Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 264 Tianlan Festival
"Did he come alone? Was there anyone else traveling with him?" After a moment of silence, Song Xian asked.

Apu has now broken through the Foundation Establishment Stage, and he actually came to visit again. It must be something important.

Although the sect had saved his life before, he also paid the corresponding compensation, and the two parties have settled their accounts. I wonder what he came for this time.

"He's the only one."

"Then please ask him to wait in the main hall."

Lin Quan left immediately.

"We haven't seen each other for so many years, and he comes to visit again after the master has established his foundation. I think he is here for the master. This man has an extraordinary background and acts decisively. Although we saved his life, we must be on guard against him. The master must be careful in dealing with him." Zhong Wenyuan said with a frown.

"Let's go to the main hall to meet him later and find out what he wants to do."

…………

In the spacious and bright hall, a man with a red nose sat inside. Seeing Song Xian and Zhong Wenyuan coming in, the man stood up and bowed to them, saying in a calm tone: "Fellow Daoist Song, Fellow Daoist Zhong, it's been a long time."

Song Xian was shocked because this person didn't look like Apu at all. Who was this person? How did he know about Apu's relationship with Hunyuan Sect? Could he be from the Hussein family of Muhe Grassland?

And from hearing these words, it seemed that the two of them were old acquaintances, but Song Xian had never seen this person before.

He couldn't help but look back at Zhong Wenyuan, who also had a look of surprise on his face.

"Excuse me for being so rude, but I don't know your name. I don't remember ever meeting you before."

The man reached out and touched his face gently. In an instant, his face changed again, which was completely different from before. Before, his face looked like a Qin person, but now he had deep eyes, a high nose, and handsome features. It was Aples.

"So that's how it is. I was wondering who was impersonating fellow Taoist." Seeing this, Song Xian felt relieved.

Just a moment ago, he thought that it was Aples's enemy who came to visit him. You know, Aples is a descendant of Hussein, the lord of the eastern part of Muh Grassland, and a traitor to Hussein's family, who is feared by those in power.

If the Hussein family knew about his past with Apples and sent people to bring him to justice, it would undoubtedly be a disaster for the sect.

After Apu regained his original appearance, he wiped his face with his hand and instantly transformed into the man with the rosacea. "I don't want to be recognized and cause trouble, so I have been showing myself like this all these years."

"Daoyou, your disguise technique is really exquisite. This should be a secret treasure!" Song Xian looked at his current appearance carefully again and really couldn't find any flaws. It should not be a cardboard mask or something like that. It must be a treasure used by the cultivation world to change one's appearance.

"It's just a trivial skill, not worth mentioning." Apu said lightly without further explanation.

"Fellow Daoist, please take a seat." Song Xian did not ask about these trivial matters any more and asked him to sit down. At the same time, he secretly opened the Eye of Observation.

As he observed it, the face was faintly disturbed, like mist sticking to the glass, making it impossible to see the true appearance.

And a line of data information emerged in his mind.

Cultivation: third level of foundation building

Spiritual Strength: 1049
Spiritual power: 735
Spiritual root attributes: wood, water.

"I heard that Fellow Daoist Song has broken through the Foundation Establishment Stage, so I came to visit you. This time, I also have an important matter that I would like to ask Fellow Daoist Song for help." Apu did not exchange pleasantries and directly stated his purpose.

"Fellow Taoist, please tell me."

"I wonder if Fellow Daoist Song has ever heard of the Tianlan Festival?"

"Tianlan Festival?" Song Xian glanced at Zhong Wenyuan, who also shook his head, obviously not having heard of it: "I have never heard of it."

Apu then told the story of the whole process of the Tianlan event.

It turns out that there is a Tianlan Mountain at the junction of the eastern and southern parts of the Muhe grassland, where there is a forbidden area.

This forbidden area is surrounded by a powerful barrier. Not only ordinary cultivators, but even cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage cannot easily break this barrier. However, when the sun and moon are in the same sky, the barrier's power becomes extremely weak.

As to why this forbidden area appeared and why this situation occurred, there are many different opinions in the Muhe grassland. The more unified and convincing statement is that this forbidden area is a relic left by ancient monks, which is connected to another independent space.

The barrier that exists around is the entrance where the two spaces are intertwined. Because it is restricted by the power of heaven and earth, over time, it has formed an invisible and intangible yet real barrier.

The reason why the power of the barrier becomes weak on the day when the sun and the moon are in the same sky is because this day is the time when yin and yang meet once every hundred years. On this day, all the sea areas around Muhe Grassland will experience regular rise and fall, forming a tidal phenomenon.

