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After briefly taking in his luxurious new residence, Qi Yun didn’t linger. He immediately set out to find the Blood Demon Master, Deng Yin.

When viewed from the outside, the Inner Mansion Mirror Heaven appeared to be a full size smaller than the Outer Mansion Mirror Heaven below it.

But upon entering, one would realize that an extremely profound Cosmic Jade space-expansion technique had been used.

Its actual area was vast and boundless—at least a thousand times larger than the Outer Mansion!

The entire Inner Mansion Mirror Heaven was roughly divided into three districts:

The first was the True Cultivator Residence Area, where Qi Yun was now. Similar to the long street in the Outer Mansion, it was comprised of orderly rows of private, single-residence courtyards.

However, the vastness of their interiors was a secret known only to their owners.

But this district occupied less than one-tenth of the Inner Mansion Mirror Heaven’s total area.

The second was the Inner Mansion Palace District, which contained functional buildings analogous to the Ninefold Hall in the Outer Mansion.

However, its scale, grandeur, and functions far surpassed those of the Outer Mansion. It was where Inner Mansion Disciples handled sect business, exchanged for resources, and attended Dharma lectures. This district also took up about a tenth of the total area.

The remaining eighty percent of the area was entirely occupied by the Dao Fields of the Wuji Holy Sect’s various Foundation Establishment Masters.

They had divided this vast land amongst themselves, each using their Divine Techniques to forge an independent Dao Field that reflected their personal Great Dao and tastes, creating a truly magnificent and diverse spectacle.

It filled the entire Inner Mansion Mirror Heaven with the aura of a myriad of different Dharmas.

To get around the Inner Mansion Mirror Heaven, one could spend Holy Essence to rent a vehicle known as a Dharma Cloud.

Dharma Clouds could fly swiftly along pre-established routes.

However, they could only travel to areas the user had permission to access; restricted locations were unreachable.

After all, if one were to trespass into a Master’s Dao Field, they would deserve to have their soul extracted and obliterated!

Qi Yun checked his Taixu Jade Order and found that, as expected, access to the Daoist Temple of the Blood Demon Master, Deng Yin, had been granted.

He immediately paid one hundred Holy Essence.

A moment later, a Dharma Cloud about ten feet in diameter floated silently before him. It was black as ink, and within its churning mists, a faint, blood-red light swirled.

Qi Yun’s expression was complicated as he gazed at the visually striking Dharma Cloud. He couldn’t help but scratch at his eyebrow.

’This Dharma Cloud... do they really have to make them with such distinct Sect characteristics?’

’Are they afraid people won’t know it’s the ride of a Demon Dao bigwig?’

After silently snarking to himself, Qi Yun stepped aboard.

He immediately felt a soft yet exceptionally solid texture underfoot, which put his mind at ease.

With a single thought, the Dharma Cloud shot up, transforming into a streak of black light and speeding off toward the depths of Mirror Heaven.

In an instant, a gale fierce enough to flay the skin from an ordinary person’s face assaulted him.

But just as the wind pressure was about to hit him, a faint, glowing shield bloomed around the Dharma Cloud.

It steadily deflected all the gales, keeping the ride as smooth as solid ground.

This allowed Qi Yun to peacefully watch the scenery speeding by below.

Beneath him, the landscape was magnificent. They zipped past lakes shrouded in dense Spiritual Qi, flew over rugged mountain ranges of grotesque rock, and he could even spot enormous, clearly man-made Medicinal Gardens and parks where exotic beasts were raised. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

In the distance, he could see the silhouettes of Master Dao Fields, each shrouded in multicolored light that obscured its true form.

The entire Inner Mansion Mirror Heaven was like a miniature, independent world, meticulously cultivated over countless years.

Its prosperity and mystique were far beyond anything the Outer Mansion could hope to match.

After a short flight, the Dharma Cloud landed steadily at the foot of a mountain. The peak was shrouded in a faint, blood-colored Evil Qi, yet it didn’t feel sinister. On the contrary, it possessed a unique and imposing majesty.

This was the Dao Field of Elder Master Deng Yin.

Following his memory from the previous visit, Qi Yun stepped onto the winding bluestone path and once again found himself before the seemingly plain Daoist Temple.

The moment he stopped before the wooden door, it swung inward silently, as if of its own accord.

Inside the temple courtyard, Elder Master Deng Yin was holding a pair of small iron shears, intently pruning a seedling. Though it looked somewhat damaged, the plant was tenaciously sprouting new buds.

"Congratulations on making it into the Inner Mansion."

The Elder Master spoke in a placid tone without looking up.

Qi Yun immediately bowed, his tone both respectful and astute:

"My achievements today are all thanks to the Master’s previous nurturing and guidance. I would never dare forget it."

"That’s enough. Spare me the pleasantries." The Elder Master snipped off a dead branch and swept away the fallen leaves on the ground. Then, with a flick of his sleeve, a pot of fragrant, steaming tea materialized on the stone table in the courtyard.

"You’ve come to see me, so you must have encountered another difficult problem. Sit and tell me about it."

Seeing how direct the Elder Master was being, Qi Yun didn’t beat around the bush. He calmly walked to the stone table, sat down, and recounted, in full detail, the proposal to become a Secret True Cultivator that he had received from the man by the lake.

’Eldest Senior Brother, is it...’

Upon hearing Qi Yun’s description of the old man fishing, a flash of recognition crossed the Blood Demon Master Deng Yin’s eyes. He clearly knew the man’s identity.

