Episode 20

  Half a month later, Gu Shixiong and Gu Yin Shimei visited Jin Chan'er's place, only to find that she was no longer there. Six gift boxes were left at the residence, along with a letter. The gift boxes were all made of gold, sealed with a talisman, and had the names of the four masters and Gu and Gu written on them. The letter read:

  Dear Brothers and Sisters:

  Having studied for over a decade, I have gained much benefit. Now that I am far away, I respectfully present a small gift to express my gratitude. Additionally, I have prepared four gifts, and I hope you can pass them on to the other four teachers, with my sincere appreciation.

  Bai Jiao Jiao Jing Shang

  "Huh! Bai Shijie actually left without saying goodbye."

  The ancient sound master's sister said in surprise.

  "Sister, now that we're talking about it, this white-robed sister's origins are unclear, I've been worried for over ten years!"

  "What? Brother, you're worried about Jiao Jiao Shifu! Hmph! You, your mind is really deep!"

  "Cough! After all, she was introduced by us, and when an accident occurred, we couldn't escape responsibility. However, now that she's gone, everything is calm again!"

  "So you're this kind of person! Brother Shifu, you're a sly one!"

  "Haha... After that rebellion, even the sect leader is being cautious about recruiting new disciples, let alone us! Alright, junior sister, open your gift box and see what's inside!"

  Valley Master said with a smile.

  "Master, this box is also worth a fortune! I wonder how much wealth does this Master's sister have? Previously it was the priceless Day and Night Thunder Pearl, now what could it be?"

  "What a big deal is it! She's just a secluded cultivator with great abilities, and at such a young age, how many precious treasures can she have? It's nothing but a few ordinary magical instruments!"

  Two people, one speaking and the other casting a spell to remove the seal of the treasure box, opened the golden treasure box, and inside was placed a small, exquisite five-colored feather fan.

  "What is this? Big Brother."

  "Oh... Ah! Good heavens! If I'm not mistaken, this is actually the Five-Colored Golden Phoenix Fan! An ancient treasure! An ancient treasure indeed! Sister, your luck is great!"

  "What is that? Eldest brother! Don't tell me you're seeing things too! The Five-Colored Golden Phoenix Fan is a legendary item, how can it be in Jiao Jiao's hands?"

  "Absolutely not wrong! Junior sister, do you still remember that you and I, along with Bai Jiao Jiao, once guarded the Secret Scripture Pavilion for half a year? At that time, when we were browsing through the classics, wasn't it your way of liking this type of fan-shaped artifact the most?! Didn't Bai Jiao Jiao promise to give it to you if she got this treasure?"

  "Ah! I remember it now too! At that time, I just took it as a joke, but then..."

  "But what! Since it's been given, let's just accept it with a smile!"

  "Ah! Eldest sister Jiao is indeed a mysterious and wonderful person! By the way, elder brother, what is your treasure?"

  "Let me take a look!"

  That Valley Master's hand trembled slightly as he carefully opened the golden treasure box with his name on it. Inside, there was a jade sword. Small and exquisite, shaped like a wolf's head, emitting a cold and stern sword light. People who saw it felt as if they were being cut by a blade, how unbearable!

  "Heavens! Heavens! Heavenly Wolf Sword! I... I must be dreaming! Sister, hit me once."

  "Oh no! Be gentle!"

  "Look, Shixiong! You're not dreaming! But who is this Bai Shijie anyway? How come I feel more and more that she's mysterious and abnormal?"

  "I don't know! But if you give us precious gifts, it must be with no intention of harming us! This is something that can be confirmed!"

  "Big brother, this is a serious matter, it's better for us to report it to our father and let him know!"

  "Alright! Let's go together."

  In the next moment, in the secret grand hall of the painting, the master of the ancient gate sat at the top, with several rows of seats on both sides, among which were the four array masters of the mysterious array gate. In front of each person's seat, there was a golden treasure box with a sealed talisman.

  "Gentlemen, Gu Yangchun and Gu Yin received two gifts from that white jade, because it's a big deal, another gift for the four masters, they didn't dare to take charge, so they reported back to me, I hope you'll forgive. Please open the gift given by that white jade!"

  Although the four of them were unhappy in their hearts, they saw the gatekeeper's solemn expression and didn't think it was strange. They thought that a small disciple with a high natural talent could have what kind of treasure to make the gatekeeper like this? The four of them casually opened the golden treasure box in front of them. But suddenly they all froze on the spot, their bodies as stiff as stone carvings and unable to move. Song San Sheng muttered:

  "How could I have been so mistaken! This is clearly the Scarlet Toad, a heavenly artifact from the Illusory Formation, serving as its core. Even an immortal would be unable to escape its grasp!"

  She muttered to herself, staring at the object as if she was the only one in the hall. The elegant master obtained a protective treasure map of the three saints, which is a masterpiece of the ancient defensive array. Guo Lao obtained a demon-slaying pearl, which serves as the core of the demon-slaying array, and its power is unmatched. As for the female master, she obtained an ancient array scripture called "The Array Scripture". All of these treasures are extremely precious. The people in the hall were stirred up, everyone knew the value of these treasures, this was not Bai Yao's intention to come here to learn about arrays, but rather to bestow gifts!

