Yuan Ming had just stepped onto the array in front of the Shura Master's statue when two substantial red beams shot out from the statue's eyes, sweeping over his body.

Yuan Ming's heart first seized with a chill, and he hastily performed Inner Observation on his body, discovering that nothing was amiss; only then did he let out a sigh of relief.

But immediately afterward, the voice of the Shura Master once again echoed from the statue:

"When I was young, I became a disciple of the Chaotian Sect. I thought that with the Sect's power, my Immortal Path would be worry-free. But who could have foreseen that overnight, the millennium-old Sect was extinguished in a moment. Alas! At that time, I had just set foot in the Foundation Establishment realm, powerless to prevent the impending collapse. I could only watch as my fellow disciples perished before my eyes. This remains one of the great regrets of my life. If you can overturn the outcome within three chances, resolving my turmoil, then you may claim the treasures I left behind."

No sooner had the voice faded than Yuan Ming vanished from within the array.

The crowd was at first stunned, then quickly turned to look at the talisman in the Golden Dawn Fairy's hand, only to see a cobalt flame suddenly ignite on the talisman at the next moment, which in an instant burnt the talisman to ashes.

…

The Shura Master's voice had barely ceased when Yuan Ming, not even having time to react, suddenly felt a blur before his eyes. After feeling as though the heavens and earth were spinning, he found himself in a rather small parlor. Although his clothing had not changed, the mana in his body was suppressed to the level of the early-stage Foundation Establishment.

"Could this be the inner workings of the Chaotian Sect from the Shura Master's time?"

At this thought, he tried to channel mana, attempting to forcefully break through the suppression on his cultivation, but just then, he felt an unexplainable palpitation. It wasn't until he abandoned the idea that the sensation of palpitations gradually faded.

This restriction seemed to also apply to his Divine Soul. Whenever he exceeded the range of Divine Sense that was permissible at the Foundation Establishment Stage, it too would trigger palpitations.

Yuan Ming did not know whether Wan Qi Hong and the others could see his actions here, so he did not attempt to use Soul Cultivation Techniques. However, judging by what had happened earlier, the restrictions should be the same.

That is, he could not employ any cultivation abilities that the Shura Master of that time period did not possess.

After tentatively arriving at this conclusion, Yuan Ming steadied his mind and began to observe the room he was in.

The parlor was small, but its decoration was unusually simple and elegant, quite similar to his previous residence in the Capital.

There were many calligraphy and paintings in the room, which, in Yuan Ming's view, were all of excellent quality, signed by someone named "Zhen Luo."

Besides calligraphy and paintings, there was also a Storage Bag in the parlor. Apart from Spirit Stones and some common Cultivation books, there were only a few not-so-exquisite Magic Artifacts, among which only a dark Flying Knife was high grade; the rest were mid-grade or lower.

Yuan Ming took out the Magic Artifacts and familiarized himself with them briefly.

Although he could not perform Soul Cultivation Techniques at present, his Divine Soul Strength was still at a Love Witch Level. He quickly became adept at handling the top-grade magical tool, making it feel as though it were an extension of his own limb. After practicing for a while, he put away the Magic Artifacts.

Next, Yuan Ming began to flip through the books in the Storage Bag. To his surprise, all sections pertaining to Cultivation Techniques in the books were completely blank, as if intentionally hidden from view.

It was clear that the space-time he was in was created by some Great Divine Power by the Shura Master, with rules naturally set by him. This was not him genuinely traveling to that past time.

However, except for the sections on Cultivation Techniques, the contents of the books were quite detailed, especially regarding the identity he currently held, which seemed to be specifically marked and explained.

As Yuan Ming had speculated, he indeed was within the Sect called "Chaotian Sect." An old Nascent Soul Middle Stage ancestor presided over the Sect, making it the foremost Great Sect in Zhao Country, its fame widespread.

The Sect had twenty-one peaks, each headed by a Core Formation Peak Master. These masters usually did not deal with mundane matters but were responsible for cultivating and teaching their disciples.

The Foundation Establishment Stage and Qi Refining Stage Cultivators beneath them were divided into three categories: Direct Disciples, Registered Disciples, and Mundane Disciples.

The former two were under the direct tutelage of Core Formation Peak Masters, exempt from any mundane matters except tasks personally assigned by the masters. The only differences between them lay in the frequency of their meetings with the masters and the disparity in their monthly salaries.

Mundane Disciples, on the other hand, were primarily responsible for handling miscellaneous Sect duties. Those who performed well and showed decent Cultivation aptitude after fulfilling certain years of service could also be promoted to Registered Disciples, henceforth focusing solely on Cultivation.

Mundane Disciples were further categorized based on their roles in different halls like the Alchemy Hall or Artifact Refining Hall, leading to distinctions between Hall Masters and deacons.

The Shura Master that Yuan Ming was currently emulating was a Direct Disciple of Lingxing Peak, whose Peak Master was a Core Formation Cultivator named "Shen Lingyun." Since he had recently entered Core Formation and Lingxing Peak was newly established, there was only one Direct Disciple on the entire peak—the Shura Master himself.

"Junior Brother Zhen, get up, get up! This year's grand ceremony will see numerous sects coming to observe, and the Deacon Hall has issued many reception tasks. Not only do they offer generous rewards, but the requirements are also not demanding. I've specifically reserved two tasks for you, so hurry up and come out to claim them."

