Chapter 890: Lost Land

"It's nothing; I just feel that the images appearing on this wall are more like omens, and certainly not auspicious ones."

Ji Yuan regained his composure, withdrew his hand, and spoke to Xuanjizi and the others, who all sighed.

"As Mr. Ji said, we feel the same way. All life is integrated with the heavens and earth, their qi deeply intertwined. This is a tribulation for all beings, and also for the heavens and earth themselves."

As Xuanjizi uttered these words, his qi fluctuated momentarily, but he managed to suppress it. This was thanks to the Hall of Heavenly Secrets and the Wheel of Heavenly Secrets under his control, and also because nearly everyone present had a profound sense of understanding, making them privy to the situation.

While Ji Yuan and Xuanjizi spoke, three other long-bearded elders, whom Ji Yuan didn't recognize, remained focused on the mural.

"Headmaster, Mr. Ji, don't you think the colors of this mural seem a bit off?"

"Indeed, though the qi is intricately entwined within these colors, they appear somewhat dim."

Ji Yuan turned his head in surprise. The Hall of Heavenly Secrets was itself an extraordinary treasure chamber, and the murals weren't simply painted on. What could be so difficult to comprehend about the colors being a bit dark?

One of the long-bearded elders, mimicking Ji Yuan, reached out and touched the mural. Instantly, the area of the mural his hand contacted began to grow turbid again.

Another long-bearded elder also reached out to a different spot, and those areas, too, began to grow turbid, much like stirring up the silt at the bottom of a pond.

Ji Yuan frowned as he watched, then quietly transmitted his voice to Xuanjizi and Lian Baiping.

"Who are these three fellow Daoists?"

Their arrival had been quite rushed, and these three were stationed inside the Hall of Heavenly Secrets. As they immediately saw the murals upon entering, Xuanjizi hadn't had a chance to introduce them. Ji Yuan, in any case, hadn't encountered these three long-bearded elders on his previous visit.

Xuanjizi responded via voice transmission.

"Mr. Ji, these three are the Lao Family's Three Elders. When you visited last time, they were still recovering from injuries. Afterward, upon hearing that the Hall of Heavenly Secrets had unveiled its secrets, they could no longer restrain themselves and emerged from seclusion before their wounds had fully healed, remaining in the Hall of Heavenly Secrets ever since. In terms of their mastery of heavenly secrets, they are truly exceptional within the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets."

Lian Baiping also added, via voice transmission, from the side.

"Mr. Ji, the Three Elders sustained their injuries decades ago while comprehending a Dao-transformed stone. They sensed an anomaly in the qi of the Great Zhen region and forcefully deduced heavenly secrets..."

Ji Yuan suddenly understood. So it was these three. It seemed their injuries hadn't healed for decades. Ji Yuan couldn't help but ask another question.

"What are the individual names of the Lao Family's Three Elders, or do they have any dharma names or Daoist titles?"

Some cultivators acquire titles or monastic names, while others keep their original names. These three can't all just be called the Three Elders, can they?

Lian Baiping, uncharacteristically for the somber atmosphere, cracked a smile.

"They are all senior members of the Pavilion, ordered by the length of their beards, and are named Lao Da, Lao Er, and Lao San, respectively. These are their birth names, which they have never changed; they are full brothers."

Truly splendid names!

The gloom in Ji Yuan's heart lightened somewhat, and he kept his gaze intently fixed, observing what the Lao Family's Three Elders were doing.

"Big Brother, the usual!" "Alright!"

The three moved their arms as if fishing in a pond, each searching a corner of the mural. Then, two moved to the sides, and one flew up. Almost simultaneously, a somewhat triangular, multicolored stone flew out from each of their sleeves.

"Mr. Ji, these are the Lao Family's Three Elders' Dao-transformed stones. They were originally a single piece, but shattered decades ago..."

"Headmaster, please summon the Wheel of Heavenly Secrets!"

Lao Da, floating in the air, spoke to Xuanjizi. After the latter nodded, he immediately formed hand-seals and chanted incantations. Shortly after, a golden light flew from outside the hall and descended into it.

"Lao Er, Lao San, reassemble the Dao-transformed stones!"

The other two offered no reply, but the three, sharing an implicit understanding, sent forth their Dao-transformed stones at the same moment. The Wheel of Heavenly Secrets had already flown before the mural and began to spin continuously. The Dao-transformed stones also rotated with the Wheel of Heavenly Secrets, eventually merging into a single, complete, circular multicolored stone amidst golden light.

The three seemed to have grasped something unusual underwater. The light from the Dao-transformed stone diffused, spreading across the entire colossal mural.

"Lift—"

As their synchronized words rang out, the three retreated at a steady pace. The entire mural, its qi intricately entwined, seemed to be slowly peeled away from the wall by them.

Ji Yuan, Xuanjizi, and Lian Baiping all gazed intently at the unfolding changes. Ji Yuan's expression shifted from initial surprise to solemnity, while Xuanjizi and Lian Baiping were utterly astonished.

A double image? No!

"A second painting? A painting within a painting?"

Lian Baiping couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment.

"Not so, this was originally one painting!"

Ji Yuan's voice was calm, but his heart was certainly stirred, though far less than the five cultivators of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets present, as he had previously harbored some faint conjectures.

"The same painting..."

