In the bustling streets of Yun Cheng, people moved about as usual—but something was different today. A crowd had gathered, buzzing with excitement about something unusual.
"I saw it with my own eyes! It fell straight from the sky!"
"No way, you're seeing things. I heard it was a whole building that appeared mid-air!"
"What's it called?"
"The... what was it? Oh right! The Pavilion Of Celestial Secrets!"
"I heard the owner's a scammer, a total fraud."
Amidst the crowd, a young man in golden robes approached from the far end of the street. His neatly-kept hair and slightly tired eyes suggested he wasn't looking for trouble, but curiosity burned across his face.
This was Shao Xiao, an inner disciple from the Golden Clouds Sect, one of the major sects in the region. He had come to the city for a mission... but now he was witnessing something even his sect's libraries had no records of.
A pavilion had apparently fallen from the sky.
Ever since entering the city, he'd heard people talking about this building descending from the heavens. He couldn't bring himself to believe something that absurd.
Since when did things like that even happen in this world?
"Well, I don't have anything better to do. Might as well take a look." After asking around for directions, he made his way to the site.
But the pavilion in front of him looked overly simple—just a plain structure, nothing impressive or mystical about it.
He tried examining it with his spiritual sense... but nothing. How was that possible? He couldn't sense anything inside the building at all.
Then, his gaze fell on a sign.
"Seize the world and dictate Yin and Yang. Understand past and present, and comprehend all creation. Even the secrets of the heavens can be foreseen!"
The first thing that came to his mind after reading it was a single word: blasphemy.
How could someone dare to claim they could predict the secrets of the heavens? Just saying such a thing could invite the wrath of the skies.
"He's clearly just a con artist! I should report this to the elders." Shao Xiao scoffed, but in the end, he decided to investigate further and stepped inside.
The moment his foot crossed the threshold, a wave of silence and pressure slammed into him like a hammer. It felt like he'd taken a heavy punch to the ribs. With the next step, he realized something was very wrong.
"Huh? What the—? I can't move my spiritual energy?!"
He raised his hand. Nothing. No energy, no power—nothing. He felt like an ordinary man. Maybe even worse.
"This... This is impossible! How can it seal my cultivation?!" he cried out in panic.
He was at the Spirit Sea Realm, yet without even realizing it, his cultivation had been completely sealed.
What kind of power could do that? A Venerable Realm cultivator? No... maybe even someone from the Sacred Realm?
Then, a calm voice echoed.
"Relax. There's nothing to fear. Just sit down." A man's voice. Steady, emotionless, filled with authority.
Shao Xiao looked up. Across the room, a man with a simple robe sat on a cushion, holding a cup of tea. He didn't even glance over. He simply poured his tea, the fragrant steam rising slowly.
He had long black hair and eyes darker still. His face was handsome... more so than Shao Xiao himself.
"Who... Who are you?" Shao Xiao's eyes widened. He felt no aura coming from the man, which could only mean he was a mortal.
But why was this mortal so terrifying?
Before he could get an answer, something appeared in Lian Tianji's mind.
[Client Profile]
Name: Shao Xiao
Level: Spirit Sea Realm – 3rd Layer
Affiliation: Golden Clouds Sect – Inner Disciple
Objective: Investigate the origin of the Celestial Secrets Pavilion
Issues:
– Younger sister (Shao Lilin) suffers from a rare disease: "Spiritual Bone Erosion"; will die in 10 days
– Seeking a cure to save her
– Willing to pay any price
– Currently in the city to track down a demonic cultivator suspected to be hiding here
Reading the profile of his potential customer, Lian raised an eyebrow. He had no idea if this "Golden Clouds Sect" was powerful or not.
But luckily, he had just the thing to turn this man from a potential customer into a paying one.
"Your sister's fine... for now. But you've only got ten days," Lian said with a sigh, sipping his tea. He didn't even look up, speaking in a calm tone.
"How... How do you know that without me saying a single word?!" Shao Xiao instinctively stepped back in fear.
His eyes were wide. His hands were trembling. His heart was racing. Since entering this building, he'd only said two unrelated words.
So how did this man know about his sister's illness? No—how did he even know he had a sister?
Could he be a Great Emperor? Or maybe even a true Immortal?
With that thought, Shao Xiao dropped to his knees. Dust stained his robes. He ignored his pride completely.
"Please!"
"If there's a way... tell me! I'll do anything you ask. I'll pay any price... just save my sister! She's... she's all I have left in this world."
He wasn't sure if this man was a scammer or not, but the fact that he knew about his sister and her condition without being told meant he clearly knew something.
And more importantly, he'd sealed Shao Xiao's cultivation without him even realizing it—which meant he was, at the very least, a cultivator in the Sacred Realm.
System, what's the cost to find a cure for this illness? Lian paused, speaking silently in his mind.
[Analyzing information...]
[Located: A complete cure requires three rare ingredients.
Cost of full details and location: 300 Celestial Points]
300 points... Not bad. Lian nodded slightly, then turned his gaze toward Shao Xiao.