Chapter 279: 278: The First Generation Master_1
“The Eternity Relics are located in a small hill near Falling Goose County. Locals call this hill Waste Mountain, as it has scarce resources and unremarkable scenery, so they seldom visit.”
“Preliminary exploration suggests that the relics date back to the late ancient period.”
Before heading to the relics, Yun Zhi provides Lu Yang and Fairy Eternity with a brief introduction.
Currently, people’s understanding of the ancient period is 70% based on records left by predecessors and 30% from excavating the relics of the Great Qian Dynasty.
Due to the Ancient Nameless One refining the stars, relics from the ancient period are scarce and mostly fragmented, yielding little useful information.
Lu Yang is different, as all his understanding of the ancient period comes from Fairy Eternity.
While hearing Eldest Senior Sister’s introduction, Lu Yang’s mouth opened up, displaying an appearance of indecision.
“What’s the matter?”
“Do we really need to discuss the relics while we’re eating hotpot?”
Lu Yang’s hotpot was bubbling away in front of him, with plates of beef on the table – according to the restaurant, they were tenderloin, grip, beef shank, sorted beef combo platter… Lu Yang had never thought of subdividing a cow into such meticulous parts.
Across the hotpot, the beautiful female cultivator watched Lu Yang, making him feel substantial pressure.
It was like an execution; he would rather go to the Eternity Relics directly.
The beef hotpot is world-renowned, and all the diners here were attracted by it, but the detached tone of Eldest Senior Sister felt out of place in this restaurant’s ambiance. Many people involuntarily glanced over at Lu Yang and Yun Zhi, curious about their identities.
If someone were observant, they would notice that the couple was indeed talking, but no one could hear a word they were saying. This was not simply a basic sound barrier magic skill, but something deeper, almost illusory.
Yun Zhi picked a piece of beef from the pot, dipped it in satay sauce, slightly opened her mouth, and put the meat in. Her manners were so elegant, not like she was eating hotpot, but rather a precious delicacy.
“Beef hotpot is a specialty of Falling Goose County. This is a rare opportunity to try local cuisine, which will enrich your experiences. Your character is free-spirited, destined for a worldly cultivation path. This is also part of the cultivation process.”
Yun Zhi paused and continued, “And, we’re also celebrating your successful advancement to the Golden Core Stage.”
Saying this, Yun Zhi lifted a tea cup and toasted with Lu Yang.
Lu Yang was touched and carefully held up his tea cup.
After the meal, the two left the restaurant; Lu Yang was still savoring the taste. Unsettling as it was, the food was indeed delicious.
Just when Lu Yang wanted to ask where to go next, he felt his collar being grabbed by Eldest Senior Sister.
Eldest Senior Sister took a step forward; space twisted, the scene altered and they seamlessly moved from the front of the restaurant to the desolate Waste Mountain.
“This is what Shrinking Ground Into Inches really is!” said Fairy Eternity, excitedly.
After spending a long time with Lu Yang, she almost forgot that the real Shrinking Ground Into Inches was a space magic, not digging and crawling in the soil.
…
On the Waste Mountain, soldiers set up camp and were on high alert. They were elite royal troops of Great Xia, all of them were cultivators and could form an army soul array to counter enemies.
The Eternity Relics were the birthplace of the Eternity Sect, so it was not something the imperial court could ignore.
“Honored Yun Zhi is present?” An elder general, clad in heavy armor and emanating a sense of determination from his brows, approached; every step he took resulted in a heavy clank from his armor.
The old general had already received news that the Seek Dao Sect would send someone to explore the Eternity Relics.
He controlled this elite army and could fight against someone at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, hence having a considerable status in the court.
However, he dared not show arrogance in front of Yun Zhi.
The reason was simple, he was fortunate to have seen Yun Zhi in action.
At the same time, he wondered if inviting Yun Zhi over meant that the court was planning to explore or to dismantle the Eternity Relics?
Yun Zhi inclined her head, without saying much.
The old general focused his gaze on Lu Yang, a cultivator who had just reached the Golden Core Stage. He didn’t understand why Yun Zhi brought him along.
However, the old general didn’t inquire. Surely, since Yun Zhi brought him along, he didn’t need to worry about it.
Could he stop Yun Zhi?
“This way, please.” The old general gestured politely for Yun Zhi to enter the Eternity Relics.
The soldiers watching this scene speculated discreetly. Who was the honored guest who commanded such respect from the general?
The Crown Princess? The Grand Princess? Some Transcendance Tribulation Stage Great Cultivator?
The soldiers were highly disciplined. Even with doubts, they kept their expressions neutral, staying steadfast in their duties and practicing their combat tactics.
The old general led the two to a cave. It was deep and dim, “This is the place. According to the members of the Eternity Sect, over ten thousand years ago, their first Master was inspired by Immortal Eternity in his sleep, ended up coming here, and saw two old men playing chess. One of the immortals was Immortal Eternity, and the other was the Ancient Nameless One.”
“After the chess game ended, the first Master was so drawn in by the game that when it finished, the old men and the chess board vanished together. The Master awakened from the dream to find himself in the middle of the mountain, at the entrance to the Eternity Relics.”
“However, our investigations revealed that the above experience was fabricated to exaggerate the origin of the Eternity Sect. The only resemblance to the actual situation is that the principal character was indeed the first Master.”
“In reality, the first Master was caught logging illegally in the area and selling the wood. After serving fifty years’ imprisonment, he revised his criminal history, learned from his past, made proactive improvements, and even learned the Tree Growing Spell. He planted and uprooted trees simultaneously, quickly mastering the spell.”
“When he uprooted one ancient tree, he discovered an unfathomably deep cave underneath it. He was taken aback and decided to explore the cave after buying accident insurance.”
“That’s when he discovered the Eternity Relics, learned of Immortal Eternity, and stumbled upon a few Immortal Treasures. This enlightened him – creating a cult would earn Spirit Stones faster than logging.”
“This philosophy is also reflected in our criminal laws: the former attracts capital punishment, while the latter is punishable by imprisonment.”
“Establishing the Eternity Sect presented numerous challenges, such as insufficient funding and inadequate personnel.”
“Whenever there was a shortage of funds, he took loans, and when there was a manpower shortage, he would recruit from the prison. The first Master overcame various challenges and eventually established the Eternity Sect.”
“…How did you guys investigate all this in such detail?” Lu Yang found the first Master’s experience to be quite rich, enough to fill an entire book.
The imperial court is impressive, having such detailed investigative capabilities.
“Oh, investigating these details wasn’t difficult, considering that he wrote a memoir.”
The old general pulled out a book from his bosom, “This one here, I’ve been reading it like a novel recently. It’s quite interesting.”
Lu Yang: “…”
You really think highly of yourself, don’t you?
To add on, the old general said, “Later, the second Master seized power and killed the first Master, claiming the insurance payout.”