Chapter 96: Chapter 96 - The Three-Day Rest and the Sealed World

For the next three days, Su Bai rested.

Naturally, his idea of resting was slightly different from ordinary people.

On the first day, he went down the mountain and visited Grand Radiance City with Liu Meng.

Compared to the tense atmosphere from before, Grand Radiance City now felt much calmer. The number of suspicious gazes had decreased greatly. There were still spies hiding in tea houses, inns, and shops, but they no longer felt as invasive as before.

At the very least, no one was staring at Su Bai as if waiting for him to cough up a secret treasure.

Liu Meng walked beside Su Bai, looking around curiously.

"Senior Brother, what do you want to buy for the Mystic Realm?"

Su Bai thought seriously.

"Useful things."

The two bought travel supplies, blank jade slips, and a few containers that could preserve herbs.

Liu Meng also bought several kinds of medicinal powder ingredients.

After walking around for a while, they arrived at the Liu Family Auction House.

The moment they entered, a familiar pretty clerk quickly came forward.

Xiao Ran.

"Prin—! Sister Meng and Senior Su! Welcome!"

Liu Meng smiled.

"Xiao Ran, we came to see if there are any useful materials."

Xiao Ran nodded immediately.

"Everything has already been prepared."

Su Bai paused. ’Prepared?’

Xiao Ran turned slightly and gestured for another clerk to bring out several sealed boxes.

When the boxes were opened, Su Bai immediately smelled a familiar scent.

Pill dregs.

Su Bai’s eyes softened.

Xiao Ran lowered her voice. "As instructed by Sister Meng, I have had people collect them regularly."

Su Bai stared at the boxes then at the two women.

"Thank you, both of you."

Xiao Ran’s eyes brightened.

Liu Meng’s face blushed a little.

Soon, Xiao Ran introduced a few other items suitable for Mystic Realm exploration, such as warning talismans, sealing bottles, insect-repelling incense, and simple formation flags.

Su Bai bought some of them.

After leaving the auction house, both of them returned to Radiant Sky Sect.

His first day of rest ended peacefully.

...

On the second day, Su Bai held another Office Hours.

They greeted Su Bai in unison.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Su!"

Su Bai looked at them.

The disciples’ eyes were different.

The sect competition had clearly left a deep impression on them.

Before, many Outer Sect disciples respected Su Bai because he taught well and helped them solve cultivation problems.

Now, it was different.

Senior Brother Su was not only a good teacher. He could also fight.

In the cultivation world, this mattered greatly.

A teacher who understood theory was respected.

A teacher who could use that theory to frighten a Nascent Soul Shadow Beast was respected even more.

Su Bai sat down.

"Come."

He taught them for a while, then cleared their meridians that had become clogged once again.

He had originally thought the number of blockages would lessen after his previous Office Hours.

But clearly, it had multiplied.

Soon, Yan’er came forward.

She sat down obediently in front of Su Bai and held out her small wrist.

"Senior Brother Su."

Su Bai looked at her and smiled.

"You broke through?"

Yan’er’s eyes brightened.

"Yes! Qi Refining First Stage!"

The senior sisters behind her were even happier than she was.

"Yan’er worked very hard!"

"She meditates every day."

"She also reads the basic scripture carefully."

Yan’er’s face turned red.

"Senior Sisters!"

Su Bai almost laughed.

He checked Yan’er’s meridians carefully.

Then his expression softened.

There were blockages.

Yan’er had mixed spirit roots. Her cultivation speed would naturally be slower than disciples with purer spirit roots. If she ate pills, even low-grade ones, some residue would easily gather in her meridians.

But as long as Su Bai existed, he would not let her meridians stay clogged for long.

He gently absorbed the blockages using Devouring Maw.

Yan’er blinked.

Then she lowered her head and looked at her hands.

"It feels lighter."

"That is good," Su Bai said.

After Office Hours ended, the disciples bowed and left reluctantly.

