeared, even though you almost lost your soul, I was able to use the rare treasure left by Li Jun to help you regain your soul.”
"However, after this incident, your cultivation that far surpasses that of ordinary people has been turned into nothing."
When he said this, Zhenren Hengxu's voice was heavy, as if shrouded in a lingering haze.
"With your talent and understanding, it will only take a moment for the golden elixir to transform into an infant."
“But if you want to go one step further and reach the state of leaving the body, you have to go through the Dao Tribulation of the Heart. There are so many cultivators in the world who either dare not make a breakthrough or are reduced to ashes in the Dao Tribulation.”
"I'm worried that if she doesn't die, you won't be able to get through this disaster."
She is not dead, but she cannot get over this disaster.
Xie Buchen's handsome face finally showed some changes. In his eyes, instead of being cold and indifferent, there was suddenly a hint of mystery...
But he still didn't speak.
He knew clearly how he entered Taoism in the first place, and Zhenren Hengxu also knew it.
After all, he was the head of Kunwu and the most prominent person in the Nineteen Continents. It didn't matter when Master Hengxu discovered that "Yashan Jianchou" was his former wife Jianchou whom he had killed. Maybe it was when Jianchou set foot in the Nineteen Continents, or maybe it was when her name became known...
What's important is that she's not dead, and that means something to him.
Those who are immortal have all become demons.
The inner demon.
It grew and spread in his heart, crawling all over his heart, covering every inch of his flesh and blood, every bit of his soul...
The fact that she didn't die meant that his affection and love could not be severed after all, and that he still had this one weakness.
Xie Buchen closed his eyes slightly, and when he raised his eyes again, the pair of eyes that had been flickering with light and shadow before had returned to normal.
It seemed to be covered with cold rain from the mountains.
"So, Master sent me to the Snow Region this time for the Nine Doubt Cauldron?"
It is really amazing and brilliant, and I understand it at a glance.
Even though he had already experienced some of this when he was instructing him in his cultivation before, at this moment, Hengxu still couldn't help but marvel in his heart.
Too smart, almost a demon.
"Not much. Since you can say the three words 'Jiuyi Ding', you must know something about it."
"In ancient times, when the long night of eternity just dawned, hundreds of races rose up, and strange beasts, demons and gods fought with cultivators, and the immortal world had not yet taken shape. This tripod was originally a piece of white jade that was transformed from the snowy area of my Nineteen Continents. Later, it was seen by the White Crane Emperor, the strongest cultivator at that time, and he refined it into a tripod and named it 'Jiuyi'."
"It contains all things, and can absorb the energy of heaven and earth. Even if heavenly punishment comes, it can still contain it."
In ancient times, there were many brilliant cultivators, each with his own path, and eventually they gathered the power of all the immortals and created a unique world among the billions of stars in the universe.
Shangxu Immortal Realm!
The White Crane Emperor was the strongest among all the immortals at that time. In fact, the entire glorious ancient era was ended by him.
In other words, the Jiuyi Cauldron is actually an immortal cauldron!
Although Zhenren Hengxu has practiced for a long time, he has only touched the tail of the ancient times.
He had only heard a little about the glory of that era.
Only people like Baji Daozun and Luye Laozu who became famous at the turn of ancient and modern times can be said to have truly experienced the style of that era.
But he knew everything about the Jiuyi Cauldron: "After the Shangxu Immortal Realm was opened up, all the immortals moved to the Immortal Realm and hid their traces in the mortal world. But the Jiuyi Cauldron was released into the Snow Region by the White Crane Emperor, and became one with the mountains, rivers and snowfields."
Xie Buchen's brows suddenly frowned slightly.
Generally speaking, one can use a certain amount of magical instruments based on one's cultivation level. Since the Jiuyi Cauldron is an immortal cauldron, it should not be used by cultivators who have not yet attained enlightenment.
