Li Yan knew that every sect had its "prodigies." They were the pillars and hope for a sect's future, the core of its inheritance and development. In addition to these, some large families and sects had another type of "prodigy," known as a "sheltered prodigy," a title that was actually a form of sarcasm.
These disciples were often also prodigiously talented, their cultivation advancing by a thousand li in a single day. Their spirit roots had to be at least a three-lineage Earth Spirit Root. However, they often came from a particular background, being either a direct descendant of a sect elder or a disciple from an important family bloodline.
They cultivated with great speed from a young age and never had to worry about cultivation resources, getting almost anything they wanted. They were highly valued by their sect or family, and their cultivation progress was genuinely fast, not just fast in an ordinary sense.
But these individuals were different from true "prodigies." A true "prodigy" not only had superior spirit roots and aptitude but, more rarely, possessed the fearless heart of a powerhouse. They could truly utilize every single resource given to them. In addition to daily arduous cultivation, they would constantly venture out to temper themselves, experiencing life-and-death situations to grow stronger in desperate straits.
A "sheltered prodigy," on the other hand, lacked the heart for trials. Aside from their rapid cultivation speed and a realm much higher than their peers, they were coddled by their sect and family. Even when they went out for training, they would be secretly protected by masters, almost never encountering life-threatening situations. To say they were out for training was more like they were sightseeing. At most, they were broadening their horizons. Most of these disciples would become arrogant and conceited, with their eyes higher than the top of their heads.
Seeing Bu Luo frown from time to time, a look of dissatisfaction in his eyes, and asking questions without any concern for whether he was touching upon someone else's privacy, these four words—"sheltered prodigy"—floated directly into Li Yan's mind. His guess was quite close to the mark.
But Bu Luo's attire and his use of "Young Master" made Li Yan wonder if he was really just a book-boy. Perhaps his attire was a deliberate disguise. He had no way of knowing that while Bu Luo wasn't a so-called "sheltered prodigy," he wasn't far off.
The middle-aged scholar's status in the family was too high, and he doted on Bu Luo immensely. Therefore, Bu Luo was practically identical to a true "sheltered prodigy." It was just that Bu Luo's disposition was not bad; he knew his true status in the family and always kept in mind that he was just a servant. Furthermore, if he did something wrong, the middle-aged scholar would not let him off freely; some punishment would be administered. In this respect, Bu Luo was still somewhat different from a true "sheltered prodigy."
After roughly guessing the origin of the book-boy before him, Li Yan didn't feel much aversion towards Bu Luo, but he couldn't say he had any favorable impression either. Not knowing if the middle-aged scholar was secretly protecting this person, he dared not anger a cultivator so powerful he felt a sense of helplessness. Thus, he asked a meaningless question in return.
"Does this palace under the pool actually have the effect of helping one break through in cultivation?" He naturally had some understanding of the general situation of the palace under Red Maple Pool.
Bu Luo was truly intelligent. His eyes darted around, he adjusted the bamboo basket on his back with both hands, and transmitted his voice with a smile.
"It seems Brother Jiang is here to find some kind of medicinal herb or artifact-refining material. Many people know about the palace under this Red Maple Pool. Apart from renewable medicinal herbs, there are two extremely perilous places inside. And these two places are not where cultivators are willing to go. Generally, cultivators won't venture into dangerous lands for some treasures. Not only might they fail to find the treasure, but they might also lose their precious lives. Only cultivators who have reached a bottleneck and have been unable to break through for a long time might risk entering there, seeking a chance to advance under the pressure of a life-or-death situation. Besides, your cultivation, Brother, has not yet reached the point where you must risk danger to break through."
Bu Luo had also easily figured out Li Yan's purpose. Li Yan didn't mind this. However, it seemed Bu Luo knew quite a lot. A thought stirred in Li Yan's mind, and just as he was about to try and get more information, he heard a commotion from the surroundings.
"It's done! We can enter!"
Li Yan and Bu Luo couldn't help but look towards the sound. On the lake's surface, the golden gate had stopped rising. The gate was a full fifty zhang high, looking quite magnificent. The double doors were slowly opening inward, and a scorching blast of air shot out from within, heating the entire lake surface to the point that Li Yan and the others found it difficult to breathe.
Inside the gate, a hazy mass of red and yellow qi billowed up, as if rolling heatwaves were suppressed within, with only a small amount managing to seep out.
"The palace gate is open. I'll chat with Brother Jiang again when there's time." Bu Luo's eyes grew brighter and brighter as he stared at the palace gate, his whole spirit becoming excited. His mind was no longer on Li Yan. After a hasty sentence, he adjusted the bamboo basket on his back with both hands and turned to fly towards the golden gate.
Li Yan smiled. He felt that although this Bu Luo had a sense of superiority in his bones, he wasn't the arrogant and domineering type. Then, he too stepped into the void and walked forward.
The first to enter was Duan Weiran. The moment the golden gate opened a crack just wide enough for one person to pass, his figure flickered and disappeared into the gate without a second glance at anyone else. Next, with a light laugh, Bu Luo swept past everyone and became the second to enter.
Bu Luo had originally come over to talk to Li Yan, so he was farther from the gate than others. But he paid no mind to anyone else and, starting from behind, shot ahead and plunged in.
