Twilight descended, and the peaks of the Yu Mountain Great Range faded into the vast expanse.
Outside the ruined hall, autumn insects chirped.
Jiang Yuechu stood at the hall's opening, arms crossed, her gaze fixed on the darkening sky.
She wasn't exactly flustered.
The Chess Condensation Method she was deducing was progressing steadily, and the demon souls in the Celestial Demon Martial Practice were bickering fiercely, making the progress even faster than expected.
But no matter how fast, it still required an object of dao integration as a Foundation; otherwise, everything would be a castle in the air.
That Old Thing wouldn't really be deceiving her.
After all, if the Xirang The Main Seat wanted to escape, there truly was no one more suitable than her right now.
An Old Thing who had lived for countless millennia couldn't possibly miscalculate these stakes.
But if he wasn't deceiving her... then something unexpected must have happened.
Just as Jiang Yuechu was contemplating whether to proactively seek out that Old Thing to urge him along.
A long green rainbow suddenly streaked across the sky.
The rainbow light came with extreme urgency, not like ordinary evasion, but more like a desperate escape.
It swept rapidly from the northeast of the Yu Mountain Great Range, dragging a long trail, the green light flickering erratically, and its Qi intermittently broken.
Jiang Yuechu narrowed her eyes.
The green light circled once above Qingwu Mountain, finally converging abruptly three zhang in front of the hall.
The old woman's figure stepped out from the radiance.
Still the same hunched appearance, with a few strands of silver hair loose, but her breathing was hurried, clearly indicating she had been in a fight...
The old woman raised her vertical pupils, meeting the young girl's gaze.
Silence lasted for about two breaths.
She didn't explain why she had new injuries, nor did she account for her delay.
She simply pulled something from her bosom and handed it to Jiang Yuechu.
"Hold it carefully."
The moment it fell into her palm, Jiang Yuechu's five fingers recoiled slightly from the heat.
Jiang Yuechu indifferently lowered her gaze to the sword sheath in her hand. The sheath was about a foot long, entirely golden, wrapped layer upon layer with sinew cloth.
Jiang Yuechu flipped her wrist, raising the golden sheath to her eyes for examination.
There were no patterns or engravings on the sheath's surface.
It was excessively smooth.
But if one focused their gaze, they could vaguely discern a flickering flame shadow slowly moving beneath the golden sinew cloth.
Fire hidden within gold.
From tangible to intangible.
Her expression unchanged, she put the golden sheath into her Storage Pouch with a backhand motion.
She looked up at the old woman: "What's it called?"
"Lihuo Golden Sheath."
The old woman's voice was much hoarser than three days ago.
She gathered her loose silver hair, her vertical pupils reflecting the young girl's cool and indifferent face.
"This item takes the harmonious blend of gold and fire as its Foundation, using the formless nature of fire to overcome the tangible nature of gold, then transforming gold into the formless... A Dao Cultivator can use this as a Foundation to emulate the transformation of gold and fire, changing their own circumstances... While it's not a top-tier object of dao integration, for condensing the first dao chess piece..."
She paused.
"It's barely enough."
Barely enough.
These four words, coming from the mouth of a Chess Player Realm The Main Seat, carried a different weight.
If it were an ordinary Cultivator, obtaining such an object of dao integration would likely make them dig up their ancestral graves for re-burial.
But Jiang Yuechu also knew that the old woman wasn't being modest.
Presumably, truly superior objects of dao integration were far more impressive than this.
However.
Entry is entry.
Having it and not having it are two different matters.
First, cross the threshold of Zhiji, then talk.
If anything is missing in the future, then discuss it.
Thinking of this.
Jiang Yuechu turned her gaze to the old woman, casually asking, "How did you get it?"
The old woman's withered face twitched slightly upon hearing this.
"Borrowing something from someone... that kid is very stingy, stubbornly refusing to budge. After a few back-and-forths, I suffered a bit of a loss."
At this point, the old woman curled her lips: "I don't know who taught him such a temper. It's just a broken thing, yet he guards it like his lifeblood. I spoke to him nicely, but he just cursed."
"What's that little thing's cultivation? Is he also a Chess Player?"
The old woman was a bit impatient: "You wouldn't know him even if I told you."
"What if I do?"
