When the shell in her embrace vibrated once more, Mo Tiange ceased her breathing exercises. "We can go out now."
Qin Xi nodded, summoned everyone, and they all left the Void Heaven Realm together.
After three days of rest, everyone had recovered their breath. As the spirit beasts were not particularly strong and had sustained various injuries from the bitter battle, Mo Tiange did not bring them out. Dao Lord Lingxi had taken the Nine Revolutions Return to Life Pill, temporarily stabilizing his injuries.
Not long after they emerged from the Void Heaven Realm, they saw several streaks of light flying towards them.
When the lights reached them and dissipated, three figures were revealed: Xuanmiao in a blue palace dress, Xuanyue in black robes, and that seemingly honest but actually shrewd Ni Qi.
"Fellow Daoist Mo, Fellow Daoist Qin, it has been a long time," Xuanmiao said with a smile, looking at the two of them.
"It has indeed been a long time. The Third Princess's elegance surpasses even that of the past," Mo Tiange replied with a smile, then nodded to Xuanyue and Ni Qi. "Second Prince, Fellow Daoist Ni."
Xuanyue and Ni Qi merely returned the greeting with slight nods, not overstepping Xuanmiao in the slightest. This made Mo Tiange feel that Xuanmiao's position as the heir to the throne was likely quite secure.
After introductions and greetings were exchanged, Xuanmiao extended an invitation. "Fellow Daoists, I already know why you have come. To be frank, the Qilin Sacrificial Temple is in our possession. It is precisely for this reason that Xumi Sea and Guixu Sea have been fighting for many years. Otherwise, after hearing the warning from our Great-Great-Grandfather, we would not have ventured out of Xumi Sea again."
"Third Princess," Mo Tiange spoke earnestly, matching Xuanmiao's candor. "We have indeed come for the Qilin Sacrificial Temple. However, it is not as Fellow Daoist Bai Ling believed, to snatch the Qilin's legacy treasures. This reason, others may not understand, but the Third Princess understands it perfectly. We have always kept in mind the matter entrusted to us by Senior Amber. We have already found the four sacrificial temples of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. Now, only the Qilin remains. Since the Qilin Sacrificial Temple is already in your hands, we ask that you permit us to enter together."
Xuanmiao smiled and nodded. "Rest assured, Fellow Daoist. We dare not forget the words of the Divine Monarch, our Great-Great-Grandfather. You may enter the Qilin Sacrificial Temple freely; we will not hinder you. However..."
Seeing her troubled expression, Mo Tiange said, "If the Third Princess has something to say, please speak frankly."
Xuanmiao said, "We have indeed found the Qilin Sacrificial Temple, but the entrance seems to be blocked. We have not been able to enter to this day, so we cannot guarantee whether you can get in or not."
Mo Tiange was taken aback. "Oh?"
Finding it difficult to explain, Xuanmiao simply said, "Please follow me, Fellow Daoists, and you will see for yourselves."
With that, Xuanmiao turned and, accompanied by Xuanyue and Ni Qi, descended towards the sea surface.
"Junior Sister Qingwei, can they be trusted?" Dao Lord Lingxi asked hesitantly. Judging from their conversation just now, they seemed very familiar and spoke with great trust, which Dao Lord Lingxi found incredible. Over these past days, he had witnessed the unconditional trust among their friends. Such friends were rare to find even one, let alone a whole group. And now, even demon cultivators?
Qin Xi said, "Junior Brother Lingxi, there is a karmic connection between us and these fellow daoists. So, in this matter, they are trustworthy."
With this hint, Dao Lord Lingxi immediately thought of the "Senior Amber" and "Divine Monarch Great-Great-Grandfather" mentioned by Mo Tiange and Xuanmiao just now, and said no more.
Everyone followed Xuanmiao and dove into the sea.
As sea-dwelling demon cultivators, Xuanmiao and her companions were like fish in water. They led the group swiftly forward, soon arriving at the base of a small island. Facing a stone wall, Xuanmiao raised her hand and pointed. The stone wall shimmered and silently slid aside. Xuanmiao gestured for them to enter and, leading Xuanyue and Ni Qi, stepped inside first.
Mo Tiange and Qin Xi followed without hesitation, with Jing Xingzhi and the others close behind.
Once everyone was inside, the stone wall closed.
It was an underwater cave. The dim space was illuminated by night pearls, bright and beautiful. Strangely, there was no seawater inside the cave; it was like dry land.
"Greetings, Third Princess, Second Prince, Elder Ni, and honored guests." Several eighth-rank demon cultivators were guarding the cave. Seeing them, they stepped forward to bow.
Xuanmiao nodded slightly, and the others returned the greeting.
"Fellow Daoists, it's right here," Xuanmiao said, pointing to a towering gate.
This gate was constructed of bluestone, carved from massive rocks, tall and imposing, majestic and grand. On the two stone doors were carved vivid Qilin, emanating an aura of majestic and vast power.
"The Breath of the Qilin..." Mo Tiange murmured softly. With such a pure Breath of the Qilin, this was undoubtedly the Qilin Sacrificial Temple.
It was rather amusing. Ever since discovering the Azure Dragon Sacrificial Temple during her Foundation Establishment stage, she had never entered any of the Four Spirit Sacrificial Temples through the main gate. The Azure Dragon Temple had an alternate entrance; the Vermilion Bird had been built into an underground palace by the Cold Ice Palace; the White Tiger was embedded in the Western Ridge Mountains; and the Black Tortoise also had another entrance... Only now, with the Qilin, the last temple, did she finally see the main gate. It was truly an exciting thing.
"We've tried various methods but couldn't open it," Xuanmiao said. "However, Fellow Daoists need not worry. It's only been a few days; we can think of a way slowly."
