Shredded Paper Three Pure Bells
Yan Huanyue still harbored some doubts about the repaired seal script.
Holding a glass mirror, he flipped it up and down in the sea, carefully examining all the seal script in this section.
The repairs made by the teacher's wife just now could not be said to be wrong, but she vaguely felt that the way the words were used in the repairs was a bit strange.
The disciple from the Misty Sect swam a short distance behind her, then pointed to a perfectly intact set of magical inscriptions and said:
"You probably find it strange to use metal and wood in the Western context of metal and water. This place was repaired by an elder of the Supreme Sect ten years ago, and it uses the same method. Newcomers often ask this question, but actually, water and wood are mutually generative, so this kind of repair is actually more solid and there will be no problem in the long run."
Although it slightly alters the attributes of the entire formation, he is actually right. As a result, the entanglement of water and wood will only become stronger.
Yan Huanyue nodded and didn't say anything more about it.
As she and the disciple from the Misty Sect floated up and down in the deep sea trench, the blue water-repelling beads around their necks glowed faintly.
The sea sprite on the opposite side disappeared for a while, and when it reappeared, it was holding a handful of gold and silver jewelry that it had dredged up from the seabed.
Suddenly discarded, the pearly light, like fireflies, drifted into the deep sea.
Yan Huanyue glanced at it and felt that the endless deep sea opposite the magic array was full of flowing pearls and jade, like a starry and moon palace that could not be seen at all.
She stood there, blinking, her eyes glowing brighter and brighter before gradually fading away. Together with the disciple of the Misty Sect, she gently placed one hand on the golden magic seal, gazing at the silent, magnificent, and beautiful endless glimmer of light opposite them, her eyes filled with longing.
This deepest longing hidden in people's hearts, presented so magnificently before our eyes, truly makes one want to take a second look.
This sea spirit is truly remarkable. If it weren't for the non-magical array blocking it, which weakened the bewitching power of his magic, one would never know how capable he was.
However, with the array separating them, dealing with them was actually quite easy.
Yan Huanyue composed herself, blinked, and the shimmering starry sea before her, adorned with gold, silver, pearls, and jade, instantly transformed into an endless, dark, and deep sea.
The sea sprite seemed quite pleased with itself, swaying back and forth with a snake tail that had transformed into its own.
The Misty Sect disciple laughed and said, "Sometimes they can indeed show people some very mysterious things, but it's like looking at a scene; it's hard to actually be swallowed up. If there's no formation to weaken their magic, they might really fall for it."
Yan Huanyue glanced at the sea spirit opposite her and gained a deeper understanding of this kind of creature. If one really wanted to weave illusions to deceive and trick others, it would be extremely easy for them.
She said softly, "However, drinking their blood will solve the problem."
The disciple of the Misty Sect said, "Taking the Demon Clan from Wuzhen Land as an example, for those of average cultivation, this kind of blinding technique has a time limit. They can't maintain it for long. If they encounter someone with profound cultivation, it's difficult for them to be blinded. However, the people on the other side all have demon blood. I wonder how they compare to the people of Wuzhen Land."
Yan Huanyue stopped looking at the opposite side, picked up the glass mirror and continued to examine the golden seal of the formation, and found no cracks after that.
In reality, even if there are some cracks, it will not affect the use of the formation. However, in the long run, in order to prevent it from being breached, it is still necessary to inspect and repair it regularly.
This is definitely not an easy task.
Before leaving, Yan Huanyue saw a cluster of ice and fire, and only after gathering it away did she float to the surface of the sea.
Standing on the crest of the wave, I carefully filled in the seal script that I had inspected that day on the talisman.
He then wrote down clearly the location of the crack he had discovered that day, as well as the magical seal script that Song Lingwei had used to repair it, before submitting the talisman.
When the tokens were handed over, the Misty Sect disciple who received them asked her about the process again in detail. After she stamped her personal seal on the register, two more people went to check.
After the two men returned, they each affixed their personal seals and the seal of their post before deliberately placing her talisman into another wooden box, presumably for talismans that had been reported for repair.