"You know jack shit."
"…"
Jiang Yuechu blinked.
She really just asked casually.
She wasn't some warm-hearted person; what did it matter to her who the other party fought or who beat them?
"I was just asking casually."
Jiang Yuechu shrugged, dropping the topic.
The old woman glared at her, her wrinkled old face filled with helplessness.
Just asking casually.
If you're just asking casually, why are you asking so many follow-up questions?
She let out a long breath, suppressing the irritation in her heart.
"Alright."
The old woman composed herself, her tone returning to its previous steady cadence. "The object of dao integration has been given to you. Next, it's time to talk about serious matters."
The old woman composed herself, her tone returning to its previous steady cadence.
"The object of dao integration has been given to you. Next, it's time to talk about serious matters."
Jiang Yuechu cast aside her nonchalant demeanor.
Seeing this, the old woman no longer beat around the bush.
"The method to reach Yunmeng Township is actually not complicated."
Her vertical pupils shifted slightly as she slowly began.
"Spirit Mountain, you know it, right?"
Jiang Yuechu nodded.
Spirit Mountain.
She was too familiar with that place.
It was almost like her own home.
"Beneath Spirit Mountain, there's a hidden cavern called Lightless Cave."
The old woman's voice dropped a few decibels.
"Imprisoned within the cave is a White Elephant demon... This demon has an extraordinary origin; it was once the servant of Moyang True Lord, the previous The Main Seat of the Chunyang Lineage... Later, it encountered a mishap and was imprisoned until now after that Profound Sun old dog usurped power."
Jiang Yuechu listened with downcast eyes, not interrupting.
The old woman continued: "This White Elephant holds an item called the star palace atlas. This atlas records the network and direction between this incomplete world and Yunmeng Township... With it, you can find the entrance to Yunmeng Township."
"At that time, once you step into Zhiji and obtain this item, come find me."
The old woman's vertical pupils fixed on Jiang Yuechu's face, her tone serious.
"I will tell you how to use the star palace atlas to open the passage and leave this painting."
Hearing these words.
Jiang Yuechu was slightly startled.
Spirit Mountain had an underground area?
Back then, she had swept through Spirit Mountain, turning it upside down.
How did she manage to miss an underground cave?
However...
It was fortunate she hadn't noticed it back then.
It wasn't that a big problem would necessarily arise if she had discovered it... but with her temper at the time, if she had truly stumbled upon a cave of unknown origin with a demon imprisoned inside.
Nine times out of ten.
She would have casually obliterated it.
The whereabouts of the star palace atlas... would most likely have vanished along with it.
...
A few days later.
The autumn chill in the Yu Mountain Great Range grew heavier.
Among the peaks, withered yellow vines hung from the cliff faces, swaying precariously in the wind.
A pitch-black flying boat broke through the air from the direction of Qingwu Mountain.
Jiang Yuechu sat at the bow of the boat.
Her black robes gently fluttered in the wind. She propped her chin with one hand, her eyes half-closed, her expression indifferent.
Wang Ziyu sat cross-legged, silently turning his head to look at the Deer Demon beside him, who was standing three feet to Jiang Yuechu's right rear, chest puffed out and a righteous expression on its face.
His gaze lingered on the deer's face for a moment.
He couldn't help but speak.
"Just go back."
Wang Ziyu said helplessly.
"What are you doing bringing this thing along?"
As soon as Jade Dust Demon Emperor heard this, its half-collapsed deer face instantly contorted.
It turned its head, glancing down at the boy dressed as a Daoist acolyte, and immediately snapped:
"What do you mean, 'this thing'?"
"I am the personal guard personally appointed by the Demon Emperor! How can the Demon Emperor travel to the heartland of the Eastern Domain without anyone to serve her... Along the way, serving tea and water, sweeping and changing clothes, announcing guests, averting disaster and danger—which of these can Jade Dust not handle?"
Saying this, the Deer Demon leaned in closer, lowering its voice and earnestly saying: "You, little servant, I've told you how many times... when following the Demon Emperor, you must have good judgment... You're usually silent, not even offering a word of flattery. The Demon Emperor not disliking you is because of her kindness..."
"I'm not a servant..."
"Heh... Little friend, your thinking is very dangerous..."