This phenomenon will affect the space. Some people say that during this period of time, the two spaces will overlap, so the power of the barrier created by space constraints will be greatly weakened.

After this forbidden land was discovered, it attracted competition from the eastern and southern forces of the Muhe Grassland, and several conflicts broke out. The forbidden land changed hands several times, and many monks on both sides were killed or injured in the forbidden land.

In the end, the royal family of Muhe Grassland stepped in to resolve the feud. In order to avoid future conflicts between the two forces, an agreement was made at that time that the Tianlan Forbidden Land would be completely open to the outside world and no one would be allowed to occupy it privately. Violators would be punished by the royal family.

From then on, every time the sun and the moon were in the same sky, the Tianlan Forbidden Land would attract many monks to explore, and it gradually became known as the Tianlan Festival.

Only those with the cultivation level above the Foundation Establishment Stage can enter this forbidden area. This is because although the barrier becomes weak on the day when the sun and the moon are in the same sky, the Qi Refining cultivators themselves are too weak to withstand this force and will be squeezed to death by the force of space when passing through the passage.

At least one must be a foundation-building cultivator to successfully pass through the opened space channel.

Today, the royal family of Muhe Grassland has declined, but this agreement has been continued.

The day when the sun and the moon are in the same sky only occurs once every hundred years, so the Tianlan Forbidden Land is also opened once every hundred years.

There are many powerful monsters in that forbidden area, as well as rare spiritual medicines, herbs and treasures from heaven and earth, so a large number of cultivators flocked in.

On that day, the Hussein family, the eastern lord of the Muhe grassland, and the Alqiu family, the southern lord, will jointly open the forbidden area. Everyone can enter and only needs to pay a fee of 30,000 spirit stones.

Of course, the Hussein family and the Alqiu family will also send their own children in for training.

The reason why Apu came to visit was because the once-in-a-century Tianlan Festival was about to start again, and he also needed help to enter the forbidden area to obtain treasures.

The last time the vault was opened, Apu's father had sent someone inside to search for a treasure, but they were unable to obtain it. Afterwards, the confidant told the location of the treasure, hoping to retrieve it the next time the vault was opened.

Unexpectedly, due to the slander of Noha Enyis, a close confidant and favorite of the head of the Hussein family, his father was killed, and all his trusted guards were also executed.

Therefore, this secret is now known only by Apu. He thinks that he is not strong enough to get the treasure alone, so he wants to find helpers to work together.

This was because his father's confidant, who was already in the middle stage of foundation building at that time, was unable to take away the treasure.

With his strength, he naturally had no confidence in taking it away.

At this time, he heard that Song Xian, the headmaster of Hunyuan Sect, had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage. So he came to visit him and asked Song Xian to accompany him to the Tianlan Forbidden Land.

He was relatively relieved about Song Xian. After all, the two sides had cooperated before and knew each other well.

After hearing these words, Song Xian did not agree or refuse immediately, but fell into deep thought.

Now, as the sect leader, he occupies Tianshan Mountain. He has no shortage of money or training rooms. He lives a comfortable and easy life. There is no need for him to take risks in the Tianlan forbidden area.

According to Apu, the forbidden area opens once every hundred years. There are many rare elixirs and natural treasures in it, which means that the monks who enter will definitely fight to the death. In addition, there are powerful monsters in it, so the danger can be imagined.

He had just broken through the Foundation Establishment Realm not long ago, and his strength was at most middle to lower level among the Foundation Establishment cultivators. Not to mention compared with the late Foundation Establishment cultivators, even compared with the third Foundation Establishment cultivator like Apu, he might not be able to match him.

Going to a place where neither heaven nor earth can help you, and where only cultivators with foundation building level or above can go, is too risky.

He is the backbone of the entire sect. If something happens to him, the entire sect may collapse. Especially now, after the Tianshan Sect and the Hunyuan Sect have just been merged, they need to get through this stage safely.

However, this opportunity only comes once in a hundred years. If you miss it, it would be a pity. You don’t know whether you can wait for the next time.

Thinking of this, he became eager to agree to go.

Back then, if he had not listened to Shao Jian's report and personally visited the ghost cave in Anyuan City to obtain the Xuantian Ronghuo Jue and the Netherworld Cold Flame, he would not have been able to win the foundation-building competition selection in one fell swoop, nor would he have been able to successfully build the foundation later.

On the path of spiritual practice, opportunities often only last for a moment. They cannot wait for you forever. If you cannot seize the opportunity, there are two possible outcomes.

On the one hand, it is rational thinking, and on the other hand, it is the inner emotional impulse.

