Back in the Yang world, the task of helping He Junyi appear in a dream and sending her to Jinxi Town naturally fell to Yuan Jing. Lu Zheng, meanwhile, returned to Shaotong Mountain with Master Qingsong and Daoist Mingzhang.
Once seated in the rear courtyard’s quiet chamber, Master Qingsong wasted no time on pleasantries and went straight to the point. “How did you come by that bronze mirror?”
“Ah? The Cloud Palace Treasure Mirror?”
Although Lu Zheng had guessed that Master Qingsong and Daoist Mingzhang might be curious about this magical treasure, after all, the mirror had completely suppressed Lord Nightbone, leaving him no room to fight back, and even Lu Zheng himself had been astonished, he had not expected this to be the very first question upon returning.
Master Qingsong was taken aback. “Cloud Palace Treasure Mirror? Did you name it yourself?”
Lu Zheng nodded, patted his gourd, and took out the Cloud Palace Treasure Mirror, handing it over to Master Qingsong.
A flash of approval and amusement crossed Master Qingsong’s eyes. He reached out, accepted it, and examined it carefully.
“Grand Martial Uncle, do you recognise this mirror?” Lu Zheng asked. “This mirror was seized by this disciple from a ghostly creature. At that time, the back of the bronze mirror depicted a scene of a hundred ghosts paying homage, with yakshas, asuras, evil ghosts, and zombies. In the centre was a white bone skeleton seated on a throne.”
Then Lu Zheng recounted how he had obtained the bronze mirror. It had been an unexpected gain on his first journey down from White Cloud Mountain, on the road home after visiting the Jinhua Sect.
“A mere ghostly creature with only two or three hundred years of cultivation?” Master Qingsong blinked. Though unclear on the details, he could not help sighing. “Well done. You truly have great fortune.”
“Is this treasure mirror famous?” Lu Zheng asked.
“It has quite a reputation,” Master Qingsong nodded.
“Ordinary magical artifacts and treasures mostly assist in spellcasting, enhance the power of incantations, or possess distinctive functions. Yet they remain similar to techniques, either protective artifacts that defend the body and guard the soul, or offensive treasures that shatter qi and extinguish spirits.”
Master Qingsong explained. “For example, your lightning-struck peachwood sword amplifies thunder arts, and that White Cloud Flag can cast several incantations such as the Cloud Gathering Curse and Cloud Sealing Curse.”
Lu Zheng nodded to show he understood.
“However, this Profound Yin Divine Mirror is different. Wherever its mirror light shines, all spells are forbidden. It is more like a… decree. If your cultivation is inferior to the mirror’s prohibition, you will certainly be forbidden.”
Master Qingsong continued. “It is said that this treasure mirror originates from the upper realms. Some say it received the blessing of immortals from the upper realms during its forging. In any case, this treasure mirror is on a completely different level from ordinary magical treasures.”
Lu Zheng listened in stunned amazement. He had long known the bronze mirror was extraordinary, but he had not expected it to have a renowned name even in the Yang world, known even to Master Qingsong.
“Profound Yin Divine Mirror?”
Master Qingsong nodded. “The history of this Profound Yin Divine Mirror after appearing in the world is no longer traceable, for it circulated in the Netherworld. It is only known that its last owner was the Profound Yin Divine Lord.”
“Profound Yin Divine Lord?” Lu Zheng was bewildered.
Master Qingsong explained. “This is also the origin of the Profound Yin Divine Mirror’s name. It is one of the two most famous magical treasures of the Profound Yin Divine Lord.”
Lu Zheng could only nod. Well, it was quite casual, yet entirely reasonable.
“The Profound Yin Divine Lord possessed heaven-piercing cultivation. He was more powerful than Master Dejie and the Jade Dragon King… hmm, perhaps a bit stronger than them.”
Lu Zheng’s eyes widened in shock. “So ferocious?”
Master Qingsong shook his head. “The Profound Yin Divine Lord was not ferocious. He always cultivated his mind and practised arts deep in the Netherworld, rarely emerging, and had no interest in the Yang world.”