Suddenly, a bustling and noisy exclamation came from outside the door; Yuan Ming chanted softly for a moment, then walked forward and opened the door.

In front of the door, a plump man resembling a round ball was happily brandishing a jade scroll in his hand.

Yuan Ming looked at him, and suddenly the voice of the Shura Master sounded in his ear, revealing the fat man's name and identity.

"Shen Peng, an Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, a disciple of Changle Peak, and someone who has always been on good terms with me."

When Shen Peng saw Yuan Ming come out, he immediately smiled and handed over the jade scroll, saying, "Here you go, Junior Brother, these two tasks I chose especially for you; they are to receive delegates from Great Sects, and if you do well, forging connections with those geniuses could lead to incredible opportunities."

"Thank you for the consideration, Senior Brother Shen, but I haven't attended many grand ceremonies before. Being in charge of receiving Great Sects, I'm afraid I might be inadequate and mess things up, which would be quite problematic," Yuan Ming shook his head and politely declined Shen Peng's suggestion.

"Ah, don't talk like that! The founding grand ceremony happens only once every hundred years. Except for those who have been trapped at the Foundation Establishment stage for a long time, which of us isn't attending for the first time? Besides, the reception tasks are essentially about guiding people from other sects, and sharing our sect's history with them. You have always been fond of reading ancient texts, so this task is hardly a challenge for you." Shen Peng waved his chubby hand as he spoke.

"I appreciate your kindness, Senior Brother Shen, but recently my cultivation practice has encountered some issues, and I've been somewhat troubled. I keep feeling like something major is going to happen and really can't shoulder such an important responsibility," Yuan Ming continued to refuse.

"You, my boy, are just overthinking things from staying cloistered in your room all day. We have known each other for so long, yet I've never seen you crack a smile; you always have such a grave expression, making your immortal cultivation seem too joyless," unable to rouse Yuan Ming's interest, Shen Peng couldn't help but say.

Yuan Ming wanted to ask him about things related to the younger days of the Shura Master, yet fearing he might slip up and raise suspicions, he could only reply with silence.

"Then take care of yourself, and remember to drink plenty of warm water," seeing this, Shen Peng lost interest in continuing the conversation with Yuan Ming, exchanged a few more casual words, then left.

Yuan Ming watched Shen Peng's receding figure and pondered over the words the Shura Master had said when he stepped into the Array.

The point in time he was currently in must be on the eve of the Chaotian Sect's destruction; on the eve of Biluo Cave's destruction, there had already been signs like Wulu lurking in the shadows and Dawn summoning people. And for a sect with a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Cultivator to be annihilated overnight, there must be some undercurrents in the dark.

Just like the battle of Biluo Cave, which erupted when a gathering of disciples took place, the catastrophe that would obliterate Chaotian Sect might also erupt during the grand ceremony of the sect, an ominous prospect.

Oftentimes, the least likely moment to encounter trouble is precisely when people are most complacent.

What roles did those invited sects play here? Were they enemies or allies?

Yuan Ming couldn't be sure; the information he had obtained so far was too scarce to deduce the full picture of events. After much deliberation, he finally turned his gaze to the top of the peak where his residence was located.

Not long thereafter, in the Cave Mansion of Shen Lingyun, Yuan Ming stood in front of Shen Lingyun, who had just completed his cultivation, and said with a bow:

"Master, I have been frequently restless recently, always feeling as if something significant is going to happen. Last night, I woke up in shock because I dreamt that during the founding grand ceremony, suddenly, powerful enemies descended from the sky, disrupting the proceeding of the ceremony. Fellow disciples fought desperately and repelled the enemy but suffered heavy casualties. I thought it was just a nightmare, but today during cultivation, scenes from the dream repeatedly appeared before my eyes, which made me uneasy, and so I have come to report to Master."

"Daytime thoughts become the dreams of the night. You dreamt of our sect being destroyed; could it be that you have noticed something awry during the daytime?" Shen Lingyun did not take his disciple's words as a joke but instead pondered seriously.

"That being said, I indeed feel that something is not quite right with some fellow disciples, but I can't pinpoint anything specific," Yuan Ming feigned distress.

"Then take this token of mine and go to the Deacon Hall at Changle Peak. Say it's by my order and ask to review the recent travel records of all disciples. Identify anyone you deem suspicious and bring the information back to me," Shen Lingyun directed, producing a token with a flip of his hand.

Yuan Ming, pleasantly surprised by Shen Lingyun's decisive response, still harbored a little doubt in his heart.

"Master, forgive my frankness, but aren't you afraid this is really just a nightmare of mine?" he asked cautiously.

"It's a matter of no consequence, and besides, we're only investigating without passing judgment. Even if it turns out to be nothing, we lose nothing. Moreover, I know your nature. When I took you from the Zhen Family, I said you would be my only successor and my most trusted disciple," Shen Lingyun replied with a smile.

Seeing the amiable and sincere smile on Shen Lingyun's face, Yuan Ming was quite moved and solemnly bowed to Shen Lingyun, "Rest assured, Master, I will do my utmost to ensure the smooth and worry-free progress of our sect's grand ceremony."

"I'll be looking forward to it," Shen Lingyun nodded, his eyes full of expectation.

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