Chapter 2208, Stone Cave
Half a day later, Yang Kai left Wen Zi Shan’s side and returned to Soaring Swallow Peak.
For this half a day, Wen Zi Shan explained in detail to Yang Kai about the secrets of the Divine Ascension Mirror. The more that Yang Kai learned about the Divine Ascension Mirror, the more astonished he became that such a miraculous treasure had been born in this world, and how such a mysterious world could exist.
Wen Zi Shan was correct. Anyone who was able to enter the Divine Ascension Mirror and come out alive would see a great increase in their strength. This improvement was more than just an increase in raw power though and was rather an improvement to a person’s foundation, a genuine boon to any cultivator.
Now, Yang Kai finally understood why Gao Xue Ting had suddenly visited him a few days ago and given him the Purple Sun Profound Light Shield before she left. She must have already known about this beforehand, or she must have planned ahead, which was why she specifically gave him a Soul-type defensive artifact, all so Yang Kai could have some extra layer of safety after entering the Divine Ascension Mirror.
After realizing this, Yang Kai froze for a moment as he realized something and smiled wryly, muttering in a low voice, “Aged ginger really is spicier than young ginger!”
He said this because he had realized that Wen Zi Shan and the others had probably already discussed and agreed upon him entering the Divine Ascension Mirror more than ten days ago.
However, Temple Master Wen had intentionally made things difficult for him today and kept hinting many times that Xia Sheng and the others had received a different reward from Yang Kai, all in order to lure Yang Kai into using up the promise he had previously given him.
In other words, even if Yang Kai didn’t use up Wen Zi Shan’s promise, that he could make a request that wasn’t excessive, he likely would have been able to enter the Divine Ascension Mirror.
However, there was no use in crying over spilt milk. Yang Kai felt that he should actually thank Wen Zi Shan instead. Temple Master Wen had been willing to reveal such a major secret of Azure Sun Temple to an outsider like Yang Kai and even allowed him to enter the Divine Ascension Mirror, so what did it matter if he used up that promise in the process?
Yang Kai was going to enter that Divine Ascension Mirror tomorrow, so he no longer rushed to refine the Purple Sun Profound Light Shield when he returned to Soaring Swallow Peak. Half a day’s refinement wouldn’t amount to anything, no matter how hard he tried, so Yang Kai didn’t make a futile effort.
Instead, he simply sat cross-legged in silence and adjusted his condition to its best.
The next day in the morning, Yang Kai opened his eyes with a flash. It was evident that he had rested well.
He then immediately headed for a certain place deep in the Azure Sun Mountain Range.
Yang Kai landed at the foot of a tall peak approximately one hour later.
Four figures were already standing there on the empty ground. Yang Kai looked around and saw that these four were Xia Sheng, Xiao Bai Yi, Murong Xiao Xiao, and Chen Mu Ji.
“Ha. I knew that Brother Yang would definitely come as well,” Xia Sheng smiled widely and glanced over at Yang Kai when he saw him.
Xiao Bai Yi instead had an expression of astonishment. He had thought that the Divine Ascension Mirror was a top-secret for the Sect and it should have been impossible for an outsider like Yang Kai to enter no matter how great his contributions were. He hadn’t thought that Temple Master Wen would be so generous.
“Junior Brother Yang!” Murong Xiao Xiao flashed a smile at Yang Kai and nodded in greeting.
“Brother Yang!” Chen Mu Ji also cupped his fists. Although he still didn’t know Yang Kai very well, they had at least spoken a few words to each other by now and all of them were going to enter the Divine Ascension Mirror together and would be relying on each other’s help, so there was no harm in trying to have a better relationship with each other.
Yang Kai also cupped his fists in response and greeted everyone while chatting a little. Only after time did he change the topic and ask, “Is it only us entering this time? Is there no Elder leading us?”
Xia Sheng smiled and answered, “Of course there is an Elder. The Divine Ascension Mirror’s interior is said to be quite dangerous, so the temple naturally wouldn’t feel confident about just letting us Dao Source Realm Juniors enter by ourselves. They should be sending an Emperor Realm Elder to assist us.”
“We just don’t know who it will be,” Chen Mu Ji said with a smile.
Xia Sheng’s face immediately darkened as he muttered, “It absolutely must not be Elder Gao…”
Last time, when travelling to the Four Seasons Realm, Gao Xue Ting had tossed him off the ship both on the way there and on the way back, so he was rather afraid of Gao Xue Ting.
After Xia Sheng said this, he then turned around with suspicion while looking at Murong Xiao Xiao as he asked in confusion, “Xiao Xiao, did you not rest well last night? Why are your eyes constantly twitching?”
“No…” Murong Xiao Xiao answered in a tiny voice with an anxious expression.
“Hmph!” Xiao Bai Yi coldly snorted and looked elsewhere. Meanwhile, Chen Mu Ji and Yang Kai were respectively gazing at the sky and looking down at the ground…
Xia Sheng suddenly seemed to realize something as he shivered involuntarily.
He felt a chill from his back, as if the reaper of death was standing behind him.
“Haha…” He suddenly chuckled dryly, “What did I say just now…”
Before he finished speaking, he felt tremendous pain on his head as someone viciously hit him. He then completely collapsed on the ground, all splayed out, unmoving …
“All of you, follow this Queen!” Gao Xue Ting said in a light tone as she turned and flew upwards.