Yan Huanyue glanced at them and saw that there weren't many. Since the Tianqian Formation was laid down, it had been inspected regularly to check for loopholes, and there were only a dozen or so repair notices.
The natural barrier formation connects mountains and seas, vast and profound, mysterious and boundless. Even after years of attacks by the demon race, it can continue to evolve and regenerate on its own.
Even under the most severe attacks, it is as difficult to shake the formation in the slightest, like an ant trying to shake a tree. In fact, most of the time the formation can completely repair itself.
As for inspecting the cracks, it's only to avoid the tiny possibility of them being broken open by the demons.
Yan Huanyue was delayed for a while today because she handed in the talisman. It was already very late when she went to have dinner. As soon as she stepped into the dining hall, she heard a melodious fairy voice.
"Disciple."
She turned around abruptly and saw Song Lingwei standing in the wind and snow, her clothes fluttering and holding a food box in her hands.
"Teacher's wife."
She turned and walked over. Song Lingwei handed her the food box and said with a gentle smile, "I know that you will have to wait a while at the counter after discovering the crack in the seal script today. Take this food and eat it early, and get some rest."
Yan Huanyue accepted the food box with both hands. In the cold, snowy weather, the food box was kept warm by a magic spell, and it still felt warm to the touch.
Yan Huanyue, her clothes fluttering in the wind, looked up at the woman standing alone before her, sheltered from the wind and snow, and couldn't help but smile, saying, "Yes."
Song Lingwei said, "I didn't originally plan for you to come. Since you've come ahead of time and joined the patrol formation team, you must be diligent and conscientious and not make any mistakes."
Yan Huanyue nodded and said, "This disciple will certainly live up to Master's expectations."
Song Lingwei said, "The elders and I have been busy lately taking over matters that need to be handed over to the Misty Sect on Snow Accumulation Peak. When you are inspecting the formation, please be careful and protect yourself. You don't need to stand in the wind anymore. Go and have a meal and rest early."
Having said that, he tiptoed and vanished into the snowstorm in an instant, disappearing without a trace.
Yan Huanyue stood there for a moment with her head up, but did not linger. In order not to disturb the other disciples of the Misty Sect in her dormitory, she turned around and went into the dining hall.
There were few people in the dining hall. Yan Huanyue found a quiet spot and opened the food box.
The first layer inside contained a sumptuous meal, but when the second layer was removed, it was found to be filled with a layer of high-grade spirit stones.
She quickly covered the food box, sat alone for a while, and only opened the second food box again after the few people in the dining hall had left.
It even has all five elemental spirit stones; it's clear it was specially prepared for her.
Yan Huanyue's long eyelashes trembled slightly. Without making a sound, she covered the second layer with the first layer of food box, and removed the third layer. Inside, there were several bottles of pills and a blank talisman with a small cinnabar imprint pressed in the corner.
This is the protective seal of the master's wife.
Yan Huanyue carefully folded the protective talisman and put it into her sleeve. She then stacked up the food boxes, quickly finished her meal, and carried the food boxes back to her house.
The sky was dark, and with wind and snow swirling around, it was difficult to tell what time it was.
Only a few low drumbeats could be heard coming down from halfway up the mountain, and it was clear that midnight was approaching.
Logically speaking, apart from those on night duty by the magic array, everyone should have already returned to their rooms to rest or meditate and cultivate.
Some of the more diligent ones, if they are practicing movement techniques, would probably fly to the distant snowfields to train.
At this hour, there are usually few idle people around the garrison, so Yan Huanyue was returning alone through the night snow.
Under the dark night sky, the faint light from the bunker peeked down, illuminating the white snowflakes that danced and fluttered in the air.
The snow had a cool, clear scent, and Yan Huanyue walked slowly, inhaling its fragrance.
Suddenly, she caught a faint, almost imperceptible scent of paper pulp amidst the crisp, cool smell of snow.
She looked up at the heavy snow falling from the sky, gently stretched out her hand, and a few snowflakes fell into her palm.
Among them was a torn piece of white paper.
She formed her fingers into claws and suddenly grabbed outwards. Two pieces of paper flew out of the snow, and two pieces of white paper swirled down in the air.