Song Xian was caught in a dilemma and couldn't make a decision for a while.

Apu did not urge him. After he finished speaking, he waited silently for his reply.

The hall fell into a brief silence. After a while, Song Xian finally asked, "Fellow Daoist Apu, can you tell me what the treasure you mentioned is, and what benefits can I get from it?"

"It's the Thunder Yuan Wood, and there are more than one. I already know its exact location. If Fellow Daoist Song is willing to lend me a hand and take down the Thunder Yuan Wood, we can split it equally." Apu spoke about the treasure without hesitation.

Lei Yuanmu is an extremely rare thunder-attribute material in the world of cultivation. It possesses the power of thunder and lightning and has a strong restraining effect on evil things.

In addition, Thunder Yuan Wood is also an excellent main material for refining thunder-attribute magic weapons.

Song Xian knew how precious this thing was and was somewhat tempted. If he could get one or two beads of thunder wood, he might be able to refine thunder-attributed magic weapons in the future. Among all the magic weapons in the cultivation world, thunder-attributed magic weapons are the most powerful and the most difficult to refine because thunder-attributed materials are extremely rare.

Even if it is not made into a magic weapon, the value of this item is still quite great.

"Fellow Daoist just said that this item was discovered by your Lord's men. Why didn't he get it?"

"There is a three-tailed demon fox guarding that place. He is no match for it, so he has to withdraw."

"A three-tailed demon fox? I've never heard of this beast. I wonder where it comes from? What's its strength?"

"The three-tailed demon fox isn't a demon beast. It's shaped like a fox demon beast and has three tails, hence the name. It's naturally adept at thunder-attributed magical powers and enjoys eating things with thunder attributes. This Thunder Yuan Fruit is arguably its favorite, and the reason it guards the Thunder Yuan Wood is because of the Thunder Yuan Fruit. The three-tailed demon fox guarding there is as powerful as a fifth-rank demon beast."

A fifth-order demon beast, its strength is equivalent to that of a cultivator in the middle stage of foundation building, and it is also proficient in thunder-attribute magical powers.

Song Xian couldn't help but worry after hearing this: "Can we, the two of us, take down such a powerful monster? Moreover, it was already at the fifth level a hundred years ago. Now, after a hundred years, it may have advanced to the sixth level."

A Pu nodded and said, "Fellow Daoist Song is right. That demon beast is very powerful, and after so much time has passed, its strength may have even surpassed it. It is indeed difficult for the two of us to defeat it. In addition to Fellow Daoist Song, I have also found another helper. This person is also a Foundation Establishment cultivator and will act with us when the time comes."

"As I said earlier, there are more than one or two Thunder Yuan Wood beads there, enough for three people to share. Furthermore, the barrier of the Tianlan Forbidden Land will be open for half a month, and there are many rare elixirs and treasures inside. After we take the Thunder Yuan Wood, we will act separately and search on our own, and perhaps we will find other gains."

Song Xian was silent and pondering. While he was thinking, Zhong Wenyuan, who had been silent until then, spoke up: "Master, it's better to take a long-term view on this matter. There's no rush anyway."

Seeing his expression, Song Xian knew that he had something to say that he couldn't say in front of A Pu, so he said, "Fellow Daoist A Pu, let me consider this matter and give you an answer within two days. Is that okay?"

"No problem." Apu was fine with it. He also knew that they had something to talk about in private, so he stood up and said, "Then I won't bother you anymore. I'll come back in a few days."

"Fellow Daoist Apu, it's a rare opportunity for you to visit our sect. Please stay here for a few days and let me show my hospitality."

"Fellow Daoist Song, you don't have to be polite. I just have something to do in Bianxi City, so I won't stay long. Goodbye." After saying this, Apu turned around and left.

"I'll see you off, fellow Daoist." Song Xian stood up and walked out of the hall with him. After seeing him disappear into the distance, he said, "Senior Brother Wenyuan, what do you think?"

Zhong Wenyuan said sternly, "Master, you must not take risks lightly. The sect is thriving and has recently merged with the Tianshan Sect. If anything happens to the master, who will be able to control the current situation? For the sake of the sect and your own safety, I hope the master will refuse this."

"I'll think about it." Song Xian knew he would say this. A cautious and prudent person like him would definitely not want him to attend the Tianlan event.

Back in the main room of the mansion, Su Zhirou saw that he looked strange when he returned, so she asked what happened.

Song Xian would not hide anything from her, so he told her the whole story of Apu's life and the purpose of this visit.

Su Zhirou became anxious when she heard this and insisted that he promise not to attend the Tianlan event.

(End of this chapter)