Chapter 1340: Sanctuary Weaving Celestial Net, Four Symbols Still Guard the Qilin Beast

"Stop!"

"I'm here for serious business!"

Xu Xiaoshou was truly afraid of this aunt. She was completely nonsensical and impossible to deal with.

"Isn't a matter of life the most serious business?"

Aunt Xiang sat back in her chair, slightly bored. Then she leaned forward, her桃花 eyes twinkling with a playful smile: "Are you really not considering it?"

"Miss Yaoyao is a wonderful girl, and there are countless people outside who want to pursue her!"

As Aunt Xiang spoke, her hands traced graceful arcs in the air: "She's like this..."

"The young lady has grown up; she's beautiful, with a great figure—what should be big is big, what should be slender is slender, what should be curvy is curvy, what should be firm is firm, and she's soft and easy to..."

"Stop!" Xu Xiaoshou gasped.

"Oh? Are you worried about something else?" Aunt Xiang tapped her red lips with a finger, her eyes wide with surprise, then suddenly understood: "Don't worry, little one."

"Yaoyao is still a virgin. My Fragrant Orchid Pavilion's top courtesan doesn't engage in that kind of business; she has to remain pure to earn more."

"On weekdays, she just plays the zither, practices the guqin, she's delicate and shy, and so much fun! I often tease her after I come out!"

Xu Xiaoshou struggled to interject: "I'm not considering these things right now..."

"It's fine, just get to know her first; you can consider it later," Aunt Xiang raised an eyebrow.

"Hint received, passive value, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. There was no choice but to change the subject: "Bazun'an sent me here because..."

"Oh? Could it be that you already have someone in your heart?" Aunt Xiang covered her lips. "Quick, tell me, which family is the girl from? Auntie will help you check her out."

"No? Well, it's okay if you don't fancy Yaoyao; she is a bit ordinary and has no cultivation, so she really isn't worthy of you! But my Fragrant Orchid Pavilion and the Xiang family still have many girls suitable for you. You can take your time choosing in the future."

"Alright, alright, Auntie won't tease you anymore. Put down your fan and speak!" Aunt Xiang finally relented when she saw the 'sickly young master' resolutely kept his mouth shut.

Xu Xiaoshou felt he could finally breathe. He put down the fan covering his face and took a deep breath: "Bazun'an..."

"Hmph! That lazy little Bazun'an, since he spoke to me, he definitely didn't tell you the specifics. I'll tell you."

Aunt Xiang poured herself a cup of wine, then paused, realizing something. She held up the wine glass and tentatively offered it: "Or, erm... you go first?"

"You speak."

Xu Xiaoshou sighed.

He really knew nothing.

Bazun'an had only told him to come to Fragrant Orchid Pavilion, but there were no specifics about any actions or missions.

Even the "peerless genius" he was supposed to receive was kept completely secret, and he probably had to get clues from Aunt Xiang.

All that talk about consulting him on everything once he became the second-in-command of the Holy Servants... Xu Xiaoshou felt he had been swept up in the moment, flattered by calls of "Young Master Xu" until he lost his bearings, regretting it deeply now.

"Then I won't be polite, I'll speak."

Aunt Xiang drained her wine. When discussing serious matters, her expression became more solemn. She said: "First, the Central Domain Holy Palace Trial, for various reasons, has an undecided deadline, but the internal information I've received indicates it will most likely be held in thirteen days."

Thirteen days?

That precise?

"Is your information reliable?" Xu Xiaoshou hesitated.

"Are you questioning me?" Aunt Xiang immediately rolled her eyes, stood up with her hands on her hips, and said aggressively: "Since your master Fenqin is gone, Half-Moon Residence can't extend its reach. In the Central Domain, my roots are the deepest."

"How dare you question me?"

"Even though I just came out, do you think Auntie opened this Fragrant Orchid Pavilion for nothing?"

Uh... Xu Xiaoshou shrunk his neck, startled by the tigress's imposing aura.

He didn't care about Aunt Xiang's tone, but his attention was drawn to something else.

Fenqin?

What's that?

Without asking further, Xu Xiaoshou quickly returned to the main topic: "Aunt Xiang's connections are vast; I was ignorant... So, where exactly will this Holy Palace Trial be held?"

"Four Symbols Secret Realm." Aunt Xiang's anger came and went quickly, and a hint of worry appeared between her brows.

It's really there?

Xu Xiaoshou subconsciously wanted to question her again, but this time he was clever and quickly changed his words:

"On Void Island, the Palace Lord Dao must have obtained most of the information."

"Bazun'an has been fixated on the Ranming Ruins, and I also have the God Slayer Token. They couldn't possibly not know."

"Are these ruins within the Four Symbols Secret Realm?"

"Yes." Aunt Xiang nodded.