There was nothing on the paper, but Yan Huanyue couldn't help but think of the woman in red she had recently met.
The traitor Xuan Jiang is Liao Yunu.
Yan Huanyue once saw Liao Yunu in the secret realm. In order to avenge her sister who was driven to death by the rumors that she was "cursed to be a jinx to her husband," she made all the people who spread the rumors, or their sons, to kneel before her sister Liao Yunu's corpse and sign a soul contract to marry her.
Later, the register of her "brothers-in-law's" names became an evil entity, and all those whose names were recorded in it died violent deaths.
That list even passed through her hands to others. Anyone who secretly wrote down the name of someone they disliked and entered into a marriage contract with Liao Yunnu would soon be killed by the list.
Because quite a few innocent people died tragically on that list, the list was later suppressed by the Tianyan Sect and placed in the Tianbei Secret Realm. Those murderers who used the list to harm people were also captured.
Only the instigator, Liao Yunu, remains at large.
As a result, Liao Yunu became a target of everyone in Xuanjiang and the sect, and it is even rumored that many powerful demons of Xuanjiang who had cooperated with humans in the early days also issued a kill order against Liao Yunu.
However, this person's whereabouts are unpredictable, and she often disappears without a trace, making her impossible to find. Moreover, her Xuanjiang technique is extremely profound, and even many Xuanjiang practitioners have no way to deal with her.
However, Yan Huanyue encountered her twice, but she never killed her. In fact, the second time, she even sent Zhi Xiang to ask for the fishing rod back.
She had to admit that Liao Yunu was indeed somewhat unconventional and free-spirited. However, even after Xuanjiang was officially recognized, she was still a traitor to Xuanjiang. Yan Huanyue didn't have time to investigate the details yet, but she knew that Liao Yunu was still a dangerous figure.
In the blink of an eye, Yan Huanyue had already begun searching for the owner of a few scraps of paper.
But the wind and snow blocked her way, and the paper seemed to have fallen from a higher place; she couldn't find a trace of it.
Clutching the paper, she ran to the patrolling stone fortress and reported the matter to Xu Fengqiu, the sect elder on night duty.
Xu Fengqiu, Yu Zhao's mentor, was sitting cross-legged on the ground looking at the letter that the Yu siblings had sent, which was said to be dictated by Yu Zhao.
He had always felt sorry for Yu Zhao, so he read this letter many times.
In the letter, Yu Zhao mentioned that his father had remarried, his mother was grieving, and he had almost lost all desire to live. His family was taking care of him with precious treasures and did not want him to die. He begged his master to send him on his way.
Xu Fengqiu was born with deep feelings and a protective nature towards his own. He wondered what he felt as he read Yu Zhao's letter.
After arriving in the north, he had consulted many old books, hoping to find a way to alleviate Yu Zhao's pain across the chasm, when Yan Huanyue walked in.
"These are just scraps of paper. People on the snow-capped peaks sometimes tear up scraps of paper and throw them down when they write by the window."
Despite saying this, Xu Fengqiu did not blame her for worrying too much. Instead, he took out a small jade cauldron, put away the scraps of paper, and gently made a hand seal.
A moment later, a wisp of smoke rose from the jade box. Xu Fengqiu, with his slender fingers, twirled the smoke, slowly closed his eyes, then slightly opened them and said calmly:
"It's alright, these scraps of paper have nothing to do with Xuan Jiang, you're overthinking it. However, it's good that you're being cautious. Did you run into Liao Yunu on your way here?"
Hearing Xu Fengqiu say this, Yan Huanyue was relieved and simply nodded, saying, "I did run into her, but she didn't seem as ruthless as the rumors suggested, so I'm just glad I didn't suffer any losses."
Xu Fengqiu laughed heartily and said, "When you encounter danger, you should know to run. If you, a junior, see this kind of old monster, you should be careful. If you encounter him, you should report back to the sect as soon as possible."
Yan Huanyue nodded in agreement, and then left the stone fortress where Xu Fengqiu was on night duty.
Not long after leaving the stone fortress, they encountered the Yu siblings and their family, who seemed to have come down from the snow-capped peak.
