Chương 150: Chapter 39: The Dao-Grade Artifact, Azure Jade Palace

Night descended, draping the Mu Family estate in a heavy, silent shroud. Inside his secluded chamber, Reyn sat cross-legged upon a prayer mat, his silhouette cast long and flickering against the stone walls by the guttering wick of a lone lamp. His expression was a mask of deep contemplation.

The blood-debt with the Purple Mist Sect weighed heavy on his mind; he knew with grim certainty that Yang Dawei and Li Zhupu were hounds on a scent, their malice a palpable chill that would not dissipate until they saw him dead. Their alliance with the Zi Luanxing of the Purple Mist Sect only complicated matters. He reminded himself that in the coming days, every shadow could hide a blade, and every smile from those two sects was likely a prelude to treachery. Then there was Xing Tianxie.

Though the man had extended a hand of friendship, Reyn saw through the veneer. Xing's warmth was a calculated investment, born of a respect for Reyn's combat prowess and the tactical advantage of having an ally who shared a common enemy in the Purple Mist Sect. In the world of cultivation, such bonds were forged in sand. They were currently using each other as shields and whetstones, but true trust was a luxury Reyn could not afford.

He would keep his heart guarded, his secrets locked behind a wall of polite indifference. A cold smirk touched his lips as he thought of the two identity tokens he had looted from Mo Huahua's corpse. One belonged to the deceased himself, but the other was the mark of a core disciple from the Lingyao Sect of Jin Province.

If planted with enough finesse, these tokens could become a spark in a powder keg, embroiling Yang Dawei and his ilk in a diplomatic nightmare that would leave them with no leisure to plot against him. With a mental sigh, he pushed these machinations aside and retrieved a jade slip, pressing it to his forehead. Information flooded his mind, and he spent the next hour dissecting the secrets of the Trial Realm.

The Trial Realm was no mere training ground; it was a fractured pocket dimension, a relic of the Primordial Desolation discovered and anchored by the Mu Family's Nascent Soul ancestor, Mu Daguang. It was a place where ancient laws still held sway, teeming with prehistoric demon beasts and lethal environmental hazards. Yet, for the brave or the desperate, it was a land of peerless bounty.

Having been isolated from the outside world for millennia, it harbored spirit herbs of legendary age—some even reaching the ten-thousand-year mark. Though the Mu Family had harvested the most obvious treasures over the centuries, a cultivator with enough luck and a sharp enough eye could still find enough resources to change their destiny. The key to this trial lay in the Mu Jade Swords. Eight of these specialized artifacts were scattered across the realm's most dangerous zones.

They served as both trophies and keys. When the month-long trial concluded, those who emerged clutching a sword would earn not only prestige that would echo across the Zhao Kingdom but also a king's ransom in rewards from the Mu Family. It was a recipe for slaughter; for such prizes, the disciples of the various sects would surely discard all pretenses of mercy.

"Eight swords... and the legend says that whoever claims more than half may study at the side of the Nascent Soul ancestor for three years," Reyn whispered, his fists clenching within his sleeves until his knuckles turned white. That was the true prize. To be guided by a Nascent Soul sovereign was a shortcut to the Foundation Establishment stage that few could ever dream of. His eyes burned with a fierce, uncompromising resolve.

No matter the cost, no matter how many bodies he had to step over, he would seize that opportunity. As the night deepened, he calmed his breathing and consumed several spirit pills, closing his eyes to refine the medicinal essence. He was in the heart of the Mu Family's power, within striking distance of a Nascent Soul entity whose divine sense could likely peel back the layers of a man's soul. He decided then to cease his refinement of the White Jade Dragon-Whiskers Rice for the duration of his stay.

It was too conspicuous, a treasure that could incite the greed of even the most stoic elder. Caution was his only shield. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. At the first crack of dawn, Reyn's eyes snapped open. A streak of light whistled through the air—a messenger talisman. He caught it mid-flight, and a voice resonated in his mind: "Assemble at the main hall immediately. The Trial Realm opens today."

He rose in one fluid motion and stepped out into the crisp morning air. He hadn't gone far when a familiar voice called out.

"Daoist Reyn!" Xing Tianxie was approaching, accompanied by a refined young man with an air of quiet authority.

"This is Junior Brother Cheng Wanwan of the Huayun Sect from Yan Province," Xing Tianxie introduced them with a practiced grin. He turned to Cheng and added, "And this is the Daoist Reyn I spoke of. His cultivation and techniques are peerless among our generation. Even I would doubt my chances of victory were we to truly clash. Do not let your status as a Young Sect Master make you arrogant before him." Cheng Wanwan laughed softly, shaking his head.

"Brother Xing, do you take me for a fool? I have heard much of Daoist Reyn's exploits. To see him in person... he truly possesses an extraordinary aura." Reyn offered a polite, measured smile. He was not one to be swayed by empty flattery.

"Daoist Cheng is too kind. I am merely a wandering cultivator. Your own reputation, however, precedes you."

"Enough with the pleasantries," Xing Tianxie interrupted, though his tone remained jovial.

"The Mu Family Head is waiting. We should move, lest we be marked as disrespectful." The three of them set off toward the center of the estate, their conversation light but their eyes sharp, scanning the other groups of cultivators heading in the same direction. In the distance, Reyn spotted the Zi Luanxing and Yang Dawei. The tension was thick enough to choke a man, but for now, the peace held. They soon reached the Mu Family's central sanctuary: the Azure Jade Palace.

It was a monolithic structure carved entirely from subterranean jade, rising dozens of zhang into the sky without a single visible seam. It looked less like a building and more like a celestial mountain dropped onto the earth, radiating an oppressive, ancient majesty that forced the gathered cultivators into a hushed awe.

"Incredible, isn't it?" Xing Tianxie remarked, his own voice tinged with genuine wonder.

"Subterranean jade is usually only used for low-grade spirit tools, but to see a single, flawless block of this magnitude... it defies imagination."

"It is the hallmark of the Zhao Kingdom's greatest clan," Reyn replied, his gaze fixed on the shimmering green walls. Cheng Wanwan leaned in, his eyes burning with a different kind of intensity.

"What if I told you this palace isn't just a building, but a sentient magic treasure?" Reyn's heart skipped a beat.

"Impossible! A treasure this size?"

"It is the truth," Cheng confirmed, his voice a low hiss of excitement.

"The Azure Jade Palace descended from the nine heavens amidst lightning and primordial fire. It possesses its own spirit. It is a Dao-grade artifact." Reyn felt a jolt of shock. A Dao-grade artifact was a legendary existence, a weapon that possessed its own will and could fight independently of its master. At the highest levels, such treasures could even take human form.

"There is a tragedy to it, though," Cheng added, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"A thousand years ago, one of the nine Mu Jade Swords was lost within the Trial Realm. If all nine were gathered—nine-into-one—the swords would recognize a true master, and that person would become the lord of this very palace. But without the final key, this Dao-grade treasure remains dormant, a relic of what could have been." Xing Tianxie clapped Cheng on the shoulder.

"Stop dreaming of lost keys. If the Mu Family couldn't find it in a millennium, we certainly won't. Focus on the trial ahead." Cheng Wanwan sighed, the fire in his eyes dimming into a wry smile. Reyn, however, looked back at the palace one last time, a new, dangerous thought taking root in his mind.