Chapter 22: The Sealed Senior

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: The Sealed Senior

The man raised his hand and swept it sideways.

He then turned around and pointed his finger downward, shooting a beam of light from his fingertip toward the lake.

Mysteriously, a whirlpool appeared on the lake, much to Ye Xuan’s surprise.

The opening was wide enough for him to see a pagoda beneath the water, seemingly enclosed within a dome-shaped formation barrier.

"Follow me."

The man flew swiftly into the whirlpool and passed through the formation barrier. Ye Xuan did the same, flying toward the lake on his sword.

With the help of a trace of the man’s qi, Ye Xuan and Qingyu successfully entered the dome.

Once they arrived, the whirlpool closed by itself. Ye Xuan landed in front of the blue pagoda.

The man’s soul shot into the pagoda, followed by a powerful burst of qi that surpassed Ye Xuan’s strength and forced him several steps backward.

"Come in, Junior."

Ye Xuan glanced briefly at Qingyu before gathering his courage and walking through the open entrance of the pagoda.

On the ground floor, his eyes fell upon a koi pond and walls decorated with Zen ornaments.

Zen ornaments? Could that man be a Buddhist monk?

He knew that the world had three great paths of cultivation: Taoist cultivation, Zen cultivation, and demonic cultivation.

However, he only knew about Taoist cultivation. He had never encountered Zen cultivation, let alone demonic cultivation.

He walked around the ground floor until he found a staircase leading to the second floor and continuing upward to the seventh.

Senior must be on the top floor of this pagoda.

Ye Xuan decided to climb the stairs to the second floor. The scenery there was different.

The room resembled a place used for burning things, complete with a furnace in the center.

He continued climbing, exploring each floor along the way. He discovered several rooms filled with records and technique scrolls.

The young man finally stopped when he reached the seventh floor. He could faintly sense a dense and powerful spiritual qi flowing upward from below.

Upon arriving on the seventh floor, Ye Xuan was stunned to see the man sitting atop a stone altar.

He wore a long robe, and his white hair was tied back with an elegant, masculine hairpin.

The man slowly opened his eyes. Another burst of qi swept through the room, but this time, it did not force Ye Xuan backward. It merely stirred a gust of wind.

"Greetings, Senior."

"Is Senior a Zen Buddhist monk?" Ye Xuan asked.

"I obtained this pagoda after a fierce battle against the Great Monk of the Ten Thousand Virtues Temple."

"We fought until both of us suffered fatal injuries. Before he died, the monk placed the Vajra Life-Exiling Seal on me. This pagoda is the only place where I can suppress its effects and keep my vitality from being completely drained."

It seems my guess was wrong. He isn’t a Zen Buddhist monk.

"May I know Senior’s name?" Ye Xuan asked.

"I am Wang Shuyuan."

"Regarding the Soul Blood Oath, do you have any objections to my proposal, Senior Wang?"

Wang Shuyuan shook his head. He raised his hand and touched his forehead, drawing out a small, round bead of crimson soul blood. Ye Xuan did the same.

As their soul blood floated toward each other and met, a small formation appeared between them.

Wang Shuyuan waved his hand and inscribed ancient characters in the air. He then sent those characters into both his own soul blood and Ye Xuan’s.

Waves of qi spread throughout the room. Wang Shuyuan took Ye Xuan’s soul blood, while Ye Xuan took Wang Shuyuan’s.

Both of them then absorbed the other’s soul blood into their respective bodies.

"The Soul Blood Oath has been established. If either of us destroys the other’s soul blood, we will both die," Wang Shuyuan explained.

"But what if I die?" Ye Xuan asked.

"Then I will die as well," Wang Shuyuan explained.

Ye Xuan was stunned. Although he had proposed the Soul Blood Oath, he had not fully considered its implications.

Since Wang Shuyuan’s life was now tied to his own, Ye Xuan would have to be careful from this point onward. If he died, Wang Shuyuan would die with him.

Even so, he was somewhat puzzled by the man. Wang Shuyuan must have understood the consequences, yet he had agreed to the oath anyway.

It was as though he were wagering his life on a cultivator who had only just reached Foundation Establishment.

What made him so confident in Ye Xuan?

"We should settle our business as soon as possible so your life won’t be endangered by me," Ye Xuan said.

"Indeed," Wang Shuyuan replied.

"I need your help. This concerns water-element essence."

Wang Shuyuan explained that his current condition prevented him from leaving the pagoda.

If he attempted to do so, the Vajra Life-Exiling Seal might drain his vitality completely.

If he died, Ye Xuan would die as well. His only choice was to place his hopes in Ye Xuan and trust him.

"To wear down the power of the Vajra Seal, I need water-element essence to restore my body. If I obtain enough of it, I can weaken the seal on my own," Wang Shuyuan explained.

"You must help me obtain water-element essence so I can recover. If you succeed, I will teach you everything about formations and seals."

Ye Xuan fell silent for a moment. Perhaps he could ask Qingyu to multiply the amount of water-element essence, but he did not know whether she would agree.

After all, the white snake still knew nothing about his Infinite Return System.

Still, there was no harm in trying. Qingyu might be willing to help, and that would be a great advantage to him in the future.

"Does Senior know where I can obtain a large amount of water-element essence?" Ye Xuan asked.

"There is a city in the north, near the Ocean Sword Sect. It is also close to a harbor, and the water element is quite dominant in that area."

"Try going there and obtaining some water-element essence for me," Wang Shuyuan replied.

Ye Xuan immediately opened his map of the Xiao Empire and searched for the city near the Ocean Sword Sect.

He soon found it. The city’s name was Shunxi City.

"Once I obtain the water-element essence, should I bring it here?" Ye Xuan asked.

Wang Shuyuan smiled, then extended his hand and conjured a sea-blue token. He handed it to Ye Xuan, who promptly caught it.

"That is a teleportation token. Use it to summon a teleportation formation connected to my pagoda. However, remember that you can only activate the formation within a range of one thousand li."

"Otherwise, you won’t be able to activate it," Wang Shuyuan replied.

Ye Xuan fell silent for a moment before clearing his throat in acknowledgment and storing the teleportation token in his bag of holding.

He brought his hands together in a respectful salute and bowed his head.

"This Junior will help you obtain the water-element essence, Senior Wang."

"Very well," Wang Shuyuan replied. "Take good care of yourself, Junior."