Chapter 22: Open Heaven Gate

After a while, in a certain courtyard of the officials’ residence in Yangyuan City, inside the lounge.

“That’s how it is! I really didn’t expect that guy to suddenly unleash such force. It was a bit of a miscalculation.”

“I see…”

After Vilyric roughly explained the situation, Miss Ling Feng, who had initially felt a bit unsatisfied due to her overly impressive performance, quickly let go of her grievances and nodded in understanding.

“This technique of releasing power several times stronger than usual in an instant is rare even among the many sects of the Western Ling Kingdom. It reminds me of an ancient legacy from the Dongyuanzhi Kingdom that was once renowned but has now fallen into disrepair.”

“The supreme skill is called [Open Heaven Palm]. Though the term ‘Open Heaven’ might be a bit exaggerated, according to the records, it truly can unleash a user’s full strength in an instant, without needing to gather energy or prepare, capable of opening the heavens within a mere space.”

“Are you saying that Murong Yun is the heir of [Open Heaven Palm]? But as far as I know, this legacy faced great disaster. The sect was destroyed overnight by a mysterious enemy, and its disciples were either assassinated or died suddenly, vanishing for at least a hundred years. How could that be…”

Glancing at Bai’er, who expressed such doubts, Ling Feng simply remained noncommittal.

“Worldly affairs are unpredictable, just like no one could have expected the once-flourishing [Open Heaven Gate] to be wiped out overnight. Perhaps, out of our sight, that ancient legacy continues to survive, hidden for certain reasons.”

“The annihilation of Open Heaven Gate has long been one of the major mysteries of the Ancient Spirit Realm. This matter likely involves many deeper layers. If we have the chance, we could try to reach out to this Mr. Murong Yun further to see if we can…”

“Dududu.”

While they were discussing, a knocking sound came from outside.

The three women exchanged glances, each adjusting their expressions before Ling Feng spoke clearly.

“Please come in.”

The unlocked wooden door opened gently, and led by Prefect Wen Fu, three figures entered, carrying candles into the already darkened evening.

Besides the Prefect, one of them was the aforementioned Murong Yun, and another was a plainly dressed woman—the priestess—whom they had not seen before.

She wore a fitted light-colored robe that seemed to suggest she was around thirty years old. While she might not be considered young, she still had an attractive appearance, with fair skin and bright eyes, embodying the charm of a mature woman.

…This person is stronger than Murong Yun.

Just from her first glance, Miss Vilyric had already come to that conclusion.

Based on the evaluation standards of the Ancient Spirit Realm, she likely already reached the true realm of [Seeking Immortality].

Not merely superficial elements like vitality or aura, but from this woman, Vilyric could even sense a faint, yet profound wave that approached divine consciousness. Though it was nowhere near that of a true god, the ability to emit such an esoteric aura meant her strength was definitely above that of an ordinary warrior.

An insurance… or something like that.

While they were sizing each other up, the Prefect had already instructed the guards to close the door again, placed the candles on the table, nodded in greeting, and everyone took their seats, smiling and engaging in conversation.

“Thank you for waiting, ladies. I would like to formally introduce this Mr. Murong Yun, who has discovered the traces of the sacred beast Qilin in the western Tidal Valley of our city. Moreover, he will be in charge of the field command for the upcoming first investigation team.”

Upon hearing this, the three women immediately showed signs of surprise.

So this guy is the one?

They initially thought he was just some high-level henchman invited by the Prefect… this saved them quite a bit of time and effort in digging for information.

After Murong Yun returned the greeting, Wen Fu raised his hand to introduce the middle-aged beauty in the robe, and his expression became noticeably more serious.

“This is Lady Qin Xuan, the current chief of the Yin Yang Division in Yangyuan County.”

Once he finished this sentence, the Prefect had nothing more to say. It was obvious he wasn’t reluctant to continue introducing her. Perhaps he simply didn’t know that much about her and didn’t dare to speak freely.

This Qin Xuan clearly wasn’t a character initially planned to appear here.

But… the Yin Yang Division, huh?

Casting a surreptitious glance at Ling Feng and Bai’er beside her, Vilyric noticed they maintained calm expressions, seemingly not feeling tense or troubled by her presence. The priestess also said nothing more.

That beautiful woman, Qin Xuan, quickly nodded and gracefully greeted the three, diving straight into the topic.

“I am Qin Xuan, the current chief of the Yin Yang Division. I heard about a visitor from the [Same Longevity] realm during the recruitment earlier today. May I ask which friend it is? Which sect do they belong to?”

“…?”

Miss Vilyric and her companions exchanged perplexed looks.

Normally, wouldn’t you start with some polite small talk before slowly probing into identities…?

Although the priestess didn’t mind skipping the pleasantries and getting straight to the point, the way the other person spoke felt a bit like interrogating a suspect, which was rather uncomfortable.

She could use some refinement in her conversational skills.

Fortunately, among them, someone was indeed better at handling words.

Noticing the unusual expression on some black-haired girl’s face, Prefect Wen Fu hurriedly stepped forward, half-pushing, half-hiding Qin Xuan behind him. He tried to put on a face that looked dignified yet apologetic, forcing a smile and saying,

“Uh… Lady Qin Xuan has spent many years in the division and isn’t versed in external matters. She only handles demon-slaying, so if her words seem offensive, I hope the three of you will forgive her. She truly means no harm.”

“Wait, Lord Wen Fu, when did I offend…”

“Shh!”

Even though things had already escalated to this point, that middle-aged woman still appeared somewhat bewildered and was about to say something more. Sitting on the other side, Murong Yun had to quickly tug at her sleeve, silently pleading for her not to add fuel to the fire.

Pfft… these three characters are quite interesting.

In her heart, Vilyric understood that their overly cautious demeanor stemmed from her display of “profound cultivation” earlier. After all, powerful beings, especially those who have reached the peak of greatness, are highly respected and valued everywhere.

In fact, she had overheard all of Wen Fu’s and that old man’s conversation earlier.

The [Same Longevity] realm, according to their terminology, likely refers to transcendent-level experts from another continent. Though they are called immortals or saints, there are still mortals like that white-bearded old doctor, Wang Yanglin, who liked to address them as “immortal, immortal”, but in essence, it’s just another aspect of being a mortal.

They didn’t know that based on Vilyric’s daily observations, Ling Feng was probably also a powerful being from the [Same Longevity] realm; she just hadn’t made it particularly obvious.

The [Same Longevity] realm does not signify immortality. According to the book “Lingyin Seeking Immortality Records” gifted by Zeng Zhuang, only those who break through the upper and lower eight realms can truly be called “immortals,” and such true immortals…

Only exist on Lingyin Fairy Island.

Thus, people flock to ascend the island, seeking a thread of immortal fate.

Though it may not sound remarkable at first glance, in reality, those cultivators who could detach from the mundane and reach above the [Same Longevity] realm are certainly not everywhere in the Ancient Spirit Realm. So far, Vilyric had only seen Ling Feng as the sole individual.

Even the chief of Yin Yang Division, Lady Qin Xuan, was still some distance from that realm.

Due to the differing circumstances of the two continents, Vilyric didn’t dare to make assumptions about the number of higher-level experts here, but those who regard mundane wealth and fame as worthless are likely very few and far between.

Therefore, Vilyric could fully understand the cautious attitude displayed by Wen Fu and the others.

   

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