Chapter 1721: Sixty Years Ago and One Hundred and Fifty Years Ago

He Lingchuan and his two companions exchanged glances. None of them were surprised; they had expected as much. Even before their journey began, they had suspected that something was likely wrong with the Thousand Illusions Grotto-Heaven.

"Sixty years ago, our Master decided to enter a long seclusion. He told us then that he wouldn't emerge for at least thirty or forty years, and asked us to wait patiently." However, that timeframe has long passed—by twenty or thirty years, in fact—yet True Immortal Qianhuan has still not reappeared.

Dong Rui couldn't help but ask, "Can't he emerge midway?"

"It's rare for an Immortal Venerable to have the inspiration to enter seclusion and comprehend the truths of heaven and earth. If interrupted, such an opportunity might never arise again. So, even though the seclusion period he mentioned has long passed, none of us dared to disturb him; we simply kept the Inverted Sea operating as usual."

He Lingchuan's face remained impassive. At that time, even though True Immortal Qianhuan’s seclusion had exceeded its duration, the entire Inverted Sea functioned normally. The spiritual energy from the Blinking Gold Plain continued to nourish the area, and the immortals and cultivators of the Illusion Sect went about their lives as usual. Everything seemed fine, so why would they be anxious?

"Nevertheless, we were worried. We repeatedly cast *jiaobei* in the Bright Sea Hall, attempting to communicate with our Master. The results were inconsistent," Xiao Wencheng shook his head. "Whenever we inquired about this realm, there would occasionally be a response. But if we asked about the Immortal Master himself, there was absolutely no news."

In folk traditions everywhere, people use *jiaobei* to consult deities, immortals, or even nature spirits from mountains, marshes, and rivers. The answers obtained are very simple: "yes" or "no," "possible" or "not possible." By casting them multiple times, the inquirer can discern the deity's stance. Yet True Immortal Qianhuan, an ancient Immortal Venerable of immeasurable power, provided no further feedback to his own disciples. It would have been strange if Xiao Wencheng and the others hadn't felt uneasy.

Aunt Zhu asked, "Isn't there a way to forcefully interrupt his seclusion? It's been twenty or thirty years overdue, and now we have an external invasion!" As immortals, they all knew very well that even a so-called "death seclusion" could be interrupted, though it would come at a cost. The path of an immortal is long and full of twists and turns. What if a powerful enemy suddenly arrived while one was in seclusion? Interrupting seclusion is the most basic common sense. Unless—

Xiao Wenhe hesitated before replying, "Actually, thirteen of our fellow disciples followed the Immortal Venerable into the Inverted Sea, but now only eight remain. The other five all attempted to persuade the Immortal Venerable to emerge from seclusion, and none of them ever returned. Even an envoy from Spirit Mountain tried the same thing five years ago, and likewise—" He shook his head.

Dong Rui frowned. "Summoning the Immortal Venerable is that dangerous?" That old Qianhuan even kills his own immortal disciples? How brutal!

"Our Immortal Venerable's seclusion is different from that of other immortals," Elder Liu said with a wry smile. "Other immortals simply seclude themselves, mostly meditating quietly and regulating their breathing within their grotto-heavens; some high immortals might have a few more tricks. But our Immortal Venerable's true form is a sea mirage. Once he enters seclusion, even we, his disciples, have no idea how he might transform."

Aunt Zhu interjected, "Do you have no other way of contacting Qianhuan?"

"Yes, we do," Elder Liu said, leading them out of the quiet room and pointing to a bronze bell hanging under the eaves of the main hall. "Before entering seclusion, Master instructed us that by striking this eave bell at a specific frequency, we could ask him to emerge early. Of course, it's only to be rung for truly important matters." He added, "No matter how strong the wind, this eave bell won't ring." With that, he casually summoned a gust of fierce wind that howled over the main hall. Several large trees nearby were buffeted, swaying wildly and whipping their branches, but the eave bell remained perfectly still, as if welded firmly beneath the eaves. "Over these past few decades, we've struck that bell countless times, and we just did so again today. It's completely useless."

He Lingchuan pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Was there a specific reason or trigger for Immortal Venerable Qianhuan to suddenly enter such a long seclusion back then?" Why exactly sixty years ago, and not seventy or eighty? Elder Liu had just mentioned Qianhuan's "whim," but given the vast experience of an ancient True Immortal, it would be incredibly difficult for him to have new epiphanies. As the saying goes, "He who has seen the great ocean finds rivers no longer deep." Having experienced and understood so much, his heart would not be easily stirred again.

His question hit the mark, as Elder Liu's gaze flickered slightly. It was only a slight abnormality, but He Lingchuan was exceptionally observant. He immediately perceived Elder Liu's hesitation and uncertainty about whether to speak, so he urged, "The more detailed you are, the better Spirit Mountain can assess the situation." By invoking Spirit Mountain, he emphasized that he represented the organization and was making an official inquiry. Dong Rui added superfluously, "Perhaps we can even help."

Elder Liu didn't hesitate for long. "Indeed, there is such a matter. Sixty years ago, the Immortal Venerable dispatched his giant hydra clone to retrieve a treasure, and only then did he begin his seclusion."

A giant hydra? Is that related to the Yao Kingdom? All three perked up their ears.

"This treasure is called the 'Grand Divination Pearl'."

He Lingchuan barely managed to keep a straight face, but in his heart, a thunderclap exploded! The Grand Divination Pearl! Did I hear that correctly? Was it *his* Grand Divination Pearl from Coiling Dragon City?

Dong Rui asked, surprised, "How could it be related to the Yao Kingdom? Did the Yao Kingdom possess this treasure?" He asked Aunt Zhu, "Have you ever heard of such an item?"

