Infinite Save: I Cultivate Immortality Through Reincarnation

Chapter 433: The Mirage Palace’s Secret

Zhou Jinyun stood there, not answering Chen Yan immediately.

This chief disciple of Weaving Dreams Tower in Mirage Palace had only just turned fourteen this year.

Three years ago, when Zhou Jinyun was eleven, she had already broken through to the Martial Spring Realm, becoming the youngest Martial Spring cultivator in Mirage Palace’s history.

Normally, if someone began Body Forging training at five years old, breaking through to Martial Spring before turning thirteen would earn them the title of “talent destined to ascend”—at least among cultivators.

Of course, not every cultivator who reached Martial Spring before thirteen would inevitably ascend to immortality.

Nor did failing to reach Martial Spring before thirteen mean one had no hope of eventually ascending.

The first Ascension Realm great power of Kongshan Sect, True Person Kongmiao Yan Yunhe, had studied and improved the sect’s cultivation methods while training. He only broke through to Martial Spring at thirty, yet he achieved Ascension Realm before two hundred.

During that time, many upper-three-realm cultivation methods used by Kongshan Sect were discovered and created by him through his own efforts.

He was truly the leading oddity of his era. Some later generations even believed that if Yan Yunhe had not joined Kongshan Sect but instead entered Heavenly Summit Mountain, Mirage Palace, or Lingxiao Temple, he might have glimpsed realms even beyond Ascension.

Others argued that without joining Kongshan Sect, Yan Yunhe might never have reached the Above Immortality realms.It was a matter of timing and fortune.

Everything was variable.

The immortal path was far from smooth; many highly anticipated cultivators perished for various reasons midway.

And most of the so-called “talents destined to ascend” would, in the end, fade into obscurity.

That “fade into obscurity” is relative; compared to peers with equal talent, those prodigies who reached Martial Spring before thirteen still had advantages.

Over ninety percent of those youthful prodigies who entered Martial Spring before thirteen at least achieved Unity or higher.

As for Zhou Jinyun, who reached Martial Spring at eleven, Mirage Palace had invested heavily in her cultivation.

However, Mirage Palace valued her not primarily for her cultivation potential.

They prized her illusion arts talent.

After all, that was the foundation of Mirage Palace.

Chen Yan waited for Zhou Jinyun’s reply.

But seeing her remain silent so long, he had a good idea of what her answer would be.

“If Senior wishes to interfere in Mirage Palace’s internal affairs, I am but a lowly disciple and would not stop you… If Senior seeks the reasons behind this, I will answer to the best of my ability,” Zhou Jinyun said slowly, her tone extremely respectful.

As expected.

Even presenting himself as an Above Immortality cultivator hadn’t cowed this young girl.

Although young, as chief disciple of Weaving Dreams Tower, she had some perspective.

Indeed, when facing an Above Immortality cultivator, even chief disciples and elders of the Five Great Sects would afford some deference.

But that deference was limited.

If someone truly meddled in Mirage Palace’s internal affairs, they would bear the consequences.

“If, however, Senior has any tasks for me, please tell me. If within my ability, I will do my utmost to assist.” Zhou Jinyun continued.

This offered Chen Yan a graceful exit; respect for an Above Immortality cultivator must be shown.

What a clever girl.

Thinking this, Chen Yan glanced at Su Hongzhen beside him, whose face showed utter confusion.

Chen Yan’s filtered image of the First Sword Immortal of Chenping Continent seemed to be gradually collapsing.

Facing Zhou Jinyun’s rebuttal, Chen Yan did not waver.

“In that case, it won’t be necessary. Thank you, Chief Disciple Zhou. When you return to Mirage Palace, please convey my congratulations to Elder Su.”

“Elder Su?” Zhou Jinyun’s expression changed upon hearing those words.

“May I ask which Elder Su you mean…”

“Of course I mean Elder Su Shen, the Elder of Return-Into-Emptiness Pavilion of Mirage Palace.” Chen Yan said calmly.

At the name “Su Shen,” Zhou Jinyun’s face went pale; her fingertips began trembling uncontrollably as she backed two steps.

Why…

The Elder of Return-Into-Emptiness Pavilion in Mirage Palace was equivalent in rank to the Sword Master Elder of Kongshan Sect.

Sects like Kongshan and Star Heaven Sect, born in the Heavenly Summit Mountain era, had adopted that system wholesale.

But as the oldest sect on Chenping Continent, Mirage Palace borrowed the Heavenly Summit system while retaining some of its original titles.

For instance, the Training Grounds were called the Martial Pavilion, the Scripture Hall was called the Daoist Hall, and so on.

What shocked Zhou Jinyun was not that Chen Yan knew Mirage Palace’s Return-Into-Emptiness Pavilion Elder, but that the matter touched Mirage Palace’s greatest scandal.

At present, Mirage Palace’s publicly recognized Return-Into-Emptiness Pavilion Elder was a Myriad Transformations cultivator named Shen Chuan.

As head of a vast pavilion, he had considerable authority.

During his sixty-year tenure as Pavilion Elder, Mirage Palace had lost over three hundred inner court disciples, and more than a thousand outer court disciples had gone missing.

Those disappearances were first noticed two years ago by Mirage Palace’s Supreme Surveillance Court.

The Supreme Imperial Law Court and the Supreme Surveillance Court immediately launched investigations, and their accusations pointed to pavilion elder Shen Chuan.

The reason so many disciples disappeared over sixty years without detection was Shen Chuan’s concealment.

When the Supreme Imperial Law Elder personally moved to arrest Shen Chuan, the pavilion steward had already taken his own life.

With no choice, Mirage Palace appointed Offering Elder Su Shen to temporarily act as pavilion elder of Return-Into-Emptiness, and the investigation continued.

At the same time, Mirage Palace sealed the affair; the majority of inner court disciples remained wholly unaware.

Only at the Dao Inquiry Assembly five years later did Mirage Palace publicly disclose the matter and formally announce Su Shen as the new pavilion elder.

As for the fate of the thousand-plus missing disciples—dead or alive, where they had gone—no public statement was made.

Why Shen Chuan had covered things up, and whether the true culprit behind the disappearances was indeed the former pavilion elder, remained mysteries even eight thousand years later.

“Who exactly are you…” Zhou Jinyun took another half-step back; she could no longer maintain her superficial respect for Chen Yan.

In her eyes, this Above Immortality cultivator standing before her was now linked to the disappearance of over a thousand Mirage Palace disciples.