Moreover, Master Hengxu also said that this tripod has become one with the snowy area, so how can we obtain it
As if he could see his concerns and doubts, Master Hengxu said, "Yashan has its own heritage, and Kunwu has its own secrets. As for Jiuyi Ding, I have my own way to open it."
With a flip of his hand, a rusty iron stick appeared between his fingers.
There are densely packed golden marks floating above, like ants. If you stare at them for a long time, you will feel that they are shaking all the time, and getting faster and faster, giving you a dizzy feeling.
Hengxu handed it to Xie Buchen and said, "When you go to the Snow Region, be careful about everything. If you can, you can investigate the death of my elder Kunwu's disciples and the conspiracy of the Snow Region's secret sect. If the situation is too bad, it doesn't matter if you can't investigate. The most important thing is this tripod. If you get this tripod, you won't have to worry about the calamity of the Tao."
“… I obey your command.”
Xie Buchen took the iron tablet, and when his fingertips touched the rusty surface, a line of floating golden words slowly flowed into his mind like a gurgling stream.
But its speed is not fast. It is not like the jade slips that monks usually use to record things, which can convey all the information recorded on them in an instant.
It is more like a circular river.
When people stand in it, they can only see the flowing words at a time and cannot immediately get a glimpse of the whole picture. They have to stand in the river and wait for the circular river to turn a circle before they can know the whole picture.
Xie Buchen had never encountered the mystery here before, but Zhenren Hengxu already knew it clearly.
He smiled slightly and said, "The sooner we go to the Snow Region, the better. Otherwise, something bad will happen. If you don't have anything urgent to do, hurry there today or tomorrow."
"yes."
Xie Buchen agreed, bowed to say goodbye to Master Hengxu, and left the Hall of the Heavens first.
On the steps, only Zhenren Hengxu was left standing.
Looking at Xie Buchen's figure getting farther and farther away on the Yunhai Square outside the main hall, the slight smile on his face gradually disappeared.
An expressionless face became dim and unclear in the shadow of the Hall of Heavens.
Xie Buchen left Kunwu that night.
He had a cold temperament. Ever since he killed his wife and sought the truth from Kunwu, he seldom talked to others and had no intention of getting to know too many people.
After all, the Nineteen Continents are different from isolated islands on earth.
On an isolated island, water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. The strength of one person is ultimately like a grain of sand, easily swallowed up by the vast ocean.
But in the Nineteen Continents, there are outstanding people everywhere, and the strong are respected. With the power of one person, you can whip up mountains and seas, swallow up the sun and the moon, and you can truly be "above ten thousand people."
Therefore, it was not very useful for him to know too many people. However, his strategy and ability were enough to make him have someone to use at the critical moment.
That's enough.
Therefore, when he left, he did not let anyone know, and he did not need anyone to see him off.
The night was cold and the dew was heavy.
On the cliff at the back of the mountain opposite the wooden house, the waterfall rushing down has become much smaller, and the pool below has also become shallower, revealing a few black stones at the bottom of the pool that have been washed away for who knows how many years.
At this moment, Xie Buchen was standing under the wall inside the house. In his ears he could hear the faint sound of a waterfall falling outside, and in front of him was the ordinary sword hanging high.
Even with its sheath on, it doesn't emit any cold light in such a cold and lonely night.
The direction and angle of the hanging are exactly the same as when it was hung in the thatched cottage in Gurong Village.
The difference is…
After he embarked on the path of immortality, the sword had another name - he called it Seven-Finance Soul.
In the past, when he went out, whether for cultivation or traveling, he never took it with him.
This sword has always been hanging here.
Even if fellow disciples or even elders came, they would think it was just an ordinary sword, and thought it was a thought he left behind that was related to the isolated island on earth.
But actually…
But that’s not all.
During the day, the words that Master Hengxu said while standing on the steps of the Grand Hall of the Heavens echoed in his ears again...
Jiuyi Ding.
No matter how you look at it, it's a good thing for him, even if Hengxu doesn't know that he doesn't need it. But everything he sees tells him that this matter is not that simple.