Yan’er stayed behind with the senior sisters who had been taking care of her.

Su Bai looked at Yan’er and said, "For some time, I may not be able to see you often."

Yan’er looked up.

Su Bai continued, "I have to enter sect training. After that, I will leave for the Mystic Realm."

Yan’er’s expression dimmed slightly, then she quickly nodded.

"Senior Brother Su has important things to do."

Su Bai’s heart softened.

Yan’er was young, but she was very considerate.

He took out a small storage pouch and handed it to her.

"Take this."

Yan’er accepted it carefully.

"What is it?"

"Spirit stones," Su Bai said. "Use them to buy what you need. They can also help with cultivation."

Yan’er opened the pouch and looked inside.

A dozen High-Grade Spirit Stones lay quietly within.

The senior sisters behind her froze.

Yan’er did not understand the value.

She only knew that Su Bai had given her something. So she hugged the pouch carefully and beamed.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Su!"

Su Bai smiled and patted her head.

To Yan’er, anything he gave was important. That was enough.

Then Su Bai looked at the senior sisters.

He took out several more High-Grade Spirit Stones.

"One each."

The senior sisters stiffened.

Their faces turned pale.

"Senior Brother Su, we cannot accept this!"

"We take care of Yan’er because we like her. It is not for payment."

"Senior Brother, this is too precious."

Su Bai shook his head.

"This is not only thanks."

The senior sisters became quiet.

Su Bai continued, "During the time I am away, please help me protect her. If she lacks anything, help her buy it. If anyone troubles her, send a message to the Disciplinary Hall."

The senior sisters looked at the spirit stones, then at Yan’er.

Their eyes slowly turned red. To them, one High-Grade Spirit Stone was not a small reward. It was an opportunity.

Resources, pills, tools, cultivation time.

For Outer Sect disciples, all of these mattered.

They finally accepted the spirit stones with trembling hands.

Then they clasped their hands together.

"We will not fail Senior Brother Su’s expectations!"

Their voices were serious.

Yan’er quickly copied them and clasped her hands too.

"I will not fail Senior Brother Su’s expectations!"

Su Bai finally could not help smiling.

Yan’er did not even know what expectation she was promising not to fail, but she said it very seriously.

That made it even harder not to laugh.

...

On the third day, Su Bai truly rested.

He cultivated lightly. He sorted his system inventory. He counted the pill dregs.

By the time the third day ended, the summons finally arrived.

The five Mystic Realm disciples were ordered to gather before the Sect Master.

...

Su Bai arrived at the appointed place.

Ji Ruyue was already there.

Han Yuelin arrived soon after, carrying his sword and looking far too excited for someone going to a dangerous training ground.

Qin Baoshan came with his shield on his back. The shield looked slightly different from before. Some of the edges had been adjusted, and several new formation lines had been added.

Clearly, he had not been idle during the three days.

Liu Meng arrived last, slightly out of breath.

Everyone had their own preparations.

Soon, Li Xuanzong appeared.

The five disciples immediately clasped their hands.

"Greetings, Sect Master."

Li Xuanzong nodded.

"You have all rested?"

No one answered too confidently.

Li Xuanzong seemed to understand and did not ask further.

"Follow me."

He did not explain more.

He turned and led them toward Slumbering Ancestor Peak.

The five followed behind him.

Su Bai looked ahead.

He had been here before, but this time was different.

Last time, he had come to absorb Twilight Qi.

This time, the Sect Master was leading them to meet the ancestors.

Eventually, Li Xuanzong stopped before the central mausoleum.

The structure was ancient and quiet.

Li Xuanzong faced the mausoleum and bowed deeply.

The five disciples immediately bowed as well.

Then, the Sect Master spoke respectfully.

"Disciples of the current generation have arrived by order of the sect. We respectfully request the ancestors to open the Ancestral Sanctum."

For several breaths, there was no answer.

Rows of ice coffins rested in the inner sanctum. Each coffin was covered in thin frost, and within each one lay an old figure whose aura was faint but immeasurably deep.

