Eternal Life Starts from Tai Chi

Chapter 337: Suspended Heavenly Palace, Halls of White Jade

"As for the trip to Taiyin Heaven, as long as there are no problems on your end, I will definitely gain something. It will also allow my cult to find the opportunity for long life within Taiyin Heaven."

The sinister voice in the room spoke again, his words filled with extreme confidence.

This wasn’t trust in the No-Life Saintess, but rather extreme confidence in his own strength. He naturally believed he could resolve any trouble. In fact, to him, as long as the No-Life Saintess didn’t cause any problems, he was certain he could find the opportunity for long life in Taiyin Heaven.

National Guardian Martial Saints were not eternal. Under the weight of passing years, they would still decay. In the end, their powerful cultivation would return to dust. For experts of the National Guardian Martial Saint Level, this was not only unavoidable but also a source of terror.

As their lives neared their end, the terror brought on by the constant ebbing of their life force was unbearable, even for experts at the National Guardian Martial Saint Level.

Experts of this level could already perceive their life force slowly draining away, even watch themselves walk toward death. This wasn’t foresight; it was a constant reinforcement of their fear.

In their youth, when their Essence Qi was vigorous, they paid it no mind. But as time went on, their powerful bodies began to age, and they were powerless to stop it. This torment was enough to twist one’s very soul.

Of course, some could face it with equanimity, but such people were rare. Most wanted to desperately extend their lives when their time was up, even resorting to Evil Techniques. This was one of the reasons why so many Evil Cults were condemned by all.

"Hmph. The measures you casually put in place were mediocre. It doesn’t affect the trip to Taiyin Heaven, so you’d be better off thinking more about how to deal with the current variables."

"Taiyin Heaven has appeared ahead of schedule. Some of the signs are bound to have changed. It’s not going according to plan anymore."

The No-Life Saintess let out a cold snort. Although her arrangements in Yu State had been mediocre, even superfluous, it didn’t affect her current decision-making at all.

However, in the eyes of the man before her, this was a symbol of failure, and she couldn’t even refute it. That was what she found most infuriating.

"What is this?"

"Could it be an Immortal Palace where the Immortal Gods of the heavens reside?"

"It’s so magnificent! Not even the Imperial Palace in White Jade City can compare!"

Several boats sailed along the Qingyuan River. Most of the people aboard had been placed there by the major powers, and they were all investigating the situation on the river. Their main goal was to find the entrance to the Secret Realm, which would allow them to enter first and obtain some of the Cultivation Resources.

They were especially hoping to find things like Top Level Spirit Medicine and legacies of Top Level Cultivation Techniques. While there was no guarantee such things existed, being the first to enter naturally gave them a chance to claim these benefits. That chance alone was enough to make people take the risk.

At that moment, everyone was staring at the suspended buildings that had suddenly appeared above the Qingyuan River. They seemed to be sitting atop the clouds, and in people’s minds, only Immortal Gods could live above the clouds.

In the eyes of these people, these suddenly appearing signs were a fated encounter with immortals.

Many people dropped directly to their knees, hoping to be noticed by the Immortal Gods and soar to greatness.

"This isn’t a sign from the immortals. It’s a mirage, a projection from a distant place."

One of the more experienced elders said with a frown.

Mirages weren’t actually that rare. They could appear over the sea, in deserts, on the surface of great rivers and lakes, and across snowy plains. Moreover, Martial Arts Experts could sense the difference between illusion and reality, as their intuition was extremely powerful.

The elder’s words made many people come to their senses, especially the Martial Arts Experts. Their reactions were swift. They had initially been stunned by the majestic scene, but now they understood.

"The scene in the sky is illusory, not real. I just don’t know what place it’s a reflection of."

"These magnificent buildings... it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a paradise on earth."

Even after realizing it was a mirage, many had never seen the place it depicted, which was what surprised everyone the most.

The people on these boats came from many different places; some were even undercover agents from various Sects. They had naturally seen a great deal, but no one recognized the location in the mirage. This made it all the more astonishing.

If this was a real place, it would naturally be worth searching for.

"A mirage appeared over the Qingyuan River, located near Qing State."

"The architecture is extremely luxurious, with halls of white jade and horses of gold, like a palace in the heavens."

"And within the palace, there was no sign of anyone."

Gu An was also a little confused when he heard this news.

When the Secret Realm emerged before, there was no such scene. This new development left him baffled, unable to understand the reason for it.

However, he could guess that it was related to the newly appearing Secret Realm.

For the past few days, he had been investigating records related to the Qingyuan River in the Cyan Yuan Sect’s historical archives, but he had found no mention of such a miraculous scene.

