Volume Three: Two Blossoms on One Stem, Alone and Unyielding Chapter Nineteen: The Divine Stone

Lang Xian and Yuan Ji, upon hearing this, seemed not to comprehend the words of the Elder Huang. The two exchanged bewildered glances, eyes wide with confusion.

Lang Xian asked, his voice trembling slightly, “He just vanished like that? Left nothing behind at all?”

Elder Huang replied, “Nothing but that pair of Luminous Moon Stones and the Moonlight Stone. Nothing else.”

Yuan Ji said, “I know that cultivators above the ninth rank of the Divine Stage can tear through the void and traverse to neighboring realms, but such acts always leave a trace that can be tracked. Some ancient artifacts, like the Desolation Cauldron of the Xuanhuang clan, can rend the void without leaving any trace at all.”

Lang Xian disagreed, “No, what the elder just described clearly isn’t someone tearing the void and leaving. It’s that a silver sphere appeared here out of thin air, and the sphere could be passed through. The two are absolutely different.”

Huang Yu spoke, “I feel like my father went through a mountain cave and arrived at another place. My mother believes the same. That’s why she refuses to let anyone set up a memorial tablet for him at home.”

Lang Xian smacked his lips and said, “The world is full of strange and inexplicable things, truly beyond counting.”

But Yuan Ji had a different view. He said, “I just feel this is no coincidence. It seems as if everything was arranged by some unseen hand. Why didn’t the sphere appear from the start? Why did it appear only this once and not at every Stone Festival? And why did Huang Yu’s father vanish as soon as he entered? Don’t you all see how many questions there are here?”

Lang Xian lowered his head in thought, unable to find any clue, and simply comforted Yuan Ji, “Matters such as these are not for small men like us to unravel. The mysteries of fate must not be revealed.”

At that moment, Huang Yu, leading the way at the front, suddenly called out, “Grandfather, we’ve arrived!” With that, he dashed straight into the darkness ahead.

Deprived of their light, the other three had no choice but to stop and wait where they stood. Yuan Ji asked Elder Huang in agitation, “General Huang, why did Huang Yu run off like that?”

Elder Huang chuckled, “He’s gone to light the lamps in the great hall.”

Lang Xian, somewhat reproachful that Huang Yu had left them in the pitch dark, protested, “This great hall can hold over ten thousand people—how long will it take him alone to light all the torches? Why not let us go together? It’d be faster, at least.”

Elder Huang simply laughed again, “Though the Hall of Ten Thousand may be vast, Yu alone is more than enough to light it.”

Even as Yuan Ji and Lang Xian were finding this hard to believe, a scene unfolded before them that truly defied belief. They saw the tiny glow from Huang Yu’s torch flickering in the distance. He seemed to ignite something before him, and then a brazier was set ablaze.

Beneath the brazier ran a channel, shaped like a watercourse, filled with oil. As soon as the brazier was lit, the channel caught fire as well. In an instant, a dragon of flame surged along its length. When the fire reached a fork, it split into three separate channels, each igniting in turn, and the flames raced outward, further and further.

The fire dragon divided and divided again, extending and branching out. In less than the time it takes for half a stick of incense to burn, the entire great hall was lit as if it were broad daylight.

Elder Huang glanced back at the gaping Yuan Ji and Lang Xian and said with a genial smile, “Gentlemen, please.”

It was only then that the two recovered some measure of composure. They nodded woodenly and followed Elder Huang into the hall.

As they walked, they gazed about this peerless masterpiece of the Zhuyuan clan. In the center of the sanctuary, countless colossal wooden columns stood, so thick that three or four people together would be needed to encircle each one. Every column soared upward, vanishing into impenetrable darkness above, making it impossible to estimate the height of the hall. Each pillar was adorned with intricate patterns—images of the myriad sacred birds of Zhuyuan. Most astonishing of all, the eyes of every sacred bird were encrusted with sparkling gems, so lifelike that one felt the birds might come alive at any moment.

Lang Xian exclaimed in admiration, “What magnificent beams and carved rafters—this Sacred Hall of Zhuyuan seems wrought by the hand of heaven itself!”

Yuan Ji, less eloquent, could only wave his large hands in amazement, repeating, “So grand, so beautiful,” and similar phrases.

Yuan Ji leaned over to Huang Yu and asked, “Brother Huang Yu, what are those glittering things set in the eyes of every sacred bird? They look wonderful.”

Huang Yu replied with pride, “Just look at them! Those are all Luminous Moon Stones.”

Lang Xian was startled, exclaiming, “What did you say? You mean those glowing stones are all Luminous Moon Stones?”

Huang Yu nodded with a smile.

Lang Xian, in disbelief, said, “I’ve heard that the quality of a Spirit-Calming Pearl is determined by the Luminous Moon Stone at its core, and that these stones glow when exposed to light. The brighter they shine, the more they’ve absorbed the essence of the Golden Sun. Though the hall blazes with fire, it’s these radiant stones that lend it its sacred air—without them, the hall would lack that sense of sanctity.”

