Chapter 83: What? A sacred item from the Heavenly Sound Sect?
The underground lake returned to its deathly silence, with only the eerie blue light of the Iceflame Grass flickering, reflecting on several faces that were still shaken and each harbored their own thoughts.
A burly disciple of Fantian Sect, panting heavily, stared intently at the spiritual herb that had nearly brought about its demise, his Adam's apple bobbing.
He subconsciously looked at his senior brother Shi Poshan, who was leading the group, and then glanced at the others from Tianyan Sect. He especially took a second look at Ji Qianqiu, who was also following the path of body cultivation like him.
Shi Poshan's muscles were bulging, and he was also injured. He wiped the blood and foam from his face and said in a rough voice, "This grass..."
Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a soft cough.
Xie Chen clutched his still somewhat stuffy chest and slowly straightened up. His face was still a little pale, but a smile had returned to his face, though his eyes were devoid of warmth.
“Fellow Daoist Shi,” his voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable weight:
"This Ice Flame Grass was something we, your sect's disciples, and those... unfortunate black-robed fellow Daoists who perished, only managed to see after going through life and death together."
"That Nascent Soul demon attacked suddenly. If it weren't for... an unspeakable external force intervening in time," he cleverly glossed over the fact that Ye Wuyang had intervened, but everyone present knew perfectly well: "We would probably be dead and gone by now, let alone any spiritual herbs."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Shi Poshan and the several Fantian Sect disciples behind him, before continuing, "How this item is distributed is a matter of great importance and not a trivial matter. In my humble opinion, we need to consider it carefully and proceed with caution. What does Fellow Daoist Shi think?"
Although Shi Poshan is impulsive and belligerent, he is by no means a fool.
Xie Chen's meaning was crystal clear to him: they all stumbled upon this herb together, and if it weren't for the intervention of the powerful figure behind the Tianyan Sect, everyone would be finished. Now they want to take it all for themselves? That's not appropriate, is it?
He glared with his big, round eyes, but in the end he just snorted heavily and said in a muffled voice, "I know! Just leave it for now! Nobody can touch it secretly!" This was his tacit agreement with Xie Chen's suggestion.
Now is certainly not the time for conflict. The fierce battle just now, coupled with the impact of the Nascent Soul cultivator's pressure, has left everyone injured and their spiritual energy greatly depleted.
Several remnants of the black-robed men had already slipped away in the chaos when the giant skeletal hand appeared.
The group tacitly dispersed slightly, each finding a place to swallow the pills and meditate to regulate their breathing.
The underground lake space was temporarily enveloped in a subtle tranquility, with only the faint sound of spiritual energy slowly flowing.
Fang Li also found a relatively dry place to sit down, took out the healing pills given to her by Master Qingxuan, and put them in her mouth.
As the medicine took effect, its warm and soothing properties nourished her injured meridians, and she finally breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling as if she had come back to life.
"I was so scared..." she patted her chest, still shaken. "I almost died here. Immortal Master YYDS! So reliable at the crucial moment!"
Her gaze couldn't help but drift towards the Iceflame Grass, and her mind started calculating again: "But this grass looks really good... System, is this thing valuable? How many spirit stones can it be exchanged for?"
"Valuable! Incredibly valuable! Priceless for ice-type, fire-type, or alchemy cultivators!" the system affirmed, but then changed its tone, "However, host, this thing has extreme attributes, and its compatibility with your Chaos Dao Foundation is only so-so. Refining it is inefficient, making it somewhat useless. You just obtained that jade hairpin that can self-repair and nourish your soul, which has much greater potential. This herb... let them fight over it? Wouldn't it be better for us to watch the show, fish in the water, and quietly make a fortune?"
Fang Li pouted, a little unwilling, but also felt that Tongzi made a good point.
Everyone wants good things, but you have to be alive to get them. She didn't want to experience that dangerous situation again.
During this brief respite, everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts.
Without warning, the broken jade hairpin in Fang Li's arms suddenly emitted a layer of milky white spiritual light!
She was startled and instinctively took it out.
The jade hairpin lay quietly in her palm, and the broken edge, which had been dull and lifeless, now radiated a warm spiritual energy.
Even more peculiarly, the jade hairpin trembled slightly, and the eyes of the blue phoenix on the hairpin head shimmered with a faint light, pointing towards a dark and inconspicuous corner deep in the lake!
Fang Li held the slightly warm jade hairpin that kept pointing towards the depths of the lake, her heart pounding.
"Tongzi, are we really going?" She was a little hesitant. She had just experienced the fright of the Nascent Soul Demon's claws, and those claws were still underwater. Asking her to go into the water now... she really didn't dare.
"Go! We absolutely must go! The spiritual energy reaction is extraordinary! The resonance with the hairpin is so strong; it might be a matching treasure! We'll regret it for the rest of our lives if we miss this opportunity!" the leader declared confidently.
Fang Li gritted her teeth, thinking that fortune favors the bold! She stood up, pretending to stretch her muscles, but her eyes kept glancing at that corner.
Xie Chen was the first to notice her unusual behavior, and following her gaze, he seemed to be deep in thought.
Shen Yunzhou's icy gaze swept over as well. Ji Qianqiu was still staring at Shi Meng, oblivious to the change.
"Senior Brother Xie," Fang Li leaned closer to Xie Chen, lowered her voice, and shook the jade hairpin in her hand, "This hairpin... seems to be pointing to something underwater over there... Should we... go take a look?"
Xie Chen gazed at the faint light emanating from the jade hairpin, then at the calm, still waters, and pondered for a moment. This hairpin was of extraordinary origin; its unusual movement must have a reason. He nodded: "Alright. But we must be cautious." He turned to Shen Yunzhou and Ji Qianqiu, briefly explaining the situation.