Aunt Zhu shook her head.

"The giant hydra clone was stationed beneath Jade Spring Palace for sixty years, even fighting fiercely with two descended deities for the Yao King," He Lingchuan said, his emotions stirring. "I don't understand why Immortal Venerable Qianhuan would condescend to make such an exchange with a mortal kingdom." He spoke subtly, but everyone present understood his implication: Given True Immortal Qianhuan's power, why wouldn't he simply take what he desired from a mortal kingdom? Why would he politely offer his external dharma manifestation in exchange? When had a high immortal ever been so courteous to mortals? When had they ever been so accommodating? Was an Arch-Immortal's external dharma manifestation something that could be given away so casually? Elder Liu's account sounded highly unusual.

He Lingchuan's line of questioning was somewhat unconventional, focusing not on Qianhuan but on the Grand Divination Pearl itself. He immediately continued, "Immortal Venerable Qianhuan has been in seclusion for too long. The origin of this Heaven Pearl is highly suspicious, isn't it? Could it be a trap from the Heavenly Palace?"

"This matter has a deeper history," Elder Liu said, waving a hand. "The Immortal Venerable acquired this Heaven Pearl over a hundred years ago, but at the time, he couldn't use it. It needed to be tempered by the mundane world—meaning it required a dense civilian population and, ideally, the cleansing of national destiny. Looking around, the only place on the Blinking Gold Plain where this was possible for a prolonged period was the Yao Kingdom. So, Master made a deal with the then-ruler of the Yao Kingdom, sealing it with a Heart-Pact Blood Oath."

Though He Lingchuan stood right there, Elder Liu's words seemed to echo from a great distance, each word reverberating in his ears: "Our Master has always been elusive, his actions as fleeting and hard to grasp as a wild goose's print in snow. We aren't entirely clear on this matter, but didn't you mention that the Yao Kingdom had just converted to Myozan Heaven at that time?"

He Lingchuan blurted out, "So he wanted to provide the Yao Kingdom with an additional layer of protection?" Although the Yao Kingdom's ruler had led his subjects to convert to Myozan Heaven, one of their conditions was not to take the Heavenly God Elixir. Perhaps they harbored lingering anxieties.

"As far as I know, the Yao Kingdom's ruler secretly agreed to the Immortal Venerable's deal and enshrined this Grand Divination Pearl in the Royal Palace. In exchange, if the Yao Kingdom ever faced calamity, Master would instruct us to intervene. However, the Yao Kingdom remained peaceful, so we never had to provide assistance. Ninety years later, when the Heaven Pearl was perfected, Master sent his giant hydra clone to the Yao Kingdom, as per their original agreement, to serve as a guardian beast for a hundred years. This was also because the cold spring beneath Jade Spring Palace was suitable for the hydra's continued cultivation."

Dong Rui chuckled. "So, from the moment the Yao Kingdom pledged allegiance to Myozan Heaven, they were two-faced and insincere. Heh, they prolonged their existence by 150 years before finally falling—no injustice there, no injustice at all."

The number "150 years" deeply troubled He Lingchuan. Historically, Coiling Dragon City's destruction also occurred just over 150 years ago! From a timeline perspective, wasn't that too much of a coincidence? Why wasn't the precious pearl, originally held in the mouth of the black dragon statue at Coiling Dragon City's south gate, taken by the Beijia? Instead, it fell into True Immortal Qianhuan's hands. And considering that True Immortal Qianhuan himself was one of Spirit Mountain's leaders at that time, He Lingchuan's jaw instantly tightened. He still remembered the cheers of Coiling Dragon City's soldiers and citizens on the day the pearl was embedded, as well as Zhong Shengguang's words: "I hope that when the Grand Divination Pearl is fully refined, it will still be within Coiling Dragon City." Sadly, things had not turned out as hoped. At that moment, a tidal wave of fury surged within He Lingchuan. Yet he didn't even clench his fists; he merely bowed his head slightly, feeling the hatred boil in his chest.

Dong Rui then asked, "What is the origin of this Grand Divination Pearl?"

Elder Liu shook his head. "That is a secret of our sect; I cannot reveal it to outsiders."

"Then what's its function? Surely you can tell us that?" Dong Rui asked, displeased. "Otherwise, how can we make any deductions?"

"When Master acquired it, he was greatly surprised, saying only that it was incredibly profound and mysterious, and that if one could truly refine it, it would grant supreme creation," Elder Liu said, a hint of regret in his voice. "None of us have ever held this precious pearl, so we don't know its true capabilities."

He Lingchuan forced down the myriad thoughts swirling in his mind and glanced at the Haoyuan Golden Mirror. Bai Ziqi's fleet seemed to be nearing the shore. "If the Immortal Venerable doesn't emerge soon, and this Heavenly Palace force proves overwhelmingly powerful, what will you all do?" Without waiting for Elder Liu to respond, he preempted him, "Since Bai Ziqi is leading the team, they must be well-prepared." Bai Ziqi never disappointed him.

Elder Liu shook his head. "Though Master is in seclusion, within the Inverted Sea, these people cannot possibly win."

Aunt Zhu, sensing his complacency, said in a muffled voice, "The immortals whose grotto-heavens were previously ransacked thought the same thing."

She had always been rather blunt, and Elder Liu was visibly annoyed. "I told you, Master's seclusion is different. His grotto-heaven, his blessed land, is also naturally unique. These people can get in, but they won't be able to get out."

Get in, but can't get out? He Lingchuan's eyes glinted. He suddenly said, "I understand. We've uncovered the truth. Please, Elder Liu, escort us out. We need to return to Spirit Mountain!"

At his words, his two companions looked slightly surprised but didn't show it.