Chapter 217: Erased Information, Moyezi

“What was that?”

A flash of uncertainty passed through Lu Yan’s eyes.

Just moments ago, when he activated the Human Emperor Banner within his body to trace the source of the mysterious gaze, he had only glimpsed a white-haired elder wearing a look of sheer terror.

Then the image collapsed, and the sensation of being watched silently vanished.

Recalling the elder’s appearance in his mind, Lu Yan was certain he had never met the man. The gaze had come and gone without warning, likely the result of the other party using some sort of artifact to cast a secret spell.

“Was it one of the Nascent Soul forces opposed to the Netherworld Immortal City? Or someone from Qingwu Sect investigating Elder Xiao’s death?”

Lu Yan made a guess.

Merit-based divine abilities could sever cause and effect. Since Lu Yan possessed the Human Emperor Banner, he was immune to most karmic divination techniques.

That elder had an extraordinary presence and had managed to directly lock onto the Human Emperor Banner—clearly no ordinary cultivator. At the very least, he was a Nascent Soul powerhouse.

If they fought head-on, even with the Human Emperor Banner and the Netherworld army, Lu Yan would have little chance of resistance—the gap in cultivation was simply too great.

But instead, the other party tried to trace him and ended up locking onto the Human Emperor Banner itself—a divine artifact that transcended the laws of the world and bore the authority of the Heavenly Dao. Any tracking method would ultimately be funneled into the banner.

In terms of authority, the Human Emperor Banner even surpassed many ordinary Soul Transformation treasures—its full potential simply hadn’t been unlocked yet.

Lu Yan, wielding the Human Emperor Qi, could easily trace back to the source and erase the connection entirely.

What surprised him, though, was that the source the banner traced this time didn’t seem to exist in this current space-time.

At the moment the Human Emperor Qi’s gaze crossed space-time, the timeline at the origin was disturbed—swallowed by chaotic time currents.

That elder’s terror must have come from the aftermath of this temporal backlash.

Having confirmed that the incident had nothing to do with the Mysterious Female Gate, Lu Yan let out a quiet sigh of relief. As for the elder who had attempted to trace the Human Emperor Banner, Lu Yan didn’t think much of it.

He was already enemies with more than a dozen Nascent Soul-level factions and had become a common enemy of the Southern Frontier’s demon tribes.

One more person investigating him wouldn’t make much of a difference.

With that, Lu Yan accelerated, flying swiftly toward the Taiyi Sect’s Mangshan Branch.

At the same time, back at the battlefield where Elder Xiao had tried to ambush Lu Yan…

Zhu Zhenjun still stood in the same posture, but the Mirror of Retrospection in his left hand had already turned to dust, vanishing into the air.

Shock and dread still lingered on his face, with countless complicated emotions roiling in his heart.

The green-robed Golden Core cultivator beside him had witnessed the entire process. He stared in disbelief at the aftermath.

“The Mirror of Retrospection… was destroyed?”

“How is that even possible?!”

Though it was once a Soul Transformation treasure, the Mirror of Retrospection was far more than just a high-tier magical item.

In this world, all Foundation Establishment cultivators forge their Dao Foundation, classified into the paths of Heaven, Earth, and Man.

A Human Path Foundation was ordinary. The Earth Path was the limit for most geniuses. Only those who could stir the tides of the world could achieve the Heaven Path Foundation.

Throughout history, only ancient Immortals had ever truly formed a Heaven Path Foundation.

To put it another way, only those who achieved a Heaven Path Foundation even had a chance at becoming Immortal.

Such foundations could nurture Heavenly Divine Abilities—techniques that tapped directly into the source of the Great Dao, full of boundless mysteries.

The Mirror of Retrospection had been crafted ten thousand years ago by Qingwu Immortal, using immortal-grade Kunlun jade and her innate Heavenly Divine Ability Wind Reversal and Flame Return. It had far surpassed ordinary Soul Transformation artifacts in grade and function.

In the devastating war thousands of years ago against the Dao Virtue Sect, Qingwu Sect’s Soul Transformation Dao Lord had wielded this mirror in battle against two equally matched Dao Lords, using it to reverse time multiple times and turn the tide.

Though the Dao Lord ultimately fell, the mirror survived—damaged but still intact. While it lost its offensive power, it retained its ability to interfere with karma and reverse time, remaining one of Qingwu Sect’s greatest treasures.

