Chapter 462: Distribution (Jingzhi Studio, Ally)

The light in the sky gradually dissipated, and the tingling sensation on their faces finally vanished. Only then did the few people inside the hall dare to open their eyes, their eyes red and wet with tears streaming down their faces.

As the Silent Bell left this realm, it took a full dozen breaths for its effects to slowly dissipate. The few people were finally able to speak, and Nian Yi's voice was a little hoarse:

"True Lord Taiyuan personally intervened... that's a rare sight in a century."

This "rare sight in a century" was no exaggeration; it was even an understatement. Records of Golden Core cultivators taking action were extremely rare, with some instances tracing back thousands of years.

Zhang Yun ignored the others. He had already performed a profound bow, prostrating himself on the ground. Slowly, he straightened up, adjusted his clothes, and bowed three times towards the west, as if having gained some insight. He then cupped his hands in greeting towards the three before leaving on his own.

Everyone else looked shocked, with varying expressions. Yu Muxian wiped the tears from his eyes and used his spiritual power to soothe them. Only then could he vaguely make out the objects in front of him. He touched the ornate pouch at his waist, discovering that the gold and silver pieces protecting the storage bag had already melted into liquid.

In just a brief instant, the gold and silver pieces had distinctly separated into two ends, becoming shimmering gold essence and spiritual silver that radiated a cold light, falling at his feet.

Having cultivated for many years, his demeanor and self-restraint had always been excellent. For the first time in decades, his expression changed drastically, and he cursed inwardly:

"Yuan Wu... Yuan Wu is utterly delusional! How could he ask me to steal something like this! Even if Yuan Wu himself came, he would have to obediently kneel to the side. Is this something a Purple Palace cultivator can covet?"

Yu Muxian's expression turned slightly grim. Tang She, who stood beside him holding a long halberd, seemed to understand his feelings. He gave a wry smile, recognizing that the current situation was not appropriate for him to offer comfort or advice.

As Zhang Yun walked out, the remaining six people turned their attention to the five jade boxes at the head of the hall. Besides those from Changhuai Mountain, Qingchi Sect, and Xiuyue Sect, there were also two individuals with special destinies who had fought their way through, and none of them looked easy to deal with.

Qing Zhuo glanced at them, counted the items, and found the number was indeed just right. He understood inwardly:

"The Golden Feather Sect took the Silent Bell. My Changhuai Mountain, along with Xiuyue Sect and Qingchi Sect, will each receive one treasure. The remaining two appear to be left for the Purple Palace cultivators to divide among themselves..."

So he chuckled softly and said in a low voice:

"Let each of our five parties choose one item!"

Tu Longjian's lips curved slightly, showing no surprise. In contrast, the female cultivator frowned slightly, seemingly growing suspicious of Qing Zhuo's overly amiable manner.

Qing Zhuo, however, paid her no mind. He casually waved his hand and used his spiritual power to retrieve one of the jade boxes. The others were all on edge; at this movement, they all acted at once, and the five jade boxes each landed in someone's hand.

Yu Muxian touched his jade box but could not open it. Upon closer inspection, its aura was smooth and unified, indicating that a spell had been cast upon it, preventing it from being easily opened. He raised his hand, formed a seal, and cast a spell:

"Mystic Unlock Array Art!"

A faint golden light immediately appeared between his fingers. He used his spiritual power for the spell, and as it fell upon the jade box, it simply glided off without having any effect whatsoever. Yu Muxian frowned:

'It seems only Purple Palace cultivators can open it,' he thought. 'It's certainly well-sealed.'

On the other side, Qing Zhuo gently pushed, and his jade box opened with ease. A joyful smile had just begun to form on his face, but it immediately froze.

The jade box was empty.

The item in this jade box had already been taken by someone, leaving only an empty indent. It appeared to have held a long, narrow object, about two fingers wide.

The bottom of the indent had complex patterns, which had perfectly matched the long, narrow object. Qing Zhuo's expression turned grim, while the others looked at him warily, each carefully concealing their own jade box.

He let out a long breath, then turned to examine the remaining patterns. He squinted, thinking:

"Tai... Lun..."

He had just vaguely made out a part of it when fragments of cold snow appeared before his eyes. He faintly smelled the scent of osmanthus, and a moon-white light flowed out from the jade box, freezing his hands.

He shivered coldly and suddenly became sober, only to find the bottom of the indent smooth and empty.

"Click."

He forcefully snapped the jade box shut and, with a grim expression, put it into his storage bag. His mood was far from good, and he then walked out quickly with his hands clasped behind his back.

Nian Yi, who had been holding back his laughter for a long time, finally let out a chuckle. He cupped his hands in greeting to the others and then gracefully departed. The others exchanged glances and then dispersed.

Outside the hall.

Li Xuanfeng slowly straightened up, supporting himself with his hands on the ground. He vaguely fumbled for the storage bag at his waist, took out a bottle of spiritual water, and poured it over his face and eyes. Only then did his eyes feel a refreshing coolness.

He took a shallow breath and opened his eyes. Everything before him was still a bit blurry, but at least his eyes were saved. Silver-white light constantly flashed in Li Xuanfeng's mind, and he felt a bit lost:

"Was that... a True Lord?"

His memories became increasingly blurry. Li Xuanfeng gathered his wits, and a wave of coolness rose in his ascending yang palace. He gradually started to recall, but dared not dwell on it, quickly shifting his attention to Xiao Yongling beside him.

Xiao Yongling was also somewhat disheveled. He took a few pills, quietly recuperated for a moment, then said in a low voice:

"It seems some formations within the main hall were triggered just now... We were too close and got caught in the crossfire."

Li Xuanfeng nodded. Only then did he have a chance to look around, discovering that all the spiritual pines had withered, lying scattered and toppled on the ground. He touched his waist and found his spirit armor covered in sparkling white dew drops.

His expression subtly changed. He quickly closed his eyes and used his spiritual sense to examine carefully. His dark-gold spirit armor seemed to have undergone some change, becoming even heavier.

He checked repeatedly, only then discovering that the celestial silver-mercury, originally gilded onto the surface of the spirit armor during its creation to assist the concealment runes, had now entirely precipitated out, dripping onto the ground and rolling with a clinking sound.

"The spirit armor's concealment ability has been lost..."

He used his spiritual power to collect these spiritual materials and felt a slight relief in his heart:

"Fortunately, it only lost its concealment ability... We almost messed up something important."

Li Xuanfeng closed his eyes in contemplation. After being illuminated by the golden light, his entire aura had changed, and he vaguely felt an epiphany for a breakthrough. If his guess was correct, once he left this grotto-heaven, he could find a secluded place to cultivate and break through.

Xiao Yongling beside him straightened up and let out a long breath. Seeing several beams of spiritual light descend from the main hall, he said softly:

"Xuanfeng... are you feeling better? We should leave quickly. This main hall has likely been completely divided among them. It's better to go to the other mountains, or at worst, we can explore the sea of clouds."

Li Xuanfeng nodded slightly, suddenly remembering his conjecture from when they first entered the grotto-heaven. He and Xiao Yongling rose on the wind and headed towards the horizon.