Xu Yunfan understood in an instant. Hong Baichuan had brought him along to add weight to the Celestial Craft Cave’s visit, to show the Profound Daoist Sect that the Celestial Craft Cave had a worthy successor. This would naturally make them take the visit more seriously.

「Halfway up the mountain, the mist suddenly dispersed.」

Hundreds of feet away, seven Bronze Coiling Dragon Pillars shot up from the ground. At their peaks, a web of Profound Iron Chains crisscrossed, suspending a three-legged, two-handled Cyan Cauldron.

The cauldron’s body was inlaid with malachite amidst its Taotie patterns. As sunlight struck it, a turquoise light flowed, enveloping the entire mountain gate in the hazy, cyan mist that emanated from it.

"What a magnificent Mountain-Suppressing Cauldron!"

Hong Baichuan clapped his hands in admiration. "I have heard that the Profound Daoist Sect’s ’Tripod Suppressing Mountains and Rivers’ can imprint order upon the world and release its celestial spirits. Today has truly been an eye-opener."

Although this Mountain-Suppressing Cauldron was not a Divine Weapon, its materials were extraordinary. Worshipped day and night by the Profound Daoist Sect, it had naturally developed a divine quality over the long years. Even in the Era of Extinct Spirits, the focused incense and devout worship still produced remarkable effects.

What’s more, with the Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirit now reappearing in the world, this Mountain-Suppressing Cauldron, of an unknown age, might regain some of its former power after being nurtured for a while longer.

Su Zhenhe lightly tapped his folding fan against his palm and said with a faint smile, "Sect Leader Hong, you honor us by bringing the ’Pleiades Seven Stars Blade,’ a treasure from the Celestial Craft Arsenal. How could the Profound Daoist Sect dare to be negligent? The Peacock Sand burning in this cauldron is especially effective at suppressing the Evil Qi of metal and iron."

Xu Yunfan raised an eyebrow at his words.

’No wonder my blood and qi flowed a little more smoothly on the way up the mountain. So it was the effect of this cyan mist.’

’If I stayed in this environment for a long time, my cultivation speed would increase severalfold!’

"What a blessed land!"

As if he hadn’t noticed the jab, Hong Baichuan reached back and unlatched the iron case behind him.

Seven streaks of cold light shot toward the sky. The unusually-shaped weapons, arranged like the Big Dipper, hovered above the cauldron, their blades vibrating with a sound like a dragon’s cry.

Ginkgo Wood Charcoal rustled and fell from the bottom of the case, bursting into seven crimson lotuses within the cyan mist!

The smile on Su Zhenhe’s face stiffened slightly.

These weapons, forged from North Sea Profound Ice Iron, should have had their sharp aura suppressed by the Peacock Sand. Instead, they were using the embers of the charcoal to fuel a fiery power, forcefully tearing a gap in the formation’s effect.

The rhythm of his fingers tapping his fan faltered for an instant before he regained his composure. "Sect Leader Hong, what brilliant methods. What fine weapons."

"A mere parlor trick. How could it compare to the thousands of years of heritage of the Profound Daoist Sect?"

Hong Baichuan flicked his sleeve, and the seven blades returned to their case.

The Bronze Cauldron rumbled and shook violently, its legs sinking three inches into the ground.

As divine as the Mountain-Suppressing Cauldron was, it was ultimately just a Treasure Artifact. His Pleiades Seven Stars Blade, on the other hand, was truly the crown jewel of the Celestial Craft Cave.

Xu Yunfan lowered his gaze to hide the sharp glint in his eyes.

’The moment the weapons left their case, he had clearly seen the great tendon on the back of Su Zhenhe’s neck tighten like a bowstring. If that Treasure Artifact hadn’t been in Hong Baichuan’s hands, Su Zhenhe probably wouldn’t have been able to resist making a move to test it.’

’This True Inheritor of the Profound Daoist Sect just can’t hide the arrogance in his bones.’

"Please."

Su Zhenhe stepped aside to let them pass. As he closed his folding fan, it made a sharp sound, like a blade sliding into its scabbard.

Xu Yunfan brushed past him. A half-inch slit silently appeared on the shoulder of his robe, sliced open by an invisible Qi Force.

"Oh, my apologies, Brother Xu. I’ve only had this fan for a few days and can’t quite control the invisible Qi Force it gives off. I’ll have someone bring you a change of clothes later."

"It’s nothing."

He glanced down at his outer robe, his expression calm, and continued walking forward at an unhurried pace.

’That Qi Force isn’t enough to break my defense.’

Watching Xu Yunfan’s back, a look of surprise flickered in Su Zhenhe’s eyes. He hadn’t expected the other man to remain so unfazed.

’No wonder he was able to come up the mountain with Hong Baichuan.’

Su Zhenhe pondered this for a moment. Seeing that they were about to enter the mountain gate, he dismissed the thought from his mind.

