Chapter 241 | The Sealed Ledger

Chapter 241: 241 | The Sealed Ledger

As Lin Tian walked down dressed in his dark-crimson and gold Elder Robes, Elder Liu on his right and Elder Qing on his left, every inner disciple and deacon passing along the road froze in their tracks.

Dozens of disciples hurriedly stepped to the edges of the path, bowing low to the waist with wide, awestruck eyes.

"Greetings to Elder Liu! Greetings to Elder Lin! Greetings to Elder Qing!"

Just few ago, when the flying ship had departed for Sky-Pillar City, Lin Tian had walked down wearing the robes of an Inner Disciple.

Now, the Core Formation spiritual pressure announced to the entire sect that a twenty-year-old elder had risen to stand on equal footing with the peak masters.

Elder Qing kept her chin level and her hand resting on her sword pommel, though whenever a group of her former martial hall disciples stared in stunned silence at the matching Elder insignia on her and Lin Tian’s robes, a faint warmth brushed the tips of her ears.

Ahead of them the Inner Sect Resource Hall.

Unlike the noisy outer Resources halls, the entrance to the Inner Sect Resource Hall was guarded by four black-armored deacons.

Before the guards could even salute, the carved rosewood double doors behind the main Affairs Desk parted, and a woman in a flowing gown of pale violet silk stepped out onto the polished stone floor.

It was Madam Shen, presiding as Deputy Hall Master of the Resource Hall.

Behind her walked two junior scribe deacons carrying stacks of bamboo tallies.

The moment Madam Shen’s soft violet eyes lifted and took in the sight of Lin Tian standing tall in the crimson-gold robes of an Inner Council Elder, her footsteps paused for a fraction of a breath.

To the junior scribes behind her, the Deputy Hall Master appeared as poised and dignified as ever.

Yet Lin Tian’s sharp gaze caught the sudden, luminous ripple of pride and deep affection that flared inside her pupils, as well as the slight catch of her breath as her eyes traced the broad line of his shoulders beneath the golden collar.

"This Deputy Hall Master greets Elder Liu, Elder Lin, and Elder Qing," Madam Shen said smoothly, inclining her head in a graceful bow that concealed the warm curve of her lips from the scribes behind her.

"There is no need for formalities, Deputy Hall Master Shen," Elder Liu replied calmly, gesturing toward the rear corridor. "Elder Lin and Elder Qing have just received their seals. We are here to conduct a joint Spiritual Inspection of the subterranean reserve ledgers."

"The passage has already been cleared for the Elders," Madam Shen said, turning neatly on her heel to dismiss the two junior. "Return to the eastern wing and finish sorting the records. No one is to approach the subterranean stairs until the inspection is complete."

"Yes, Deputy Hall Master!"

Once the they retreated and the doors of the inner hall shut, the formal distance in Madam Shen’s posture melted away at once.

As she led them down the quiet stone staircase beneath the foundation of the Resource Hall, where the walls were lined with glowing moon-pearls, she slowed her steps until she was walking right beside Lin Tian.

Under the cover of her wide violet sleeve, her slender, warm fingers reached out and brushed briefly against the back of his hand—pressing softly against the cool Purple-Gold Spirit Iron of the Elder Seal resting in his palm.

"The crimson and gold suits you even better than I imagined, my Sovereign," Madam Shen whispered, a delicate blush tinting her cheeks as she looked up at him through her lashes. "Aunt Lin has been pacing the forge annex since noon waiting to see you in these robes."

"Once we finish reading what is hidden behind that vault door, I will come back to the Cloud-Sea Pavilion before nightfall," Lin Tian murmured warmly, giving her soft fingers a gentle squeeze before they reached the bottom landing.

At the entrance to the Restricted Material Vault—a ten-foot-tall archway forged from dark Deep-Sea Profound Steel, covered in hundreds of interlocking golden runes that connected directly to the Main Peak’s central monitoring formation.

Standing in front of the vault gate was Elder Bai.

She had arrived ahead of them from Array Peak, and six miniature silver array were already hovering above the silver formation disk in her left hand, aligned precisely with the golden runes on the gate.

"The Main Peak’s warning formation is linked to the upper three rune rings of this gate," Elder Bai explained quietly as the four of them gathered before it. "With only two Elder Seals, the gate will open normally, and the formation will send a warning to Sect Master Hong’s hall."

