novelden Chapter 142 Guiyuan Sect 17
Chapter 142 Guiyuan Sect 17
Watching Chang Yue's figure slowly disappear from sight, Qin Che peeked around, making sure she wouldn't come back, before letting out a long sigh of relief: "Finally gone. Junior brother, junior sister, let's go!"
The three of them caught up with Qin Che: "Senior Brother Qin, where are we going?"
"Aren't you curious about the Mahayana robes of your two masters?" Qin Che lowered his voice and whispered.
"The Mahayana ceremonial robes?" The three exchanged glances.
“Yes, it was just delivered yesterday. I haven’t seen it yet. I asked around today and found out that my senior brother and master are very busy. This is a good opportunity to take advantage of it…” Qin Che made a walking gesture with two fingers.
A conflicted look flashed in the eyes of the three people. Cheng Jiu was still very excited. Although they could see it openly tomorrow, who wouldn't be curious if they could see it in advance?
Thinking about it this way, Cheng Jiu felt a ticklish sensation in his heart, like being scratched by a cat.
Gong Cheng's tone was hesitant: "Senior Brother Qin, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
Gong Yu hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't resist his curiosity: "Brother, we'll just take a look. Aren't you curious about what Master's crown robe looks like? I've heard that every Mahayana Immortal Lord's crown robe is unique."
Upon hearing Gong Yu's words, Gong Cheng's already wavering resolve began to falter, and he looked at Cheng Jiu beside him.
Cheng Jiu's willpower wasn't particularly strong either. He caught Gong Cheng's gaze and said hesitantly, "Then let's go take a look!"
"Don't worry about it! Just taking a look won't cause any trouble." Qin Che quickly agreed, seeing that the three had reached a consensus, afraid that they would change their minds. With three disciples of Mahayana Immortal Lords accompanying them, even if their master found out, he certainly wouldn't punish them too severely.
Of course, none of the three knew Qin Che's little scheme; they simply followed Qin Che's lead obediently.
The sect leader took the Mahayana ceremonial robes very seriously. Even with Qin Che, the mole, leading the way, they still made many turns and got lost several times.
The journey was anything but peaceful; they frequently encountered disciples from the main peak, almost giving themselves away, but Qin Che managed to fool them all. To see the imperial robes amidst such tight security required considerable skill.
After a while, when the three of them were starting to doubt that Qin Che could really take them to see the Mahayana ceremonial robes, Qin Che finally turned into a side hall.
Although it was a side hall, its scale surprised the three people present, because it was not small at all. In fact, the three of them had never seen such a side hall before, and they were very surprised by its appearance. They never expected that the sect leader's peak would have such a place.
The side hall is located southwest of the main hall. From a distance, it looks like a mountain; up close, it looks like water; but inside, it is a palace.
Stepping into the palace, one is immediately struck by the beauty of the mountains and rivers, with the babbling of streams. The main hall doors stand silently guard, like steadfast warriors.
Qin Che's heart was pounding like a cat's claws when the imperial robes were delivered. He was also very surprised that there was a palace here, since he had never been to this palace before and did not even know that there was such a palace on Zhongzhu Peak.
Qin Che made ample preparations in order to enter the palace and see the imperial robes.
He pulled out a jade plate from who-knows-where. The jade plate glowed with a faint green light and slowly rose upwards. Meanwhile, a beam of white light shot out from the tiger head that was tightly holding the palace door, which shone brightly with the jade plate. The white light, illuminated by the jade plate, slowly turned into a clear green.
The light flickered violently, and as the light shone into the tiger's eyes, the eyes of the two tiger heads slowly turned green.
The two tiger heads with rings slowly opened their fangs and mouths, and with a crisp sound from the two rings, the gate slowly opened in front of the four people.
"Double Tiger Sealing Formation!" In an instant, the three of them announced the formation inscribed on the gate in front of them.
This formation is of the eighth rank, but its setup is relatively simple. However, it has only two effects: it can only be opened from the outside and cannot be opened from the inside. In addition, it can be set with relevant steps to break the formation. If one step is wrong, the gate will be completely sealed until the person who set up the formation comes to break it.
The invention of this formation even sparked heated discussions in the cultivation world. Some people felt that this formation was simple and profound, and could be rated as a ninth-grade formation, but others thought it was too simple and that a sixth-grade formation was more than enough.
The two sides have been arguing about the rating of this formation for several years and have never been able to convince each other.
In the end, the great master who invented this formation personally intervened. Because of its powerful effects, the formation was ultimately rated as an eighth-order formation, but it is a rather special existence among eighth-order formations.
Solving this formation without knowing the specific steps is no less difficult than solving a ninth-grade formation.
Seeing the door open, Qin Che put away the jade token and said with no small amount of pride, "I knew this formation was set up by Senior Brother!"
"Senior brother, you're very well prepared. But I hope our eldest brother won't discover this jade pendant!" Cheng Jiu also realized that the jade pendant was likely acting as a key.
I wonder where Qin Che got it from; I hope he won't be exposed.
