Entrustment

  Fang Zhengdao fell heavily to the ground with a thud. For a moment, there was no sound.

  Moy Tian Ge immediately took out a white silk handkerchief, but that wisp of spiritual energy did not appear again - from start to finish, she had no idea where this wisp of spiritual energy came from!

  Fang Zhengdao, who was lying on the ground, groaned and struggled to get up, his face pale: "This..."

  "Fang Zheng Dao You, it seems that the master of this place does not intend to let us take away the Daylight Stone." After confirming that there was no danger, Mo Tian Ge put down his magic treasure and slowly scanned the stone room.

  This was clearly beyond their means, but they didn't go for the kill, it seemed like they just didn't want them to take the Sunstone.

  Fang Zhengdao looked up at the sunlight stone on top of the stone wall with a face full of unwillingness.

  If so, coming all this way, wouldn't it be a waste to return empty-handed?

  At this moment, a rumbling sound was heard, as if some stone slab had been moved.

  The two of them looked in the direction of the sound with great joy.

  Only then did the stone wall at the very back of the stone chamber suddenly move aside, revealing a stone table with several objects arranged on it.

  But after several previous incidents, both of them became cautious and didn't immediately go get things after a moment of joy.

  Fang Zhengdao released his first-level spiritual beast once again. The bird let out a shrill cry, flapping its wings as it flew towards the stone table.

  It's not just Fang Zheng Dao Ren, Mo Tian Ge is also extremely tense. Since arriving here, apart from a Moonlight Stone Mother and several Moonlight Illusory Stones, they haven't obtained anything else, but instead have consumed several talismans. Yet, there are so many treasures here, but they're not allowed to take them.

  The bird safely landed on the stone table, and a faint smile appeared on Fang Zhengdao's face, which then became even more tense, ordering the bird to pick up something.

  The bird on the table flapped its wings and ran to a bell-shaped thing, then picked up the handle of the bell and was about to fly.

  "Bang!" A puff of smoke suddenly dispersed from somewhere, and a burst of spiritual energy suddenly shot out.

  Mysterious Heaven Song suddenly activated the protective aura around his body, but in an instant, all the spiritual energy in his body lost control and he couldn't move!

  At this time, a low and majestic voice echoed in the stone room: "Which junior, come to my Purple Mansion?"

  A stranger's song makes me pause, could it be...

  Fang Zheng Dao Ren has reacted and hastily replied: "Junior Fang Zheng, a minor loose cultivator, has met Senior Zi Wei!"

  This method is used by the Yuan Ying cultivator after he has passed away, splitting a part of his divine consciousness and preserving it somewhere, thinking that only the master of this place can come. The Yuan Ying cultivator who calls himself Zi Wei San Ren.

  "Junior Mo Tian Ge, disciple of the Xuan Qing Men, has met Senior Zi Wei before." Facing Yuan Ying's questioning, even if it was just his divine consciousness, Mo Tian Ge still chose to tell the truth.

  "Xuan Qing Gate?" Zi Wei San Ren was slightly surprised after hearing her words, and then asked, "Who is Dan Ling Dao Jun to you?"

  "Is it Dan Ling Dao Jun?" Mo Tian Ge thought for a moment, then replied: "Dan Ling Dao Jun was a senior of our sect, he had already attained enlightenment five thousand years ago."

  "...it's been five thousand years," Upon hearing her words, the Purple Microcosm Immortal fell silent for a long time before letting out a deep sigh. "It's actually been five thousand years, Zi Lan, it seems you also..."

  The next moment, the voice had regained its calmness and said: "You two young ones, what brings you to my Purple Mansion?"

  Fang Zhengdao was overjoyed upon hearing this. Just as he was about to speak, Mo Tian Ge preempted him by a step: "But I don't know what purpose the seniors have in summoning us here?"

  A Taoist, speaking to a Buddhist monk in this manner, is indeed arrogant. The upright and honest Daoist, fearing that the monk's words were wrong, hastily called out in a low voice: "Fellow Daoist, do not speak nonsense!"

  Moye didn't budge, she dared to say so, naturally it was certain that Zimicro wouldn't get angry.

  As expected, the next moment, Zǐ Wēi Sǎn Rén laughed: "You young generation, are quite clever. Indeed, it was I who intentionally led you here."

  "What does 'senior' mean?"

  The Purple Mansion's Scattered Immortal didn't answer, instead asking in return: "You two juniors, what do you think of my Dòng Mansion?"

  "This time, Fang Zhengdao replied first: 'Senior's Dongfu is indeed worthy of being a Yuan Ying cultivator's Dongfu. The formation is layered and the treasures are numerous.'"

  "Array method, treasure..." Zi Wei San Ren repeated a sentence, and suddenly asked, "Then do you want to get it?"