A large sect like Kunwu has a very wide distribution of influence and a very complex internal structure.
How could a cultivator like Zhenren Hengxu, who has been able to firmly control Kunwu for more than 600 years, be a simple person
Xie Buchen's eyes darkened a little.
He finally reached out and took down the sword that had been hanging on the wall for a long time for the first time, and gently brushed away the dust on the scabbard.
But he did not draw his sword to look. Instead, a golden light flashed between his palms, and the sword disappeared.
If there were a powerful cultivator here, he would be able to easily see that the sword was not put into his Qiankun bag, but went somewhere else.
For example, the hidden world of Qingfengan.
There was only a dim light in the whole house.
The Human Emperor Sword, which had been returned to its original owner not long ago, was leaning quietly against the lamp.
Xie Buchen walked over, gently blew out the lamp, then took the Human Emperor Sword in the dark, walked out of the door slowly, and turned back to close the door.
The small brass lock hanging on the door looked a bit old.
At that moment, it coincided with the rusty padlock that suddenly appeared in his mind.
The five slender jade fingers froze for a moment.
The watery moonlight fell on his back, illuminating the copper lock on his palm obliquely, and then a faint reflection of light entered his eyes.
But Xie Buchen finally let it go.
He has never regretted the choices he made in the past.
I don't regret it at the beginning.
No regrets in the future.
He slowly let go of the lock, letting it hit the wooden door with a slight sound, and then he didn't even look at it again.
The cold autumn wind brought dead leaves from the mountains, which formed a layer in front of the wooden house.
Xie Buchen walked down the steps and followed the path that had been opened up in the woods behind the mountain. He gradually walked away and disappeared among the dark shadows of the trees.
The Snow Region Tantric Sect is located in the easternmost part of the Northern Region.
It was originally a place with a bitterly cold climate and few people. According to legend, only some ascetic monks who lived far away from the world would live there.
Therefore, no one would want to build a teleportation array in such a place.
Eleven generations ago, shortly after the war between Yin and Yang, Buddhism moved north and split. The Snow Region was then occupied by the Tantric Buddhism, one of the two sects of Zen and Esoteric Buddhism. From then on, it became an isolated place.
The teleportation array in the outside world is enough for ordinary cultivators to travel across the 19 continents.
But the snow area is not included.
For cultivators from other places in the Nineteen Continents, this is still a virgin land.
Currently, there is no known teleportation array leading to the Snow Region.
Even the elders and disciples who were sent by various sects to the Snow Region to secretly gather information in previous years, all relied on their own power to control weapons or fly in the air.
Not to mention, there is now a strange barrier covering the sky above the snowy area, so even if there is a teleportation array, it would be useless.
But Xie Buchen did not go directly to the Snow Region from Kunwu.
He first used the teleportation array from Kunwu to the Tomorrow Star Sea in the easternmost part of the Central Region, and then transferred from the teleportation array of Shattered Immortal City to the Hanhai City in the northernmost part of the Star Sea.
Then he left the city and headed north.
This route selection can undoubtedly save most of the time.
After all, Kunwu was about 3,000 kilometers away from the Central Region, and going directly to the Snow Region was a long way off. Starting from the northernmost city in the Tomorrow Star Sea would make the journey the shortest.
Because the vast sea of tomorrow's stars connects to the mysterious snowy area to the north.
Within half a day, all the scenery in the basin had disappeared.
In front of Xie Buchen's eyes, there were only mountains that were getting higher and more dangerous. Occasionally, when his spiritual sense swept over, he could sense some monsters and beasts living in the vast jungle.
All traces of the monks have almost disappeared.
Except for a special teahouse.
Xie Buchen saw it at noon the next day, just as he was flying through the mountains.
It was built on the highest peak in the mountain range, covered with simple thatch, with a few rolls of bamboo curtains hanging down. A dark blue flag with the word "Tea" written on it held high up was fluttering in the biting mountain wind.