At this point, Master Qingsong added. “In fact, most ghostly creatures with profound cultivation reside deep in the Netherworld and have no interest in the Yang world.”
Lu Zheng indicated his understanding. Those interested in the Yang world were instead some middling ones with unsettled minds, such as Lord Nightbone.
Yet such beings could still cause tremendous harm to the Yang world.
Conversely, the Central Plains dynasties of the Yang world had thus coveted the Netherworld, attempting to rule it. The various City God temples, besides guarding the Yang world, also had the task of conquering the Netherworld.
Thus… over tens of thousands of years, things had become as they were…
“But… since this Profound Yin Divine Lord was so powerful, how could he have lost this Profound Yin Divine Mirror?”
Lu Zheng asked curiously. “Could it be like the Obscure Darkness Dharma King, whose lifespan ended and he perished?”
Lu Zheng recalled the scattered volumes of the Seven Classics of Obscure Darkness.
“Lifespan ended?” Master Qingsong looked at Lu Zheng strangely. “His magical power reached the heavens. He ascended directly to the upper realms.”
Lu Zheng: ⚆_⚆?
“Ascension!?”
Master Qingsong nodded. “Ascension.”
Lu Zheng was speechless. He had not expected the first tale of ascension he heard to concern a ghostly creature. Did our White Cloud Temple’s ancestors…
“Our White Cloud Temple has a long inheritance. Naturally, several ancestors have ascended to the upper realms,” Master Qingsong said calmly.
Lu Zheng understood. Though extremely curious and wanting to ask how many, he ultimately dared not.
There were immortals descending to the mortal world, imparting teachings in dreams, and naturally also extraordinary people ascending directly to the upper realms.
Yet ascension was difficult. Witness how neither Master Dejie nor the Jade Dragon King qualified, and before receiving the inheritance of Red Pine Master, Wan Song Daoist clearly could not have either.
Terrifying!
“It is said that before ascending, the Profound Yin Divine Lord distributed his entire collection to more than fifty disciples on Profound Yin Mountain,” Master Qingsong said. “They were called disciples, but in truth they were merely servants he casually accepted. However, these servants, having received arts bestowed by the Profound Yin Divine Lord, were none weak.”
“The Profound Yin Divine Mirror was among them?”
“Evidently, yes.”
Lu Zheng frowned in puzzlement. “That Ghost King hiding in the Yang world was a disciple of the Profound Yin Divine Lord who obtained the Profound Yin Divine Mirror?”
“That I do not know. But I feel that those accepted by the Profound Yin Divine Lord should not be so weak,” Master Qingsong shook his head.
“By the way, there is one more thing.”
“Speak, Grand Martial Uncle!”
“Among the disciples of the Profound Yin Divine Lord, several are quite formidable figures. Try not to use this mirror in the Netherworld,” Master Qingsong cautioned. “They regard themselves as disciples of the Profound Yin Divine Lord. If they learn you have obtained the Profound Yin Divine Mirror, they may feel unwilling and harbour ill intentions.”
Master Qingsong emphasised. “Some among them do not have the Profound Yin Divine Lord’s indifferent temperament.”
Lu Zheng’s pupils contracted. For Master Qingsong to call them quite formidable meant they were certainly very powerful existences.
“Yes, this disciple understands!” Lu Zheng bowed in acknowledgement. He resolved inwardly that even if using it against enemies in the Yang world in future, he would silence the opponent completely.
“As long as you are aware,” Master Qingsong nodded, then smiled. “I had originally intended to test your combat responses, but unexpectedly you broke the situation directly.”
Then Daoist Mingzhang casually mentioned what he and Master Qingsong had wanted to observe.
Lu Zheng was speechless…
Fortunately, he had brought out the Cloud Palace Treasure Mirror in advance. Otherwise, if he had truly sensed mortal danger, he would certainly have traversed space immediately.
He wondered whether that would have shocked the two even more than the Cloud Palace Treasure Mirror.