"You are right, we..." Mo Tiange was about to say something when suddenly, that vast Breath of the Qilin surged skyward, as if something was rushing out from inside the temple.
Everyone was shocked. What was happening, with such an intense Breath of the Qilin?
"Hehe," a light chuckle sounded in everyone's ears. The voice seemed distant yet close, unanchored, as if right beside them. "After waiting for so many years, has someone finally come?"
A male voice, neither high-pitched nor low, carrying a leisurely tone, rang out unhurriedly.
Hearing this, Xuanmiao's expression changed. She shouted, "Who are you? Show yourself quickly! Don't play these ghostly tricks!"
"Little girl, don't be so hot-tempered," the person said. "Even your great-great-great-grandfather wouldn't speak to me like that."
"Ah..." Xuanmiao was stunned, momentarily unable to grasp the meaning of his words.
"Ai, do young people nowadays not know how to respect their elders?" The person seemed to be talking to himself. Though his voice sounded young, his tone was aged and pedantic.
"May I ask which senior you are?" Qin Xi raised his voice. "Since you have waited for many years, senior, surely it is not just to tease us?"
The voice paused, then spoke with a hint of amusement. "Young people, so impatient. Alright, alright, I'll let you in."
As soon as the words fell, the Qilin gate seemed to be triggered by something and slowly began to open.
The dozen or so people present looked at each other; no one dared to step inside.
"What? Lost your nerve?" the voice teased.
Xuanmiao gritted her teeth and stepped forward first.
"Miaomiao!" Xuanyue exclaimed in alarm, trying to stop her.
Xuanmiao lifted her head high. "This is the Qilin Sacrificial Temple. We are descendants of the Qilin. Are we still afraid to enter?" With that, she straightened her robes and stepped firmly inside.
Xuanyue was taken aback, then sighed with a sense of loss. He finally understood where he fell short compared to his third sister.
"Let's go too," Qin Xi said. "With this senior's strength, if he wanted to deal with us, he wouldn't need to go to such trouble." He then walked in as well.
The group of over a dozen cultivators silently entered the Qilin Sacrificial Temple.
The broad stone passage was filled with a thick Breath of the Qilin. This made Mo Tiange keenly feel that, as divine beasts, the Five Spirits possessed extremely powerful strength. The Breath of the Qilin she had obtained from Amber within her was completely immobilized under this pressure.
The end of the stone passage suddenly opened up, and the Qilin Great Hall appeared before everyone.
As they approached, the hall's doors slowly opened, followed by a voice that seemed right beside them: "Welcome, little friends."
Upon entering the Qilin Great Hall, everyone was stunned.
This great hall was no different from the other sacrificial temples, except that the position of the divine statue was occupied by a majestic Qilin.
What was eerie was that beside the statue, it seemed connected to another space. There was no massive stone wall where one should be, but instead, green mountains, clear waters, and the sound of flowing streams. Beside a pond stood a chess table, upon which rested a strange chess set with colorful patterns. Mo Tiange recognized it at a glance: it was an array diagram.
Beside the chess table, a person knelt, a spirit bird with gorgeous tail feathers perched on his hand. He looked at them with a leisurely smile.
This person appeared young, not over thirty, with rather plain features that could not be called handsome. Yet, his entire being exuded an air of carefree ease and natural grace. One glance was enough to make one feel his extraordinary bearing.
And what was most intimidating was the aura about him, like a deep, still sea, rising but not yet unleashed.
"Senior, you are..." Mo Tiange felt almost breathless, "a God Transformation Cultivator?"
The man smiled faintly and said leisurely, "You must be that junior who holds the spirit? You carry his aura."
'Holder of the Spirit' was the Daoist title of Zhong Muling. Mo Tiange took a deep breath and bowed in greeting. "This junior Mo Tiange pays her respects to Senior."
Hearing her words, the others also came to their senses and bowed deeply one after another. Ling Yunhe, Dao Lord Lingxi, and the others were especially excited; this was their first time seeing a legendary God Transformation Cultivator.
Xuanyue, Xuanmiao, and the others also bowed respectfully. Firstly, out of reverence for a God Transformation Cultivator, unrelated to the Zhong Clan. Secondly, because this God Transformation Cultivator seemed to know their ancestors.
"No need for such formalities," the man said, still smiling, stroking the bird by his hand.
After everyone rose, Mo Tiange asked respectfully, "May I ask Senior's esteemed name, and why you are within the Qilin Sacrificial Temple?"
The man released the bird in his hand, letting it fly away, before answering, "My name is Hanquan. Currently, I am the one on duty at the Qilin Sacrificial Temple."
This answer made Mo Tiange pause. "On duty?"
Hanquan smiled and nodded. "That's right. Since ten thousand years ago, the Qilin Sacrificial Temple has been guarded by God Transformation Cultivators, with shifts changing every thousand years."
"Ah..." Nie Wushang exclaimed softly beside them. "So that means, all the things we've been doing, the God Transformation Cultivators have known about them?"
Her sharp reaction earned an appreciative glance from Hanquan. "If you put it that way, then yes, that's not wrong."
These words shocked them. They all knew? Did that mean the other four spirit temples had already been visited? If so, why were they still able to obtain the divine beast legacies? Was there still any need for them to search for the truth?
Xuanmiao was especially stunned for a long while. Suddenly, with some agitation, she cried out, "If that's the case, why didn't you go to find our Divine Monarch Great-Great-Grandfather? You are God Transformation Cultivators, with far greater power than us. Why were you unwilling to lend him a helping hand? Senior, you said you know one of my ancestors, right? Could it be that he also refused to seek help from his own ancestors?"