Secret Buyer-Chapter 221 - 169: I Sit in the Starry Sky (Part 2)

Chapter 221: Chapter 169: I Sit in the Starry Sky (Part 2)

The Great Sect spoke thus and then departed, leaving only the middle-aged man with the Bone-Piercing Nail Soul in the dungeon.

"Is my fate sealed?"

Du Mingsheng closed his eyes, suddenly hearing a light knock amidst the void, followed by the sound of a grand bell toll.

"The High Heaven has opened, enter the Taoist Palace."

He opened his eyes, wild with joy, as his will soared higher, and higher, and higher!

His Spiritual Thoughts detached from his body, guided by the Taoist sounds, ascending to an infinitely high place. There he beheld a majestic Taoist Palace!

Four familiar shadowy figures stood before the Taoist Palace.

"Second Seat, you’ve come."

The Third Seat, Huang Qiuxian, nodded slightly, speaking softly:

"This time, it seems there are newcomers again."

"Newcomers..."

Du Mingsheng, panting, instinctively turned his head to see three figures standing on one of the eighty-one jade steps.

"Three at once again?" The Fifth Seat, Buddha Son, joked with a smile, "I just wonder, which sects do they come from, and how skilled are they?"

Everyone’s eyes were on the three blurred figures,

Though unable to discern their features clearly, through the mist, their general forms could be seen.

Two women and one elder.

The three ascended the steps, walking on the jade as they looked around, observing the eight grand views and wondrous sights floating outside the Taoist Palace. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Upon reaching the front of the Taoist Palace,

The three newcomers simultaneously raised their heads, gazing at the solemn plaque above the gate.

The woman in the center appeared startled, her gentle voice trembling slightly:

"Eight... Eight Sceneries Palace..."

"So it really is the Eight Sceneries Palace."

Upon hearing this, the two other newcomers were fine, but the five elders were all shocked.

What does ’so it really is the Eight Sceneries Palace’ mean??

Had this newcomer already known of the Eight Sceneries Palace before, in the past??

Suddenly, all eyes were locked onto this newcomer, filled with curiosity and surprise.

Though the speaking voice became blurred, it was still discernible that it belonged to a young woman...

The Fourth Seat, Shi Zhengyuan, stroked his chin, pondering if she might be a disciple of a Celestial Human, possessing some great secret knowledge?

Listening to the gentleness in that blurry voice, he could roughly sketch her appearance in his mind.

Hmm.

A disciple, or descendant, of some old monster, well-educated and well-bred, perhaps not very old, but certainly knowledgeable.

Similar thoughts turned in the minds of several people, and just then.

’Buzz!’

The grand doors of the Taoist Palace hummed, as chaotic qi rolled back to either side.

The door opened.

The five elder members and three newcomers, each with complex emotions, walked inside, met with the customary presence of grand silence, a solemn and dignified atmosphere pressing upon their hearts.

Mingyue stealthily observed the surrounding scenery,

Her [True Self] had once accompanied the old master here to the Eight Sceneries Palace.

Though the memory was blurred, this moment reminded her of those grand past scenes,

She cautiously looked at the person sitting on the meditation mat, cloaked in chaotic fog, unclear and dim,

Surrounded by layers of dim cosmos, as if existing eternally, never extinguishing.

She hastily bowed her head, her heart pounding.

"Greetings, Celestial Venerate!"

The older members saluted, followed by Shen Baobao, Yuan Feidao, and Mingyue imitating the gesture appropriately.

For a moment, the Taoist Palace fell into a solemn silence.

The Celestial Venerate in the chaos did not speak.

"Is it an illusion?"

Buddha Son had a fleeting thought.

He always felt that today’s [Celestial Venerate] seemed different from before.

The Celestial Venerate seemed even more... ’in harmony’ with this terrifying Taoist Palace?

Yes, in harmony.

With a feeling that He always belonged there!

He had always been there.

This thought emerged in Buddha Son’s mind.

A True Man emerged from the mist, stood beside the Celestial Venerate, hands hanging down, an elder’s face full of solemn dignity.

The True Man spoke:

"Three more have ascended to the High Heaven to meet the Celestial Venerate."