"Then the Holy Palace Trial still dares to be held in the Four Symbols Secret Realm?"

Aunt Xiang found this amusing and said with a chuckle: "Kid, first you need to know that you are the street rat; they are the masters of the continent. You should be the one who's afraid!"

"Secondly, the Holy Palace belongs to the Holy Palace, and the Holy Divine Palace belongs to the Holy Divine Palace. The two are equal and do not interfere with each other. Even that flamboyant old Daoist has no right to interfere with the Holy Palace's decision on the trial location."

"But they are indeed united against a common enemy in serious matters, so they must have communicated in advance."

"Finally, if they still choose the Four Symbols Secret Realm, you should consider what profound meaning lies within it."

After a pause, Aunt Xiang's eyes shifted, and she understood why the young man before her had asked that question. She hinted:

"Xu Xiaoshou, in the battle of Void Island, the Holy Servants did win; the Holy Divine Palace lost completely."

"But from their perspective, this was merely a minor oversight among thousands of years, harmless."

"The enemy spent a hundred years planning for a victory, while we were negligent and unprepared. Was it right to lose? Absolutely right!"

"What about the rest?"

Aunt Xiang answered her own question: "The rest is for them to get a little serious and start to counterattack!"

"Hint received, passive value, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou looked up in surprise.

He wasn't surprised by the reminder, but rather by the fact that this aunt could also see things so clearly.

It was best that they were all clear-headed people.

"You mean, the Four Symbols Secret Realm is a grand scheme?"

"Indeed." Aunt Xiang nodded her head, full of worry: "If Void Island was our territory, where we had the first-mover advantage and could use factors like timing, geographical advantage, and human cooperation to achieve victory."

"Then outside Void Island, as long as you're on the Holy Divine Continent, no matter where you are, you will be on the defensive."

"And this time, the one setting up the chess pieces, arranging the formations, and directing the battle, can only be that flamboyant old Daoist..."

Aunt Xiang seemed to dislike Dao Qiongcang intensely, but this didn't stop her from acknowledging his ability. Just mentioning his name gave her a headache.

"What if we don't take the bait?" Xu Xiaoshou pondered, clutching his folding fan.

Although he had soundly beaten that flamboyant old Daoist, he also knew from Bazun'an that in the Void Island game, Dao Qiongcang was just going through the motions and hadn't truly exerted his full strength.

As a past victor, it was hard for him to take a defeated foe seriously again.

But this time, for some reason, Xu Xiaoshou felt that Dao Qiongcang was still difficult to deal with, even though he had already fought the man and he didn't seem invincible...

This strange feeling, Xu Xiaoshou could only interpret as a hunch, and he took it seriously.

But as for how to deal with the upcoming developments, he had no idea, only that he would meet force with force and adapt to circumstances.

"It's impossible not to take the bait."

Aunt Xiang knew what Xu Xiaoshou meant, but she shook her head in denial: "We have to enter the Four Symbols Secret Realm, not only because of the Ranming Ruins but also because a special ghost beast is suppressed there."

"Ghost beast?"

"Yes, the Four Symbols Secret Realm once suppressed the Han Celestial Weasel. You've heard of it, right? It almost caused chaos there before being moved to the inner island of Void Island."

"I know that." Xu Xiaoshou knew this, having heard it from Rao Ke'ai.

Grandpa Han wasn't strong in combat, but his escape ability was top-notch.

First, he was sealed in the All-Seeing Prison Sea, one of the Seven Broken Bans. After causing trouble, he was transferred to the Four Symbols Secret Realm, and finally exiled to the inner island of Void Island.

According to Aunt Xiang, there's more to the story?

"When the Han Celestial Weasel was in the All-Seeing Prison Sea, it managed to communicate with the All-Seeing Ancestor on the inner island of Void Island through a crack in the seal—these Seven Broken Bans were originally created because of the All-Seeing Ancestor, so even if the All-Seeing Ancestor was exiled, there was still a subtle connection."

"The Han Celestial Weasel touched this faint connection, so the two of them cooperated from inside and out, tricking the Holy Divine Palace. This indirectly led to the subsequent unsealing of the Heaven-Sealing Saint Emperor."

Xu Xiaoshou was surprised. Did Grandpa Han have such ability?

No, no, no!

It was definitely the All-Seeing Ancestor causing trouble, with little Han assisting from the outside. It was like a sword, used by the great elder to pry open the seal crack and release Feng Yujin.

Aunt Xiang continued:

"The Han Celestial Weasel was still too weak and not threatening enough to be allowed into the inner island of Void Island, so it was later suppressed in the Four Symbols Secret Realm."

"But the Han Celestial Weasel was also too strong; because it was young and longed for freedom, it constantly caused trouble."

