Chapter 613 459: Moonlit Spirit Barrier

Who would have thought, Li Xuanfeng had only just barely opened the page, when suddenly the entire row of ink-written characters blurred and, like racing shadows, leapt off the paper one after another, transforming into streams of light that vanished without a trace.

The whole ancient tome rustled and turned in the air; Li Xuanfeng was struck by dizziness, as the roar of waves sweeping from north to south resounded in his ears, a grand scene overwhelming the sky and earth, sometimes colliding with cliff faces and bringing down a cold rain.

"Boom!"

The ancient book before his eyes, in an instant, turned into a pile of ashes, and as soon as it fell to the ground, it melted into swarming black ants, bobbing their heads, scattering and escaping, burrowing into the earth where they swiftly disappeared.

Li Xuanfeng's mind buzzed in confusion, his gaze slowly falling upon his own hands, seeming somewhat dazed. At his side, Lin Chensheng turned his head and asked:

"Taoist Fellow, have you gone through all six of these cultivation techniques?"

Li Xuanfeng woke as if from a dream, raised his head, nodded, and replied:

"Indeed, I've read them all, but regrettably, none go beyond Qi Cultivation."

Lin Chensheng stifled a laugh and answered:

"No need to worry. Once we reach those cloud seas and the third drum resounds, we'll be free to choose."

...

Li Yuanjiao and Tulong Jian wandered through the forest for a while, but soon a thick white mist began to envelop the surroundings. Growing suspicious, he whispered:

"Taoist Fellow, this fog is most peculiar. We'd best be careful."

Tulong Jian smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping across the surrounding mist, and he replied:

"This fog shields Spiritual Sense—truly mysterious. Let's ride the wind and rise above; just stay close to me and don't fall behind."

Given Li Yuanjiao's considerable cunning, these words gave him seventy percent certainty—he knew the Cave Heaven was about to descend. He nodded and swept up on the wind, tightly following at his companion's side.

As soon as they mounted the wind, the evening sun vanished from the sky, and a vault of stars emerged, dazzling and motionless, neatly arranged upon the horizon.

The distant ocean had utterly vanished, leaving only boundless cloud seas and rolling mountains. Li Yuanjiao braced himself as if facing a formidable enemy, his voice solemn:

"No good! We've fallen into someone else's Illusion Array!"

Tulong Jian's expression was grave as he observed him intently; seeing this, his last shadow of doubt finally disappeared, and he burst out laughing:

"Senior, this is none other than the Mirage Cave Heaven!"

Li Yuanjiao's face showed deep astonishment, struck by utter bewilderment. Weren't they headed for the Qing Song Cave Heaven—how had the Mirage Cave Heaven suddenly appeared? Tulong Jian explained:

"The Qing Song Temple itself resides within the Mirage Cave Heaven, but the Cave Heaven has long been sealed. These people know nothing of its secrets… all sorts of conjecture… even the Zifu Perfected Persons prefer that the name fades away, so they just call it the Qing Song Cave Heaven!"

"This boundary was first opened by the ancient cultivator Ying Ze; the name itself is borrowed from the old Immortal Monarch's Taoist Lineage. How could it be called Qing Song Cave Heaven!"

Though Li Yuanjiao outwardly appeared shaken by the news, in truth he was more startled by Tulong Jian's attitude. Piecing together the clues from their journey, Li Yuanjiao felt strongly:

'This man, nine times out of ten… has already grasped the truth… and might even be steadily breaking free from the Perfected Person's control!'

His brows knitted, showing a blend of joy and apprehension, as he murmured:

"It seems fate has given us a chance to enter, which is excellent indeed. But whether we make it out alive… that's another matter…"

Tulong Jian nodded slightly, and Li Yuanjiao made a formal gesture:

"Seeing as Taoist Fellow knows this Cave Heaven so well, the rest is up to you."

Tulong Jian gave a modest smile and replied:

"No need to be so formal, Senior."

Within just a few words, it was agreed that the two would continue to journey together. Li Yuanjiao was not greedy for treasures within the Cave Heaven, more anxious to find Yu Muxian—not even knowing if his elder had already clashed with him...

Tulong Jian rose on the wind at his side, randomly choosing a direction, and as they stood upon the cloud peak, hands behind his back, his eyes fixed upon distant mountains, the token at his waist swinging gently.

He judged the direction, selected their route amidst the layered cloud seas, and after flying for a spell, sounds of raucous combat reached their ears.

"Someone's beaten us to it…"

Tulong Jian frowned in dissatisfaction, mumbling a few words under his breath. His hand called forth the golden hammer once more; after just two or three breaths, the cloud sea ahead shook, as Dharma Light and Spells clashed fiercely in the air, Magic Artifacts striking against each other with ringing clangs.

Approximately five or six figures encircled a small hill, eyeing each other warily; at the hill's summit, atop a tall stone platform, rested a diminutive jade bottle.

The jade bottle was engraved all over with silver osmanthus blossoms, shrouded beneath a veil of silvery light—its nature hard to discern. Along the rim drifted threads of moon-white Spiritual Mist, floating and twisting, giving off an aura of wondrous strangeness.

At the center stood a middle-aged man in a dark Taoist robe, face stern and slender of frame. The patterns on his vestment robe were subtle, displaying masterful tailoring; draped across his arm was a purple sandalwood horsetail whisk. He swept a cold gaze over the others and spoke quietly:

"This Foundation Establishment Protective Cover… Changxiao Sect claims it. Make your calculations, gentlemen."

To the side, a cultivator in red robe retorted with mocking laughter:

"Very well, Xun Yi Zi! If you want that protective cover, take it and go, and let us at least see what kind of spiritual object is inside that jade bottle!"

The tall, robed man made no reply, his eyes scanning the crowd with an icy glare. Li Yuanjiao and Tulong Jian silently watched from a nearby cloud, gazing at the five or six gathered.

Among the five, one female cultivator wore a blue-green Taoist robe, standing atop a cloud, her form delicate and graceful. She seemed to be debating carefully about the item within the spiritual cover—one fine hand cradled a tiny golden mountain, the other gripped a jade bead. She could be none other than Xuan Yue Sect's Kong Tingyun!

On the opposite side stood a handsome youth, brows furrowed as if uncertain whether to retreat. Li Yuanjiao had seen him a few times, but the boy's visage was engraved deep in his memory.

'Zhong Qian!'

He quietly analyzed the backgrounds of the remaining figures; in front, Tulong Jian's eyes burned, murmuring:

"Senior… there's something precious in that jade bottle! If fighting breaks out, just worry about your own safety!"

Hearing this, Li Yuanjiao finally turned his full attention to the high platform.

The platform was constructed of ordinary materials, nothing rare, yet the silvery protective veil was anything but simple—pale silver-white in hue, with rabbits carved into all four corners, marking it as an ancient cultivator's Foundation Establishment Magic Artifact.

Even more, within the artifact shimmered a faintly visible silver-white treasure bottle, dense with Spirit Mechanism. Moon-white patterns sprawled across its jade surface—ancient and cryptic, yet giving off a strangely familiar aura. The drifting moon-white Spiritual Mist around it was more familiar than words could express.

Li Yuanjiao quietly chuckled to himself. This was identical to the moon-white mist he'd seen at home hundreds or thousands of times; he understood deeply that this item was enough to drive every cultivator here mad:

'Taiyin Moonlight!'