Either it happened too long ago and was never recorded, or this was the first time it had occurred. Regardless, judging by the current situation, the place where the Secret Realm would emerge was likely near Qing State, perhaps even within its borders. In any case, it represented an opportunity.

Although opportunity came with risk, the risk was insignificant compared to the potential rewards. This was especially true now that the Cyan Yuan Sect’s Sect Leader, Liu Xuan, had broken through to become a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster. This provided a powerful deterrent and was a major event for the Cyan Yuan Sect—one that deserved serious attention.

"How long did the mirage last? Were there any other details?"

Gu An asked, looking at the Direct Disciple he had personally trained.

The duration could reveal certain things, and the details within the mirage were likely related to the Secret Realm. Remembering them might even allow one to seize an opportunity first inside the Secret Realm.

In Gu An’s view, this was likely a guide, perhaps even something like a map. If one could remember the details, their efforts within the Secret Realm could be twice as effective. This was something everyone, including all the major powers, would pay close attention to.

"It lasted for a quarter of an hour, then disappeared."

"This is a painting made by a Painter who saw the mirage over the Qingyuan River."

"I have confirmed the contents of the painting with several of our agents who saw the mirage with their own eyes. It’s about eighty to ninety percent accurate, basically the same."

The disciple replied with a serious expression.

He had only presented this to Gu An after making thorough preparations and conducting his investigation, which served to demonstrate his exceptional competence.

"However, I was not the only one to obtain the Painter’s work. The Painter made many copies, and other powers have gotten their hands on them as well."

This Direct Disciple continued to add, as this was important information that naturally couldn’t be concealed.

If the mirage over the Qingyuan River was indeed related to the yet-to-emerge Secret Realm, then this news was crucial and could even affect the Cyan Yuan Sect’s plans.

"Mm, well done."

Gu An nodded after listening.

He knew that many people had seen the mirage. To monopolize the information, one would have to kill every witness, which was basically useless now that the boats on the Qingyuan River had departed for various places.

Besides, people on land must have seen it too, so completely hiding the news was unrealistic. Being able to obtain a painting of the mirage was already enough.

Gu An’s gaze fell upon the image of the mirage, and he was certain he had never seen the place before.

He had traveled to many states within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty for training, and had even been to the borderlands and places like the Jin Meng Empire.

In his youth, after accepting missions from the Sect, he had wandered far and wide, slowly growing stronger. This was one of the reasons why Gu An, born into a poor family, was able to become the Medicine Hall Master of the Cyan Yuan Sect: hard work.

Traveling to the borderlands was extremely dangerous; the slightest mistake could lead to death. To say nothing of entering Foreign Countries, where one would be a complete outsider.

If your luck was bad, you wouldn’t even know how you died.

Back then, the Cyan Yuan Sect was powerful in Qing State, but its reputation in other states was mediocre at best. After all, its reach was limited. In the borderlands, and especially in Foreign Countries, it had even less influence.

Even if people knew of the Cyan Yuan Sect’s existence, they held no reverence for it, because the Sect’s sphere of influence simply didn’t extend to Foreign Countries. It could even be said that its influence only covered a small area.

All of Qing State was just one state within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty. If you expanded the scope, it became even more insignificant.

Unless the Cyan Yuan Sect produced a National Guardian Martial Saint, only then would it become an existence that even Foreign Countries would fear. The term "National Guardian" meant their power was world-shattering, capable of destroying an entire nation. This level of Combat Power was so terrifying that no one would dare to provoke them.

As long as an expert of the same Level didn’t intervene, no one was a match for a National Guardian Martial Saint. Even a dozen Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmasters joining forces would be no match for one. The difference in their Combat Power was like the difference between heaven and earth.

At the National Guardian Martial Saint Level, one could no longer be called human. It was reasonable to even call them a Demi-Immortal. It was nearly impossible to use human-wave tactics against them. In fact, in front of an expert of this Level, human-wave tactics were utterly useless—it was just sending people to their deaths. This shows just how vast the difference in Combat Power was; it was an insurmountable gap.

"Continue to keep an eye on the matter of the Qingyuan River. If any more changes like this occur, report them to me immediately. This concerns the future of the Cyan Yuan Sect and cannot be ignored. Do this well, and you will certainly be rewarded with a large amount of Contribution Points."

Satisfied, Gu An continued to assign him tasks, telling him to pay constant attention to the changes on the Qingyuan River.

The appearance of the mirage was worth his attention, and this Direct Disciple’s follow-up was also well-handled. Therefore, Gu An let him continue to manage the matter, offering a few words of instruction while also motivating him.