Yu Yi stood in front of everyone with a sullen face and remained silent.
Yu Nian appeared to be in normal condition. She exchanged greetings with Yu Nian and explained that she was going up the mountain that night to bid farewell to the elders of both sects. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Yu Nian, she turned and left with her group.
Yan Huanyue returned to her room with the food box, put away the spirit stones and pills, and then took out the cluster of ice fire she had collected that day, and fused and refined it with the cold-repelling pearl from yesterday.
Before leaving the next day, she saw the retainers of the Yu and Xue families busy in front of the carriages being saddled. When she returned from the seabed, she unexpectedly ran into Yu Yi, who was supposed to be leaving, in the dining hall.
Yu Yi was talking with a group of Tianyan Sect disciples. When he saw her, he simply nodded and continued his conversation.
No wonder he looked so pale last night; he was kept behind.
No wonder he's so talkative right now, getting along so well with the people of the Tianyan Sect. He's truly a worldly-wise and flexible young master from Yunjing.
Perhaps because the collateral branches of the Yu family faced more pressure than other collateral branches, he was more willing to conform to worldly customs than Yu Zhao of the eldest branch.
Yan Huanyue ate with several fellow disciples she knew. However, the disciples of Tianyan Sect here were all senior brothers and sisters who had entered the sect much earlier than her. She didn't interact much with them when she was in the sect, so eating together was just a temporary arrangement.
Except for Xue Jingnian.
Elder Yin Shu of Qingxu Peak brought this young disciple with him to the North, originally intending to relay a message to the elders.
Xue Jingnian had many acquaintances. He was actually a junior to the sect, but he had a wide circle of friends. He was led into the dining hall by several people. He first bowed to Yu Yi, and then walked over here, lifted his robe and sat down next to Yan Huanyue.
"Senior Sister Yan."
Yan Huanyue couldn't help but widen her eyes.
How can a dog spit out ivory?
Few of the people at the table knew about the feud between them.
Xue Jingnian started his training later than Yan Huanyue, who had been a student since infancy, so he should call her senior sister.
They had no idea how unusual it was that Xue Jingnian called her "senior sister," they just chatted excitedly about what they had seen and heard in this place.
Xue Jingnian was also in a normal state. He called her "senior sister" and started eating, naturally joining the conversation at the table.
Yan Huanyue twitched the corner of her mouth, gave a light scoff, and ignored him, finishing her meal while chatting with her fellow disciples about repairing the seal script that day.
There was no snow tonight. When she returned from the dining hall, she walked to the place where she had found the scraps of paper last night and subconsciously looked up. There was a starry sky that looked like it was about to collapse.
She suddenly realized that she hadn't seen daylight in a long time.
The days that followed were the same: he would go out to sea to inspect the formation at nightfall, and return to eat and cultivate at nightfall, occasionally chatting with Pei Xuanzhi using a sound transmission talisman.
However, the number of communication talismans was limited, and Pei Xuanzhi needed to speak for a while every few days, so by the middle of winter, the communication talismans had been used up.
After they finished inspecting the sea-based magic seal, and were about to move into the cold forest chasm north of the mountain screen, a team composed of several prominent families, including the Wei, Jiang, and Zhou families, came to deliver supplies.
Yu Yi was left in the north and is now assigned to take care of the inventory of supplies. Because there are many aristocratic families here this time, it has taken several days to inventory and store the items.
Every time Yan Huanyue returned, she would see him running in and out of the stone fortress with a smile on his face, as if he had truly experienced the dwindling of his arrogance.
The cold-repelling pearl in Yan Huanyue's treasure pouch had already taken shape. She didn't know what kind of chain or rope to put on it, so she just left it there bare for the time being.
The prominent family that came this time also brought some special guests.
A group of demons.
When Yan Huanyue caught a glimpse of the snow leopards and wolves frolicking in the snowfield from afar, she roughly knew that the internal conflict among the demon race should have ended with a compromise by the demon lord Hengyu's faction.
But the reality was bloodier than she had imagined.
