Chapter 177: Running Away Again?
"Yun Qing, do you really have a way to infiltrate the Wonderous Palace?"
Shi Yan and Xu An slightly frowned, knowing that infiltrating the Wonderous Palace was no easy feat. If it were that simple, the Righteous Sun Sect would have done so long ago, instead of launching a forceful attack like before. They weren't fools. Even righteous sects could be attacked covertly. It wasn't that they didn't want to; they just couldn't.
In reality, every sect had its own Alert Array. Without a specific token, one could not come and go as they pleased. Each of these tokens was a Spiritual Instrument, bonded through a blood oath. Even if someone else snatched it away, it would be useless. If one tried to forcibly erase the imprint, it would destroy the token and render it nonfunctional. The more powerful the sect, the stronger its Alert Array would be. The Alert Array of the Wonderous Palace was passed down by Murong Fenghua; although it was not the most top-notch, it was more than sufficient here. Cultivators below the Genius Spirit Realm would be barred from entering. Only those cultivators whose cultivation had already reached the Primordial Spirit Realm, like Liu Qingxuan, could ignore the array method and enter unobtrusively. Yet Mu Yunqing and the other two were all in the Divine Communication Realm. How were they to get inside?
"You two Martial Uncles need not worry. I have made thorough preparations for this," Mu Yunqing said with a slight smile, promptly taking out a token from his bosom. This token was jade-like, emanating a faint milky white radiance. Its surface was engraved with intricate and exquisite patterns, clearly no ordinary item.
"This is..." Both of them were instantly captivated by the token. This seemed to be an entrance and exit token of the Wonderous Palace. With this token, one could move freely in and out of the Wonderous Palace. Such tokens were in the hands of only a few people.
"Have you two Martial Uncles forgotten that I was once a furnace for the Wonderous Palace? I just so happen to have one of these entrance and exit tokens," Mu Yunqing said, waving the token in his hand as he began to speak indifferently. This token belonged to no one else but himself. He hadn't been a furnace for nothing. In those days, he was highly favored, and Si Nanyan accommodated nearly all of his requests. He even had higher status than many of the ordinary disciples of the Wonderous Palace. He acquired this token back in those days. Getting his hands on this token indicated Mu Yunqing's means were indeed extraordinary.
Upon hearing this, Shi Yan nodded, then said, puzzled, "But with only one token... what about the two of us...?"
"Rest assured, I have a Spiritual Instrument that can temporarily accommodate you two Martial Uncles," Mu Yunqing said, once more with a smile as he took out another item. A dazzling purple-gold light shone before the eyes of all three. Then, as the light gradually dispersed, a gourd appeared in front of them. The gourd was a light purple with specks of gold adorning it. Unique talismans spun around it, exuding a mysterious aura from the inside out.
"This is..." As the two of them finally caught a clear view of the object before them, a look of surprise appeared on their faces.
"The Purple Gold Universe Gourd?" Xu An exclaimed in astonishment. "The Sect Master actually passed this Spiritual Treasure to you."
The Purple Gold Universe Gourd was one of the Spiritual Treasures of the Righteous Sun Sect. Spiritual Treasures were mostly nurtured by nature itself. Each one was immensely valuable. Although not necessarily powerful, they were generally considered precious. And the Purple Gold Universe Gourd was obtained by Liu Qingxuan many years ago, containing a small world within. However, this world was very small. It also harbored a terrifying fog. Usually, this fog lay dormant. However, if the owner of the Purple Gold Universe Gourd activated it, the fog would become a terrifying weapon capable of dissolving flesh and fusing divine souls. Those without great cultivation strength couldn't withstand it for even a few moments. Unfortunately, this gourd could not attack actively, nor could it forcibly suck people into it. In a sense, it was somewhat of a white elephant.
"Indeed, it is this gourd," Mu Yunqing nodded with a smile. Liu Qingxuan gave him the Purple Gold Universe Gourd. Because it was too much of a white elephant, he had kept it hidden and unused. Liu Qingxuan had told him the gourd was not yet fully mature. Only when it matured would it reveal its true power. Regrettably, after so many years, he hadn't seen the day of its transformation.
"Yun Qing, this gourd..." Xu An and Shi Yan's faces showed hesitation. If they were to enter the Purple Gold Universe Gourd, their lives and deaths would be completely in Mu Yunqing's hands. It was as if their fate was to live if he wanted them to live, or to die if he willed it. Neither of them felt confident they could break out of the gourd and escape.
"What, you two Martial Uncles don't trust Yun Qing?" Seeing their expressions, Mu Yunqing frowned, and the smile on his face slowly faded.
"Cough... Yun Qing, it's not that we don't trust you. It's just that we fear the possibility of an accident, and the gourd might be taken away by someone..." Shi Yan coughed lightly, expressing his hesitation diplomatically. The risks of entering the gourd far outweighed those of attacking the Wonderous Palace.
"Yun Qing, I also think this is inappropriate," Xu An was much more direct than Shi Yan, candidly saying, "The Purple Gold Universe Gourd is indeed terrifying. I trust you, but I dare not enter it."
Although they had said they would follow Wen Zhixing, they were still cultivators in the Divine Communication Realm and naturally would not risk their lives rashly. In the world of cultivation, things were unpredictable. If one wasn't cautious, they wouldn't know when they might perish. Moreover, Mu Yunqing hadn't offered them any benefits yet. Without even an empty promise, why would they simply obey his commands?
"I see. You are right, Martial Uncles. It seems I was the one who didn't consider things thoroughly."
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