Chapter 149: The True Form of the Celestial Tablet

By dusk, after a day of fierce and intense competition, the list of the top sixteen was finally announced.

It had truly been intense. After ten rounds of matches, only four cultivators secured a perfect win record to advance directly, while the rest depended on their accumulated points. Several contestants had managed to reach the top ten after their matches, but they were ultimately squeezed out of the top sixteen when others completed theirs.

Among these sixteen, thirteen held the title of Daoist Master, while only three were from the younger generation. Eleven were from the Daoist heritages of renowned sacred mountains, two were Buddhist cultivators, and three were unaffiliated practitioners.

Of the three unaffiliated practitioners, two were under suspicion of being corrupt cultivators.

The black whistle plan was supposed to eliminate the two, but the Special Investigation Unit adjusted its strategy in the final round. Hence, the two narrowly made it through and secured the thirteenth and fifteenth places, earning their spot in the third day's top sixteen bracket of the Immortal Dao Conference.

Thanks to the day's intense rounds, the overall atmosphere of the Immortal Dao Conference reached its peak. Even the usually aloof cultivators began discussing the strengths and weaknesses of various Daoist heritages and their arts with strangers around them.

𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

The upcoming top sixteen showdown only heightened the anticipation among the thousands of cultivators present.

At the end of the final round, Qing Yanzi stood up and announced that tonight, the top sixteen cultivators would each have a chance to comprehend the mysteries of the celestial tablet.

However, they were only allowed to study one side of the table; only the top eight in the grand finals would be permitted to view the other side.

Many cultivators who had fought more than a dozen battles in the past two days but ultimately missed this opportunity could only look up and sigh deeply. Time and fate were beyond one's control. All they could do was lament their insufficient strength and luck.

Although the Immortal Dao Conference was held under Qing Yanzi's name and appeared to be a gathering of righteous cultivators from the cultivation world, most knew that it was officially organized by the Hua Republic, which had not been stingy. Those who had reached the ranking matches would be rewarded with varying amounts of alchemy pills and crafting materials for artifacts. The higher the ranking, the better the rewards.

Moreover, the top three tomorrow would receive several high-quality artifacts as prizes. Wang Sheng couldn't help but feel a slight pang of regret. Apart from his sword, he only had one small artifact on him.

Pills and artifacts were things one could never have too many of.

That night, the top sixteen were summoned to a Daoist temple. The sects' Daoist elders also gathered to check the celestial tablet together. The four Golden Core Realm cultivators did not join them. Instead, Mou Yue was tasked with presiding over the event.

At 8:30 PM, the group made their way down the mountain in procession, returned to the venue, and headed behind the heavily guarded main platform. A tented structure had already been erected over the area on the first day of the Immortal Dao Conference. Teams from the Special Warfare Unit stood guard around the clock to protect the national asset.

When the Daoist elders and the top sixteen arrived, eight Special Warfare Unit members carried a silver-white box, which measured two meters tall and three meters wide, to the doorway of the structure.

"This treasure is of exceptional value," Mou Yue declared. "I must ask everyone not to approach within five meters of it."

In a corner, Fei Lianzi craned his neck to see better, while Wang Sheng just stood calmly and quietly with his sword case on his back.

Mou Yue kindly added, "May I trouble the Daoist masters in the front rows to sit down so that those in the back may also see?"

The Daoist elders readily agreed. Nearly half sat down cross-legged.

Fei Lianzi sidled over to Wang Sheng and whispered, "Hey, Fei Yu, do you have an in?"

"I've seen it before," Wang Sheng said, not bothering to lower his voice. "I practice swordsmanship. What's recorded on this stone tablet isn't sword techniques, so it's of no use to me."

Aside from the sixteen finalists, everyone else was a Daoist elder. Naturally, they all heard what Wang Sheng had said.

Mou Yue turned to two members of the research institute. "Begin the display."

The two nodded, donned white gloves, and stepped up to the iron chest. They then entered a sequence of passwords and had their fingerprints and irises scanned multiple times. Finally, the chest slowly opened.

A Daoist elder couldn't help but chuckle. "Why go through all that trouble? If someone really wanted to take this box, they could just rip open the iron shell with Daoist arts."

The two researchers looked a little embarrassed. Several elders also laughed briefly, but the laughter quickly died down as the stone tablet was revealed.

Two spotlights illuminated the pitch-black surface of the tablet, making the rows of obscure and ancient characters clearly visible. At that moment, an indescribable Dao Rhythm flowed from the stone tablet and slowly diffused through the air. Containing countless layers of profound meaning, it seemed as though one could glimpse an eternal starry sky and see a cerulean planet slowly turning.

Just its presence alone invigorated the cultivators present.

"This is certainly a celestial tablet—it is not from the mortal realm."

"The scriptures are incredibly profound. They seem to describe the mysteries of yin and yang, yet not in any form of the Dao of Yin and Yang that I've ever encountered."