  Fang Zheng's heart skipped a beat with surprise and delight, but he didn't dare to be rash. He glanced at Mo Tian Ge before responding, "Naturally... however, we cannot choose our predecessors."

  "Heh heh, you're quite slick for a young one." Zǐ Wēi Sǎn Rén smiled and put the matter aside. "Don't worry, I'm not a cruel person. As long as you answer truthfully, I won't harm you."

  Hearing this, Mo Tian Ge secretly scolded in his heart, isn't he a ruthless person? Not yet entering the Dong Fu, nine people were left with only two of them unscathed, and Fang Zheng Dao was still injured all over his body. Is this not being ruthless?

  "Do you have any objections?" Zi Wei San Ren's voice suddenly drew near, as if it was right next to his ear, An Tian Ge jumped in fright. Could this Zi Wei San Ren actually be able to read minds?

  "Mind-reading technique? About right." She didn't even ask the question, and Zi Wei San Ren had already said, "In my previous life, I once attempted to break through to the Divine Realm, although I failed, but I gained some of the abilities of a Divine Realm cultivator, and this mind-reading technique is one of them."

  The song of the stranger's sky was stunned. It seems to be... At first, with Yuanbao and Zhong Muling together, there was a vague feeling that nothing could be hidden, which is slightly different from the feeling of involuntarily telling the truth under pressure. In this sense, hasn't this Ziwei Sanren already reached the peak state of Yuanying, but just didn't truly advance to the stage of transforming into a god?

  "Huh? You young one have actually seen a Transcendent Cultivator?" The formless spiritual energy wrapped around Mo Tian Ge, asking this question.

  A sudden shock from the song of the wild sky, hastily embracing Yuan Shouyi. Not allowing oneself to indulge in wild thoughts. The art of reading minds, if one thinks too much, wouldn't everything be known to others?

  She had just thought of this, and before she could speak, Zi Wei San Ren had already laughed and said: "Young one, don't be alarmed, the Mind Reading Technique requires deliberate activation. Since I didn't use it on you, take your time to explain."

  These words sound quite pleasant...

  Moy Tian Ge let out a slight sigh of relief, yet still spoke with caution: "Not bad. I indeed had the fortune to meet Huashen Xianjun before."

  "Oh? What are the names of those two people, and how did you meet them?"

  "...one was surnamed Zhong, named Muling, and the other was called Yuanbaodao Ren, but it is unknown whether this was his real name or a Daoist name."

  "Zhong Muling, Yuan Bao..." The voice murmured, "They actually really ascended to divinity..."

  Moy Tian Ge asked in surprise: "Senior, do you know these two Transcendent seniors?"

  "Alright..." Zi Wei said faintly, "They are cultivators from the same era as me, but they came from the clouds, not from my Tian Ji sect."

  This was also known to Mo Tian Ge, as Yuan Bao had discussed many things with her. They were originally cloud cultivators, but later came to Tian Ji and wandered around after becoming a deity, having no fixed abode, only roaming the Void Sky Realm.

  "All right, young fellow, tell me, how are they doing?"

  "They... are fine." From the tone of his words, it seemed that there was no old grudge between Zhong Muling and Yuan Bao. An Tian Ge felt at ease, "The last time during the demon beast's chaos, I unintentionally intruded into the two seniors' cave, and was rescued by them. That was the only time we met. After I recovered from my injuries, I left, it seemed they were traveling through this place."

  "...Upon hearing these words, the Purple Microcosm scattered person had not spoken for a long time. After a long while, he finally let out a deep sigh. "Hearing news of an old friend, my heart is filled with emotions. You young ones, since you have a past connection with my old friend, I won't make things difficult for you. To be honest with you, every few years, I would weaken the array and release spiritual energy, allowing people like you foundation-building cultivators to come... unfortunately, not a single person has arrived here in these five thousand years..."

  It's as expected! Mo Tian Ge had already anticipated this, but didn't know whether the Zi Wei San Ren who came was a Yin* Jie Dan or a Yuan Ying cultivator, and what his intentions were.

  "I have a lifelong regret that I was unable to resolve before my passing, so I sealed my spirit within the Dongfu. If someone passes the test and reaches this place, I will come out to meet them. If you can help me complete this task, I will reward you with treasure."

  Upon hearing this, Mo Tian Ge and Fang Zheng Dao looked at each other in surprise. The six of them had died once and one was heavily injured, yet only two of them arrived safely, and it turned out that the already deceased Yuan Ying cultivator had entrusted something to them? Moreover, this still didn't make sense - why wouldn't they let Dan forming cultivators or Yuan Ying cultivators come? This Zi Wei San Ren was a Yuan Ying peak great cultivator who was only one step away from Nirvana, so it's likely that the treasure would attract many Yuan Ying cultivators.

