Qianyuan Hall.
The inner hall was resplendent and magnificent, filled with an imposing majesty. A Spirit-Blooming Lamp burned within, its flame consuming a piece of blue stone. Wisps of blue smoke rose and coiled throughout the room.
This was a Nian Ci Fragrant Stone. When burned, it released a unique fragrance that could focus the mind and calm the heart, helping to ward off Demonic Thoughts. It was an essential item for Cultivation, harvested from the Lotus Cave Heaven—a place where a Bodhisattva had passed into nirvana. Such a stone was nearly impossible to obtain, and the fact that it was being used as mere fuel spoke volumes about the status of the hall's master.
"COUGH! COUGH!"
Emperor Yong'an sat on the dragon bed, wracked by a series of violent coughs. It felt as if a thousand insects were biting at his throat, an unbearable, tickling itch.
