A Swift Victory Amidst Spiritual Control and Bloodshed: The Precious Mirror is Obtained

Guo Shoujie did not hesitate for a moment and instinctively tried to escape!

He had been staking out this place for over a month, and naturally, he hadn't come away empty-handed. He already knew that the person in front of him was a cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining.

With his current strength, he can't withstand a direct confrontation!

But Yan Chen would never do as he wished.

Without making any visible movement, he simply made a hand seal, pointed forward, and, with a voice uttering the Heavenly Mandate, shouted:

"Go!"

The next moment, the shuttle in mid-air suddenly swooped down, its trail of light stretching for several feet, accompanied by a sudden gust of wind and thunder, the sound of which shook for miles!

Seeing this, even Guo Shoujie, who considered himself knowledgeable and experienced, couldn't help but feel terrified and completely lost his composure!

The howling wind still echoed in his ears, and his face was ashen.

He hurriedly took out an item, which turned out to be a colorful paper horse. The moment it appeared, it was torn to shreds by the gale, leaving no trace.

"A substitute paper horse?"

Yan Chen's mind stirred slightly, and he raised his eyes. Sure enough, he saw the short Taoist priest fleeing along the mountainside in a disheveled state.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Yan Chen remained calm, his fingertips forming a hand seal, and several streams of "Crimson Glow Bright Fire Qi" shot out, instantly transforming into a raging wall of fire that blocked his path.

Guo Shoujie was shocked by what he saw. The scorching heat wave hit him in the face, causing his eyelids to twitch wildly and him to break out in a cold sweat.

Just then, the shuttle came hurtling up behind him, a fierce gust of wind swirling around him, sending him flying several feet before he crashed heavily to the ground.

He felt dizzy and fainted on the spot.

The "Mysterious Pivot Treasure Mirror," which he always kept close to his chest, also flew out of his hand and fell to the ground.

Yan Chen glanced at the mirror first, but did not make any rash moves.

Instead, he went to the short Taoist priest's side, raised his hand and cast several streams of "Azure Primordial Bright Qi" to keep him alive, and asked:

"Who are you? What is your purpose in lingering here?"

Guo Shoujie paid no attention to it, feeling only excruciating pain all over his body, as if his internal organs had shifted.

If it weren't for a vital energy circulating within the body, he would probably be dead already.

He was only at the second level of Qi Refining, having only reached the "forging tendons and bones" stage. He had not yet tempered his internal organs. Suddenly, he fell from a height of several feet, and few dared to say he had survived.

Sensing his life force fading, Guo Shoujie's eyes welled with resentment, but he spoke in a hoarse, low voice:

"That precious mirror... the Mysterious Pivot Precious Mirror!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Chen subconsciously looked away and glanced to the side.

At that moment, Guo Shoujie suddenly let out a miserable howl and spat out a stream of scarlet blood!

Yan Chen sneered inwardly, without blinking, and dodged to the side. He then activated his "natal fire," accompanied by a wisp of Bing fire energy, which suddenly fell and burned one of his arms to ashes.

Even if I gave you a chance, you still wouldn't be able to do it!

Yan Chen had no intention of pressing the matter further, so he decided to stir up You Si's thoughts and make her reveal the truth.

But the next moment, a strange smile appeared on the other person's face.

The skin on his face was cracking and peeling off at a visible rate, revealing several deep, bone-revealing ravines.

Yan Chen felt a chill run down his spine, realizing something was wrong. He immediately turned and retreated, stepping onto the flying shuttle and soaring into the sky!

Almost at the same instant, a deafening roar was heard—

Rocks crumbled, dust and smoke billowed, mixed with blood and flesh, falling everywhere, a truly horrific sight!

Seeing this scene from tens of feet above the ground, Yan Chen was secretly shocked.

"Who exactly is this person? He didn't even beg for mercy before brazenly self-destructing!"

"It seems that there must be a wide-ranging connection behind this, which is why he is willing to die to protect it."

"Who could it be? A heretic? Aside from that, I don't seem to have any enemies..."

Yan Chen fell into deep thought.

This sense of the unknown made him very uneasy.

After a long while, he suddenly flicked his sleeves and laughed heartily:

"As the saying goes, 'When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it.' How can the path of cultivation be all smooth sailing? I have only just taken the first step!"

"Moreover, I have no reason not to explain such a strange thing to Senior Sister Zhu, so that she will also frown upon it."

Once the decision was made, Yan Chen had no more hesitation. He slowly descended in his flying shuttle and arrived at the mirror.

"That's strange. This mirror was so close, yet it wasn't affected by the explosion?"

Yan Chen landed and stood still, then swept up the item with a flick of his sleeve and carefully wiped away the dust. He then saw that all the talismans and secret patterns on it were as clear as the lines on his palm.

"Indeed, it is not an ordinary thing."

Yan Chen suddenly remembered that when he rode the flying shuttle with Wang Fu and Junior Sister Lu that day, the latter seemed to be playing with a mirror like this.

"The Mysterious Pivot Treasure Mirror?"

Yan Chen murmured something, then boarded a flying shuttle and headed towards the location of the Gold Melting Valley.

……

……

Thousands of miles away, in the vast desert. Deep in the Gobi Desert somewhere.

A black-robed Taoist priest suddenly awoke from his meditation. He then waved his robe to summon a Soul Banner, and with a wave of his hand, a wisp of primordial spirit dissipated from his fingertip at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Seeing this, the black-robed Taoist's eyes widened in fury, and he gritted his teeth, saying:

"Who killed my disciple!?"