In the chaotic mist, the Celestial Venerate seemed to lift His eyelids, causing the mist to momentarily thin out!

The eight looked instinctively, their gaze penetrating the temporarily thinned chaos fog, seeing a faint outline of the Great Celestial Venerate.

It was an elder.

An elder with a hairpin atop his head, attired in a Taoist robe, his appearance indescribable.

To truly describe it, his look... resembled the [Tao].

Each member who glimpsed a corner of the Celestial Venerate’s true form trembled internally, all of them having the same uncontrollable thought, the same notion arise in their minds!

Tao!

If the [Tao] had a form, it would precisely be such a visage, it could only be such a visage!

’Clap!’

A dull sound came, and everyone looked, it was that newcomer with the gentle voice, who at that moment knelt on the ground!

"Salutations..."

"Tao Ancestor!"

The newcomer bowed, the dark aura around her rolling, seemingly trembling.

Tao Ancestor?

The people feeling confused were unfamiliar with the title, never having heard of it, but they all understood its magnitude.

Tao Ancestor.

The origin of the Tao.

Shen Baobao licked her dry lips, her thoughts drifting, the origin of the Tao, who dared to bestow upon themselves such a grand reverential title!

Right in front!

She was excited, her hands and feet heating up, while the other ’elders’ suddenly looked up—the usually reticent Great Celestial Venerate spoke once more.

"Stand up."

A peaceful voice echoed in the Taoist Palace, and Mingyue cautiously rose to her feet, her head lowered:

"I, a little maid, know that the ancestral master dislikes elaborate rituals, but my master also repeatedly warned, rituals must not be neglected..."

She bowed again, stood once more, then knelt down again.

Thus she repeated, for a total of nine times.

The people exchanged glances.

Little maid?

Master?

What they thought was a disciple or descendant of some old monster, now appeared to be merely a maid or the like?

Which made sense, a maid of a prominent figure would naturally know many great secrets, only...

A maid could ascend to the High Heaven too?

Despite not having many ’class notions,’ everyone felt a bit strange in their hearts.

Meanwhile,

The Celestial Venerate sitting amidst the chaos mist remained silent, as the True Man coughed lightly:

"As usual, everyone may converse freely first."

The five elders and three newcomers exchanged looks, Shi Zhengyuan coughed once and began introducing the elders to the newcomers.

"The First Seat, a person from the Western Sect, Second and Fifth Seats both from the Mandala Lineage, the Third Seat is from the Eastern Sect, as for me, Fourth Seat."

Shi Zhengyuan briefly said:

"From the Ling Mountain Lineage."

Shen Baobao, surprised, Yuan Feidao suddenly looked at the shadowy figure.

Ling Mountain?

Shi Zhengyuan continued:

"I am now walking on the edge of the Golden Province, in a Great Wilderness, what about all of you?"

As usual, he spoke freely, his eyes falling on the three newcomers.

Shen Baobao thought for a moment, then said:

"I am currently in a superior city—I belong to the Ancient Saint Sect."

Du Mingsheng suddenly raised his head, but bit down the words on his lips, as it wasn’t time to seek help yet.

Yuan Feidao’s eyes flickered, still pondering the [Tao Ancestor] reverential title, then said:

"I am a person from Buddhism’s Ling Mountain Lineage."

He glanced at the Second and Fifth Seats, previously hearing introductions that these two were from the Mandala Lineage, and then his gaze fell on Shi Zhengyuan from the same Ling Mountain Lineage.

The several of them were surprised—another one from the Ling Mountain Lineage?

Now, members of the Ling Mountain Lineage were seldom seen.

Yuan Feidao continued to speak:

"I also reside in a certain superior city at present."

As he finished speaking, curious eyes turned towards the woman with the gentle voice, who claimed to be a little maid addressing the Tao Ancestor.

She seemed to have come to her senses, and before answering, made an ancient ritual gesture toward the [Celestial Venerate], then said:

"I can roughly be considered a person of the Western Sect, currently..."

Miss Ming Yue said softly:

"Beyond the great star, in the midst of the starry sky."