After Zhixu and a group of followers stormed into Hengyu Palace, Hengyu abdicated in favor of Zhixu, and Hengyu died of illness a few days later.
The most stubborn faction within the Hengyu lineage was subjected to a bloody purge shortly after Hengyu's death.
Many of the remaining, less sturdy, Hengyu-affiliated demons switched their allegiance to Zhixu, and the demon race quickly changed its previous stance of remaining neutral.
Not only did they quickly dispatch demons to participate in the patrol of the natural barrier, but they also eliminated a group of demon forces that had been taken in and hidden among the demon race by Hengyu.
Those were demons who were isolated here by the natural barrier formation and unable to escape to the old Tengzhou. They had been hiding and eking out a living, sending messages over there through demon secret techniques.
This incident shocked the world.
Originally, some people who saw through the sects' interference in the demon race stood up and denounced the sects, but after the matter of hiding the demon race came out, they all fell silent.
As Yan Huanyue listened to these latest developments, she realized that while the disciples were late to the party, the elders on Jixue Peak must have received the news immediately, and some of them had even been involved in the planning.
The fact that the demon race is hiding among the demon race indicates that the demon race does exist south of the natural barrier, but how can we be sure that it is only those hidden among the demon race?
These are things she could think of, but the people who orchestrated the changes in the demon race couldn't have thought of them?
"Senior Sister Yan."
Yan Huanyue snapped out of her daze, and Xue Jingnian walked over to her in the snow. "What's wrong? You've been standing here alone for a while."
Yan Huanyue withdrew her gaze from the snow-covered plain under the dark night and said, "It's nothing."
Xue Jingnian said, "Things on Jixue Peak have gradually settled down recently. I have made a request to my master that I will also participate in the array patrols in the future. If there is anything I need to ask my senior sister, please do not hesitate to give me your guidance."
Yan Huanyue turned around and walked back, saying calmly, "I don't know much."
Xue Jingnian followed and said, "What happened in the past was due to my youth and lack of manners."
Yan Huanyue said, "I know very little about what's going on right now. If you want to ask me, there are others more suitable than me."
With that, he took a step and left.
Xue Jingnian stood still for a moment. Yu Yi led several members of the Jiang family past him, greeted them with a smile, and he looked at Yu Yi, only managing a slight twitch of his lips in response.
Yan Huanyue took a nourishing pill that Song Lingwei had given her that day and fell into a deep sleep.
In my dream, I kept sinking into the sea. The vast and boundless Dharma seals seemed to disappear, and the quiet, dark sea was unfathomably deep.
She continued to sink, and many white scraps of paper floated down from above. As those scraps of paper passed by her, she felt suffocated.
More and more pieces of paper appeared until the seawater was completely covered in these white scraps, and Yan Huanyue was almost buried to the bottom of the sea by them.
She struggled to breathe, finally managing to sit up from the oppressive whiteness, only to find Pei Xuanzhi sitting beside her, watching her.
She simply lay resting on a small couch at home, draped in one of his snow-white robes.
He leaned over to help her straighten her snowsuit, which had slipped down, and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
"I......"
Yan Huanyue shook her head. "I think I had a dream."
He poured her a cup of hot tea, brought it to the small couch, and asked with a smile, "Nightmare?"
Yan Huanyue was somewhat bewildered. She took the cup of tea and was about to tilt her head back and drink it all when she saw a blurry reflection in the tea.
What did you put in this tea?
Pei Xuanzhi leaned closer to look at the teacup. "There's nothing in it... Hmm? It looks like a shadow. I think I've seen it before."
Yan Huanyue frowned and said, "I think I've seen it before, but I can't quite remember what it is..."
Pei Xuanzhi glanced at it again and smiled calmly, "Oh, I remember now, it's the Three Pure Bells used by Xuan Jiang."
It's the Sanqing Bell...
Yan Huanyue suddenly opened her eyes, and the sound of the morning bell echoed throughout the camp as the wind and snow outside the window mingled with the sound of the morning bell.
Yan Huanyue raised her hand and gently rubbed her head; she had a headache.
I don't usually feel this way when the morning bell rings. Did I go to bed too late last night?
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