「A bell suddenly rang out from the mountain peak.」

The sound of nine tolls dispersed the clouds and mist, revealing a white-bearded old Daoist standing by the mountain gate with his hands behind his back.

Cracks snaked across the cyan bricks at the old man’s feet. At the end of each fissure was an unsheathed Iron Sword, the black satin ribbons wrapped around their hilts fluttering like banners.

Xu Yunfan subconsciously gripped his Thunderfire Qilin Hammer, his body tensing.

Hong Baichuan, however, seemed not to notice, a broad smile on his face as he looked at the old Daoist before him.

It was none other than the Sect Leader of the Cyan Mountain Profound Daoist Sect, Daoist Guanshan.

When the mist before the mountain gate had completely cleared, eight Daoists in cyan robes could be seen waiting quietly under a thousand-year-old ginkgo tree by the path, positioned according to the Eight Trigrams. Their Iron Swords stood tall, arranged in the Celestial Spirits Beidou Formation.

The leading old Daoist held a Silver Threaded Duster. His frost-white eyebrows were dotted with morning dew, and a smile appeared on his face when he saw the approaching Hong Baichuan.

His gaze swept over the corner of the case slung over Hong Baichuan’s shoulder. He suddenly pointed his duster to the east, and in an instant, the mountain wind swept up the ginkgo leaves on the ground, forming them into three Cyan Dragons that shot toward the wooden case.

"What a fine Taiyi Qinggang Force!"

Hong Baichuan laughed loudly and stepped into the Xun Position. He unleashed his Refined Steel Cross Training Skill, causing the bronze lock on the wooden case to CLANG.

The next moment, the cry of a phoenix suddenly tore through the air from within the case, shredding the Cyan Dragons of fallen leaves to pieces.

Amidst a shower of golden rain, the iron case crashed to the ground. The lid flew open, releasing a cold light so brilliant it outshone the stars. Inside were seven strangely shaped weapons of varying lengths, their blades arranged in the pattern of the Big Dipper. Upon closer inspection, they were forged from North Sea Profound Ice Iron mixed with ginkgo wood charcoal. Each weapon was inlaid with malachite, a specialty of Lingnan, and a turquoise light flowed across its patterns like a living creature.

Nearby, Guan Hengzi, who was slightly older than Daoist Guanshan, felt his pupils shrink. The silver threads of his duster stirred without any wind. "Sect Leader Hong, you actually managed to fuse Arctic Cold Iron with Southern Li Fire Essence?"

"I used the thousand-year-old ginkgo wood from your esteemed sect as charcoal and malachite as a medium. Then I refined it in the Thunder Fire Pool of my Celestial Craft Cave for a full forty-nine days."

Hong Baichuan wiped away the frost from his forehead, his laughter tinged with a hint of barely concealed pain.

"Daoist Guanshan, this set of ’Pleiades Seven Stars Blade’ is a perfect match for the principles of your sect’s Celestial Spirits Beidou Formation."

Another, Daoist Master Guan He, suddenly rose to his feet, his robes billowing like clouds.

The onlookers saw a cyan light flow from his fingertips. The seven weapons seemed to come alive, tracing the paths of the Twenty-Eight Constellations in the air. As the final blade embedded itself in the trunk of the ginkgo tree, the mist covering the mountain instantly condensed and fell as a sweet rain.

After this display, Daoist Master Guan He’s face was slightly flushed, but his eyes revealed an unconcealable joy.

’Ninth Realm Qi Cultivation?!’

Xu Yunfan’s pupils constricted, but he quickly calmed down.

’This is a bit different from the descriptions of Qi Cultivation. The cyan light at his fingertips must be from using some Secret Martial Arts combined with the Five Elements of the Internal Organs. True Ninth Realm Qi Cultivation wouldn’t be so strenuous.’

Seeing this, Hong Baichuan couldn’t help but say in astonishment, "Daoist Master Guan He, I’m afraid you’ve already taken half a step into the Qi Cultivation realm, haven’t you?"

Daoist Master Guan He shook his head with a bitter smile. "To be honest with Sect Leader Hong, that little display just used up three days’ worth of my accumulated Essence Qi. I’ve made a fool of myself."

"Why be so modest?"

Hong Baichuan said with a sigh, "To this day, I’ve been stuck at the Washing Marrow stage, unable to advance or achieve anything more. But you, Brother Guan He, still have hope."

Daoist Guan He seemed to recall something and finally sighed. "If you hadn’t suffered that grievous injury back then, the Celestial Craft Cave would have produced at least one Grandmaster at the stage of Refining the Internal Organs, and you might even have had a chance at Qi Cultivation.

"But don’t lose heart, Sect Leader Hong. Now that the Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirit has been stirred up a bit by that Empress, there might still be a chance to reverse your fate. You mustn’t be discouraged."

After speaking, he couldn’t help but glance at Guanshan.

The corner of Guanshan’s eye twitched. He naturally understood what his senior brother, Daoist Guan He, meant.