Chapter 947 - 32: Entering the Young Palace, Presenting a Small Gift (Second Update)

Chapter 947: Chapter 32: Entering the Young Palace, Presenting a Small Gift (Second Update)

The elderly man looking at the lamp froze for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

His sudden laughter puzzled Mu Qingge slightly, but she did not interrupt. She patiently waited until he finished laughing and then seriously asked, "Please enlighten me, senior."

The elderly man slowly nodded, paused for a moment, and then spoke admiringly, "Those who ask this question are usually already at the Spirit Cave Realm Ninth Layer."

Mu Qingge’s eyes narrowed slightly, "Does senior think I’m asking too early?"

The elderly man shook his head slowly, gave a non-direct response, "You have truly given me too many surprises, too many unexpected things!"

Mu Qingge furrowed her brow.

"If you want to know, I’ll tell you. Actually, this question should neither be asked too early, like at the Spirit Void Realm, nor too late, like at the Spirit Cave Realm Ninth Layer. Your timing in asking is quite appropriate," the elderly man said in a profound manner.

Mu Qingge listened seriously without interrupting.

This is her strength; in conversations, especially when seeking advice, she generally doesn’t interrupt the speaker. Even if she has doubts, she waits until the other person finishes speaking before asking.

Having spent six months together, the old man had come to understand her temperament somewhat and greatly admired her.

"Do you know the saying ’All roads lead to the same destination’?" the elderly man asked.

All roads lead to the same destination?

Mu Qingge nodded; of course, she had heard it and understood the meaning of those four words.

"Do you also know why those with a Spirit Root can cultivate?" the elderly man asked again.

This point...

Mu Qingge slowly shook her head; she truly wasn’t sure.

The elderly man explained, "Let me tell you this way: having a Spirit Root means you’re naturally perceptive to certain kinds of principles. Therefore, entering the path of cultivation makes it easier for you to master certain types of principles. For example, your Fire Spirit Root enables you to understand fire better than the average person, making the comprehension of fire principles, Laws, and magic easier. Those without a Spirit Root can still cultivate, but their perception is very poor, and before they comprehend some basic things, their lifespan ends."

Mu Qingge nodded.

The elderly man’s explanation was straightforward, giving her a clear concept.

"Regarding your previous question about whether magic is inseparable from Spirit Root, the answer is no. After entering the Saint Realm, one’s Divine Sense is strong enough, perception improves, allowing one to comprehend other principles. The myriad paths ultimately lead to the same destination; mastering the essence means mastering all the ways of the world," the elderly man said.

After hearing this, Mu Qingge muttered, "One gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, three gives rise to myriad things, infinitely endless. Tracing back, it actually all comes down to one."

The elderly man’s eyes lit up with surprise, "Well said! Isn’t the fundamental essence just one?"

Mu Qingge lifted her gaze, her clear eyes meeting the elder’s.

Under her gaze, the elderly man sighed slightly, "I almost forgot; your Divine Sense has long surpassed the Spirit Cave Realm, entering the Saint Realm. Your achievements are destined to be extraordinary."

That night, Mu Qingge conversed with the elder until dawn before departing.

She gained a lot from their night of conversation.

Cultivation on the Divine Demon Continent was even more mysterious than she had imagined. It was different from the Middle Ancient Realm and the Linchuan Realm.

No wonder there was a distinction between God and mortal.

Returning to the cave residence, Mu Qingge prepared to bid farewell to Tong Teng. As for packing... she really had nothing much to gather.

"Boss, when you go to the Young Palace, will you forget your little brother here?" Tong Teng said reluctantly.

Having ascended alone from the Lower Realm, during this period, apart from Su Ming at Tianya Residence, Mu Qingge was his only friend, and she was someone he greatly respected as his boss. With the sudden departure, even though they remained in the Huan Yue Domain, he couldn’t help but feel inexplicable sadness.

"I’ll visit you often," Mu Qingge assured him.

Tong Teng nodded, promising Mu Qingge, "Boss, I will certainly strive to cultivate hard, so that when you next see me, I’ll be out of this blue robe and wearing white."

"Alright." Mu Qingge nodded.

Zhuang Shan stood behind them, waiting for their chat to finish before smiling and approaching Mu Qingge, saying, "Third Young Palace, it’s getting late; let’s go."

He was Mu Qingge’s guiding senior; it was natural for him to lead the way today.

"Brother Zhuang Shan, although my boss is impressive, having just ascended, entering the Young Palace and facing other juniors, I ask that you look out for him so that he doesn’t get bullied," Tong Teng beseeched Zhuang Shan. This youngster hadn’t forgotten that during the challenge, several Palace disciples were dissatisfied with Mu Qingge.

Tong Teng’s request to Zhuang Shan surprised Mu Qingge; she hadn’t expected him to say such words.

But Zhuang Shan just smiled and said to Tong Teng, "Don’t worry, no one can bully your eldest brother."

Saying goodbye to Tong Teng, Zhuang Shan led Mu Qingge to the Young Palace outside the Divine Emperor Palace.

There are ten Young Palaces, each occupying a mountain, with varying heights and undulating peaks, but all are places abundant with divine power and beautiful scenery. Mu Qingge was staying in the Third Young Palace, a considerable distance from Zhuang Shan’s Tenth one. According to the ranking, the distances of these ten Young Palaces from the Divine Emperor Palace also vary.

