Chapter 71 - Borrowing Power

on researching the blood seal within the spirit-fixing needle. Essentially, he was seeking guidance from Xuan Yi and also needed to leverage his influence for another matter.

Upon entering the outer attendant pavilion, he saw many outer disciples receiving sect missions. As soon as they noticed Leng Yan, they quickly stepped aside and greeted in unison, “Hello, Senior Brother Leng!”

Leng Yan secretly enjoyed this treatment and said with a smile, “No need for formalities.”

“Elder Xuan, I have something to discuss with you. Can we talk in private?” In front of so many people, Leng Yan knew to show some respect to Xuan Yi and not be too casual.

Xuan Yi stroked his beard and smiled, “Come, follow me inside!”

Inside the inner hall, Xuan Yi said with a smile, “You’ve learned to give me some face after your trip out.”

“Actually, I’ve always respected you,” Leng Yan said with a chuckle.

“Alright, stop pretending in front of me. Tell me, where did you go this time? Judging by your look, quite a lot happened!” Xuan Yi said as he sat down.

“Aren’t you always keeping an eye on me? How could you not know what happened?” Leng Yan asked. He always thought Xuan Yi was monitoring him.

“Do you really think I have so much free time? I’ve already helped lay your foundation. The rest of the journey is up to you. If you fail now, it only means you’re not destined for the immortal path,” Xuan Yi said, widening his eyes.

“Is that so? Alright then, let me ask you, do you know about the Houtu Stele?” Leng Yan didn’t mind much about being under someone’s protection, so he didn’t react strongly.

“Houtu Stele? How do you know about the Houtu Stele? Did you go to Yin Mountain?” Xuan Yi suddenly looked tense and shouted.

“Yes, I did go to Yin Mountain and saw the Houtu Stele,” Leng Yan replied with a smile.

“Did you encounter an old man there?” Xuan Yi asked.

“I did. He wanted to take me as his disciple, but I refused,” Leng Yan said nonchalantly.

“Really? You refused him, and you still managed to come back alive! You fool! Becoming his disciple would have been much more promising than being Long Tian’s. Truly foolish!” Xuan Yi lamented.

“Let’s not talk about that. Tell me, who is that old man? And what exactly is the Houtu Stele? It seems quite formidable,” Leng Yan finally asked, hoping Xuan Yi’s answer might reveal something about the immortal land.

“I don’t know who the old man is, but you’d best not provoke him! Even on the immortal firmament continent, everyone avoids him because his cultivation level is unfathomable, and no one knows his true strength.”

“As for the Houtu Stele, it’s a magical treasure. It’s said to be a treasure of the demon realm. Years ago, it fell into the immortal firmament continent along with the Celestial Heaven Mirror. These two treasures sparked the chaos of that era, but the Celestial Heaven Mirror vanished, while the Houtu Stele remained with that old man. His cultivation is so advanced that no one dares covet the Houtu Stele,” Xuan Yi sighed and said.

“The Celestial Heaven Mirror? What is that? Another magical treasure?” Leng Yan’s mind was shaken. It seemed likely that this Celestial Heaven Mirror could be the very immortal mirror he possessed. Eagerly, he pressed for more information about the Celestial Heaven Mirror.

“I’m not sure what grade of treasure the Celestial Heaven Mirror is, but it has an impressive history.”

Back then, to retrieve this treasure, the immortal realm sent emissaries. Unfortunately, at that time, the dragon realm, demon realm, Barbarian Realm, and ancient realm all received edicts from the higher realms and came to seize it.

The mirror eventually fell into the hands of Yi Xuan, the Supreme Elder of the Wood Sect. However, the news was leaked, plunging the entire five elements realm into peril.

Yi Xuan, having survived three void tribulations and with his wood essence already forming a true spirit, formed a collaborative relationship with the Celestial Heaven Mirror. His power increased tremendously; even Long Tian, who had survived four tribulations, couldn’t escape defeat under his hand.

However, despite Yi Xuan’s strength, he couldn’t fend off everyone. In the end, he perished, and the Celestial Heaven Mirror vanished without a trace. The most likely place it could be is in Yi Xuan’s immortal’s abode, which led various realms to send disciples there, secretly searching for the Celestial Heaven Mirror. Yet, even now, it remains undiscovered,” Xuan Yi added with a look of disappointment, sighing.

“With your divine sense, you could see through an entire planet, yet you still can’t find a single magical treasure?” Leng Yan asked Xuan Yi, somewhat skeptically.