"The status of Secret True Cultivator is a new precedent, established by our Sect in the last few centuries to expand our Dharma Lineages and embrace greater diversity."

The Elder Master explained slowly, his tone placid, "If you are truly set on cultivating the Primordial Heaven Extreme Skill Dao Foundation—a path with an uncertain future—then it is true that no one in the Sect can guide you.

"Following the path of a Secret True Cultivator means you won’t lack for resources and will have great freedom. For you, it is indeed a choice worth considering."

Hearing the Elder Master agree, Qi Yun nodded silently.

In truth, whether or not he had a master in name at this stage wasn’t terribly important to him.

After all, he had already established a positive connection with the Elder Master. With such a powerful backer, even if the Flower Moon Hall Master, Song Kun, were to emerge from seclusion later, he wouldn’t be able to touch Qi Yun easily.

The generous benefits offered by the Secret True Cultivator status, along with the lack of a direct master to answer to, meant greater freedom. The offer was very tempting.

"If you encounter any unresolved difficulties in your cultivation down the line, feel free to come find me," the Elder Master added calmly, as if he could see the wheels turning in Qi Yun’s mind.

"My own Dao path has been a difficult one, but I still have more than enough strength to guide a cultivator in the Qi Refining Realm."

These words completely swept away Qi Yun’s last shred of hesitation.

His mind made up, Qi Yun then took out the ancient Jade Scroll he had found in the ruins of the Medicinal Garden in Fuluo Province and presented it with both hands.

"Master, I came across this item by chance. The text on it is in Siming Seal Script, which I am unable to read. May I trouble you to enlighten me?"

Deng Yin accepted the Jade Scroll, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"Siming Seal Script? It has indeed been many years since I’ve last seen it.

This is an Ancient Skill. You wish to cultivate it?"

The Elder Master’s foundation was profound; he was clearly fluent in Siming Seal Script. A single glance over the scroll was enough for him to grasp its general contents.

"Ancient Skills, while immensely powerful, are difficult to control with any precision, and the backlash they inflict is severe. They are true double-edged swords."

"With your talent and aptitude, your future is limitless if you stick to the current, stable Dharma Gates. There’s truly no need to take such an unorthodox risk."

He held the Jade Scroll, offering a rare word of admonishment.

Qi Yun had anticipated this and replied respectfully:

"Your insight is sharp, Master. I am well aware of the risks.

It’s just that on the path of Magic, I feel I’ve had some minor epiphanies. I wish to use this Ancient Skill to peer into the different way of thinking and raw essence it contains. I hope to learn from it by analogy, so as to nourish the foundation of my own Daoist Skills.

I do not intend to immediately practice its physical form."

Upon hearing this explanation, Deng Yin nodded slowly, his expression softening.

"If you are only studying it for reference, to grasp its essence while discarding the dross, then I suppose there is no harm.

Just be sure you maintain a proper sense of proportion. You must not become obsessed, lest you end up being harmed by it."

With that, he extended his index finger and gently wiped it across the surface of the mottled Jade Scroll.

A gentle light flowed over the scroll. The abstruse Siming Seal Script upon it seemed to come alive, twisting and shifting until, in an instant, it had transformed into the script commonly used in the Cultivation Realm today.

Furthermore, in places where the semantics were vague or could lead to ambiguity,

small annotations appeared alongside the text.

These were clearly annotations the Elder Master had added directly, drawing from his profound knowledge.

"Thank you, Master." Qi Yun accepted the transformed Jade Scroll, overjoyed. He immediately rose to take his leave.

"Wait," the Elder Master stopped him, chuckling in exasperation. "You brat. Finished with your business, so you’re just going to leave? Do you really see me as just your personal problem-solver?"

As he spoke, he produced an object from his voluminous sleeve.

It was a Jade Hairpin, vibrant red and warm to the touch, with a faint, misty blood-qi circulating within it.

The head of the hairpin was simply designed, yet it exuded an extraordinary Spiritual Rhyme.

"Now that you’ve entered the Inner Mansion and become a True Cultivator, you will naturally have a place in the upcoming operation to descend the mountain and sweep away the remnants of the Three Sects."

The Elder Master handed him the Blood Jade Hairpin.

"Keep this hairpin with you at all times.

During the operation, if you find someone who makes this hairpin react and glow, you must find a way to bring them back safely, no matter the cost.

Do so, and I will reward you handsomely."

Qi Yun took the hairpin curiously. It felt cool to the touch, but with a faint, stinging sensation. He couldn’t help but ask:

"And what, might I ask... is this handsome reward?"

His blunt question drew a light chuckle from the Elder Master.

"You brat. You never let the hawk fly until you see the hare, do you?

No harm in telling you. If you can find that person and bring them back...

I will gift you a... Foundation Establishment Object!"

"A Foundation Establishment Object?" Qi Yun’s pupils constricted, and his heart skipped a beat.

This was a treasure that determined the quality of one’s Dao Foundation, something countless Qi Refining Cultivators dreamed of obtaining.

"Go now. Prepare yourself. The world down the mountain... is not a peaceful place." The Elder Master waved his hand, picked up his iron shears again, and returned to tending the damaged seedling, saying nothing more.

Qi Yun tightly gripped the Blood Jade Hairpin and Jade Scroll in his hand, deeply imprinting the words "Foundation Establishment Object" in his mind. He bowed once more, then turned and left the Daoist Temple.