Su Xiaoyu quickly came up with a plan.
She took out the Nine-Grade Spirit Stone again, then used Wind Thought Technique to control it, sending it flying toward Wang Ye. It hovered behind his back.
Previously, when she was cultivating on the roof of the van, Wang Ye and the others hadn’t been able to sense the Nine-Grade Spirit Stone’s presence. But now that it was so close, Wang Ye naturally sensed something and immediately turned around.
“Hmm? The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy here seems to have thickened? What’s going on?”
Wang Ye looked around, puzzled.
Because of the Water Concealment Art, Wang Ye couldn’t see the Nine-Grade Spirit Stone at all. He could only detect the anomalous Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy.
Su Xiaoyu then controlled the Nine-Grade Spirit Stone, guiding it eastward, and Wang Ye followed.
“What is it?”
The others all looked at Wang Ye.
Wang Ye said, perplexed, “I feel like the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy is particularly dense over here, as if it’s coming from that direction. I’m not sure why. Anyway, let’s go check it out first.”
No one objected.
Li Ru sighed in admiration. “As expected of Wang Ye. You sensed something none of us noticed.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Su Xiaoyu waved the Nine-Grade Spirit Stone right in front of his face, then continued moving it eastward.
Li Ru’s eyes immediately widened. “Wait, no, I sense it now! It really is in this direction. Let’s go, go, go, hurry! Our immortal destiny has arrived!”
It wasn’t just Wang Ye; Li Ru had also sensed it, which greatly boosted the spirits of the others.
Guided by Su Xiaoyu, the group quickly arrived at the eastern viewing area.
Cloud Rain Mountain was divided into several viewing areas. The entrance and exit of each area had a guide and a small map.
The moment Wang Ye saw the small map, his eyes widened.
He pointed at the map and said, “Look, everyone! The map shows eight streams encircling this place. I understand now! This is Eight Dragons Encircling! This viewing area is our destination!”
Everyone crowded in front of the small map, so excited by its contents that they practically danced with joy.
They felt incredibly lucky. They had only just arrived at Cloud Rain Mountain and had already deciphered the second of the four lines. Next, they just had to figure out the Place of a Thousand-Year Eternity.
Watching their expressions, Su Xiaoyu quietly put away the Nine-Grade Spirit Stone.
Without her help, it would have taken these people quite a while to find this spot.
“Huh? The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy is back to normal?”
As Su Xiaoyu retrieved the Nine-Grade Spirit Stone, Wang Ye immediately sensed the change, a look of wistful loss appearing on his face.
Li Ru asked, bewildered, “What’s going on?”
Wang Ye sighed. “I think it must have been a wisp of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy from the Carefree Grotto-Heaven leaking out. This also indirectly proves that the Carefree Grotto-Heaven is in this area. Let’s keep looking around this viewing area and also ponder the meaning of ‘Place of a Thousand-Year Eternity’.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
…
So, what exactly was the Place of a Thousand-Year Eternity?
Su Xiaoyu couldn’t figure it out for a moment either. She looked at the small map, but even from the map’s overhead view, she couldn’t find any scene that matched the phrase “Place of a Thousand-Year Eternity.”
Perhaps this part really needed to be searched for slowly.
While Wang Ye and the others wandered around, searching for clues, Su Xiaoyu, hidden by the Water Concealment Art, also explored every part of the viewing area.
Her wheelchair glided slowly across the ground, making no obvious sound. Besides the Water Concealment Art, she was also using a spell called the Silence Technique, which could eliminate sound within a designated area.
As she moved about, she felt a unique emotion.
Ever since becoming disabled, she had always stayed at home, avoiding going out whenever possible. After staying cooped up for so long, she had become a little estranged from the outside world. So this time, even just casually strolling through a viewing area, she felt a very special sensation.
The blowing wind was muggy yet carried a hint of coolness, sending leaves swirling through the air.
Su Xiaoyu came to a patch of shade and gazed around.
She saw adults passing by with children, laughter and cheerful voices filling the air.
She saw couples walking arm in arm, the girl acting coquettishly, the boy making promises.
She also saw an elderly person staring blankly at the scenery, as if seeing their entire life’s experiences reflected there.
For many people, such an ordinary life is well worth being content with. Being free of illness and disaster, even in ordinariness, is a form of happiness.
But some people are unwilling to accept the ordinary.
Su Xiaoyu shifted her gaze and saw Wang Ye and the others walking past. Everyone’s eyes were exceptionally bright as they carefully observed every corner, trying to find the immortal destiny.
She thought that being unwilling to accept the ordinary was a good thing; having something to pursue was also a form of happiness.
“It’s been a while…”
Su Xiaoyu steered the wheelchair toward a corner.
Since early morning, she had been using the Water Concealment Art to make herself invisible while also using the Silence Technique. The drain on her reserves was significant. Even though she had cultivated with the Nine-Grade Spirit Stone midway, supplementing some of her Spiritual Power, her reserves were running low again by now.
Reaching a corner, Su Xiaoyu took out the Nine-Grade Spirit Stone once more and began absorbing it, cultivating and recovering simultaneously.
…
“Whoosh, whoosh…”
The wind blew through the trees in the scenic area. The rustling sound was as endless as waves, with leaf after leaf drifting past before her eyes.
Two hours later, Su Xiaoyu, now fully recovered, sat in her wheelchair under a massive tree, studying it thoughtfully.
Many children were playing nearby, running around from time to time. Some would occasionally get close to her unintentionally. Although she was pondering other matters, she had no trouble making sure she wasn’t bumped into by the children.
“The Place of a Thousand-Year Eternity… could it be here?”
Su Xiaoyu looked at the great tree before her.
The reason she had this thought was that, after searching the entire viewing area, the only thing that seemed connected to the term “Thousand-Year” was this very tree.
This tree was truly enormous. Its trunk was so thick it would take several people joining hands to encircle it. Each branch was thick and robust, and even the leaves growing at the tips of the branches were large and broad.
According to the information Su Xiaoyu had gathered so far, this tree had been growing for over a thousand years, standing firm here through the long passage of time. Calling the location of this tree the “Place of a Thousand-Year Eternity” was perfectly fitting.
After looking for a moment, she turned her head to look not far away.
She could see Wang Ye, Li Ru, and the others were also here. Just like Su Xiaoyu, after scouring the entire viewing area, they felt that no matter how they looked at it, only this place matched the description “Place of a Thousand-Year Eternity.”
So what about the final clue: the Place of Dragon Playing Pearl?
What place was the Place of Dragon Playing Pearl? Was it connected to this tree?
