Devour

Chapter 384 Nanli Minghuo

"Thank you for your kindness, Master. I will definitely go." Cheng Bai responded with a smile, thinking to himself, "Master Li gives me a sense of déjà vu. Have we met before?"

After careful recollection, Cheng Bai had no recollection. He then thought, "As an elder of the Li family, perhaps it was because I knew Li Fengtian."

Upon hearing this, Diao Zha's face was filled with envy. He raised his glass and flattered Cheng Bai, "The Holy Lord Baidi is deeply favored by the Sage Confucianists! This Immortal Fate Elegant Gathering, also known as the 'Immortal Fate Grand Gathering', is held at least once every hundred reincarnation eras. It is truly a dream pilgrimage site for cultivators from all five continents. Those invited must be the world's top geniuses!"

Cheng Bai asked, "Is it similar to the Qunhua Yahui of the Longmai Sect?"

Diao Zha had just taken a sip of his wine when he chuckled softly, nearly spitting it out. He quickly explained, "Fellow Daoist, you're joking! The Qunhua Elegant Meeting is a commercial auction held by the Longmai Sect to gild their own business. It's a copycat event held every year. How can it be compared to the truly elegant gatherings of the Taowu Academy?"

Cheng Bai asked curiously, "What's so special about it?"

Diao Zha said with longing, "You can't just be rich and powerful and attend the Immortal Fate Gathering. Each time, the Master personally invites twenty-seven outstanding and noble scholars to participate. If the number can't be reached, the event is preferably cancelled. Therefore, it has been suspended from time to time in history. Once it is held, it truly brings together the best cultivators from all over the world!"

He paused, shaking his head, and said, "Besides, the final day of the imperial examination is approaching, so hosting the Immortal Fate Elegant Gathering is particularly crucial! The Master will publicly display his treasures and give them to the right people. Although not all invited guests will participate in the examination, if a candidate can obtain one or two of them, their chances of winning will naturally increase greatly!"

Cheng Bai was secretly delighted and asked jokingly, "What kind of treasure do you have to give as a gift?"

Diao Zha stole a glance at Master Li and lowered his voice, "All kinds of natural treasures have opportunities. Maybe there's the Nanli Minghuo..."

Tu He glanced at Diao Zha intentionally or unintentionally, scaring him so much that he shut up and dared not say anything more.

After hearing this, Cheng Bai suddenly remembered the poem in his dream: "Hand in hand, we set out to the south of the sea, longing for each other and hating the separation. We will meet under the bright moon, but in the future, there will be only fire left."

He suppressed his pounding heart and pondered silently, "This poem has a strange rhythm. According to the principle of concealing the beginning and revealing the end, it means 'bringing you to meet the bright fire of the South'. This is definitely not a simple interpretation of running to the South Sea to search endlessly. It turns out that this source of divine fire really does exist!"

Cheng Bai couldn't help but look at Master Li, wanting to get further details.

Master Li's keen ears and eyes could not fail to catch the subtle chatter, so he volunteered to answer the question, "The Nanli Bright Fire is rumored to be a lost sacred object of the Feitian Sect. The scholar has specially invited the Saintess of the Feitian Sect to attend this Immortal Fate Elegant Gathering, hoping to verify its authenticity. If it is indeed authentic, we might as well use this opportunity to return it to the Feitian Sect."

Cheng Bai sighed inwardly, "No wonder Master Li is so popular. How many people in the world could do such a magnanimous and kind act?"

Ren Yijian reminded him, "Master, you are always discerning between right and wrong. Since ancient times, treasures belong to those with virtue. If the Feitian Cult cannot prove that it should belong to his family, then the heroes present will have a good chance."

"I need the Nanli Minghuo to solve the mystery of the Bailian Mansion. I might as well try to get it. If it belongs to Feng Yong, we can discuss borrowing it then." Cheng Bai thought about it and said happily, "It's a grand event, I should see it for myself."

Master Li was also delighted, saying happily, "It's an honor to have you at this Immortal Fate Gathering! Saint Ren is the twenty-sixth guest, Saint Baidi is the twenty-seventh, and including the Confucian scholars, there are a total of twenty-eight people. Finally, this gathering has been successfully held."

Ren Yijian smiled and said, "Thanks to the invitation of the Holy Lord Baidi, Master has been able to gather the host and guests for this round, so that we can have the opportunity to see the treasures of Taowu Academy. We don't have to lament the loss of talent and miss out on such a grand event like in previous years!"

Cheng Bai asked in confusion, "Why do we have to gather 28 people?"

Master Li said calmly, "This number has special significance, as it emulates the late emperor's heroic feat of leading twenty-seven sages to establish a dynasty."

Cheng Bai pondered in his heart, "People are gone and the tea is cold. Those who still care about the details of Emperor Yunmen are supposed to be loyal. Why did they leave the government and retreat to the outer realms?"

Looking at the laughter and joy in the hall, Cheng Bai suppressed his doubts and thought to himself, "I shouldn't think too much about these useless rules and regulations."