Yuan Ji was also deeply moved, “A dull, mortal-grade Luminous Moon Stone fetches ten gold coins on Zhengyang Street in Changshan. A spirit-grade one sells for over a hundred—yet even that emits only the faintest glow. The dazzling celestial- and divine-grade stones here can’t even be found on the black market; if one appears, blood will flow, even nations will wage war for it. A single celestial-grade Luminous Moon Stone is a treasure all descendants of the immortals dream of possessing!”

Elder Huang spoke gravely, “That’s why this place must never be revealed to outsiders. If the Sacred Hall of Zhuyuan were exposed, not only would our entire clan be doomed, but all of Lanling Void would face an unprecedented calamity.”

Lang Xian, hearing this, suddenly lifted his head and, after a moment’s thought, fell silent once more.

Huang Yu led them beneath the colossal idol in the sanctuary, its figure immense, face stern, clad in heavy armor, sword in hand, eyes gazing down with piercing intensity at the four below.

Huang Yu knelt and bowed before the idol, then quickly rose and helped his grandfather forward to do the same. When Elder Huang had finished his devotions, he said to Yuan Ji and Lang Xian, “When our ancestor built this sanctuary, he erected this idol in gratitude to the Stone God who each year bestows these stones upon our clan. You, as descendants of Zhuyuan, should also come and pay your respects.”

The two nodded, stepped forward, and solemnly knocked their heads three times before the towering Stone God.

Elder Huang said, “You’ve seen the sanctuary. On the fifteenth of the seventh month, bring your men here—I’ll have my grandson lead you. For now, let’s return.”

Both agreed. Huang Yu went to the first brazier he’d lit and pressed a hidden lever. Gradually, the flaming dragons dwindled and were finally extinguished.

Without further conversation, they made their way back to the village.

Within the Celestial Palace atop the clouds, inside the Hall of Spiritual Perception, Zhuo Hua was conferring with the four palace lords. The Azure Dragon Palace Lord, Jiao Mu Jiao, stepped forward and reported, “Your Eminence, word has come from the immortal clans below: ever since Yuan Kang vanished, the worshippers of the Sun Cult have disappeared as well, leaving scarcely a trace across the continents. The clans request instructions—should they continue the search for Sun Cult members?”

Zhuo Hua glanced at the four, then said gravely, “The Sun Cult’s headquarters was destroyed, Yuan Kang is trapped in the Clouded Void. By rights, the cult should be leaderless and in disarray. Yet, clearly, they have withdrawn in an organized, deliberate fashion, hiding right under our noses. Searching for them now is like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

The White Tiger Palace Lord, Kui Mu Lang, said, “Your Eminence, I believe we should not launch a large-scale search at this time, as it will only make them more vigilant. My suggestion is to halt the official hunt, and instead investigate quietly. Once they let down their guard and expose themselves, the Cloud Palace can set a net and catch them all at once.”

The Black Tortoise Palace Lord, Dou Mu Xie, concurred, “Indeed, a public search wastes the resources of the immortal clans and achieves little. Quiet investigation may yield better results.”

Zhuo Hua nodded, agreeing with their views, “Indeed, their deliberate concealment suggests things are far from simple. Additionally, the eagle scouts report a force of about a thousand has been spotted in the great southern jungles of South Yan Continent, which matches our previous suspicions regarding the southern movement of the Spirit-Helm Army. We must not allow the Dark Wail Clan to infiltrate Lanling Void.”

Zhuo Hua addressed Jiao Mu Jiao and Jing Mu Han, “Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird Palaces, hear my command: your constellations are to march day and night to South Yan Continent and destroy the Spirit-Helm Army. Do not fail.”

Jiao Mu Jiao and Jing Mu Han both bowed in unison, “We shall not fail!”

Zhuo Hua continued, “This time, Lan Sheng will serve as vanguard. You will lead the Four Guards of Cloud, Rain, Wind, and Snow—one thousand in total—to follow and reinforce. The rebels must be eliminated before the Dark Wail Clan descends.”

They again replied as one, “At your command!”

Zhuo Hua then instructed Kui Mu Lang and Dou Mu Xie, “The purging of the remnants of the Dragon and Shark clans is entrusted to you both. The defense of Cloud Palace must not be neglected either—the duty of watching the heavens cannot be ignored!”

Kui Mu Lang saluted, “Understood! The White Tiger Palace will give its utmost.”

Dou Mu Xie replied nervously, “Rest assured, Your Eminence, the Star Lords of Black Tortoise Palace will fulfill their duties and not disappoint you.”

Zhuo Hua nodded and, with a deep voice, addressed the four, “This is a moment of life and death; the fate of Cloud Palace and even the void itself rests upon you all. If there is nothing else, the session is adjourned.”

The four palace lords acknowledged the command and took their leave from the Hall of Spiritual Perception. Zhuo Hua was left alone, seated in the vast, empty hall. The slanting rays of sunset spilled through the great doors, illuminating the Imperial Steps, but leaving Zhuo Hua himself shrouded in darkness.