Heavenly Heart Lotus Seed

Jiang Nihuang's demeanor was resolute and aloof, like a solitary pine tree or a cold moon.

At this very moment, countless eyes within the Eastern Capital are gazing up at this figure.

Her gaze never once fell downwards; she focused solely on wielding her sword and drawing moonlight into her body, as if the city and the world were irrelevant to her.

The dance ended.

The moonlight, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, merged into the long sword in her hand.

The sword shone brightly, illuminating the entire night sky as if it were daytime.

The light was fleeting; the man and the sword had returned to the back hall, the clouds closed again, the moonlight disappeared, and everything returned to silence, as if the thrilling scene had never happened.

Wu Dingbang couldn't help but clap his hands in admiration: "As expected of Her Highness the Princess, her sword aura has improved by three points compared to last month."

The old woman in the courtyard, who was holding a carved rattan cane, withdrew her gaze. Her face showed both relief and undisguised worry: "The Ziwei Guiyuan Method is incredibly powerful, but its hidden dangers always exist. As long as His Highness does not obtain the second half of the technique, his situation will become more and more dangerous."

She sighed, her gaze shifting to Gu Qingxuan behind Wu Dingbang: "Is this the one who unlocked the secrets of 'Shifting Stars and Changing Constellations'? And that...Young Master Gu?"

Wu Dingbang stepped aside to introduce him: "That's right."

He first introduced the old nanny to Gu Qingxuan: "This is Nanny Zhu, an old servant of Her Highness the Princess. Six years ago, during the Jingyun Coup, Nanny Zhu accompanied Her Highness into the palace to suppress the rebels. The rattan cane in her hand once killed thirty-three assassins. She has made outstanding contributions and is now one of the most senior head nannies in Fengming Pavilion."

Granny Zhu nodded slightly, her gaze peaceful.

She clearly knew Gu Qingxuan's identity, but showed no disdain, after all, he was sent by Wu Dingbang. The princess had done Wu Dingbang a great favor, and he wouldn't joke about such a matter.

Gu Qingxuan clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

Wu Dingbang then led the young Taoist priest: "This is Taoist Yuxuan, Yang Jingting, a fellow disciple of Her Highness the Princess. He is the closed-door disciple of Xu Yan, the Supreme Master of Kunlun Ruins and the Immortal of Immortality, and is now also a guest elder of Fengming Pavilion."

The young Taoist priest looked to be in his early twenties. He was handsome with delicate features, wearing a light blue Taoist robe with a crane-feather cloak over it. He held a jade whisk in his hand, held one palm up in front of his chest, smiled slightly at Gu Qingxuan, and bowed. His every move exuded an otherworldly air.

Gu Qingxuan's heart stirred slightly.

Kunlun Ruins – one of the two great holy sites of the martial arts world, and is known as the "Listening to the Tide Pavilion" in the East China Sea.

The name of the Immortal Elder was also in the original owner's memories; he was a highly respected figure, even Gu Dingyuan held him in high esteem.

The world's top masters are known as "One Immortal, Three Saints, and Ten Supreme Masters".

Xu Yan, the immortal immortal, is none other than the "one immortal" who dominates the martial arts world and is invincible in this era!

He was also Jiang Nihuang's mentor.

This Taoist priest was able to become Xu Yan's closed-door disciple, which clearly shows that he was exceptionally talented.

Wu Dingbang then introduced Gu Qingxuan—whose reputation was previously not good, so he was only said to be the son of the Marquis of Suning.

The group greeted each other and entered the main house in the courtyard.

Granny Zhu seemed a little anxious. She immediately took out a brocade pouch from her bosom, carefully poured out its contents, and presented it to Gu Qingxuan with both hands.

It was a palm-sized token, completely black, made of neither gold nor jade, yet it was three times heavier than an iron token of the same size.

The token has the words "Heavenly Secrets" on the front and an exquisitely crafted compass on the back. The compass is divided into several inner and outer rings, each ring is engraved with densely packed tiny symbols—some are the positions of stars, some are the eight trigrams, and some are the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, nested layer upon layer, interlocking with each other.

The outermost ring is inlaid with nine rotating rings, each of which can be turned independently.

The rings mesh with tiny gears that are almost invisible to the naked eye.

This is not a token at all; it's more like an extremely sophisticated mechanical contraption.

The symbols on the compass are arranged in accordance with the Three Wonders and Six Instruments, the Nine Stars and Eight Gates, and the rotation of each ring is connected to the internal mechanism, which is ever-changing.

If you don't know the correct method, you can't guess it even if you try thousands or tens of thousands of times.

"This is the Heavenly Secret Token."

Granny Zhu sighed, "It has been nearly three years since the princess painstakingly found this item. The treasure appraisers from the Eastern Capital have come and gone, but none of them have been able to decipher it. Master Mingxuan observed it with his aura-gazing technique and only knew that there was a very strong spiritual energy fluctuation sealed within the token, but he did not know how to open it. It is up to Young Master Gu now."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's eyes turned to Gu Qingxuan, some with anticipation, others with doubt.

