The Profound Ancient Pagoda and a Celestial Pond Encounter

“Among the younger generation, you’re the only one who’s truly eager to learn.”

Elder Chen continued sweeping the fallen leaves. Suddenly, one drifted down, landing gently on Xuanyuan Luoshui’s shoulder.

Etched onto the leaf was the number three hundred and sixty-six.

“Go in now. Don’t stay too long.”

As his words faded, Elder Chen’s presence dispersed, and Xuanyuan Luoshui’s form likewise vanished, entering the Profound Ancient Pagoda.

****

Inside the Profound Ancient Pagoda.

Xuanyuan Luoshui found herself in a mysterious space overflowing with ancient texts, where forbidden incantations permeated the very air.

Particularly before certain bookshelves carved with blood-red characters, ancient immortal scripts exerted a powerful suppressive force.

One could distinctly feel a pressure emanating directly from the soul.

Should even a hint of malevolence arise, the ancient pagoda would instantly erase them, banishing them from its halls for all eternity.

“Hmph~”

“I can’t believe that even after entering so many times, I can still feel this daunting pressure…”

“I truly wonder who created this Profound Ancient Pagoda.”

Xuanyuan Luoshui slowly made her way through the vast, ocean-like expanse of bookshelves. With a casual flick of her finger, an ancient text was drawn into her hand.

‘Record of Innate Forbidden Curses’

“Regarding physique cultivation… not a Heavenly Dao Forbidden Curse.”

She tossed it aside nonchalantly, and the text automatically flew back to its original place.

After searching for another hour, she discovered another volume: ‘Explanations of the Myriad Daos’.

“This isn’t right either. This is about why the Heavenly Dao’s will exists…”

Wait!

What constitutes a transgression against the order of heaven and earth?

Xuanyuan Luoshui examined the answer to this question, sensing that her search direction might finally be correct.

Yet, within the book, there was no mention of the Heavenly Dao being able to cast forbidden curses.

‘Could my line of thought be mistaken?’

‘But I’ve never encountered such a forbidden curse before, and it carries a very strong aura of the Heavenly Dao’s will…’

‘It must have been planted by the Heavenly Dao.’

Xuanyuan Luoshui was a frequent participant in Heavenly Tribulation body tempering, often even chasing after tribulations, urging them to strike her longer.

Thus, she was quite familiar with the aura of the Heavenly Dao.

‘Could it be that this curse was planted by the Heavenly Dao, yet the curse itself wasn’t created by the Heavenly Dao’s will?’

Xuanyuan Luoshui pondered, finding this possibility increasingly plausible.

Consequently, she ventured deeper into the area that cataloged forbidden curses from the Ancient Era.

****

Three hours later.

Emerging from the Ancient Era section, the look of confusion on her face had only deepened.

“Still nothing. How can this be…”

“It shouldn’t be…”

As she mused, her gaze shifted to the even more distant Primordial Era of Gods.

‘Could it be from the Primordial Era?’

The Primordial Era of Gods was a time considered one of chaos and taboo, even when viewed across all the heavens.

According to incomplete ancient texts found in ruins…

In the Primordial Era, deities walked among mortals.

Their lifespans were eternal, surpassing the myriad stars in the heavens.

A single breath could infuse a sea of stars into flora.

A hand could embrace the stars and moon, treating them as mere playthings.

A glance could observe the entire cosmos, comprehending heaven and earth.

In such an era of primordial chaos and creation, even the Immortal Emperors of the Nine Heavens would pale in comparison.

Let alone the present.

The more Xuanyuan Luoshui delved into that forbidden curse, the more acutely she felt her own powerlessness.

If it truly was a forbidden curse from the Primordial Era, then with her current strength and experience…

…she was far from capable of deciphering it.

That was an era of gods; if one could unravel a forbidden curse from that time…

…it would undoubtedly be an event that would shake all the heavens.

Moreover, for someone to be sealed by such a forbidden curse, what level of heaven-defying power must they possess?

“Zhuang Xun…”

“Where exactly did this person come from?”

“And why would he have such a forbidden curse planted on him?”

“Is he truly my master?”

Just as Xuanyuan Luoshui was lost in thought, Elder Chen’s voice echoed from all around her.

“Xuanyuan lass, time’s almost up. You should come out now.”

“Mm, I understand.”

With a thought, Xuanyuan Luoshui’s form began to gradually dissipate.

****

Outside the pagoda.

Xuanyuan Luoshui slowly opened her eyes, sensing the shifting Dao rhythm of the surrounding space.

“Well, lass, did you find the answer you were looking for?”

She sighed, shaking her head slightly. “No.”

“Oh? What kind of forbidden curse were you searching for?”

As the guardian who had watched over this ancient pagoda for tens of thousands of years, Elder Chen held a considerable fondness for a self-taught, studious young cultivator like Xuanyuan Luoshui.

