Chapter 270: Unsealing the Third Layer Seal

Chapter 270: Chapter 270: Unsealing the Third Layer Seal

Wen Chan knew very little about the Chaoyin Pavilion.

According to her, despite shouldering significant responsibilities, she knew remarkably little about the pavilion.

She was taken to a cave at the age of three. From her earliest memories, she and other girls her age would soak in a pool every three days. The water in that pool was the key to their flawless, jade-like skin even after they came of age.

It was also why their bodies were far more flexible than those of ordinary people.

From the day they were brought to the cave, they were subjected to a demanding curriculum. Zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, song, and dance were all required subjects.

The Chaoyin Pavilion’s cave was a hollowed-out stone mountain, with rooms carved into its walls. Wen Chan didn’t even know the total number of rooms.

The rooms were arranged in layers, and it seemed the women on each layer studied different things.

The one thing she knew for certain was that the Chaoyin Pavilion was composed entirely of women.

And there were many women with beauty comparable to hers.

As for which State Cities and which brothels the women in their organization were assigned to after coming of age, Wen Chan had no idea.

She also didn’t know the Realm of their Pavilion Master. She said she had only seen the Pavilion Master once—a woman with a full head of silver hair and a silver mask. Judging by her figure, she didn’t seem old.

But for a Cultivator, age could never be judged by appearance alone.

So, based on her description, the Pavilion Master’s only distinguishing features were her full head of silver hair and her silver mask.

However, according to Wen Chan, the dozen or so teachers who taught them zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, song, and dance all had Spiritual Power of at least Level 30 and a Cultivation in the Nascent Soul Realm.

"How many people from the Chaoyin Pavilion do you know of in the Capital City?" Chu Fan asked.

"I only know of the ten or so people in the Xi Jun Building, but they all operate with me as their center. As for any others, I do not know."

Judging from the look on Wen Chan’s face as she answered, she wasn’t lying.

But Chu Fan still felt there was something unreal about her. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.

As for the Cause and Effect Lines on her body, Chu Fan could see dozens of them. However, his own attainment was still too shallow to understand what they all meant.

"Does the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Lord Lian, have any connection to your Chaoyin Pavilion?" Chu Fan asked again.

"I do not know. The main backer of the Xi Jun Building is the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, but our people do not have the right to speak with him directly."

"Alright. If you remember anything else about the Chaoyin Pavilion, tell me later. For now, let’s talk about Spiritual Power. What level has your Spiritual Power reached?"

"Level 25."

"How do you train your Spiritual Power?"

"Training. At first, it was threading needles—during the day, at night, and in the pitch dark without any light. Later, it was Meditation. It wasn’t until we were seven or eight that we officially began to practice the Mental Technique for Spiritual Power Cultivation."

"So, the Illusion Realm is just a type of Martial Technique for Spiritual Power?"

Wen Chan shook her head. "The pipa is a medium. What I learned was how to create an Illusion Realm using the pipa. It’s different from a Cultivator’s Martial Technique."

"The day after tomorrow, I will be entering the Hua Xu Secret Realm. You’ll stay here for the time being. Before I return, it’s best you remain here and don’t wander off. Someone will protect you. But if you secretly contact anyone, I can no longer guarantee your safety."

Hearing Chu Fan’s words, Wen Chan’s face filled with fear. "Sir!"

"Don’t worry. As long as you don’t leave this courtyard, I guarantee you’ll be safe."

"Then... shall I serve you as you rest, Sir?"

Chu Fan shook his head. "That won’t be necessary. I told you from the beginning that I have a wife. I didn’t bring you here because I covet your beauty."

"Is it because I am tainted by the world of courtesans? My body is truly pure. In all these years, I haven’t even touched a man’s hand."

"You’re overthinking it. Things like that require an emotional foundation, and I’m not a man given to debauchery. Rest assured, I will certainly do what I promised you, but I will never treat it as a transaction. If you meet a good man one day, I will give you my sincerest blessing. As for us... It’s not that you aren’t beautiful—being on the Hundred Flowers List is the best proof of your looks. And it’s not because of your background; I don’t care about that. It’s simply because I have a wife. Do you understand?"