  "Yang Chun, you and Gu Yin are most familiar with Bai Jiao Jiao, can you tell me her background?"

  "Master, the disciple saw that Bai Jiao had the Dayue Lei Pearl in her hand on that day, and knew that what our sect lacked could be found. He brought her to meet me. Later, although I secretly monitored her for over a decade, I really didn't know her true identity!"

  "Father, this Bai Jiao Jie has been studying the Way of Law Arrays for over a decade without any mistakes! Moreover, she gave us precious treasures, which also strengthened our sect's power, how could she have ulterior motives!"

  "Who would have thought that a female cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage could be worth so much? It's truly unbelievable!"

  "Law Body Period? I don't think so! This female cultivator has been listening to my lectures on the Law Array's Way in my place, and what she understands is often above mine! On the contrary, what I have gained is not small either! After more than a decade of getting along with her, our relationship has become that of both teacher and friend!"

  The cold and elegant female formation master Dao.

  "Now that you mention it, I remember too. This woman's attainments on the Illusory Array are extremely profound. From what I heard from two senior brothers, she also has astonishing insight into defensive and offensive spell arrays."

  Na Gumen Zhu listened intently and fell into deep thought. Afterwards, he waved his hand to dismiss them, sending each of them back to their respective places for cultivation.

  Gu Menzhuzhe lowered his head and sat there in contemplation.

  Jin Chan'er emerged from the Xuan Zhen Gate, and was deeply impressed by the wonders of the mortal world's cultivation arrays. She thought to herself that learning is boundless, and even cultivators have their own shortcomings. Even with the defensive array of the Xuan Zhen Gate, the divine light is retracted, and the divine energy does not overflow. With Jin Chan'er's level of cultivation, she could sense the external release of her divine consciousness very faintly. Other cultivators would be unable to detect the location of this ancient family even if they came searching for it, let alone attack it. This shows just how vast and boundless the way of arrays is!

  Jin Chan'er drove the auspicious cloud to fly westward to the ancient mainland. In order to re-cast Jiao Jiao's physical body, the law array was not available, and she could only seek help from the Xianjia Yibao of the divine instrument! Because San Sheng Dashi, Ya Shifu, and Guo Lao all told Jin Chan'er that the Jiuling Shenxiang would definitely be in a family of alchemists who were good at refining instruments. As for the Three Realms Coffin, it was a legendary treasure that had disappeared from this world! However, Qing Leng Zhi Nu Xiu Shifu happened to know an obscure family of alchemists. Jin Chan'er got the news and decided to try her luck with the cultivator's family, perhaps she could get some information about the Jiuling Shenxiang.

  The Divine Soldier Forging Gate was founded by a great cultivator in the Middle Ages and flourished for a time until it gradually declined. In the past ten thousand years, it has occasionally appeared, but most of the time it has been hidden from view. However, its resurgence is not on a divine mountain or sacred land, but rather in the midst of a bustling city street. This city is called Wude City and is a border city of the Great Western Country. The Great Western Country has stationed thirty million troops here to protect the country and secure its borders. Although the city walls made of earth and stone are not very sturdy, with strong soldiers stationed here, the borders are stable, trade is flourishing, and merchants and travelers come and go without interruption. Its prosperity is no less than that of a major city in the heart of the country. As a result, the people of the city and its surroundings live in peace and contentment, and the population has increased greatly. There are nearly ten million ordinary people living in the city, with all sorts of shops, temples, and Taoist monasteries. There are also cultivators hiding in plain sight among the ordinary people, but who can recognize them?

  One day, a woman in Taoist robes appeared outside the Han family's metal workshop and transformed the talisman in her hand into a blue bird that flew into the workshop. In less than an instant, an old man with white hair and beard came out from inside, looked at the Taoist nun and slowly opened his mouth to say:

  "You're a cultivator, what brings you to my humble abode?"

  "Respectful greetings, venerable elder. Your clan's divine smithing techniques originated in the Middle Ages and flourished during the Recent Ages. Afterwards, due to certain events, you went into seclusion. Now, it seems that your lineage has not been interrupted, but isn't it possible that even you, venerable elder, have forgotten your own family's traditions?"

  "Who is the immortal?"

  The old man asked in surprise.

  "My surname is Jin and my name is Chang'er."

  "Jin Xianzi, please speak from within."

  Jin Chan'er followed the old man into the house without hesitation. After passing through the gate, they entered a courtyard that was not very large. The four walls were high and surrounded by houses, leaving only a small sky well in the center. In the middle of the sky well stood a black, three-story small building about two feet tall, which was made of metal, one of the five elements. It had doors and windows, looking like an ornament. As the old man recited incantations, a cloud of black mist suddenly flew out from the small building, wrapping around the two of them before flying into the building. The sky well was empty, with no sign of the two people. After the black mist dispersed, Jin Chan'er saw that they were in a loft with a complete pavilion and a high and elegant attic. There was a passageway leading inside. Jin Chan'er followed the old man as he walked straight ahead. Turning left and right, they finally stopped at a three-story building. Jin Chan'er looked up to see that the building was surrounded by a ring of black mist, making it difficult to discern what was inside!