"But if all four Core Formation Elder Seals are activated at the same time, I can use my formation disk to reverse the flow of spiritual power in the third rune ring."

"This will break the connection between the gate and the warning formation long enough for us to enter the vault without alerting the Main Peak."

"Everything inside is ready as well," Madam Shen added, drawing her bronze Deputy Hall Master key from her sash. "Over the past two years, whenever a special casket came down from the Main Peak without undergoing standard alchemy inspection, the head deacon recorded it inside the Black-Jade Ledger."

"Do it," Lin Tian said calmly.

Elder Bai’s pale fingers moved in a blur, sending three threads of Middle Stage Core Formation Qi into her formation.

Hum—click.

The golden light along the upper three rune rings dimmed to a dull silver.

At the exact same heartbeat, Lin Tian, Elder Liu, Elder Qing, and Elder Bai stepped forward together and pressed their heavy Purple-Gold Elder Seals into the four depression slots carved into the door!

WUUUUUM——!

Four streams of pure Core Formation spiritual power surged into the lock in unison.

Without making a sound louder than a whispered breath, the doors parted down the center, revealing the cold, vast interior of the Restricted Material Vault.

Rows of frost-covered jade shelves stretched into the dim distance, holding rare ores, sealed beast cores, and high-tier spirit herbs.

Madam Shen led them straight past the outer shelves to a locked obsidian pedestal at the back of the chamber, using her key to lift out a thick ledger bound in dark scale-leather and plates of carved black jade.

Setting the Black-Jade Master Ledger onto the stone inspection table, Elder Liu swept her spiritual sense across the first page—and her expression turned colder than the frost on the shelves.

"Look at the crimson seal imprints along the bottom margin," Elder Liu said in a low, tight voice, pointing a slender finger at the glowing runes etched into the black jade plates. "Every entry marked with a coiled dragon stamp was bypassed around my Alchemy Peak inspection halls by direct order of the Sect Master’s seal."

Lin Tian stepped behind the table, his Insight Eye scanning rapidly down the ten years of recorded transfers.

Every single line was dated within three days of a new moon—matching the exact monthly schedule of the Blood-Bone Demonic Cult that Lady Yun had uncovered!

"Ten years ago, fourth month," Elder Liu read aloud, her voice shaking slightly as she traced the entries. "Earth-Fire Neutralizing Powder, routed from the Main Peak private vault to Alchemy Peak. Six years ago, ninth month: Tranquil-Mind Spirit Incense, routed to Array Peak. Five years ago, eleventh month: three phials of Jade-Dew Soothing Elixir, bestowed upon Chief Instructor Qing of the Martial Arts Peak..."

Standing beside the table, Elder Qing’s fingers tightened around her sword scabbard until the leather creaked.

"And look here—three years ago, seventh month," Madam Shen gasped softly, leaning over the opposite side of the table as she spotted an entry she had never been allowed to see as Deputy Hall Master. "Subterranean Dross Powder mixed into twelve hundred standard Spirit-Nourishing Pills distributed to the inner female compounds! That was the exact batch that gave Sister Lin and me our cold meridian blockages!"

"He didn’t spare a single division that wasn’t completely under the First Elder’s thumb," Elder Bai said, her clear eyes narrowing as her finger slid to the bottom half of the black-jade ledger. "Wait. Look at the volume of the remaining entries."

Lin Tian’s eyes locked onto the final column of the ledger.

While the tainted supplies sent to Alchemy Peak, Array Peak, and Martial Arts Peak were spaced out once or twice a year to avoid raising suspicion, there was a fourth destination listed on the ledger that received a sealed jade casket every three months without fail for ten straight years!

[Bamboo-Mist Peak — Closed-Door Seclusion Supply]

[Item: Nine-Petal Yin-Nourishing Core Elixir — Bestowed personally by Sect Master Hong Xuan]

[Latest Delivery: Three days ago.]

"Forty consecutive shipments over ten years..." Lin Tian’s voice dropped to a cold murmur as he looked up from the black-jade plates toward Elder Liu and Elder Bai. "Over half of the demonic toxins Hong Xuan brought into this sect weren’t used on the outer peaks at all—they were poured straight into Bamboo-Mist Peak. Who is inside that peak right now?"

***

A closed-door seclusion for ten years? Guess the identity of the person hiding in Bamboo-Mist Peak. Drop your Power Stones and Golden Tickets.