Min Wushuang said respectfully, "Master, I have something that worries me greatly."

Master Li smiled slightly and said, "You can talk as much as you want."

Min Wushuang's face was solemn, and his words were earnest. "A sect's seclusion for several decades is not too long for cultivators like us. However, in the mortal world, the nations have been without the protection of the towering trees for a long time! Hostile forces will surely take advantage of this opportunity and invade. The first to bear the brunt will be the Jingtao Sect, which will march south to destroy the Beiwei Kingdom. War is ruthless, and the vast land will be transformed into a sea of ​​blood!"

Master Li thought for a moment and agreed, "I understand your point. After all, the Tu Min Society has supported the Nie family quite a bit... Well, now that this matter is settled, I will personally visit Jing'ao Island and ask Saint Lord Wang Hong to cease hostilities for one samsara epoch. The reasoning is sound, and I'm sure he'll grant me some favor."

Min Wushuang hurriedly thanked him: "Thank you, Master."

Cheng Bai inquired about another important matter: "I would like to ask, is the next secret realm in the Five Dragon Palace?"

Master Li nodded and said, "In half a month, the Five Dragons Hall will open the Netherworld Passage to the Dragon Tomb. In a month and a half, the Star Hall will also unseal the passage to the Lost Ocean."

"what?!"

Upon hearing this, Ren Yijian and Min Wushuang's faces turned pale.

Seeing their horrified expressions, Cheng Bai asked in surprise, "What's so special about these two secret realms? Are they very difficult?"

Ren Yijian swallowed his saliva and said hesitantly, "It's not just difficult, it's simply too difficult!"

Min Wushuang echoed, "This year's examination is far too cruel. The Nine-Layered Abyss is considered a top-tier ancient dangerous place. In the past, the mere opening of a secret realm of this level would have made the examinees groan. But now... Sigh!"

Cheng Bai understood: "Are the Dragon Tomb and the Lost Ocean more advanced than the Nine-Layered Abyss? How big is the gap?"

Ren Yijian shook his head repeatedly and said, "It's ridiculously difficult! The difference is as huge as the difference between heaven and earth. Just talking about the Nine-Layered Abyss, few of our local Eight Great Ming Kings are willing to go there, simply because the mortality rate of the challenge is too high and the risk is too great!"

Min Wushuang lamented, "The Dragon Tomb is undoubtedly the pinnacle of ancient peril. As the name suggests, this secret realm contains the remains of numerous true dragons. It was last opened eighteen samsara epochs ago, when three Soul Forging Realm Supreme Elders from our Tumin Society entered together, but have never been heard from again."

Jinlian interjected, "The Ranger Association indicates the level of ordinary ancient secret realms, making them suitable for candidates to challenge. However, the degree of danger in high-end secret realms is vague, making it extremely difficult to determine the corresponding cultivator level. They only roughly distinguish between three high-difficulty levels: ancient dangerous lands, ancient dangerous lands, and desolate ancient dangerous lands. Only the saints are qualified to challenge them."

"So, Senior Leng Yi is the only one farming monsters in the Nine-Layered Abyss. Even if Sister Lian were to go there, she would have to be extremely cautious. It's a dangerous place for the candidates, hanging their lives by a thread." Cheng Bai pondered, glancing at Kua E's group, and then thought, "Now that the Nine-Layered Abyss has fallen to the level of an ancient secret realm, Senior Leng simply left."

Min Wushuang estimated, "The Lost Ocean is even more outrageous. No one has dared to set foot there for thousands of reincarnation epochs, right? It must be considered an extremely rare, top-level ancient and dangerous place!"

Jinlian hesitated, a hint of uncertainty in her tone. "The Dragon Tomb is fine, but the Lost Ocean is the most mysterious place in the depths of the Cloud Realm Star Sea, spanning the three major star regions of Zongmen, Longmen, and Zhongmen. Some senior experts believe it may be even greater than expected. From my point of view, the difficulty is probably even greater than that of the ancient dangerous land. It is a true forbidden zone!"

Diao Zha flattered him, "Master, you set a difficult exam question. This not only preserves the local talents of Mount Xumi, but also discourages outsiders. It is truly a wise and intelligent move!"

You must know that candidates who have gone through the three secret realm tests but failed to meet the requirements for the joint examination are not even qualified to compete with the Eight Great Kings. The chances of people from the five continents obtaining the three virtuous places will naturally be greatly increased.

Diao Zha grew increasingly excited as he spoke, as if he saw the unwilling faces of those who had been eliminated. He said with a cheeky face, "Preserving the internally appointed talents and reducing the threat of external competition is truly a brilliant move for the clan and the people!"

Master Li didn't even look at him, and sat at the table without making any comment.

Jinlian sneered, "You greatly underestimate the Master's ambition. On the contrary, haven't the outsiders who successfully passed the secret realm trials and reached the imperial examination proven with facts that their willpower, aptitude, and ability far surpass those of the so-called Eight Great Kings? Could they easily seize the position of virtuous and capable with a single wave of their hands?"