  "Don't you understand why I had the Jikuu monks come here?"

  "Fang Zhengdao cupped his hands: "Senior, please forgive us, but we really don't understand. If senior has something to entrust, wouldn't it be better to let Jie Dan senior or Yuan Ying senior come instead? They have higher abilities, and the task senior entrusts will also be easier to accomplish."

  "Heh heh, although that's the case, a cultivator of the Golden Elixir stage like myself, how could I be afraid of just a wisp of divine consciousness? In my heyday, even if my cultivation was higher, now it's only left with this bit of divine consciousness, and I'm unable to intimidate them. Moreover, the matter I entrusted you with has nothing to do with cultivation."

  That's also true. If it were a Dan or Yuanying cultivator, they would probably force their way in to search for treasure. Even if the Purple Microcosm was a genius when he was alive, now there is only a wisp of divine consciousness left.

  Moy Tian Ge said: "Senior, aren't you afraid that we will temporarily agree, but not actually do it? Or, I'll return to the sect and inform the elder, so that the senior members of the sect can come and search for the treasure."

  "Hah, you little girl have a big nerve." Ziwei Sanren smiled, but his tone turned cold the next moment, "Since I've let the Foundation Establishment cultivators come, there's naturally a way to deal with you!"

  As soon as her voice fell, in a flash, Mo Tian Ge only felt a pain in her head, that spiritual energy suddenly drilled into her mind, but then immediately exited.

  "Ah——" She couldn't help but cry out in pain.

  After a pain, but also feel no different, turned around, Fang Zhengdao people are also so, expression dazed.

  "The voice of Zǐ Wēi was scattered and said: 'I have left a mark in your sea of consciousness, if you don't come back in time, this mark will be triggered, at that time...'"

  The atmosphere was tense with threats.

  Moye Tian Ge was shocked and angry: "You——" She wasn't a disloyal person, if it were just the Zǐwēi Sǎnrén and her treasure, she would have kept her promise, but this method made her indignant!

  "You're just a junior." Zǐ Wēi Sǎn Rén smiled coldly, "Don't move, don't forget that your life is still in my hands right now."

  "This reminder, Mo Tian Ge barely suppressed his anger, but still couldn't help but sneer: 'Senior, since you know I'm a disciple of the Xuan Qing Sect, what's the point of leaving a mark? I'll return to my sect and ask the seniors to resolve it for me!'"

  "Haha, dissolve?" Zǐ Wēi Sǎn Rén's voice was full of self-pride. "Among your school, there isn't a Xian Tian cultivator, right? Even if it were a late-stage Yuan Ying cultivator, they still wouldn't be able to dissolve my unique technique." He said, and then curiously asked, "You little girl, why do you always speak so directly? Don't you fear that I'll kill you? After all, there are two of you, and you're not my only choice."

  "Is that so?" Mo Tian Ge said coldly, "Senior has waited for several thousand years and only came to us two. Isn't Senior afraid of not completing the one and only thing?"

  Zi Wei San Ren's voice paused, and he smiled bitterly: "But a mere foundation-building period little girl, how can you be so sharp-tongued? Alas, whether you're afraid or not, you should consider yourself lucky. I've been cultivating my heart and tempering my nature for over a thousand years here, and I'm no longer the hot-headed person I used to be. Otherwise..."

  After finishing speaking, he muttered to himself: "However, you and she are quite alike..."

  She? Isn't she Zi Lan?

  Zi Wei San Ren said, "Alright, I won't waste words with you. I'm not being harsh, as long as you complete the task I entrust to you within a hundred years and come here, I'll give all the accumulated treasures to you - whoever achieves it first will get it first. However, it's best if you don't slaughter each other for the treasure, the mark I left in your sea of consciousness will tell me, and at that time, I won't give any to anyone!"

  "What is it that you want us to do?" asked Fang Zhengdao hastily.

  "I want you to find a person's remains and bring them to me, so that we can be buried together."

  "Isn't it Zi Lan, whom our senior has been mentioning all along?"

  "Not bad." Zi Wei San Ren's voice was still light, but Mo Tian Ge felt an endless desolation in it, "I knew I wouldn't be able to see her, as long as we're buried together, that's enough..."

  "Who... is she?"

  The question made Zǐ Wēi Sǎn Rén fall silent. After a long time, so long that Mò Tiān Gē thought he wouldn't answer, he finally heard his voice: "She is my wife."

  Moyan Song was taken aback: "As a senior's wife, why...?"

  "You young people, why so many questions?" Ziwei Sanren sighed, "I just want you to bring back my wife's remains because we were separated and couldn't be together, but you still keep asking."

  Although that's the case, he let out a light sigh and slowly said: "My wife's surname is Xiao, her name is Zilan, she's a cultivator of the Xuanji Gate. Do you know about the Xuanji Gate?"