"This time, it again found a big secret through a crack in the seal, and it exposed two at once!"

Aunt Xiang clicked her tongue in amazement:

"One is the Ranming Ruins."

"It found a God Slayer Token from somewhere, perhaps because of its special ability."

"Anyway, its split soul hid within the token. When the people from the Holy Divine Palace brought the other two tokens, intending to open this as-yet-unknown ruin, it began to cause trouble."

"This fellow bears grudges and doesn't seek opportunities. The Holy Divine Palace imprisoned it, and it didn't let those people off easy. Not only did it sabotage the emergence of the ruins, but after realizing it was the God Slayer Official's inheritance, it also spread the news."

"The continent immediately fell into chaos; even the Half-Saint families were tempted. The Holy Divine Palace took great effort to suppress the matter, but dared not easily open the Ranming Ruins again."

"It's a pity; the chaos the Han Celestial Weasel hoped for didn't spread into the Four Symbols Secret Realm, so it couldn't escape in the confusion."

After listening, Xu Xiaoshou felt nothing but a desire to laugh.

How tragic!

Grandpa Han had gone to great lengths for freedom, exhausting his already not-so-bright brain.

But how could it outsmart the dirty tricks of the Holy Divine Palace?

It was perfectly normal for it not to escape.

If it could have escaped in the chaos, it wouldn't have been bullied by inner island ghost beasts later, but would have become the "True Grandpa Han" revered by all.

"The second is a secret," Aunt Xiang continued: "After the emergence of the Ranming Ruins was sabotaged by the Han Celestial Weasel, the Holy Divine Palace realized that this ghost beast, while not strong in itself, was too threatening. It was like..."

Aunt Xiang subconsciously glanced at the young man opposite her, failed to hold back, and blurted out: "a troublemaker."

"In short!" She quickly raised her voice:

"In short, the Han Celestial Weasel was about to be exiled to the inner island. It seemed to have realized that something was going to happen to it, and continued to cause insane trouble. It had no specific goal, just wanted to create some accidents."

"Before entering the inner island, perhaps due to the aura of the Ranming Ruins' emergence startling something, or perhaps the Han Celestial Weasel's special talent sensing something..."

"While the Holy Divine Palace is currently unaware, it accessed the biggest secret of the Four Symbols Secret Realm!"

"What secret?" Xu Xiaoshou was genuinely curious now. Grandpa Han really could stir things up.

"The Four Symbols Secret Realm is actually a superb training ground where the Holy Palace uses the power of the Four Symbols to suppress the ancient divine beast Qilin, and then draws on the Qilin's power to nourish the Holy Palace's trial disciples."

"This is precisely the main reason why the Holy Palace Trial, whenever possible, will definitely be held in the Four Symbols Secret Realm!"

Aunt Xiang was like a walking encyclopedia, knowing everything, privy to all the Holy Palace's secrets and the continent's hidden histories, as if they were her own treasured possessions.

Xu Xiaoshou was truly impressed now.

Aunt Xiang was skilled in intelligence gathering; even without Shen Yi, she would never be just a pretty face.

And unlike Bazun'an, who was secretive, Aunt Xiang was absolutely clear, spilling all she knew, which was what Xu Xiaoshou liked most about her!

Suddenly, he felt his thoughts flow freely, and all previous illogical points merged together.

"Void Island's Four Symbols Secret Realm..."

He had thought this was just about going to Void Island to pick up some minor opportunities.

Then entering the Four Symbols Secret Realm, proceeding step by step into the Holy Palace, and growing under the care of Half-Saint Jinzhao.

Turns out he had taken it for granted!

The path Bazun'an pointed out to him after the battle in the Eight Palaces was not a proper path of cultivation at all, but a path to death!

He had planned all of this back then?

If a normal person were to walk this path, they would surely die.

Only Xu Xiaoshou, being an extraordinary person, could last until now, and even barely catch up with the cultivation progress of the previous era.

Damn old Bazun'an... Xu Xiaoshou silently cursed the disabled man in his heart. After calming down, he asked: "So, that Qilin, is it a Saint Emperor-level ghost beast?"

"You could understand it that way," Aunt Xiang said, feeling parched after explaining everything, and began pouring herself some wine: "Actually, it's not a ghost beast, but a spirit beast that has lived from ancient times until now. I don't know how ancient."

"But its current state and mode of existence, describing it as a 'ghost beast,' doesn't make much difference."

"As for Saint Emperor-level..."

Aunt Xiang took a sip, and her red lips regained their color before she said:

"That is beyond doubt!"

"Precisely because of this, we need to cooperate with it and use its power."

"Relying solely on the Holy Servants, it's impossible to overthrow the rule of the Holy Divine Palace and the Five Great Saint Emperor Families."

Xu Xiaoshou was silent.