"Sir, I don’t dare hope to be your wife. As long as I have a place in your heart, it’s enough for me to serve by your side as a maid."

"We can talk about that later. After today’s battle, I’ve had some insights that I need to quietly contemplate. You should go rest."

Chu Fan ushered her out of the room and closed the door. He then returned to the edge of the hot spring pool and sat down cross-legged.

He hadn’t been lying when he said he’d had some insights. But in his heart, he knew he was also afraid he wouldn’t be able to control himself in the face of a woman so exquisitely beautiful yet so innately seductive.

’If I really did... *those things* with her, my guilt toward Yun Xi would only deepen. Besides, I always feel like I’m seeing this woman through a layer of fog. It’s like I can see right through her, but at the same time, she feels unreal.’

He truly had gained some insights. One was the phrase "Fifty Great Dao" that the White Fox had mentioned. The other was a new understanding of his Spear Technique, born from a night of slaughter.

’Perhaps this is the key to undoing the Third Layer of the seal.’

After sitting cross-legged and closing his eyes, Chu Fan cast aside all distracting thoughts and began to recall the night’s battle.

He replayed his progression, from consciously thinking about which moves to use against his opponents’ attacks to later thrusting his spear almost entirely on instinct.

This process was an instinct forged through countless thrusts of his spear.

’Dragon-like Spear Emergence!’

These words surfaced in Chu Fan’s mind. The phrase "like a dragon" seemed simple enough. His Walking Dragon Sword Shadow Sword Technique was also themed around a dragon.

A dragon has form, yet a dragon is also formless.

Form and formlessness are separated by but a single thought.

A spear emerges like a dragon. The spear thrust has form, but when man and spear become one, they are formless.

BOOM!

At that moment, Chu Fan’s consciousness was suddenly pulled from his body by a powerful force. The next instant, he found himself in that familiar world, filled with endless Death Qi.

His conscious form stood atop a bleak mountain peak, surveying the desolate landscape before him.

"Three years later, you’ve finally undone the Third Layer of the seal. It’s a bit slow, but I suppose it qualifies as having some talent."

A wisp of the Xiezhi’s Divine Sense, in human form, appeared before Chu Fan.

"Greetings, Senior. Do you mean I’ve already undone the Third Layer of the seal? May I ask, Senior, which three Supreme Daos did I have an epiphany in?"

"Two of the fifty Supreme Daos under the main branch of the Power Law: Sword Dao at the Third Heaven Sword Intent Following Heart Middle Stage, and Spear Dao at the First Heaven Dragon-like Spear Emergence Early Stage. One of the fifty Supreme Daos under the main branch of the Law of Cause and Effect: the Early Stage of the Cause and Effect Network, Seeing the Threads."

"I wonder, besides the Great Returning Pill, what are my other rewards for undoing the Third Layer of the seal?"

The Xiezhi lifted its chin. Chu Fan turned and saw a pile of items that had appeared in the empty space behind him.

"Because you had an epiphany in the Spear Dao, this Dragon’s Roar Demon-Slaying Spear is an extra reward. You just need to drip a drop of blood on it, and the Divine Spear will automatically recognize you as its master. However, I suggest you only use this spear occasionally and don’t have it recognize you as its master."

"Why?"

"Because you have the Juntian Sword. Divine Artifacts have spirits. If you have this Divine Spear recognize you as its master, then neither it nor the Juntian Sword will ever be able to reach their maximum Combat Power in the future."

It was a jet-black Long Spear. The material was unidentifiable, but without even touching it, Chu Fan could tell it must weigh at least tens of thousands of pounds. Although the spearhead was black, it glinted with a cold light that sent a chill down one’s spine.

"And that set of armor?"

"It’s called the Celestial Dragon Armor. It was woven from the brow bones of a thousand Celestial Dragons of the Divine Spirit Realm using Divine Domain Blood Silk. However, this Battle Armor was in a great war and was severely damaged. If you want to restore it to its former glory at its Peak, you’ll have to find materials to upgrade it. But for now, it’s more than enough for you."