Gu Qingxuan took the Heavenly Secret Token and glanced at it.

A flash of light appeared in the mirror of the "Mysterious Mirror of Mountains and Seas" in the sea of ​​consciousness.

【Name: Heavenly Secret Order】

Category: Appliances

Quality: The Way

[Note: This is the token of the Heavenly Mystery Palace, a major sect of the Upper Realm Demonic Clan. The holder of this token commands the Heavenly Secrets, and none dare disobey. The token was crafted from Star River Jade by the Puppet Master clan at the request of the first Palace Master. It consists of seven nested discs, each engraved with inscriptions representing the Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, Eight Trigrams, Seven Stars, Six Harmonies, Five Elements, and Four Symbols. The markings must be aligned sequentially as the token is rotated, unlocking it according to the secret sequence passed down orally by successive Palace Masters of the Heavenly Mystery Palace. Missing even a single mark will render all previous efforts futile. The token contains the complete *Ziwei Guiyuan Method*, along with a Heavenly Heart Lotus Seed, which has a remarkable effect on suppressing inner demons arising from cultivation. The unlocking sequence is: Jiazi Jingzhe, Ziwei points east, Water and Fire are in harmony, the handle of the Big Dipper points south, the Heavenly Gate opens.]

Gu Qingxuan didn't intend to make a scene that was too shocking.

He examined the token over and over several times, and turned the disc around a few times. Sometimes he would lean in to examine the inscription closely, and sometimes he would close his eyes and ponder, making a serious deduction.

Granny Zhu couldn't help but ask, "Young Master Gu, how is it?"

She and Yang Jingting were prepared to wait for him to try for a long time—in the past three years, which of the treasure appraisers they had invited had not studied the token for ten days or half a month before daring to make a move?

Unexpectedly, Gu Qingxuan raised his head and said something that stunned everyone.

"I'm starting to see some progress. I'll give it a try."

He first pressed his fingers on the outermost Heavenly Stem disc, then pinched the wheel between his thumb and forefinger and gently rotated it, aligning it with the "Jia" position of "Jiazi Jingzhe". Then he rotated the second disc, first "Zi" and then "Mao". Mao represents Jingzhe and Chunfen, the time when all things are born. With two soft clicks, the second disc returned to its position.

His movements were unhurried and steady, his fingers landing with remarkable stability, and he never hesitated in the slightest when turning the object.

The third circle, the Bagua diagram, the Ziwei star position.

The fourth circle, the Seven Stars Plate, with the handle of the Big Dipper pointing east.

The fifth circle, the Six Harmonies Plate, Water and Fire in Harmony.

Sixth lap...

The seventh lap...

The moment all seven discs are back in place.

A series of crisp gear-gripping sounds emanated from inside the token.

Click click click!

It's like a lock that's been sealed for a thousand years has finally found its key.

The seven concentric discs suddenly dispersed, hovering in mid-air and slowly rotating, revealing an extremely ingenious hidden compartment in the center of the token. Inside the compartment was a neatly folded piece of silk.

—The Purple Star Returning to Origin Method!

An incredulous light shone in Granny Zhu's eyes, her voice trembling with joy: "It's done! It's done! Three years! Heaven has opened its eyes! It's finally done!"

Wu Dingbang breathed a long sigh of relief; the princess's potential dangers had finally been somewhat eliminated.

He glanced at Gu Qingxuan, becoming even more curious about what kind of extraordinary encounter this person had.

Shen Xiaoxiao stood aside, dumbfounded. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed what she was seeing. Even in the Upper Realm, apart from the successive palace masters of the Heavenly Mystery Palace, no one should know what this secret sequence was. Yet he did it so easily, as if he knew the answer from the very beginning!

Yang Jingting was also beaming with joy, but more than the others, he was concerned about something else. He hurriedly reminded them, "Granny, quickly give the cultivation manual to Senior Sister!"

Granny Zhu snapped out of her daze and repeatedly said, "Yes, yes!"

She carefully took the silk cloth from the hidden compartment.

In fact, the silk was made of a special material that could not be damaged by knives or axes, but she dared not be negligent in the slightest. As if she were holding a fragile piece of porcelain, she rushed quickly toward the back hall.

Only Wu Dingbang, Shen Xiaoxiao, and Gu Qingxuan remained in the room.

Wu Dingbang stepped forward, patted Gu Qingxuan on the shoulder, and said solemnly, "Nephew, I am so grateful to you. The princess saved my life, and this time, I owe you."

Gu Qingxuan said, "Lord Wu, there's no need for that. Let's each get what we need."

As he spoke, a question lingered in his mind.

The notes in "Shan Hai Xuan Jian" are very clear—the document contains the complete "Zi Wei Gui Yuan Fa" and a Heavenly Heart Lotus Seed.

The silk has been taken out now, but where are the lotus seeds?

He didn't notice that the moment the Heavenly Secret Token was activated, a faint, clear light flew out from the hidden compartment, as thin as a spider's thread, and entered his meridians along his fingertips. It traveled upwards along his blood and qi, silently sinking into his heart like a lotus seed falling into a lake.