“If it were that simple! Unfortunately, the Celestial Heaven Mirror is made of unknown materials, making it impossible for divine sense to detect-unless it’s right before your eyes!”

“I see!” Leng Yan felt secretly pleased. This meant the Celestial Heaven Mirror hadn’t been discovered, which put his mind at ease.

“If that thing fell into my hands, I’d become incredibly powerful, wouldn’t I?” Leng Yan dreamily contemplated.

“Hmph, even if it fell into your hands, you better make sure you can keep it; otherwise, you’re as good as dead!” Xuan Yi smacked Leng Yan on the head.

“Heh, let’s not talk about that. Elder, do you know about the blood seal?” Leng Yan chuckled awkwardly, shifting the conversation.

“The Barbarian Realm’s cultivation fundamentals-I am, of course, aware. But as for the specific methods, I don’t know. The Barbarian Realm guards this fiercely; even a soul search wouldn’t reveal it,” Xuan Yi seemed to anticipate Leng Yan’s intentions, warning that he didn’t know the blood seal techniques.

“Oh, then how can I harness the full potential of this magical treasure?” Leng Yan waved his hand, tossing Zhong Chen out and then summoned the spirit-fixing needle, handing it to Xuan Yi.

Leng Yan hadn’t pinned too much hope on Xuan Yi knowing about the blood seal. His main goal was to get Xuan Yi to question him after seeing Zhong Chen.

Xuan Yi glanced at Zhong Chen on the ground and smiled faintly. Then, looking at the spirit-fixing needle, a hint of shock appeared on his face. “The spirit-fixing needle? How do you have this magical treasure?”

“Why? Is there something strange about this magical treasure?” Leng Yan asked in return.

“In the Barbarian Realm, there are two types of magical treasures that only cultivators above the void profundity can possess. One is the spirit-fixing needle, and the other is the body-fixing lock.”

The former can trap an enemy’s soul, with its weapon spirit able to devour the souls of its foes, making it extremely peculiar. The latter restrains an enemy’s physical movements, and more terrifyingly, the soul cannot manifest in three dimensions. Getting caught by either of these magical treasures often results in the soul being scattered far and wide.

“Yours is merely a defective item; it can only trap souls, and its other functions are defunct, so there’s nothing I can do! How exactly did you come across this thing?” Xuan Yi said, handing the spirit-fixing needle back to Leng Yan.

“That damned Mo Sang, he wagered a defective piece against me in a bet. Still, it’s pretty handy,” Leng Yan said, annoyed.

“You won this from Mo Sang in a bet? Impressive! You’re only at the true essence realm, yet you’re already dealing with void profundity. Aren’t you afraid of death?” Xuan Yi chuckled.

“I learned from spending a long time with you,” Leng Yan teased.

“No way I taught you that. When I was in the true essence realm, I would turn and walk away from anyone in the Heavenly Realm, let alone void profundity. What’s the story with this guy anyway? He seems to be a disciple of the Wood Sect. Why did you capture him?” Xuan Yi finally asked.

“Had no choice. That brat Jin Kuang and his father tried to kill me to steal the Purple Gold Emperor Technique. So, I had to capture his son to lure him here and then borrow your presence to intimidate him and stop him from acting rashly,” Leng Yan said with a dry laugh.

“Ah, so that’s why you’re here chatting with me instead of being in the master’s pavilion with that girl Shui Yunyao. You’re just using me,” Xuan Yi pretended to be angry.

“Don’t say ‘using’-it’s just a favor,” Leng Yan replied.

“A favor? What’s in it for me?” Xuan Yi asked.

“Something in it for you? Seriously? A dignified elder asking a disciple for benefits. Can you even say that with a straight face?” Leng Yan shouted.

“And can you, as a disciple, shout at an elder? Is that proper conduct? Cut the nonsense. Are you giving me any benefits or not?” Xuan Yi retorted loudly, eyes wide.

“Alright, what do you want?” Leng Yan resignedly agreed, having to rely on Xuan Yi.

“Just give me some treasure tool,” Xuan Yi said, looking victorious.

“Here, the water curtain barrier, take it!” Leng Yan handed over a pearl. It was a low-grade treasure tool he’d taken from Yuan Hong. It had been precious to Leng Yan at the time, and giving it up made him somewhat reluctant.

“Now that’s more like it! Don’t worry, this show will be just to your satisfaction,” Xuan Yi said with a sly grin.