He couldn't help but feel a slight movement in his heart, and the spiritual energy circulating in his body was retracted and landed in front of the teahouse on the top of the mountain.
Looking inside, there were actually quite a few people there.
They were all monks, young and old, wearing all kinds of clothes, most of them were from Tomorrow Star Sea. But there were a few who stood out, with shaved heads and wearing a very different red monk's robe, they were actually monks.
This place can be said to be at the border between the Central Region and the Northern Region. This teahouse is between the Tomorrow Star Sea and the Snow Region.
The monks who appear here, and are dressed like this, cannot possibly be from Zen Buddhism.
Everyone says that tomorrow's starry sea will be a gathering place for all kinds of people, and there will always be chaos and disorder.
Since these monks came from the Snow Region, they must have gone to the Sea of Tomorrow Stars. Looking at the various types of tea guests who came here with different temperaments, you will know that this is true.
"Sir, are you going to the Snow Region?"
In the teahouse, a young man dressed as a waiter, holding a large teapot in his hand, had just added tea to a monk inside when he turned around and saw Xie Buchen, and immediately greeted him warmly.
"The situation in the Snow Region has been unusual these days. You should come in and have some tea and think about it."
This kind of teahouse is like a small border town in Daxia, with a lot of people coming and going, so it is often a place for information to be passed on and exchanged.
Of course Xie Buchen knew that something happened in Xueyu.
But when he saw the Tantric monks sitting together in the teahouse, he did not refuse. He said "thank you" and walked in.
At that moment, everyone sitting in the teahouse turned their heads and looked at him.
But after discovering that he was only at the late Jindan stage, many people turned their heads away, apparently not taking it seriously. Some people also thought that he was too good-looking and had an extraordinary demeanor, so they looked at him for a while longer.
One of them, a fat man with a face full of flesh and a big gold ring on his ear, stared for a long time. He didn't look away until Xie Buchen entered the teahouse, chose a table near the outside and sat down with his back to them.
"Your tea."
The waiter was very quick. As soon as he sat down, he ran over with a teapot, put a coarse earthenware bowl on the table, and poured a full bowl of tea.
The teahouse was built on the top of a mountain and was very simple. The tables and chairs inside were also old and simple, even shaky. As for the tea bowls...
Xie Buchen casually placed the Human Emperor Sword in his right hand on the table.
You don't even need to touch the tea bowl in front of you; you can see its uneven surface by holding it up to the light.
As for the tea in it, its color was bland and the water was turbid, without any tea fragrance at all.
How can it look like it's drinkable
The thought had just crossed his mind, and before he could think about whether to drink it or not, another voice came from outside the teahouse.
"Waiter, give me a cup of tea!"
It was actually a woman's voice, which was neither crisp nor hoarse, but it sounded particularly peaceful, as if a spring breeze was blowing on your face.
When the people in the teahouse heard this, they all raised their heads.
When Xie Buchen heard the voice, his eyelids twitched. A familiar feeling rose from every part of his body and from the depths of his soul, making him look up along with everyone else.
A slender, graceful and tall figure has walked in from outside the teahouse.
Delicate facial features were set on her fair face, which originally had a gentle and soft look, but because of the indifferent frost and snow dotted in her bright eyes, it was tinged with a somewhat untouchable cold color.
When she saw Xie Buchen, she raised her eyebrows in surprise and walked towards him.
“Pah.”
A sound.
The Burning Lamp Sword, which had a faint hint of ancient Zen spirit, was placed neither lightly nor heavily next to the cold and majestic Human Emperor Sword.
Jianchou lifted the hem of his robe swiftly, and the moon-white sleeves fluttered in a beautiful arc, as if he had met an old friend with whom he had a very close relationship. He sat down directly on the right side of Xie Buchen, with a kind and bright smile on his lips.
"We meet each other everywhere in life. Thank you, fellow Taoist, it's fate!"