Chapter Seventy-Two: The Secret Realm of the Celestial Lake

Morning.

The eastern sky was faintly bright, the rain having just cleared. Lin Cheng, feeling refreshed after a good night’s sleep, leapt out of bed and opened the window. He stretched gently, breathing in the subtle fragrance of flowers lingering in the air, which filled him with a sense of tranquility.

After tidying himself up a bit, he decided to spend some days here in Chang’an, savoring the bustling splendor of the mortal world.

As he strolled along the streets, Lin Cheng realized that most of those he passed were cultivators. He encountered quite a few with spiritual cultivation, and there were even some whose mere presence seemed as unfathomable as an abyss, making Lin Cheng inwardly wary.

As the capital of Zhao, Chang’an truly was a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers gathered. He would need to tread carefully here.

“Candied hawthorn…”

“Sweet and sour, delicious candied hawthorn…”

Hearing the vendor’s call, Lin Cheng was reminded of that mischievous girl, An An.

“How much for the candied hawthorn, boss? I’ll take them all…” Lin Cheng strode forward, deciding to buy everything at once.

Just then, a sweet voice sounded.

“Boss, I’d like two sticks of candied hawthorn.”

A man and a woman walked up together. The man stood tall, his square face exuding an air of righteousness. The woman’s features were delicate, her presence fresh and refined. Her hair was gathered casually into a loose bun, pinned with a pale violet flower hairpin, giving her an effortless elegance. With only a hint of makeup, her lips naturally red, she looked breathtaking.

Hearing her request, the vendor hesitated. “Miss, this gentleman here just bought all the candied hawthorn…”

The woman glanced at the treats. “But they’re still right here, aren’t they?”

“This young master has already claimed them all… Please forgive me, miss,” the vendor replied.

“He can’t possibly eat so many…” the woman pouted, then turned to Lin Cheng. “Am I pretty?”

Uh!

Lin Cheng felt his face flush. He’d only sneaked a glance at her and was already caught.

“Um… do you want some candied hawthorn?” he stammered. “Here.”

In his embarrassment, he simply handed her two sticks.

But the woman didn’t take them. Instead, she gazed straight at Lin Cheng. “You haven’t answered me. Am I pretty?”

Lin Cheng was speechless.

“…Pretty,” he finally managed, awkwardly rubbing his nose.

His bashful manner made the woman smile, finding him unexpectedly amusing. She took the candied hawthorn from his hand and turned to leave.

From start to finish, the man beside her hadn’t uttered a word, only glancing at Lin Cheng before they departed.

Watching their receding figures, Lin Cheng’s eyes narrowed. Not simple, he thought to himself, withdrawing his gaze.

Just as he was about to move on, two streaks of rainbow light flashed across the sky, landing within the city. Following their path, Lin Cheng saw a striking and imposing building.

The Tai Bai Pavilion!

Its rooftop still bore that enormous stone sword, the architecture as distinctive and unconventional as ever, only much larger than the one in Dragon City. The spiral stairway still circled the building, the exterior inlaid with pieces of crystal-clear glass that sparkled dazzlingly in the sunlight.

Seeing this building, Lin Cheng felt a wave of familiarity and strode forward.

He looked up at the plaque above the entrance and stepped inside.

He paused, surprised. Unlike the Tai Bai Pavilion in Dragon City, this hall lacked an auction stage and rows of seats. Instead, there were elegant jade tables, exquisitely crafted chairs, and fine tableware.

Many people were already seated, chatting in groups of two or three, raising their cups in a scene reminiscent of a lively tavern.

Was there no auction here at this Tai Bai Pavilion?

With that thought, Lin Cheng prepared to find a seat.

A young woman dressed as an attendant approached and bowed politely. “Will you be dining or seeking something, young master?”

“I’ll dine first,” Lin Cheng responded.

“How many in your party, sir?”

“Just one.”

“Please, follow me…” she said, leading him to a jade table by the wall. “Is this table suitable?”

Lin Cheng nodded casually.

“Would you like to see the menu?” she asked, presenting a menu in her palm.

Opening it, Lin Cheng was taken aback.

A pot of tea: one hundred spirit stones!

Clearwater Dragon Broth: five hundred spirit stones!

Roast Three-Eyed Antelope Leg: eight hundred spirit stones!

Secret Fire Beast Special: two thousand spirit stones!

…

He glanced surreptitiously at the other diners and thought, these people must be fabulously wealthy.

He ordered a pot of tea and a few simple dishes.

Suddenly, Lin Cheng felt rather poor. He’d been proud of the eighty thousand spirit stones he’d recently acquired, but now, one meal alone would cost him two or three thousand.

This capital was indeed a city of the rich. Even with such exorbitant prices, the crowds kept coming.

“Have you heard? The Heavenly Lake Secret Realm is about to open…”

“When?”

“Probably within the next ten days or so…”

“No wonder so many powerful cultivators have been appearing in Chang’an lately…”

The Heavenly Lake Secret Realm?

Lin Cheng pricked up his ears at the conversation from the nearby table.

“Isn’t the Heavenly Lake Secret Realm supposed to open only once every ten years? By that count, it should be two years away…”

“You don’t know, do you? Though the Secret Realm sits a thousand miles south of Chang’an on Heavenly Lake Island and is nominally under the Zhao royal family’s control…”

“In reality, it’s entirely dictated by the Three Sects…”

“I’ve heard that the grand competition between the Sects is less than a year away, so they’ve decided to open the Secret Realm early for a trial…”

“They want to give their disciples a chance to advance before the competition.”

“Sigh, the sky of Zhao belongs to the Three Sects…”

“Shh, keep your voice down. That may be true, but the royal family is not to be taken lightly…”

Their conversation was filled with sighs and lamentations.

Lin Cheng listened with keen interest.

A trial in a secret realm opened jointly by the Three Sects would hardly be simple. If so, perhaps Wine-Mad Senior Brother and Dreaming Senior Sister might also come. It seemed wise to stay in Chang’an a while longer.

Soon, the food arrived.

With the first bite, Lin Cheng’s eyes lit up. These were no ordinary dishes. Even with his twelfth level cultivation, he felt spiritual energy flooding his body at once. No wonder—beast meat from spirit-level monsters, paired with the pavilion’s secret techniques, naturally produced food that enhanced cultivation.

This meal was worth every stone.

Sipping tea and savoring the dishes, he continued to listen to the patrons around him.

“Do you know those two who went upstairs?”

“You mean those two middle-aged men?”

“Who else? They arrived flying. At the very least, they’re experts of the Elixir Realm…”

“I know almost all the Elixir Realm masters in Chang’an, but I’ve never seen them before…”

“The Three Sects haven’t arrived yet, but powerful cultivators from everywhere are already gathering…”

“These days, Chang’an is destined to be swept up in a storm…”

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