L'hibiscus comme peinture - Chapitre 111
My heart, which had been ashen, suddenly felt curious about this 'sage ruler' and had a strong urge to see him.
Jin Xuan turned around and gazed leisurely at the horizon: The Holy Emperor?
Early the next morning, Jin Xuan, Wei Ziqi, Yi Tian, Yi Han, Duan Zhengfei, and the eight sect leaders—a group of thirteen people in total—traveled to Sacred Immortal Mountain...
The Strategist and the Princess: Chapter 77 - The Holy Emperor Emerges from the Mountain
Early the next morning, Jin Xuan, Wei Ziqi, Yi Tian, and Yi Han, along with Duan Zhengfei and the eight sect leaders, a group of thirteen people, traveled a long and arduous journey to Sacred Immortal Mountain...
They finally arrived at Sacred Immortal Mountain around noon, and the scene before them left them speechless.
Good heavens! Have they arrived in a fairyland? A sea of clouds embraces the gently cradling mountains, revealing breathtaking vistas of sea and mountain scenery. The mountains are steep, with crisscrossing ravines, each unique and majestic. To the north lies Stone Boat Valley, and to the south, Panhe Valley, both with towering peaks and deep ravines, surrounded on three sides, each insurmountable by their perilous heights. At the entrance of Stone Boat Valley, two peaks stand facing each other, with both the southern Stone Peak and the southern Peak being exceptionally steep. In Panhe Valley, lush vegetation thrives, and winding streams meander, creating a most secluded and tranquil scene. The entire mountain is shrouded in mist, with wisps of smoke rising, gathering the essence of heaven and earth, and the spirit of all things. Standing at the foot of the mountain, one can feel the mountain's spiritual energy. Truly worthy of being called a sacred mountain, this is no place for mortals; it is clearly the abode of immortals.
"Who goes there, daring to trespass on the Sacred Immortal Mountain?" A deep, stern voice echoed from the ethereal peaks. Though the speaker was unseen, the voice was heard as if it were right next to your ear, demonstrating the speaker's profound inner strength.
"I, Duan Zhengfei, along with the leaders of the eight major sects, request an audience with the Holy Sect Master," Duan Zhengfei said respectfully to the empty mountain cave. His voice was deep and resonant, and although he didn't speak loudly, it lingered in the mountains for a long time, indicating that he possessed profound inner strength.
"Your inner strength is impressive! The sect leader is too busy to meet you, so please leave, Alliance Leader!" A deep voice came from Mount Shengxian again, but the tone was not as sharp as before, and it was more appreciative, but it still gave the order to leave.
"How do you know your sect leader is too busy to meet us if you don't go and inform him? You're clearly just giving us the runaround." The leader of the Short-Armed Sect was straightforward and shouted in dissatisfaction. Apart from him, the other sect leaders also looked dissatisfied, but they were all rather sullen and kept it to themselves. They were all renowned masters in the martial arts world, and as the leaders of the eight major sects, when had they ever suffered such humiliation?
"The Holy Immortal Sect is not a place for you to run wild! Get out of Holy Immortal Mountain!" A furious voice rang out, startling the sect leaders and causing them to instinctively use their inner strength to resist. Duan Zhengfei, Wei Ziqi, Yi Tian, and Yi Han also hurriedly used their inner strength to protect their heart meridians. Only Jin Xuan seemed oblivious, his eyes fixed on the ethereal Holy Immortal Mountain. "Truly worthy of the Holy Immortal Sect; their temper is indeed quite eccentric. One moment they were so polite, and the next they're roaring like they want you dead."
"Please don't be angry, Your Excellency. Sect Leader Yuan has always been straightforward and didn't mean to disrespect you. Please inform the Holy Sect Master that we have something very important to discuss and request to see him," Duan Fei explained, his voice slightly unsteady. The Holy Immortal Sect truly lived up to its reputation.
"Can't you understand human language? Get down the mountain right now, or don't blame the Holy Immortal Sect for being rude." An old man in red appeared on the mountain peak, his long beard flowing, and he waved his red robe impatiently as he shouted.
