Free Web NovelChapter 477: Chapter 268: Su Qinglian: Dual Cultivation Is a Duty, and Also a Responsibility...
Yaozhou, the main peak of the Shenluo Mountain Range.
This was the location of the main gates of Shenluo Celestial Palace, a Female Cultivation Sect and one of the three great powers of Yaozhou.
High up in the Celestial Vault, a brilliant crimson speck of light shot over from the distance, only decelerating in an instant as it neared the main peak.
It was an exquisite and magnificent octagonal pavilion. Its walls, pillars, window lattices, and doors were all adorned with carvings of court ladies among a hundred flowers. The entire pavilion was enveloped in a brilliant crimson radiance, concealing an immense and imposing pressure within.
After this Exotic Treasure landed, its carved doors slowly opened. A beautiful woman in a purple dress with a cold aura and a calm gaze stepped out. Beneath the hem of her gorgeous, deep-purple skirt, the faint outline of her astonishingly long legs could be seen.
Following behind her were more than twenty other stunningly beautiful Female Cultivators, each with her own unique charm.
"Senior Sister Chen, the Elder Sect Leader has given an order. She wishes to see you immediately upon your return."
A young woman in green robes said softly after stepping forward and bowing.
This purple-clad beauty was named Chen Chuyu, the First Saintess of Shenluo Celestial Palace and the leading senior sister among the new generation of disciples.
Chen Chuyu nodded, her voice clear, cold, and pleasant. "Understood. I’ll go right away."
With that, she and the numerous Female Cultivators behind her rode their Escape Lights and ascended into the sky.
Inside a Secret Hall, Spiritual Qi swirled and rosy light shimmered. An ancient and profound aura of Dao Rhyme filled the space.
A woman with black hair hanging down to her shoulders, dressed in a Water and Fire Daoist Robe, sat primly on a jade prayer mat. Her extremely voluptuous curves could not be hidden. In her slender hands, she toyed with a rhombus-shaped Ancient Bronze Mirror that shimmered with illusory light and shadow. A thoughtful look appeared in her beautiful, bright eyes.
"...Master, your disciple has returned!"
Chen Chuyu’s respectful voice came from the doorway.
"Come in."
The woman said, her tone indifferent.
Chen Chuyu acknowledged and walked with light steps before her master, the Sect Leader. She bowed deeply before taking a seat on the prayer mat opposite her.
"Those people from the Da Xia Divine Dynasty have been making a fuss for so long. Did they find anything?"
The Elder Sect Leader asked.
Chen Chuyu shook her head. "It’s certain they found nothing. I heard Her Majesty the Empress was furious and unwilling to accept it, but there was nothing she could do."
Evidently, Shenluo Celestial Palace was also aware of what the Da Xia Divine Dynasty had been doing within the borders of Yuzhou.
That Xia Qingying had clearly come face-to-face with the Child of Destiny, but because of a moment of hesitation and coyness, she let a heaven-defying opportunity slip through her fingers. This had left the upper echelons of the Divine Dynasty endlessly regretting it.
Afterward, Xia Qingying ordered all of the Da Xia Divine Dynasty’s secret agents and hidden networks in Yuzhou to be deployed. They were to find Ling Changqing’s whereabouts at any cost, but to this day, they have found nothing.
"This means this world’s destiny does not lie in Yuzhou, nor with the Da Xia Divine Dynasty. As for who will ultimately win the favor of the Child of Destiny, that remains to be seen."
The Elder Sect Leader smiled. Her bright eyes scanned up and down her most valued Direct Disciple as she said gently:
"This mission, which is of the utmost importance to the Sect, might just have to fall to you."
Chen Chuyu was taken aback for a moment, her beautiful face flushing slightly. She said:
"If it is Master’s command, this disciple will naturally obey. It’s just... that Ling Changqing might not take a liking to me..."
"How could he not?"
The Elder Sect Leader chuckled. "Our Shenluo Celestial Palace is renowned in this world for its cloud-like assembly of beauties. Since that Child of Destiny, Ling Changqing, has a fondness for beautiful women, he certainly won’t pass up the opportunity."
"...This disciple is willing to make a sacrifice for the Sect."
Chen Chuyu bit her red lip and said softly.
’This isn’t something I can rush, no matter how anxious I am. Heaven knows when Ling Changqing will appear again.’
’Besides, even if I were as lucky as Xia Qingying and happened to run into Ling Changqing while he was traveling, it’s hard to say whether he’d even take a fancy to me.’
According to the intelligence Shenluo Celestial Palace had gathered, Ling Changqing already had more than just one or two beauties by his side, and all of them were from the local powers in Yuzhou.
Shenluo Celestial Palace was, after all, a power from Yaozhou. Trying to poach someone in Yuzhou’s territory wouldn’t be as easy as one might think. Those local powers would surely do everything in their power to stop them.
The Elder Sect Leader pondered for a moment before saying, "I have a bit of a friendly relationship with the Grand Palace Master of Lu Hua Palace, and our two sects have collaborated in the past. Perhaps we could discuss this matter with them?"
Chen Chuyu’s shapely brows furrowed slightly. She shook her head and said, "They surely have their own designs on Ling Changqing. If they really found him, they would definitely hide him away to ’use’ for themselves. Why would they ever hand him over to us?"
Don’t even bring up reasons like the gap in strength. Lu Hua Palace was indeed inferior to Shenluo Celestial Palace, but if they truly obtained the favor of the Child of Destiny, it would likely only take a few years for their Sect’s power to skyrocket.
The Elder Sect Leader chuckled. "That might have been the case before, but the situation is different now. Lu Hua Palace alone doesn’t have the strength to protect Ling Changqing.
"It would be better to cooperate with our Shenluo Celestial Palace and share the opportunities he represents. I believe Qin Mengxuan won’t refuse such a win-win proposition."
"Is that so? I suppose that could work..."
Chen Chuyu hesitated, then gave a slight nod.
’It’s one thing when I haven’t met him. But if I truly had the chance to obtain such a peerless opportunity, I would never let it go to someone else.’
The Elder Sect Leader gently stroked the Rhombus Copper Mirror in her hand, her tone tinged with a hint of helplessness:
"It’s a pity the Child of Destiny cannot be tracked using a Celestial Secret Technique. Otherwise, I would risk a thousand years of my cultivation to find him as soon as possible!"
Over the years, it wasn’t as if the upper echelons of major powers hadn’t risked trying to trace the Child of Destiny’s whereabouts with various Celestial Secret Techniques. Unfortunately, all their attempts ended in failure, and some major powers even paid what could only be described as a tragic price.
The most extreme case was the Primordial Demon Palace, far away in Shunzhou. Its leaders sacrificed the flesh and souls of over a million slave Cultivators to perform the "Primordial Demon Inquiry" blood sacrifice ceremony, only to come up with nothing in the end.