……

……

Gold Melting Valley.

In the quiet room of Huacai Tower.

The calming incense had burned more than halfway, and the tea on the table had cooled from hot to lukewarm.

Zhu Zhilan sat upright before the table, holding a Taoist book in her hands, and said without changing her expression:

"What I promised you beforehand will not change. Now that you have cultivated the Water-Fire Vine and can supply the valley with a continuous supply, these five great achievements should rightfully belong to you."

Having said that, he flicked his finger, and amidst the lingering fragrance, five small wooden plaques landed on Yan Chen's desk.

"Thank you so much, Senior Sister!"

Yan Chen picked up the five merits and put them into his sleeve, but did not get up to take his leave. He seemed hesitant and wanted to say something but stopped himself.

Zhu Zhilan glanced at him and said indifferently:

"Speak your mind. Hesitating and stammering is unlike us cultivators."

"Yes, Senior Sister."

Yan Chen responded and then recounted the events of the past.

Zhu Zhilan initially appeared relaxed and nonchalant, but as Yan Chen's words deepened, her expression became slightly more serious. She casually closed the Taoist book and asked:

"Are you sure he's after that water-fire vine?"

Yan Chen nodded and said:

"It shouldn't be wrong, after all, my junior brother himself doesn't have anything worth coveting. After thinking it over, the only thing that comes to mind is the Water-Fire Vine."

Zhu Zhilan looked at Yan Chen, her gaze deep and unwavering, and blurted out:

"Is that person holding anything else in their hand?"

Yan Chen nodded without hesitation, took out the mirror from his sleeve, presented it to Zhu Zhilan, and said:

"This is something left behind by that person, who called it the 'Mysterious Pivot Treasure Mirror.' Junior brother doesn't know its meaning, so please ask senior sister for her opinion."

Upon seeing this item, Zhu Zhilan's eyes flickered several times, as if she had made up her mind about something. After a long while, she shook her head and said:

"This treasure mirror was crafted by the Lu family of Yuanding. It has many wonderful uses, such as assessing the earth's veins, changing feng shui, and reversing the evil influences. It is extremely rare."

After speaking, he remained silent for a long time before continuing:

"This item is useless to me, but since you have obtained it, it is a karmic connection for you. Keep it for now, as it will greatly benefit your cultivation in the future."

"But remember one thing: never show this thing to anyone."

"In addition, for the time being, you can temporarily put aside the cultivation of the Water and Fire Vine. There are many official duties in the Mingtang Hall, all of which can earn you merits."

"Whether it's replacing the Taoist techniques or adding magical artifacts afterward, it's the best choice."

Yan Chen was greatly surprised by Senior Sister Zhu's reaction, but he didn't dare to ask any further questions, so he could only bow and agree.

"Thank you, Senior Sister. I will remember this!"

......

......

After leaving Huacai Tower, Yan Chen didn't stop for a moment and went straight to Yanxuan Palace.

The current situation is unpredictable, and there's no point in overthinking it.

The only way forward is to improve our strength as soon as possible in order to cope with unforeseen changes!

With this thought in mind, Yan Chen quickened his pace.

But as soon as they arrived in front of Yanxuan Palace, they bumped into a familiar figure.

Although his clothes and hairstyle were different from usual, his appearance and demeanor were clearly those of his senior brother, Li Xuanyi.

The other person was talking quietly with the steward, and suddenly turned around as if sensing something.

Their eyes met, and they smiled simultaneously.

Li Xuanyi asked with slight surprise:

"Senior Brother Yan...?"

Knowing there were outsiders present, Yan Chen replied calmly:

"So it's Junior Brother Li. It's been over a month. How's your job as supervisor going?"

He had already learned from Zhu Zhilan that after he left Xuchunfang, Yu Shunan took over as the manager of the market, and Li Xuanyi took over as the supervisor of the Forging Institute.

Li Xuanyi smiled wryly:

"Senior Brother Yan, you flatter me. According to the Nine Academy's custom, one must be at the second level of Qi Refining to serve as a supervisor. I am only at the first level of Qi Refining now, so you can imagine the pressure I am under."

"I have been cultivating diligently day and night for the past month, and now I am ready. I have come to borrow the Dao Pavilion of Yanxuan Palace to break through my cultivation realm."

A fleeting glint of light flashed in Yan Chen's eyes, disappearing in an instant.

He looked directly at Li Xuanyi, his tone calm:

"Junior Brother Li has accumulated a wealth of experience; he will surely succeed."

"Thank you for your kind words, Senior Brother Yan!"

Li Xuanyi smiled slightly, then said with a hint of disappointment:

"Unfortunately, Yanxuan Palace has a rule that no one may enter to cultivate without the guarantee of a senior brother in charge. Junior brother will now prepare to return."

Yan Chen was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said:

"After not seeing you for over a month, Junior Brother Li has certainly learned to use indirect methods."

Having said that, he turned to the Taoist priest in charge and politely asked:

"I am an old acquaintance of Junior Brother Li. I hope that Senior Brother will do me a favor and allow him to enter the Dao Pavilion for cultivation."

"Since Junior Brother Yan has spoken, there's naturally no problem!"

The Taoist priest in charge quickly nodded in agreement.

"That's excellent."

Yan Chen smiled slightly, bid farewell to the two, and strode into Yanxuan Palace.

After Yan Chen had walked a distance, the steward said to Li Xuanyi, half complaining and half helpless:

"Junior brother, since you know Junior Brother Yan, why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Wouldn't this just make things awkward for me, brother?"

……