“Yes!” Everyone responded in agreement as they followed closely after Gao Xue Ting.
As Murong Xiao Xiao left, she glanced towards Xia Sheng with an expression filled with sympathy; however, she didn’t have the courage to pull him up, so she could only offer silent prayers for her Senior Brother in her heart.
Along the way, Gao Xue Ting didn’t say a single word, which gave the disciples an immense amount of pressure. For some unknown reason, when they were with Gao Xue Ting, the disciples all couldn’t help but become silent and stop smiling, as if they were all awed by her icy aura.
It didn’t take long for the group to reach the peak.
On this peak was a cliff that faced an abyss. The cliff was completely flat and smooth.
Gao Xue Ting stopped in midair in front of the cliff.
Yang Kai and the others all stood about ten metres away from Gao Xue Ting as they glanced at this place with curiosity.
It was normal that Yang Kai would be curious since he wasn’t a disciple of Azure Sun Temple; he was unfamiliar with everything here. However, it was different for Xiao Bai Yi and the others. They had lived in Azure Sun Temple for many years while studying under the Masters and learning here. They had also passed by this location many times, but none of them had ever paid any attention to this place, all of them thinking it was just an ordinary mountain. None of them had suspected that such a big secret was concealed here.
“After we enter, don’t look at what you shouldn’t, and don’t say anything you shouldn’t…” Gao Xue Ting warned before turning to a certain someone and saying pointedly, “Especially you!”
As she said this final sentence, her strict gaze focused right on Xia Sheng, who was attempting to hide behind Murong Xiao Xiao.
It was unknown when he had caught up…
“This disciple will become mute right now!” When Xia Sheng heard this, he immediately drew a line across his mouth, as if he was sewing his mouth shut with an invisible thread.
Only then did Gao Xue Ting turn around and face the flat cliff as she called out, “Grandma You, are you present? Xue Ting is here at the command of the Sect Master to bring several disciples into the Divine Ascension Mirror. Grandma You, please open the barrier!”
Her tone was incredibly polite. She wasn’t ever this polite when facing Wen Zi Shan and Qiu Ran.
It was fine with Wen Zi Shan, as it seemed that Wen Zi Shan had personally raised Gao Xue Ting, so the two of them had a really close relationship. Wen Zi Shan also often did things that made Gao Xue Ting angry, so of course, Gao Xue Ting wouldn’t respect him; however, Qiu Ran was the Vice Temple Master of Azure Sun Temple, and also a Second-Order Emperor, yet he had never received such polite treatment from Gao Xue Ting before.
Not only that… Yang Kai faintly sensed that apart from politeness, Gao Xue Ting’s attitude also portrayed some nervousness and tension.
On top of that, the way she referred to herself made her sound like a Junior, so Yang Kai immediately extrapolated that this Grandma You who guarded this Restricted Area must be someone on the level of a Supreme Elder, and one that had an extremely bad temper!
Yang Kai was slightly surprised by his own inference, because he hadn’t expected that there would be someone like this within Azure Sun Temple.
Gao Xue Ting kept waiting after she had called out.
At least half an hour passed before a flash of light suddenly appeared on the cliff in front. Right after that, a cave suddenly appeared on the cliff which had been completely smooth before.
Upon seeing this, Gao Xue Ting called to everyone in a low voice, “Follow me!”
Only then did she fly towards the cave with everyone else following close behind.
After they entered the cave, everyone felt a cold aura envelop them. Even though everyone present was at the Dao Source Realm at the minimum, they still couldn’t help shivering slightly.
The cave was quiet and had weak lighting. Gao Xue Ting led in the front while everyone followed closely while watching their footing.
Nobody spoke. In fact, they all suppressed their breathing as much as they possibly could. The only sound came from slight heartbeats that added to the eerie atmosphere.
The cave path continued to twist and wind in confusing ways as Gao Xue Ting led everyone deeper into the mountain.
They walked for quite a long time before a bright light suddenly appeared in front of them.
Moments later, they arrived in a large and spacious stone cavern.
When looking around, this stone cavern’s inside was clean and simple, with nothing at all in terms of decoration. In the centre of the cavern was something that resembled a mirror, which kept flashing with light and seemed to be the size of a table.
Everyone’s expression flickered involuntarily as they immediately understood that this was the legendary Divine Ascension Mirror, all of them looking over, seemingly wanting to get a better view.
However, when they focused on the mirror, they found that the Divine Ascension Mirror was so mystical that the originally flat surface suddenly transformed into a huge whirlpool that emitted an unimaginable suction force. Right after that, everyone’s Knowledge Sea began to roil as their Souls became unsettled, as if they were about to be sucked away.
Everyone panicked and hurriedly averted their gazes, none of them daring to stare at this abnormal treasure again as they all broke out into cold sweats.
“Youngsters always need to suffer some before learning just how insignificant they are, hmph!”
A grating and ear-piercing voice suddenly spoke up and echoed in the spacious stone cavern. This voice felt as if a hundred claws were scratching at the heart and made one feel incredibly uncomfortable.
If one really had to describe it, the voice resembled the sound of two pieces of metal scraping together with great force… Yang Kai and the others all felt like their heads were going numb when they heard it.
As the voice spoke, a figure suddenly mysteriously appeared in front of everyone.
Nobody noticed just when she had appeared and even Gao Xue Ting’s reflexively reacted, but in the next moment, she managed to compose herself again.