Now it was gone. As the one who had brought it out, Zhu Zhenjun would undoubtedly face punishment—even as a direct disciple of the Law Enforcement Hall.

“This has to be the work of whoever killed Elder Xiao!”

“To not only kill him, but also destroy the Mirror of Retrospection… there must be some earth-shattering conspiracy behind this. We must report it to the sect immediately and ask Dao Lord Bai Yu to intervene personally!”

The green-robed cultivator quickly pulled out a communication talisman-sword, intending to report the situation back to Qingwu Sect.

First to distance himself from the incident, and then to emphasize the killer’s terrifying strength and the importance of investigating further. If a Soul Transformation Dao Lord stepped in, the destruction of the mirror would seem less severe in comparison.

After all, when it came to Soul Transformation-level matters, no one would blame a mere Golden Core cultivator for being powerless.

Just then, a calm voice rang out.

“Stop.”

The green-robed man turned to look at the speaker—it was Zhu Zhenjun, who had finally snapped out of his daze.

But for some reason, his voice carried a slight tremble.

“Zhu Zhenjun, this is no small matter. We must report to the sect—”

“I said stop!”

Zhu Zhenjun’s shout cracked like thunder. He raised his hand, and with overwhelming force, crushed the sect’s secret transmission sword, leaving the green-robed man staring in stunned disbelief.

As the one who had wielded the mirror, no one knew better than Zhu Zhenjun what had just transpired.

Even during a major war, the mirror had held its form. Destroying it required an overwhelming suppression in rank and authority—something even Soul Transformation cultivators would struggle to achieve.

But just one glance—no divine powers, no techniques—reduced it to dust.

That alone pointed to a Soul Transformation Dao Lord with a unique and terrifying divine ability.

But what truly filled Zhu Zhenjun with fear… was the vision before the eyes appeared.

Within the mirror, there had been a stone gate—suppressed, but unmistakable.

After the mirror’s destruction, Zhu Zhenjun had tried to recall every detail of that stone gate, hoping to piece together the mysterious figure’s identity.

But something strange happened.

Whenever he attempted to recall the gate’s features, the information that had once been etched clearly into his mind… was gone.

The residual Dao Rhythms, the appearance of the gate, all of it vanished.

In just a few short moments, his memory retained only two words: stone gate.

As for what the “stone gate” actually looked like—he had forgotten entirely.

Destroying the Mirror of Retrospection could still be attributed to a Soul Transformation cultivator. But silently altering the cognition of a Nascent Soul cultivator and erasing his memory?

There was only one word for that:

Immortal.

As a Nascent Soul elder of Qingwu Sect, Zhu Zhenjun knew a bit of the truth about Immortals.

Immortals weren’t simply a cultivation realm—they represented a concept that had transcended conventional strength and boundaries.

Only an Immortal could silently tamper with a Nascent Soul cultivator’s memory.

To think that a mere Golden Core elder could be tied to someone—or something—like that… one misstep, and his entire patrol team could be annihilated.

Under no circumstances could this be leaked via communication sword. He had to report this to Dao Lord Bai Yu in person.

To preserve the clue, Zhu Zhenjun repeated the words “stone gate” over and over in his mind, and even carved the words into his spiritual platform using Divine Sense.

He cast a sharp glance at the green-robed cultivator and said solemnly, “I’ll report this matter to Dao Lord Bai Yu myself.”

The Golden Core cultivator froze. “Report what?”

Zhu Zhenjun’s mind blanked for a moment, then he frowned slightly and answered naturally:

“Of course, the matter of Elder Xiao Han’s death, and the possible involvement of a Soul Transformation Dao Lord.”

His Divine Sense swept over his body—everything seemed normal, save for a faint remnant on his spiritual platform, likely left behind from the mirror’s destruction.

On that platform, two crooked characters had been etched: stone gate.

But Zhu Zhenjun could no longer recognize them.

In his eyes, they were just meaningless patterns.

Three days passed in a flash. Although Elder Xiao’s death stirred considerable waves in Qingwu Sect, it had little effect on Lu Yan, who had ventured deep into the Southern Wilderness.

Relying on information exchanged at a market, Lu Yan finally arrived at the Taiyi Sect’s Mangshan Branch on the third day.