Qin Che tossed the jade tablet to the three of them: "Don't worry, this is a little gadget I made. It can handle any formation below the ninth rank."
The three of them took the jade tablet and huddled together to examine it carefully. Cheng Jiu held the jade tablet and looked at its structure from top to bottom. The person who invented it was simply a genius. Not only had his skill in crafting artifacts improved, but his skill in array formations was even higher.
Only those with in-depth knowledge of formations could summarize and refine this universal key to formations.
The three of them had clearly thought of it, and they looked at Qin Che with shock and admiration.
Under the shocked and admiring gazes of his three junior brothers and sisters, Qin Che, who had successfully shown off, felt an indescribable sense of pleasure. He coughed and said modestly, "It's just a little trinket. If you junior brothers and sisters want it, then it's yours."
Cheng Jiu handed the jade tablet back to Qin Che, shaking his head: "No need, Senior Brother! Senior Brother must have spent a lot of effort refining this jade tablet, we shouldn't take what Senior Brother likes!"
Qin Che looked at the three people's determined gazes, took the jade token back, and said, "The door is open, let's go in!"
The three followed Qin Che into the main hall. As soon as Gong Yu entered, the heavy doors slammed shut.
The three of them looked back in alarm. The palace gate was protected by a Double Tiger Sealing Formation, which could only be opened from the outside and could not be broken through from the inside.
Now the palace doors are closed, and they are trapped inside.
Oh no! We can't get out! Do we have to wait until tomorrow for our senior brothers and sisters to come and collect our ceremonial robes before we can leave?
Although the three were certain they wouldn't be punished, it was still incredibly embarrassing to get caught!
Cheng Jiu, Gong Cheng, and Gong Yu inwardly groaned. If they had known that Senior Brother Qin Che was so unreliable, they wouldn't have come along.
"Don't worry, Huo Yan will come to pick us up later!" Qin Che said nonchalantly, calming the three people's anxious minds. Since he had come to see the imperial robes behind his master's back, how could Qin Che not have prepared any backup plan?
"Senior Brother Huo Yan?" the three said in unison, exchanging glances and letting out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, Senior Brother Huo Yan is very reliable.
"I have a feeling you're thinking something rude!" Qin Che squinted at the three of them.
The three of them said in unison, their tone resolute: "No, Senior Brother, you're overthinking it."
"Really?" Qin Che replied casually without giving it much thought.
"Of course! Senior brother, let's get down to business." Cheng Jiu agreed, confirming.
"Yes, yes, let's get down to business!" Qin Che's attention was immediately diverted.
The clothes were not placed in the main hall, but in the small compartments on either side.
Although the four of them had not yet seen the imperial robes, they could feel the unusual atmosphere in the air simply by standing in the middle of the hall, with a cool and refreshing feeling on the left.
On the right, a gleaming edge shone brightly, and one could vaguely smell the metallic scent of something carved with a knife and axe.
The two sides were evenly matched, neither willing to give way, creating a fierce and evenly matched battle.
These distinctive sensations instantly led the three to identify their master's crown robes.
The three of them were now in a dilemma: whose should they go see first?
In the end, the three of them decided to play rock-paper-scissors, and Cheng Jiu won.
To the left is a small compartment, separated by a beaded curtain. This curtain, capable of holding its position even amidst the considerable power of two different ceremonial robes, is quite expensive.
Cheng Jiu and the others had never seen it before and didn't recognize it. Qin Che touched the cool beaded curtain in his hand and said, "This is really a grand gesture. The beads used to make this curtain are actually mermaid tears."
He gave a simple sigh, and everyone's attention was completely drawn to the ice-blue clothes on display.
Cheng Jiu even held her breath; it was truly breathtaking. Before, she had only sensed its icy aura from afar.
The overall color scheme leans towards blue, but it's not actually a blue garment; it's white. It's so seamless that it's described as a perfect match. It's engraved with magnificent landscapes, stars, and the sea, and the scenery changes constantly as you move around the garment, as if the world itself is evolving.
The imperial robes consist of six parts, the most important of which are the main garments.
The crown, which was the next best item, was a very simple design. The most eye-catching part was the matching hairpin, which was carved from a single piece of jade. Cheng Jiu felt that the quality of the ice-infused jade he had prepared was far inferior to that of the hairpin.
I don't understand how her Ice-Containing Spirit Jade, which she obtained from the Heavenly Treasure Vault, could be inferior to this hairpin.
This clearly shows how precious the raw materials used to make this hairpin were; Cheng Jiu even felt that it was definitely not from the Xuan Tian Continent.
Besides the crown, there was also a jade pendant, which was of even higher quality than the hairpin, with intricate and beautiful patterns carved on it.
Each line is a magical pattern, perfectly hidden within the carved design, demonstrating the profound skill of the person who carved and made this jade pendant in crafting and other arts.
Next was a jade thumb ring. The jade thumb ring looked simple and uncarved, but the fact that it was just raw jade was enough to show how wealthy the owner was. To be fair, the quality of this jade was better than that of the jade pendant, and it was even quite rare, without a single flaw.