Then, one by one, the ice coffin lids shifted.

Cold air spilled across the floor.

Old men and women slowly sat up from within the coffins.

Their faces were covered in wrinkles. Their hair was white. Their bodies looked thin and aged. But the pressure they released was vast.

The five disciples felt their chests tighten.

Li Xuanzong bowed again.

"Li Xuanzong greets the ancestors."

The five disciples bowed deeply.

"Disciples greet the ancestors."

The ancestors looked over them quietly.

Their eyes were not fully opened. Some only had thin slits of light beneath their eyelids. They did not fully wake themselves.

Su Bai understood the reason.

Fully opening their eyes and awakening their bodies would burn more of their remaining lifespan. Instead, they were likely observing the five with a faint thread of spirit sense.

Several gazes passed over the disciples.

Finally, those ancient gazes stopped on Su Bai.

For a moment, the pressure around Su Bai changed.

The ancestors recognized him. They recognized his Qi signature.

They recognized the disciple who had absorbed the Twilight Qi from Slumbering Ancestor Peak.

One elderly matriarch looked at him for a long moment.

Then she gave a faint nod.

"Good child."

Su Bai immediately bowed lower.

The old patriarch finally spoke.

"Let us not delay. The children must enter while the gate is stable."

The other ancestors nodded.

Then they moved.

Slowly, they rose from their coffins.

Their steps were light, but each step seemed to press against the space around them.

Li Xuanzong led the five disciples deeper into the mausoleum.

At the end of the hall stood a massive black jade casket.

The surface was carved with countless tiny runes. Some resembled clouds. Some resembled suns. Some resembled mountains, swords, flames, rivers, and stars.

At the center of the casket lid was the ancient emblem of Radiant Sky Sect.

A rising sun surrounded by layered clouds.

The ancestors formed a circle around the black jade casket.

Li Xuanzong stepped back with the five disciples.

"Watch carefully," he said softly. "Few disciples ever see this."

The ancestors raised their hands.

Their ancient Qi began to flow. The threads of Qi entered the runes on the casket.

One rune lit. Then another. Then hundreds. Then thousands.

The entire black jade casket slowly awakened.

The underground hall trembled. Frost melted from the floor, then rose as mist.

Above the casket, space began to ripple.

The ancestors’ faces became paler as their Qi poured into the casket. Faint silver light also flowed from their bodies, mixed with the pale gold Qi.

That silver light carried the scent of time.

Lifespan.

The five disciples’ expressions changed.

Su Bai watched silently.

His mood became complicated.

The sect was giving them an opportunity. But the opportunity had a price.

The black jade casket groaned.

The lid slowly shifted. A thin line of light appeared beneath it.

At first, the line was narrow, then it widened.

Pure ancient Qi surged out.

The five disciples felt as if a river had rushed into their faces.

Su Bai’s nine Gateway Qi Reservoirs stirred almost at the same time.

The Qi was too dense. Even before entering, his body already wanted to absorb it.

The lid opened further.

The light inside did not look like normal light.

It was layered as if clouds, mountains, rivers, and stars were all reflected within a single doorway.

The black jade casket no longer looked like a casket.

It looked like the mouth of a hidden world.

Finally, the lid fully opened.

A stable portal formed within.

The edge of the portal was lined with ancient runes that slowly turned like a wheel.

One elderly matriarch lowered her hand.

"Disciples of the current generation, the Ancestral Sanctum is open."

Another patriarch continued, "Remember why you enter. Take fortune, temper yourselves, and return alive."

The five disciples bowed deeply.

Su Bai, Ji Ruyue, Han Yuelin, Qin Baoshan, and Liu Meng spoke together.

"Disciples thank the ancestors for their grace. We will not waste this opportunity."

Li Xuanzong looked at them.

"Go."

The five disciples straightened.

For a brief moment, they looked at one another.

Then Su Bai stepped into the portal with the others.