The group was stunned by the sudden appearance of the red-robed old man. His white hair flowed and his robes fluttered, giving him an air of otherworldly grace. His elusive nature made him seem even more extraordinary, and they increasingly suspected that they had arrived in the immortal realm.
"Elder, Holy Ruler, I must see you." A cold yet authoritative voice rang out from among the newcomers. The old man in red immediately spotted the extraordinary man in blue. Although he hadn't spoken a word from beginning to end, his innate noble temperament and domineering arrogance were undeniable. He was the true protagonist.
"Young master, I've already made myself clear. The sect leader won't see you. Leave now!" The red-robed elder unconsciously suppressed his arrogance and impatience, speaking with a gentle tone. As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished instantly, as if he had never been there. Only the echo of "Leave now!" from the misty mountain peaks remained, indicating his presence. Even he himself didn't understand; the blue-robed man possessed an imposing aura that made arrogance impossible. His presence far surpassed his own; it seemed he was no ordinary martial artist. He should go and report to the Green Pavilion Master…
"Hey, don't go!" Sect Leader Yuan shouted towards the horizon where the figure had disappeared. Only the rustling wind answered him. He complained under his breath, "Why is there such a big difference? He's even more arrogant than me. Why is he yelling at me but all smiles at him?" He glanced at Jin Xuan with dissatisfaction, but as soon as he met Jin Xuan's cold and handsome face and his deep, icy eyes, he immediately felt a chill run down his spine and automatically looked away. As the dignified leader of the Iron Arm Sect, he had never been afraid of anyone, but he was terrified of this nameless man in blue. His aura was too strong.
Jin Xuan ignored Sect Leader Yuan's words and turned back the way he came. He was certain that the Holy Lord would know about today's events, and he had a strong feeling that he would meet this mysterious Holy Lord, but he probably wouldn't today, so he didn't need to waste his time here. As soon as Jin Xuan left, Wei Ziqi, Yi Tian, and Yi Han also left.
"Esteemed sect leaders, it seems we won't be able to see the Holy Lord today. Let's head down the mountain first!" Duan Zhengfei said immediately after seeing Jin Xuan leave, then turned and followed Jin Xuan.
"Just who is this Young Master Ling? Why does the Alliance Leader respect him so much?" The Divine Sword Sect Master wondered, watching Jin Xuan's departing figure. He then turned to look at Bai Xiaosheng. Such an imposing figure was no ordinary person, yet he couldn't fathom that such a person existed in the martial arts world today.
"I don't know. I've never seen such a person in the martial world. He shouldn't be a member of the martial world." Bai Xiaosheng replied thoughtfully as he followed. He absolutely refused to believe that there were any people in the martial world besides the Holy Lord that he didn't know, let alone someone so impossible to ignore.
“The old man in red’s powerful lion’s roar had no effect on him, which shows that his internal strength is very profound, far above ours. And the three people beside him are also of first-class skill. He should just be an ordinary person.” The deep voice of the Tianri Sect leader, who had been silent for a long time, immediately revealed the problem, and his shrewd eyes stared at the man in blue who had already walked away.
“Well said, well said… Everyone has their own secrets that they don’t want others to know. We don’t need to dwell on this anymore. Let’s go down the mountain together!” Zhiling Fangtai said calmly, his hands clasped together.
“Abbot Zhiling is right. We should hurry down the mountain and discuss how to get an audience with the Holy Emperor. That would be the best course of action.” Xuanqing Daoist, the leader of the Xuanzhen Sect, nodded and echoed Abbot Zhiling. With his hair and beard flowing, he walked down the mountain side by side with Abbot Zhiling.
Since Abbot Zhiling and Master Xuanqing had both said so, what could they possibly say? They all left the mountain with expressions of doubt and disappointment.
Jin Xuan did not reveal his identity, but appeared under the name of Duan Zhengfei's friend Ling Xuan. This would reduce a lot of trouble, but it would make the sect leaders keep guessing.