  "Fang Zheng Dao Ren said in a low voice: 'Xuanji Gate... was established by the original disciples after Tianliang Gate was destroyed thousands of years ago. However, today Xuanji Gate no longer exists and has split into several factions such as Guigudao and Qiqiao..."

  Zi Wei's eyes widened in surprise: "The Mystic Gate...has also..."

  "Not bad, as far as I know, it's because of the internal chaos. However, it has been a long time, and I'm just a wandering cultivator, and I don't know the inside story."

  "...their fate, they will ultimately be unable to escape the fate of extinction." Zi Wei San Ren sighed and continued, "What about the ancient sword sect now? Does it still exist?"

  "Nowadays, the Gujian Sect is the third sect of Tianji, with a vast and powerful force, and many disciples."

  "It's like this... it's fine." Mentioning the ancient sword sect, Zi Wei San Ren's tone was light and indifferent, seemingly unconcerned.

  After a pause, he slowly said: "I was originally a mortal swordsman, discovered by my master at the age of 20 that I had a spiritual root, and came to the ancient sword sect. Later became a sword cultivator, wholeheartedly cultivating, hundred years to form the elixir, three hundred years to form the primordial infant, dare not say genius, but also one of the few in the sword cultivation world."

  "Because of my humble origins in the mortal world, I have always been hot-tempered and quick to take revenge. The Ancient Sword Sect has also always been known for being good at fighting and not holding back. When I had just formed my dan, I was with several senior brothers, and because the people from Tian Liang Men offended one of my senior brothers, we brothers then exterminated Tian Liang Men."

  "...Mochen Song was somewhat shocked. The ancient sword sect is now a symbol of orthodoxy, and has always restrained its disciples. It turns out that back then, they actually..."

  "This matter I didn't take to heart at the time, who would have thought that a hundred years later, I met a little girl in her foundation-building period..." As he spoke of this matter, Zǐ Wēi Sǎn Rén's voice finally showed some fluctuation. "That was my wife Lán. She was a disciple of Xuán Jī Mén, I knew that, but I didn't mind. What does it matter if past matters were done by me? With my strength and status at the time, I wanted to marry her, would a small sect like Xuán Jī Mén dare refuse?"

  However, I didn't want Zilan to know, lest she thought I was using my power to pressure her. Zilan only knew that it was the ancient sword sect's disciple who destroyed the Tianliang Gate back then, but she didn't know that I was among them. Although she detested the ancient sword sect, she still married me in the end. We had a loving relationship for two hundred years, and I smoothly formed my infant. Zilan also successfully formed her golden elixir. She had exceptional talent, and with my assistance, forming an infant was almost a certainty. I thought that we would continue to be loving like this, accompanying each other for a thousand years...

  Two hundred years, at this time Zǐ Wēi Sǎn Rén should be four hundred years old? Is it also at this time that he betrayed his master and hid in seclusion here?

  "At this time, Zilan suddenly heard from my senior brother that I had participated in the destruction of Tianliang Gate back then. She came to question me and broke off our relationship. Only then did I realize that Zilan was not just a disciple of Xuanyuan Gate, but her family had been a prominent clan of Tianliang Gate... which means, her elders and relatives might have all died at my hands."

  Zi Wei's voice was calm and flat as he narrated, "I've been married to her for two hundred years, don't I know her temper? Although she is usually gentle, she is also extremely stubborn. Once she has made up her mind about something, she will never change it. Since she has chosen to break with me, we will not see each other again in this lifetime."

  "...but I still fantasized that she would return, so I betrayed my sect and came to this mundane world to hide, leaving a message for her, saying that if one day she forgave me, she should come find me. The events of the past, I think about them with regret, but it's too late now, I've given up everything, just like cutting off the past." Up to this point, Zi Wei San Tian let out a sigh and revealed some subtle emotions, "Indeed, I waited for over a thousand years, but she never came. Later I heard that she got married and became the Supreme Elder of the Xuanji Sect...but still didn't come see me..."

  So that's how it is. Xiao Zilan is a disciple of the Xuanji Gate, no wonder there are traces of the Tianliang Gate everywhere in this valley, they have been married for two hundred years, and all these were passed down by Xiao Zilan to this Ziwei Sanren?

  "You young ones, go to the original location of the Xuanji Gate and find Zi Lan's remains. Bury them with me, and I will give you all my lifelong savings."

  Thanks to Nian Nian BBDD and Luo Fen Hua's pink tickets, as well as Joansiky, Ye Mu Si Chen, Nian Nian BBDD, and Sa Sa's rewards. Haven't checked in for several days, just rushing to post chapters on time, definitely fell behind. Long-awaited 5,000-word chapter, today's state finally started recovering.