The nearest is naturally the Young Palace of the Eldest Young Master, and the farthest is Zhuang Shan’s Tenth Young Palace.

"We’re here." Zhuang Shan landed on the platform of the Third Young Palace with Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge looked around attentively.

Here, it is still constructed according to the shape of the mountain. Where they were standing was like a square in front of a hall. The ground was paved with jade stones, neatly arranged. At intervals along the edges, Jade Pillar Palace Lamps stood. Beneath their feet was billowing mist, its depth unknown.

The Young Palace isn’t big, after all, it only houses one person.

Here, divine power is ever-present, keeping it perpetually clean and dust-free, so there’s no need for servants to clean. As for food and drink... why would a cultivator worry about such mundane desires?

"Each Young Palace is fortified with array formations. If you wish to enter a closed-door cultivation and not be disturbed, you can activate the array, so aside from the Divine Emperor, no one can intrude or disrupt you. The key to activating the array is your Young Palace Token," Zhuang Shan explained to Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge nodded, somewhat surprised in her heart.

"Brother Zhuang Shan, are there any books on array formations in the domain? Or are there any masters proficient in arrays?" Mu Qingge asked.

In regards to array formation restrictions, she has always been self-taught and learned mostly from the Divine Tomb Array Mountain. If there are array masters in the Huan Yue Domain, it would be a good thing for her.

However, Zhuang Shan shook his head and said, "Studying array formation restrictions is truly time-consuming and mentally taxing, very few choose this niche path. There are books, if you’re interested, you can peruse them, but don’t immerse yourself too deeply lest it hinders your cultivation. As for array masters, in the Huan Yue Domain, the one who knows the most about arrays is the Divine Emperor."

Zhuang Shan’s explanation gradually made Mu Qingge understand why the path of array formation restrictions is gradually being lost. Because in the minds of these divine cultivators, array restrictions are considered a minor path, not worth the effort and time to master.

Without transmission and successors, any skill will eventually become lost or disappear.

Feeling a moment of regret, Mu Qingge followed Zhuang Shan into the Young Palace.

The Young Palace is divided into three sections: the front hall, the middle hall, and the back hall.

The front hall is generally for receiving guests, the middle hall is for daily living, and the back hall, also called the back chamber, is for closed-door cultivation.

Zhuang Shan informed her that the entire Young Palace Mountain, besides having a large Sealing Mountain Array outside, also has two smaller arrays in the back hall. One is a defensive array to prevent outsiders from intruding, and the other is the Gathering God Array to accumulate divine power from the mountains.

Hearing this, Mu Qingge felt that the status of being one of the top ten disciples was indeed worth it!

Having explained everything, Zhuang Shan exited Mu Qingge’s Young Palace and said to her, "Now, you are the Third Young of the Huan Yue Domain. If you wish to go out of the Divine Domain, travel to various places, or visit other Divine Domains and Lands, you can use this title. Even if someone is displeased with your surname and wants to cause trouble for you, they have to consider whether they can afford to provoke the Huan Yue Domain."

"Thank you, Brother Zhuang Shan." This gratitude was genuinely expressed by Mu Qingge. It can be said that among all the people she knew, Zhuang Shan is the one she has thanked most. But, it is not flattery, but genuine sincerity.

If she hadn’t met Zhuang Shan, she would have surely taken many detours.

Zhuang Shan laughed and said, "Why thank me? Everything you mentioned today is what you’ve earned through your own efforts."

...

Zhuang Shan was preparing to leave when Mu Qingge said, "Brother, do you have any urgent matters? If not, could you accompany me to visit the other Young Palaces?"

"You want to visit the other Young Palaces?" Zhuang Shan asked in surprise. Before this, he did not know Mu Qingge had this idea.

Mu Qingge nodded, "After all, I am now also one of the top ten disciples, and I should get to know the other eight people."

"This..." Zhuang Shan frowned, showing a hint of difficulty.

"What? Is it inconvenient for you, Brother?" Mu Qingge asked.

Zhuang Shan slowly shook his head, frowning, "It’s not inconvenient for me. It’s just that before you, Qian Shui was the Third Young for a long time, and our ten positions haven’t changed for centuries. Although we seldom interact on a daily basis, there is still some camaraderie. Now that Qian Shui has left and you’ve become the Third Young, many people are dissatisfied both externally and internally. Are you sure you want to meet them at this time?"

Mu Qingge nodded, "Precisely because of this, I want to pay each of them a visit."

"In this half year, even if they are dissatisfied, there’s nothing they can do. Why subject yourself to insult?" Zhuang Shan asked, puzzled.

Mu Qingge smiled and explained, "I really like the Huan Yue Domain, and I consider it my home in the Divine Land. This competition for the top ten disciple position was indeed due to my personal reasons, and I won through some cleverness, causing Qian Shui to feel aggrieved. It’s natural for them to be dissatisfied. However, since we are all fellow top ten disciples now, having grudges and barriers isn’t good. So, after settling into the Young Palace today, I thought I’d visit them, bring a small gift, and not appear impolite."

Her words were quite reasonable, leaving Zhuang Shan unable to refute, and he reluctantly nodded in agreement.

Yet, he didn’t know that Mu Qingge’s real intention was simply to reduce the hassle six months later. She truly did not have the time to deal with a series of challenges.