Shen Yunzhou remained silent, only tightening his grip on the sword hilt, his meaning clear. Upon hearing there might be treasure, Ji Qianqiu's eyes lit up, immediately forgetting his flirtatious exchange with Shi Meng, and he patted his chest reassuringly: "Junior Sister, don't worry! Senior Brother will protect you!"
Chu Yunfan also came over. He was proficient in the art of herbal alchemy and was sensitive to fluctuations in spiritual energy. He also vaguely sensed that the area of water was somewhat different: "I will go with you. Perhaps we will discover something."
The others, whose injuries were more severe, chose to stay on the shore to recuperate.
Shi Poshan, Fan Tianzong, and the others stared intently at the Ice Flame Grass, showing little interest in underwater exploration.
Fang Li, Xie Chen, Shen Yunzhou, Ji Qianqiu, and Chu Yunfan each activated their spiritual power to protect themselves, took a deep breath, and plunged into the icy lake water.
The lake water was dark, and the light diminished rapidly. The deeper one went, the more pronounced the sensation of a mixture of cold and warmth became.
The jade hairpin's radiance shone like a small lamp in the water, guiding their way. The five followed the hairpin, diving towards an inconspicuous corner deep within the lake.
After diving for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a huge shadow vaguely appeared in the dim water ahead.
Only upon closer inspection did one realize that it was a dilapidated palace covered with dark green seaweed and colorful coral! The palace was extremely ancient in style, with huge stone pillars that had collapsed and broken, and the exquisite reliefs that had been eroded by the water and were now blurred. However, one could still vaguely make out some patterns of flying birds, flowing clouds, and musical instruments. Its style was ethereal and graceful, and it even bore a resemblance to the architectural style of the Tianyin Sect!
"An underwater palace?!" Ji Qianqiu's eyes widened as he exclaimed in surprise via telepathy.
Xie Chen's expression turned serious, signaling everyone to be careful.
The five people carefully made their way through the collapsed stone pillars and tangled water plants into the palace.
The interior of the hall was spacious, but equally dilapidated, filled with silt and weeds. However, in the center of the hall, a circular altar made of white jade was relatively well preserved.
Above the altar, a zither floats silently.
The body of the instrument was charred black, with obvious burn marks and cracks at the tail end, covered with spiderweb-like fissures, as if it might collapse completely at any moment. There were seven strings in total, their color dull, and three of them had even broken off and were hanging down.
However, this broken and dilapidated guqin exudes an indescribable ethereal and Taoist charm!
The aura was pure and ethereal, carrying a sorrow that transcended eternity and an endless longing. It floated there quietly, its seven strings vibrating gently in the water, emitting faint yet deeply mournful sounds that reached the very depths of the soul.
Woo... Buzz...
The sound of the piano was more like a silent weeping, a sorrowful outpouring that had transcended the long years.
It gently brushed against everyone's soul, bringing an overwhelming sense of palpitations and sorrow.
Fang Li felt a lump in her throat and her eyes inexplicably welled up with tears, as if the music had stirred up the deepest sorrow in her heart.
She looked at the charred and broken zither: "This zither... it has such a sorrowful feel... like... it's waiting for someone who will never return?"
[The system's voice also carried a rare deep tone: "Scan... The instrument is severely damaged, its spirituality is almost exhausted... but the core Daoist essence has not dissipated! It is extremely pure! What's even stranger is... host, your chaotic spiritual energy seems to react to it? It's like... you can nurture it? Why don't you try outputting a little bit?"]
Fang Li reached out as if possessed, a wisp of gray spiritual energy gathering at her fingertips, and cautiously probed the floating Jiao Wei Guqin.
Beyond the secret realm, before the Water Mirror.
When the camera focused on the dilapidated palace at the bottom of the lake, especially the ancient zither with the scorched tail floating on the altar, Yun Miaomiao, the Tianyin Sect elder who had been sitting quietly, suddenly stood up!
She trembled violently, her once ethereal and aloof face flushed crimson, and her eyes blazed with an almost frenzied heat and desire as she stared intently at the zither, her breathing rapid.
“‘Heavenly Melody’! It’s ‘Heavenly Melody’!” she screamed, her voice shrill and distorted with excitement. “It’s a sacred artifact that my Heavenly Melody Sect has lost for over a thousand years! It’s here! It…it’s wailing! It’s calling for me! It needs me!”
She was in a state of frenzy, as if she saw the embodiment of the faith she had pursued all her life.
Ye Wuyang, who was high on the flying boat, initially glanced lightly at the figure of "Xie Chen" in the water mirror, and then his gaze fell on Fang Li.
When his gaze fell upon the cracked, ancient zither with a scorched tail in the water mirror, his usually calm and unwavering eyes froze for a moment.
…Bieheqin?
After a thousand years of silence, it has finally appeared here!
Inside the palace at the bottom of the lake.
Fang Li's fingertips were about to touch the mournful body of the instrument.
Just then, outside the secret realm, Yun Miaomiao could no longer contain herself. She abruptly turned towards the Tianyan Sect, completely abandoning her usual aloof demeanor, her tone urgent and even carrying an unquestionable command:
"Master Qingxuan! Sect Leader Meng! That is the supreme sacred artifact of my Heavenly Sound Sect, 'Heavenly Sound Relic'! Please ensure that your sect's disciples safely bring it out and return it to its rightful owner!"
Yun Miaomiao's urgent, even commanding voice echoed from the bottom of the dark lake.
Fang Li's hand, which was reaching for the guqin, suddenly stopped in mid-air. She looked up in surprise at the water. "Ah, this..." She was a little confused and subconsciously looked at her companions beside her, her eyes asking questions.
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