Hence, his words carried a note of concern.

“…..”

“A forbidden curse from the Primordial Era, yet one that could be planted by the Heavenly Dao.”

“Hiss…”

Upon hearing this, Elder Chen gasped, a bewildered expression on his face.

“Lass, you absolutely mustn’t casually meddle with such a forbidden curse. It will surely bring about a great calamity.”

“Elder Chen, you know about it?”

“Regarding that era, there are only fragmented mentions in ancient immortal relics…”

“It’s not easy to find information about forbidden curses from that time.”

“However, if you are determined to search, I can point you in a direction…”

“Seek out those who once embarked on the Immortal Ascension Path. They should possess more information about that era.”

“Thank you, Elder Chen.”

As Xuanyuan Luoshui prepared to turn and leave, Elder Chen offered another reminder.

“Lass, during the century when the Immortal Ascension Path was wide open across all the heavens, not a single person managed to knock open the Immortal Gate…”

“This was an unprecedented anomaly. Therefore, when you inquire…”

“…be cautious with your words.”

“…..”

Xuanyuan Luoshui nodded slightly, then departed from the Profound Ancient Pagoda.

Elder Chen, meanwhile, simply continued sweeping the fallen leaves, sighing, “In this era of declining Dharma, how could one easily trace the footsteps of deities?”

****

In an open-air celestial pond.

A stunning woman, her skin like congealed jade, her features exquisitely delicate, and her demeanor coolly regal, was currently bathing within.

Her dark hair fanned out around her, her small lips resembled cherry blossoms, and between her brows, a mark like a blooming red lotus seemed to harbor a divine essence.

She was seen delicately taking the spiritual liquid from the celestial pond with her fingers, applying it to her snow-white, lotus-root-like arms.

Her ample bosom trembled slightly with the movement of her arms.

She paid it no mind, however, continuing to anoint her fair, swan-like neck with the spiritual liquid, her expression one of languid comfort.

“Sigh…”

“I wonder why Luoshui was in such a hurry to go to the mortal realm…”

“Couldn’t she have waited for me?”

The woman was none other than Ziyin, the Sect Master of the Grand Profound Dao Sect, also known throughout the cultivation world as the Numinous Charm Immortal.

However, no sooner had Ziyin finished her soliloquy than a cool, detached voice sounded from behind her.

“If I had waited for you, it likely wouldn’t have been something resolved in three or four days.”

“Wah!”

With a splash, Ziyin scooped up the celestial pond water with her hand and doused Xuanyuan Luoshui’s face.

“Why do you always approach me without a single trace of your presence?”

“…..”

Xuanyuan Luoshui wore a speechless expression.

She used her spiritual energy to shake off the water droplets from her face, explaining, “This is a passive stealth effect of my cultivation technique. Until I achieve complete mastery, I can’t actively control it.”

Ziyin slowly emerged from the water. With a flick of her slender, jade-like finger, she draped a vermilion cherry-blossom colored gauze spiritual robe over herself.

“That master of yours from the lower realm truly has a mysterious background…”

“Even though I am now in the Half-Immortal Realm, I still can’t detect any flaws in him.”

“That’s precisely why I wanted to find him.”

“So, what was the outcome? The Netherworld Ancient Profound Realm has never made a mistake, after all,” Ziyin said, tying a white silk ribbon around her waist.

“It’s a long story. He doesn’t remember me.”

“That shouldn’t be…”

“Logically speaking, a prodigy capable of creating such cultivation techniques would undoubtedly possess profound attainments in soul cultivation…”

“There should be a way to circumvent the erosion of reincarnation.”

“Heh~” Xuanyuan Luoshui let out a soft chuckle, tinged with apparent mockery. “Who knows if he’s intentionally avoiding me, or if there’s another hidden reason.”

“Then since you found him, why didn’t you bring him back to the sect?”

“I’d like to see what such a prodigy looks like.”

“Don’t worry, I left an ancient jade on him. I can monitor all his words and actions at any time…”

“As soon as he dares to show any hint, I’ll seize him.”

As Xuanyuan Luoshui spoke, an ancient and mysterious bronze mirror materialized in her hand.

What it displayed was precisely Zhuang Xun’s words and deeds.

“Pfft~”

Seeing this, Ziyin couldn’t help but chuckle. “Is this how you treat your benevolent master?”

“Ever since the last time I killed him, I stopped seeing him as my master.”

A determined glint flickered in Xuanyuan Luoshui’s eyes; she was resolved not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

For the more she respected him, the less she could take that step.

The more she revered him, the more she couldn’t utter those words.

Until, in the end, only regret and sorrow remained.

So, this time…

As long as he dared to show even a hint that he remembered her…

…she would defy convention and pin him beneath her.

If he wasn’t willing to observe the rites of master and disciple with her, then they would directly fulfill the reality of husband and wife!

Hesitation only leads to defeat.