From dozens of kilometers away, Lu Yan could already see the branch’s mountain gate.

Compared to the majestic Qingwu Sect, the Mangshan Branch was rather humble in appearance.

The mountain range stretched for hundreds of miles. Jagged peaks loomed under a faint shroud of Yin Qi. On either side of the winding paths were tomb mounds of various shapes. A stone staircase snaked upward, disappearing into the mists.

Had Lu Yan not known in advance, he might’ve thought this place was a vast excavation site for an ancient tomb.

But as he drew closer, he gradually sensed the extraordinary nature of the Taiyi Sect.

Amid these gloomy peaks, the sect’s cultivators had skillfully utilized geomantic arts to plant multiple dragon veins beneath the mountains.

Like invisible dragons swimming underground, each tremor of the veins sent spiritual energy erupting from the depths of the earth.

At their intersection, Yin and Yang energies intertwined, forming a unique geomantic structure that birthed a vibrant spiritual land amid death and decay.

In the heart of the tombs, various Feng Shui formations had been laid out. Strange stones stood like forests, water veins flowed freely, forming a grand celestial diagram. High-level geomancers had even used the terrain to craft a mystical mountain-guarding formation.

From a distance, golden light shimmered along the dragon veins, reflecting against the ghostly aura of the tombs—like a perfect union of Heaven and Earth, exuding Immortal majesty.

“For just a branch sect, this is already remarkable.”

“No wonder the name ‘Taiyi Sect’ alone was enough to scare off Elder Xiao. An undying sect lineage like this truly lives up to its reputation.”

Lu Yan landed outside the gate and began climbing the steps.

After only a few steps, several cultivators intercepted him.

All were Qi Refining stage, dressed in white uniforms identifying them as outer sect disciples on patrol.

“Fellow Daoist, our Taiyi Sect does not receive outside visitors,” one of them, a peak Qi Refining disciple, said politely.

Lu Yan cupped his hands. “I am also a disciple of Taiyi Sect. I’ve returned to rejoin the sect.”

The disciples exchanged surprised glances, then quickly adopted a more respectful tone.

“May I ask if Senior Brother has an identity token?”

“I joined in haste and did not receive one.”

“Which branch are you from? Though this is the Mangshan Branch, other branches also have elders stationed here.”

“Probably the Mangshan Branch.”

Lu Yan wasn’t entirely sure. In the Urban Version, the Archaeological Society he joined had been the Taiyi Sect—but the differences between versions made things complicated.

“Probably?”

The disciples now looked at Lu Yan with thinly veiled confusion.

Even if Taiyi Sect valued fate over credentials, no real elder would neglect to mention which branch their disciple belonged to.

The lead disciple cautiously asked:

“May I ask which elder introduced you to the sect?”

“Daoist Master Chu Zhuoqun.”

The moment that name was uttered, realization dawned across the group. The respectful tone vanished from their expressions.

Some even began whispering among themselves.

“How many quotas did Daoist Chu hand out? Another one shows up—wonder how many spirit stones he paid.”

“I hear the other elders really dislike Chu Zhuoqun. If not for him reaching the Golden Core Realm before a hundred years of age, he’d probably have been stripped of his position.”

“So should we kick him out or bring him in?”

“Let’s not meddle in the higher-ups’ business. Just report him to the overseeing elder—whether he stays or goes, it’s up to the Golden Core elders.”

As they spoke, Lu Yan realized that the identity he’d “purchased” in the Urban Version wasn’t held in high regard here.

But it made sense. Even though Mangshan was just a branch, Taiyi Sect was one of the ten orthodox sects—filled with prodigies and experts. Naturally, they looked down on those who got in through backdoors.

Lu Yan said nothing and simply followed the outer sect disciples to a guest hall while they went to report to the overseeing elder.

Half an hour later, the hall doors shook, and an overwhelming Golden Core pressure crashed down.

Seated calmly with eyes closed, Lu Yan’s expression shifted. He could clearly sense the hostility behind the pressure.

An ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivator might’ve suffered a Qi deviation right then and there.

Soon, a young man clad in dark robes stepped into the hall. With sharp brows and starry eyes, his voice rang clear:

“I am Moyezi. You must be the fraud who dared parade around under the name of my Taiyi Sect, as Elder Xiao described—correct?”

(End of Chapter)