On the mountain peak, a woman in green smiled like a fox, her eyes shining as she watched the green figure walking down the mountain: As expected, the sect leader has come out of the mountain.
In the elegant yet peculiar room, a man in orange sat casually in a chair, blowing on his nails. His alluring peach blossom eyes frequently drifted towards the inner room. Opposite him, a woman in blue smiled and stroked the crystal-clear jade pendant in her hand, but her gaze was intentionally or unintentionally fixed on the direction of the inner room. A woman in green sat beside the woman in blue, lightly brushing the table with her fingers. Seeing that there was no dust, she nodded in satisfaction, then stood up and walked around the room, constantly touching and wiping here and there, but getting closer and closer to the inner room. A man in blue stood expressionlessly by the window, gripping a sword tightly in his hand, his eyes cold and devoid of any emotion, staring straight at the inner room, his lips tightly pressed together.
"Everyone's here!" With a ringing sound, a young woman in purple with bells on her wrist appeared in the room, smiling mischievously, but there was an imperceptible worry in her smile.
"Saint Purple, where have you been up to now?" The man in orange, Saint Orange, raised his charming eyes and gave the woman in purple a flirtatious look.
"What bad thing? They were just doing something important. Unlike you, always spying on them for no reason." Sheng Zi pouted, her baby face looking just like a child's. Don't be fooled by the innocent-looking woman in purple; she's covered in poison. Anyone she sets her sights on will either die or suffer greatly. She is Sheng Zi, the head of the Purple Pavilion of the Holy Immortal Sect.
"You think you're any better than this poisonous woman? Who knows who will dare to marry you in the future?" Sheng Cheng shrugged, flicked his robe, and smiled.
"Hmph, so what if she's a poisonous woman? Do you think I'd be interested in just anyone? You want to marry me? I don't want you! I want to marry the sect leader." Sheng Zi sneered at Guan Sheng Cheng, then happily cupped her baby face in her hands, smiling broadly.
"You're far from being the sect leader's wife. If anyone's going to be, it'll be me." Sheng Qing raised her head from her jade pendant and taunted Sheng Zi with a smile.
"You, hmph, the sect leader likes me." Sheng Zi retorted defiantly, raising her smug little face.
"The sect leader likes me..."
"It's me..."
......
"The two of you are not worthy of the sect leader. You are just right for this old man, hehe..." With a disrespectful laugh, an old man with white hair dressed in yellow emerged from the inner room.
Although he had a smile on his face, a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead, making him look very tired. Ignoring the people in the room who were staring at him, he walked to the table, sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and sighed contentedly.
As soon as the old man in yellow came out, Saint Orange, Saint Green, Saint Azure, Saint Blue, and Saint Purple all looked at him nervously. When he sat down, they all automatically surrounded him. Saint Azure and Saint Purple didn't care about his rude words just now, but stared intently at the old man.
"You old fool, hurry up and tell me! How is the sect leader?" The youngest member, Sheng Zi, finally couldn't help but ask.
Every month, the sect leader's poison would flare up once. The pain during the attack was beyond what ordinary people could endure. Not only was he physically tormented, but the most terrifying thing was the mental torment. All they could do was worry outside, unable to help in any way. For the first time, these proud and arrogant people felt utterly useless.
"With the world's number one divine physician here, what is there to worry about?" The old man in yellow, who was none other than Saint Huang, the Pavilion Master of the Holy Immortal Sect, raised his head and said with a smug look on his face. Then, his face suddenly darkened, and he became serious from the playful old man just now. He said with a worried look on his face, "Although the Seven-Colored Lotus helped the Sect Master get through this calamity, there are only seven Seven-Colored Lotuses in the world. The Sect Master has already taken six of them. Even if we can find the seventh one, he can only last for a month at most. After a month, if we still can't find a way to detoxify, the Sect Master is afraid..." He was truly unworthy of being called the world's number one divine physician, because he couldn't even save the Sect Master.