Chapter Seventy-Nine: Seal and Prohibition

As soon as he descended the stairs, Tianming noticed that only Elder Yu was present on the ground floor of the Celestial Pavilion. The old man sat in a chair, absorbed in reading a rustic, ancient scroll. Xiao Tianji seemed to have already left, as Tianming saw no sign of him in the hall.

“Elder Yu!”

Tianming and Hengcheng hurried forward and bowed respectfully.

Elder Yu did not lift his gaze but nodded slightly, then raised his withered hand to point at the table beside him. The table was crafted from fragrant nanmu wood, its surface tinged with a faint purple and exuding a subtle aroma; its grain was also quite beautiful. At that moment, a stack of blank scrolls lay neatly atop it, with several brushes placed alongside.

“But this scroll, I can’t open it,” Tianming began, having guessed Elder Yu's intention. But before he could finish, Hengcheng stepped forward.

“Yes, how are we supposed to copy it if it won’t open?” Tianming echoed, his confusion evident as he looked to Elder Yu for an answer.

“The moment you both came downstairs, the sealing enchantment was lifted,” Elder Yu responded, his expression unchanged as he continued to study the scroll in his hands.

“Sealing enchantment? What is that?” The unfamiliar term piqued Tianming’s curiosity, and he could not help but ask again. Though he had begun to suspect, he wanted a clear explanation.

“An enchantment is a complex ancient technique. Different methods yield different effects. The sealing enchantment you just witnessed is a relatively advanced technique, one that can only be performed by those at the Void Meditation Realm or higher.” Elder Yu closed the scroll and looked up, speaking slowly.

As his words fell, Hengcheng’s mouth hung open in disbelief. Beside him, Tianming was also somewhat shocked—he hadn’t expected the threshold for such enchantments to be so high. He wondered if anyone in the Celestial Pavilion could perform them.

“Elder Yu, do such enchantment techniques exist within the pavilion?” Tianming asked, curiosity brimming in his voice.

Elder Yu did not directly answer, nor did he deny Tianming’s speculation. “These matters are still far beyond your reach. Focus on your copying for now.”

Tianming was left perplexed by this reply, while Hengcheng’s mind was even more muddled. However, neither dwelled further on the topic. They simply pulled out two stools with golden nanmu edges from beneath the table and began copying.

Yet Tianming’s curiosity could not be suppressed. From the moment they had entered, Elder Yu’s gaze had never left the scroll in his hands. Hengcheng, too, kept glancing at Elder Yu, clearly eager to find out more.

...

At the turn of the staircase, a petite figure in violet peered out from the edge of the wall.

Whew!

Having listened to the conversation inside, Xun Qing finally let out a sigh of relief and withdrew from the wall’s edge.

She had been prepared to step forward and explain herself, but to her surprise, Tianming had not mentioned anything about what he’d found on the second floor. Unconsciously, Xun Qing found herself looking at the tall youth with a touch more fondness.

“Qing?”

Just then, a voice called out, making her start. She no longer bothered to hide and stepped out openly.

“It’s her?”

Hearing Elder Yu’s voice, Tianming looked up curiously. When he saw the petite, violet-clad figure approaching, a sense of foreboding crept over him. He quickly lowered his head, silently hoping the young lady would not mention him.

Noticing Tianming’s reaction, Hengcheng kept his own head down, busily copying, though the smirk tugging at his lips was hard to hide.

“Grandfather!” Xun Qing greeted Elder Yu warmly, ignoring Tianming and Hengcheng as she skipped over and clung to the old man’s arm with a playful pout.

Hearing how Xun Qing addressed Elder Yu, Tianming’s mind nearly snapped. He did not care about Hengcheng’s barely suppressed laughter.

Grandfather?

Tianming had never expected Elder Yu to share the same surname as Xun, making him a member of the same family as Xiao Tianji—Xun Xiaotian. Did that mean the Celestial Sect passed down its leadership through generations, just like the old clans on Earthstar? No wonder the sect’s founder also bore the surname Xun.

So, this is where it all began!

While Tianming was lost in thought, Elder Yu glanced at him with a meaningful smile. “Come, Qing, sit here with me.”

“No, I’ll sit over there!” Xun Qing quickly shook her head, her gaze settling on the empty seat beside Tianming.

Elder Yu merely smiled again, this time with a hint of mischief.

“Thank you, Grandfather.”

With that, Xun Qing leaned in to whisper something to Elder Yu, then made her way toward Tianming.

Huh?

As glances swept over him, Tianming felt a chill run down his spine. Wanting to avoid drawing attention, he could only observe with the corner of his eye.

He found that Xun Qing had somehow disappeared from sight, leaving only Elder Yu in the hall. Just as Tianming felt a moment of relief, an ominous sensation crawled up his back, making him deeply uneasy.

“Tianming, should I copy over there?” Just as Tianming was about to turn, Hengcheng stood up, glancing at him with wary eyes.

What’s the point? It’s all the same wherever you copy, isn’t it?

But then Tianming noticed, in Hengcheng’s gaze, a petite figure in violet was staring straight at him, and his body stiffened instantly.

Seeing Tianming freeze, Hengcheng didn’t wait for a response. He slunk away several seats before settling down to copy.

“What’s wrong?” Xun Qing pointed at Tianming’s back, amusement in her voice. There was a distinct note of pride in her tone, as if she relished seeing Tianming flustered; her words were no longer laced with the sarcasm they once held.

“Ah! Oh, it’s nothing.”

Catching himself, Tianming quickly sat back down. He avoided looking at Xun Qing directly, only observing her from the corner of his eye.

After a while, Tianming realized that Xun Qing had taken the seat to his left.

...

Whew!

“Only the last Heaven-rank elemental technique remains,” Tianming muttered, exhaling deeply as he looked at the two Earth-rank techniques he had finished copying. A surge of excitement welled up in his heart.

“Hey! Can you stop staring at me like that?” Tianming said in a low, impatient voice.

Just as he picked up the final scroll, he felt her gaze on his back again. Though it held no malice, being watched so intently made him uncomfortable. Did this young lady have nothing better to do than keep watch over him?

“So what if I am?” Xun Qing shot him a fierce glare, then went back to watching him, this time with a hint of annoyance.

“Fine. If you like watching, go ahead. It’s not my time you’re wasting, anyway,” Tianming muttered under his breath and resumed copying.

Ahem.

“Young man, is that the Nine Heavens Violet Thunder Immortal-Slaying Slash you’re holding?” Elder Yu’s voice suddenly grew serious as he caught sight of the scroll in Tianming’s hands.