Xuanjizi and Lian Baiping, along with the three Lao Family's Three Elders who were actively casting spells with their Dao-transformed stones, watched intently as every part of the Hall of Heavenly Secrets began to separate. It wasn't only the mural they stood before; throughout the entire colossal Hall of Heavenly Secrets, from walls to pillars, every surface was peeling apart.

Beneath the surface layer of qi and color, there lay a somewhat dim and turbid expanse. Though it also possessed color, it appeared perpetually tinged with grey, as if constantly ravaged by fierce winds.

Many parts of the original murals in the Hall of Heavenly Secrets had been blurred, and numerous sections had always felt incomplete. Ji Yuan and the others had assumed this was because the heavenly secrets were too vast for everything to be fully revealed—an understanding that was correct, yet evidently incomplete. But now, as the initial layer of color peeled away, the formerly unfinished areas behind began to sharpen. Some appeared directly where they had once been blurred, while others lay hidden beneath the outer layer of color.

Ji Yuan had a feeling that this time, the mural was complete.

"Roar—" "Whine..." "Screech—"

"Howl... howl..."

Various strange sounds emerged within the Hall of Heavenly Secrets. In the newly revealed murals, the depicted storms were also continuously churning.

The Lao Family's Three Elders slowly retreated, leaving only the Dao-transformed stone and the Wheel of Heavenly Secrets to gently rotate in the center of the hall, as they joined Ji Yuan and the others in observing every part of the Hall of Heavenly Secrets.

"Prior to ancient times, the expanse of the world far surpassed what it is today. The last time the Hall of Heavenly Secrets opened, it allowed us to witness the ancient chaos. This, I fear, is the lost ancient land."

As Ji Yuan spoke, his Dharma Eyes roamed across the murals, his mind pondering the other chess player. Since they had awakened from slumber, was their true form also located within this place? He wondered if the Fusang tree in the sea, which he had seen before, marked some kind of boundary, and perhaps one of the two Golden Crows was flying above that lost land, where the sun might even be 'tangible.'

"It hasn't collapsed and vanished?"

Lian Baiping's words pulled Ji Yuan's thoughts back to the present. He looked at Lian Baiping, who had spoken.

"At least not all of it shattered. What's more, I fear that even those ancient exotic species have not completely perished."

Xuanjizi, stroking his beard, frowned and said faintly.

"But abandoned by heavens and earth, none of them will fare well!"

Lao Da also chimed in.

"Trapped by heavens and earth, barely clinging to life, they must harbor resentment!"

Lao Er continued, picking up from his elder brother's words.

"Harboring resentment, they will surely seize any opportunity to act."

And Lao San also spoke at this moment.

"Wishing to seize an opportunity, right up until this day, if they perceive changes in the heavens and earth, they will surely be unable to restrain themselves!"

No sooner had Lao San finished speaking than a loud roar resounded.

"Howl-roar————"

Rumble rumble rumble...

The sound originated from outside the Hall of Heavenly Secrets. Ji Yuan and the others instinctively turned to look outward, sensing that the source of the sound was extremely distant.

"Have the fellow Daoists from Weimei Sect departed yet?"

Ji Yuan's first thought was of 'Xiao San,' the Sky-Swallowing Beast.

"They haven't left yet. That Sky-Swallowing Beast seems to have been in great pain and extremely irritable lately. Many more highly cultivated fellow Daoists from Weimei Sect have also arrived. Mr. Ji, would you like to go see?"

"Never mind. The Sky-Swallowing Beast is a deeply sensitive matter for Weimei Sect. I won't interfere at this time. I am prepared to take my leave now. Fellow Daoist Xuanjizi, what are the plans for the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets?"

Ji Yuan nodded.

"Then, Fellow Daoist Xuanjizi, what do you think the outcome will be?"

"As for the outcome, perhaps it won't change much."

Xuanjizi smiled helplessly, directly voicing his thoughts, which was also the most probable outcome. Every path has its profound experts, every sect its grand elders, and they will always have a sense of things. This action by the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets will certainly stir up some awareness, but as the saying goes, 'heavenly secrets must not be divulged,' so it's impossible to reveal everything. While it will incite speculation, the trajectory of events may not differ significantly from if nothing had been said, but at least it will make people vigilant.

"It is easy to understand heavenly will, but difficult to defy it. Let us do what we can! I take my leave!"

Ji Yuan offered his farewells, already preparing to depart, when Lian Baiping quickly spoke up from the side.

"I will escort Mr. Ji!"

Having spoken, Lian Baiping and Ji Yuan bowed to Xuanjizi and the others, then departed, riding on clouds.

"Headmaster, Big Brother, Second Brother, the merging of that mural, beyond signifying hidden heavenly secrets and the upheaval of ancient exotic species, could it also implicitly suggest that the lost ancient lands might reconnect with this world?"

Lao San suddenly made this remark, drawing the gaze of Xuanjizi, Lao Da, and Lao Er.

"Hiss..."

Xuanjizi's eyes flickered. Together with the Lao Family's Three Elders, he looked at the Hall of Heavenly Secrets. The fate energy of that lost land was like a dead zone. If it truly reconnected with the heavens and earth, allowing the endless malevolent qi and resentment to surge forth, it would likely not lead to the completeness of the world, but rather its tearing apart.

If that were truly the case, how could it be stopped? If that day truly came, what could stand in its way?

In fact, Lao San wasn't the only one to realize this. Ji Yuan had already made the connection moments ago. Indeed, he had even considered how to respond in that moment of last resort: someone had been guarding a constantly growing barrier for a thousand years for this very reason.