Then there was indeed a reason why they absolutely had to enter the Four Symbols Secret Realm.

Not taking the bait, avoiding Dao Qiongcang's setup, had indeed become a pipe dream.

Actually, from the battle against the Holy Divine Palace and the Saint Emperors on Void Island, where most of the Nine Seats of the Holy Servants didn't appear and the main force was the inner island ghost beasts, Xu Xiaoshou already had a general idea of Bazun'an's intentions.

Bazun'an was a genius.

But in the same era, even in the previous era or the one before that, it was hard to find even half a person like him.

So, he didn't have much time to wait for those around him to grow.

He could only use what was readily available, those who were suffering, who also needed freedom, who were powerful enough to be Saint Emperor-level or higher, and who shared his aspirations—all people, spirits, beasts... living or dead!

As long as they could cooperate, he was willing to try.

He was confident that he wouldn't be used, and he could even integrate all the Saint Emperor forces around him into a cohesive unit.

With this, he would contend against the Five Great Saint Emperor Families!

If this had happened before, even if the Five Great Saint Emperor Families knew about these scattered forces, they wouldn't have paid them much attention.

Not to mention anything else...

Just the inner island of Void Island could split into black and white factions, and the three ancestors of the white faction each did their own thing, with their Half-Saint subordinates harboring their own ulterior motives.

Even if they cooperated to release a Heaven-Sealing Saint Emperor, that person knew that resisting the Holy Divine Palace would bring no good outcome, let alone resisting the Five Great Saint Emperor Families, so he went off to enjoy his freedom.

—They were all Saint Emperors; who would submit to whom!

Xu Xiaoshou could easily discern the disdain of the Five Great Saint Emperor Families for these scattered forces that were a mess when together and like stars when dispersed.

If it were him, he wouldn't take them seriously either.

Who would have thought that Bazun'an, after "falling" for decades and "lying dormant" for decades, was now starting to exert his power.

For a hundred generations, no one like this prodigy; for ten thousand years, no one greater... Thinking of how Bazun'an even dared to threaten the Spirit of the Heavenly Ancestor, Xu Xiaoshou smiled, feeling a sense of anticipation.

"What's your progress on cooperating with that 'Qilin'?"

"No progress." Aunt Xiang rubbed her brows, very worried. "After the Han Celestial Weasel sensed the Qilin, it only made contact, but the Qilin didn't pay it any mind."

"So, zero progress?" Xu Xiaoshou was greatly shocked.

"At least there's a connection, and the Han Celestial Weasel has been released to the inner island," Aunt Xiang hesitated. "Does that count as 'one'?"

What's the difference from zero?

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless: "Then how do we proceed next?"

"The formal start of the Four Symbols Secret Realm trial means that the flamboyant old Daoist's setup will definitely be complete; going then would be too late. Therefore, we must enter in advance," Aunt Xiang counted on her fingers.

"Uh-huh."

"But based on my understanding of the flamboyant old Daoist, if he's the mastermind, he's already prepared means to play the turtle in a jar, let alone capture us."

"Uh-huh."

"But we still have to go, and our preparations must be thorough. It's best to gather more intelligence on the Four Symbols Secret Realm, and the team should be small and elite; too many would make us too big a target..."

"Then the Qilin ignores you, communication fails, and when you turn to leave, our dear Palace Lord Dao smiles and walks out from behind you." Xu Xiaoshou finished her sentence.

"Uh..." Aunt Xiang gave an embarrassed smile, "That truly is the worst possible outcome."

"You turn around, and the Qilin has become Palace Lord Dao."

"Uh..."

"You open your quilt at night, and it's all our dear Palace Lord Dao!"

"Uh, Xu Xiaoshou, just say what you mean, no need to beat around the bush."

Xu Xiaoshou flared up: "How can this possibly succeed? I see no hope at all; they're setting a trap and waiting for you to walk into it!"

"So it is very difficult! But there's still a chance... The Holy Divine Palace doesn't know our objective is the Qilin; they think it's the Ranming Ruins!"

"What kind of chance? Isn't it almost the same? Once you're in their trap, what's the difference whether you turn left or look right?"

"Uh, it seems that's the logic, indeed..."

"Then you're still going?"

"Bazun'an said it could be done."

Bazun'an said it?

Xu Xiaoshou quickly reined in all his anger, clutching his paper fan to his chin, pondering if he had missed anything.

After much thought, he still felt it was a dead end.

Could it be that Bazun'an had some hidden trump card?

—I'm already the Holy Servants' second-in-command; for such a dangerous operation, we should "discuss" it, right?

"What else did Bazun'an say?" Xu Xiaoshou asked.

"He said..." Aunt Xiang paused, then imitated Bazun'an's tone seriously and solemnly:

"I believe in you, Young Master Xu!"