Although Li Yan was at the back, his divine sense was constantly observing the area near the palace gate. In his divine sense, he saw the light flash in the eyes of several people. Bu Luo's disregard for others, pushing past the crowd to enter, had clearly displeased them.
Who entered first naturally represented the magnitude of their strength. Moreover, there were disadvantages for those who entered later. Although Bu Luo had been tacitly allowed to enter, in the eyes of these people, his true strength was that of someone who could be easily crushed to death.
Furthermore, this gate did not have a teleportation function upon entry. If those who entered first had a mind to ambush and plot against those who came later, there would be opportunities. Therefore, everyone wanted to be the first to enter. The weaker ones often only dared to enter together in teams to reduce the risk of being ambushed and killed.
Bu Luo's action was undoubtedly snatching an advantage, but no one here dared to say anything. Almost a whole night had passed, and although the middle-aged scholar had not reappeared, his lingering might had not diminished. No one dared to be provocative here.
'Truly a "sheltered prodigy." Acting like this, he'll bring a fatal disaster upon himself inside!'
Li Yan sighed in his heart. This Bu Luo seemed to have no cunning at all, doing whatever he pleased. But his actions undoubtedly made enemies for himself. No one dared to provoke him here, but once inside, without the protection of the middle-aged scholar, this kind of behavior would invite others' killing intent.
At this time, the middle-aged scholar had not appeared, so everyone had basically confirmed that he would not be entering the palace. This made some who were worried about losing their chance to enter today breathe a small sigh of relief. They were even more eager to enter first, lest the middle-aged scholar suddenly appear.
By the time Li Yan walked to the palace gate, only about ten breaths had passed. The eleven people in front had all entered with great speed. The people here were all old hands in the martial world. Each group entered almost on the heels of the one before. This method, of course, was to not give others time to set up an ambush.
With everyone thinking the same way, the entry was naturally very fast. When Li Yan leisurely walked up to the palace gate, he was the only one left on the lake surface. Of course, there was also the five-person team on the shore. These people watched Li Yan with expressions of either indifference or amusement.
At this moment, if someone were to ambush Li Yan from within the gate, given the time it took him to walk to the golden gate, they could have already set up a trap inside.
Under the watchful eyes of the five, Li Yan arrived in front of the golden gate. He did not stop. Instead, his large sleeves suddenly billowed out. As he walked, Li Yan pushed both sleeves forward, and a wave of dark red, almost tangible heat surged towards the inside of the gate.
The moment the dark red heatwave made contact with the red and yellow qi of the golden gate, the qi seemed to ignite like oil on fire, immediately letting out a series of crackling sounds. The red and yellow qi churned violently, causing the heat that had been radiating outwards to become even more intense. It surged out from the gate towards the lake at an even higher temperature. Even the five people on the shore felt waves of heart palpitations.
"Not good, it's a virulent poison!"
"Shameless wretch..."
"Damn it, brat, are you looking to die..."
A string of curses echoed endlessly. The five people on the shore all soared into the air and flew into the distance. And Li Yan, in front of the gate, did not stop, taking a single step inside.
A good while later, the five returned to the shore, their faces looking rather grim. The area in front of the gate was already empty. The golden glow on the gate began to dim, and the two doors were slowly closing, showing signs of sinking.
The faces of the few were ashen. Just before entering, Li Yan had actually released some kind of virulent poison into the gate. Moreover, this poison was clearly released by Li Yan in coordination with the high temperature inside the gate, making the temperature inside momentarily even higher and the poison even more potent. If anyone had wanted to ambush him inside, it was estimated that anyone within a radius of several dozen zhang would have been affected by this poison.
Just by looking at the reaction caused by the poison, one could guess how strong its toxicity was. It had even started to spread out from within the gate.
Therefore, the five had no choice but to quickly move away. Only after confirming it was safe did they return, each of them grinding their teeth in hatred for Li Yan.
...
The sky was dark red, as if endless crimson clouds were burning eternally. The clouds in the sky were red mixed with gray, thick like heavy blocks of dark red lead. The entire air was filled with a scorching heat. Every breath drawn into the body would cause a slight stinging pain in the chest.
Underfoot was hard, brown rock. In the distance, a dozen or so huge palace pillars lay scattered about. Although broken, one could still see the strange demonic beasts carved on them. Some had fur like spears and halberds, piercing the sky; others had ferocious faces, as if about to swallow heaven and earth. Ruined walls and broken ramparts stood scattered far and near. Through the half-man-high broken walls, faint mountain peaks were visible even farther away.
Li Yan looked at the sky ahead, which resembled a sunset, and rubbed his nose. This place was different from what he had imagined. He had entered through the gate, thinking it would be the interior of a palace, just like the "Melting Cave," trapping everyone within a large palace. But the reality was not so. This place was like an underground world, with countless ancient, ruined palaces.
He was now standing in a collapsed palace. Behind him, a golden gate was slowly disappearing; it was the entrance Li Yan and the others had just used.
As for how to get out, Li Yan naturally knew where the exit gate was. The damaged jade slip had clearly indicated it. He just had to find a palace, whether intact or not, and enter the chamber door carved with three red maple leaves. When the Hour of the Rooster arrived, he would be teleported out.