The two unaffiliated cultivators, standing at different positions, were visibly excited. They each committed the tablet's inscriptions to memory.

The stone tablet had originally been a perfect two-meter square. However, several corners were now damaged, resulting in some of the ancient script becoming incomplete.

At that moment, the various Daoist elders and the top sixteen cultivators were all silently committing the ancient script on the tablet to memory. For those who had completed the Foundation Establishment Stage, memorizing the archaic characters posed no difficulty at all.

"We'll give everyone thirty minutes to comprehend. Daoist masters, please remain quiet and do not disturb others," Mou Yue instructed. She then stepped aside, leaving only the Special Warfare Unit soldiers standing guard.

With so many Daoist elders present, no one dared attempt to seize the stone tablet. Besides, the tablet's true value lay in its content, which was now laid bare before them. Memorizing it was enough.

Wang Sheng stood quietly for a while, doing his best to avoid glancing at the two unaffiliated practitioners to not alert them. A little over ten minutes later, most had already memorized the tablet's inscription and had begun pondering its meaning.

Just then, a Buddhist cultivator with a gentle expression rose to his feet. Smiling apologetically, he bowed and clasped his hands. He then slowly made his way through the crowd and approached Wang Sheng.

"

Amitabha.

" Huai Jing of the Heavenly Dragon Temple pressed his palms together and bowed to Wang Sheng. He then whispered, "Daoist Master Fei Yu, I am Huai Jing of the Heavenly Dragon Temple. I greet you with respect."

Wang Sheng returned the bow with a cupped-fist salute and softly replied, "What guidance do you wish to offer?"

"

Hehe.

" Huai Jing scratched his head. "Earlier today, you helped me in secret. Though it may have been against the rules, I still owe you my thanks."

Wang Sheng naturally could not tell him the truth. Hence, he simply smiled. "Mou Yue simply gave me instructions. She said your master had worked hard for the Special Investigation Unit and deserved such assistance."

Standing nearby with his hands tucked into his sleeves, Fei Lianzi muttered gloomily, "Would you two stop discussing this so openly? There are so many seniors present!"

Wang Sheng and Huai Jing exchanged amused glances. In truth, they found each other's temperament rather agreeable.

"Once the conference ends, let's find time to formally sit down and get to know each other," Wang Sheng offered.

Huai Jing smiled. "

Amitabha.

That sounds wonderful. Why don't we add each other on YouChat first? It'll make it easier to stay in touch."

"Sure," Wang Sheng readily replied.

The two pulled out their phones and exchanged contact info. Huai Jing then returned to his seat, visibly satisfied.

Half an hour passed quickly. The silver-white container was closed once more, removing the stone tablet from view. In the final few minutes, no one was even looking at the stone tablet anymore; everyone was already focused on studying what the inscription meant.

The Daoist elders could all tell that it was a profound Daoist method that was centered on the transformations of yin and yang. For some Daoist heritages, it could validate their classical texts. For others, it had no immediate application and would simply be added to their collection of Daoist scriptures.

Meanwhile, the two suspicious cultivators struggled to suppress their excitement. Still, they did their best to act like the others around them.

Mou Yue approached with a smile. "This way, please, Daoist masters. The display is now concluded. The other side will be shown to the top eight, which will be determined tomorrow."

The Daoist elders and the top sixteen cultivators returned the way they came, each feeling as though they had gained something worthwhile.

An hour later, Wang Sheng and Mou Yue returned. After waiting for a bit, several figures descended from the sky: Qing Yanzi, the Celestial Master, and the three other Golden Core Realm cultivators.

Wang Sheng stepped forward and saluted them. Taking the initiative, he reported, "There should have been no flaws in today's operation."

"Well done, Little Sheng. You've worked hard too, Mou Yue," Qing Yanzi responded with praise and then stepped forward. The silver-white container was opened once more, and the stone tablet was slowly revealed.

Qing Yanzi pressed his left hand against the tablet and gently pulled away a thin stone layer.

Behind the slab, the familiar "tadpole scripture" reappeared. Wang Sheng had only taken a glance when he started feeling dizzy, making him look away.

Qing Yanzi made a gesture. "Please take a look, seniors. This is one of the Six Tablets."

The Celestial Master, Yuan Pu Zhenren, and Fei Long stepped forward. Each only took a few glances before closing their eyes, unwilling to look further.

In a hushed tone, the Celestial Master said, "Keep this object secured. It is no ordinary artifact. If my guess is correct, engraved on it is the scripture of the Great Dao. If one's cultivation is insufficient, it could even harm their soul."

Qing Yanzi nodded. "Rest assured, Senior, that this item will be sent away shortly. While we intend to use it as bait, we must never truly toss it out."

The Celestial Master nodded slightly. "Good."

The other Golden Core Realm cultivators just remained silent.