The jade thumb ring truly reflects a male cultivator's dignity, as can be seen from the way Qin Che and Gong Yu looked at it with such fondness.
Thumb rings symbolize wealth and status. In particular, the material used to make thumb rings is usually taken from the best part of a piece of spirit jade. Good jade thumb rings have always been expensive in the cultivation world, and are even sometimes priceless.
On the other side was a belt, made of the same material as the clothes, and inlaid with beautiful jade.
Next comes the boots, which are also quite remarkable. They are not only a matching set, but Cheng Jiu even judged that if these six items are worn together, the set will be interconnected and have a powerful combined effect.
Besides being curious and appreciating the beauty of the imperial robes, the craftsmanship in making them, the runes and formations engraved on them, and all the other exquisite details can broaden the four people's horizons and bring them inspiration.
At least Cheng Jiu absorbed a lot of crafting techniques and inspiration from the imperial robes.
After carefully examining the crown robes of Immortal Lord Qingxu, the group quickly moved on to another location.
Like the crown and robes of Immortal Lord Qingxu, Immortal Lord Qingyang's also consisted of six items. Apart from the glittering golden robes, boots, and jade pendants, the most eye-catching item was his hair crown.
It is inlaid with 12 beads, the one in the very center being the largest. Just looking at it, the four people felt as if they were about to be sucked into it.
Having regained consciousness from the bewitching sensation, the four dared not linger and hastily left the right hall, still feeling a lingering sense of unease.
"What exactly are those beads? They're terrifying!" Gong Yu exclaimed, still somewhat shaken. He felt as if his soul was about to be sucked in.
"No, I don't know!" Gong Cheng was still shaken. They had come to admire the imperial robes, but almost all four of them were killed.
"Let's ask Master later!" Cheng Jiu was the first to wake up, and it was she who alerted the three of them that something was wrong, allowing them to escape from the right hall in time.
"Want to keep looking?" Qin Che pointed to the main hall on the left, since none of the four of them wanted to go back into the right hall anyway.
"No, I can take my time and look at it tomorrow!"
Having experienced what had just happened and already witnessed the imperial robes of the two Mahayana Immortal Lords, the three had their curiosity greatly satisfied and had no interest in going back to see more.
"Alright, let's go out then!" Qin Che walked to the door and knocked.
A slight noise came from outside, followed by the sound of ringing bells. The door slowly opened, and Huo Yan stood to the side holding the jade token, watching the four people come out.
"Senior Brother will be here soon," Huo Yan reported Nan Xingze's movements from the side.
"Thanks, Junior Brother Huo."
In order to avoid being caught, the five of them left the main hall without delay and headed down another path, successfully missing Nan Xingze.
"Junior brother, have you finished showing the junior brothers and sisters around the sect master's peak?"
Perhaps feeling guilty, Cheng Jiu and the other two decided to return to the peak first and wait for the Mahayana ceremony tomorrow.
Just as they were saying goodbye, a clear and melodious voice suddenly rang out, startling the four of them so much that they got goosebumps.
Qin Che subconsciously turned his head: "Second Senior Sister!"
"Greetings, Senior Sister Chang. Tomorrow is Master's Mahayana Ceremony, so it's not appropriate to stay on the Sect Master Peak any longer. We were just about to take our leave," Cheng Jiu explained, trying to sound calm.
"Oh, I see. What happened just now? Why did you all react so strongly?" Chang Yue nodded in understanding, then seemed to have thought of something and asked the four of them curiously.
"It's all thanks to Senior Sister, you appear and disappear like a ghost." Qin Che replied casually.
"Ha!" Chang Yue sneered, "I think you've become too complacent lately, and your vigilance has dropped significantly! If you hadn't done anything wrong, why would you be afraid of me showing up?"
"Senior sister, I was just saying, I didn't do anything wrong!" Qin Che's heart was pounding as he loudly denied it.
Chang Yue looked at her suspiciously: "I was just saying it casually, why are you reacting so strongly?"
"Senior sister, you're overthinking it!" Qin Che's tone calmed down: "Senior sister, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Oh, by the way, do you know where Senior Brother is? Master sent me to find him." Chang Yue asked as she saw this.
"...I don't know!" Qin Che wanted to give the specific location, but then realized it wasn't something he should say, so he immediately replied, "I don't know."
"Really?" Chang Yue looked at Qin Che with suspicion.
"My senior brother has never left the sect leader's peak during this time, so how could I possibly know where he is at all times!" Qin Che said calmly.
Chang Yue seemed to realize something: "Then I'll go look for it. Goodbye, junior brother."
"Goodbye, senior sister." Chang Yue left.
On the other side, Cheng Jiu, Gong Cheng, and Gong Yu said, "Then we'll be leaving now, Senior Brother!"
"Be careful on the road!" Qin Che nodded and said goodbye to the group with Huo Yan.
The three of them rode on the little cloud beast. Cheng Jiu first sent the Gong brothers, Gong Cheng and Gong Yu, to Yanqian Peak. The ceremony was tomorrow, and they couldn't stay in her courtyard forever.
Then he returned to his own courtyard to prepare for tomorrow's ceremony.