Chapter 92: First Encounter with Secrets

Beside the hospital, Jingyun pushed Wang Sheng's wheelchair on a tree-lined path, her deep-blue Daoist robe looking as if it had been dyed straight from the sky. Her long hair cascaded down her back, and her flawless skin shimmered under the sunlight. However, her delicate eyebrows were slightly knitted, revealing a hint of dissatisfaction.

After a while, she finally asked, "Fei Yu, why didn't you let the doctor put a cast on your leg?"

"Don't worry, Martial Aunt. I've almost completely recovered," Wang Sheng replied casually as he studied the X-ray image of his leg. His fractured bones had already healed significantly.

"Don't push yourself too hard. Stay here and focus on your recovery. Until your bones are fully healed, you shouldn't move around. If you feel uncomfortable around me, I can return to the Zhongnan Mountains and have your senior sister and junior sister come take care of you instead."

"That's not necessary," Wang Sheng answered, then quickly changed the subject. "Martial Aunt, my master has already broken through. Why hasn't he come out of seclusion yet?"

"Breakthroughs come with critical insights. Now that he has advanced to the Golden Core Realm, he might even take three to five years to emerge. After all, he likely has no sense of time passing at the moment." Jingyun sighed softly. "Besides, with a lifespan of eight hundred years, he has already taken the first step toward transcending the mortal world. I don't even know if I'll be able to keep up with him."

Her sigh carried the delicate worries of an immortal and the quiet sorrow of a woman.

"Martial Aunt, you are the most ethereal and elegant female cultivator I have ever seen. If even you cannot attain immortality, I doubt anyone else in this world can."

"You certainly know how to sweet-talk." Jingyun chuckled. "Back on the mountains, I never really noticed the passage of time. Whenever I had thoughts of him, I simply waited for him to come discuss the Dao with me."

Wang Sheng fell silent. When it came to matters between his master, martial aunt, and mistress, he knew better than to say anything that could make things worse. No one could truly understand what his master was thinking, and as a disciple, he had no right to interfere in his master's personal affairs.

"I do wish to return. The primal qi in the mortal world is mixed with too many impurities, and this trip has made me realize many of my shortcomings," Jingyun said. "While the overall situation remains stable, there are still countless evildoers causing trouble. I should start learning some combat techniques."

"Don't let it weigh on your mind, Martial Aunt. You are on the right path." Wang Sheng smiled. "Cultivation is about seeking the Dao, not just practicing techniques."

Jingyun laughed softly. "No need to comfort me. When I fought the two Five Gods Cult members last night, I understood how important techniques are for protecting the Dao. I've spent too much time in seclusion and neglected this aspect."

Soon after, Jingyun decided to return to the Zhongnan Mountains in the afternoon. She had little interest in the exchange meeting anyway.

Unfortunately, since the research institute's exchange meeting was scheduled for the afternoon, his senior sister wouldn't be able to make it on time. Otherwise, Wang Sheng would have liked to attend with her and broaden their knowledge.

How exactly was the primal qi of heaven and earth restored?

His mind wandered to all sorts of possibilities—the Hua Republic's lunar mission, the rumored remains of an immortal, and the stone tablets said to contain celestial Daoist arts.

He was unlikely to uncover any major secrets today, but he would still find himself the closest he had ever been to them.

At noon, Mou Yue, who had rested all morning, hurried over to them with dark circles under her eyes. After arranging Jingyun's travel plans, she quickly pushed Wang Sheng's wheelchair toward the meeting point—an open space in front of the temporary base.

She had considered everything carefully. Since Wang Sheng was still just a disciple, they had to arrive early. It wouldn't be proper to keep the Daoist masters waiting.

After waiting a few minutes, a line of jeeps dropped off seven white-haired elderly men. The Special Investigation Unit had invited four of them the previous night to help oversee the situation. Hailing from different sacred mountains, they each represented a Daoist lineage. This exchange meeting was also a gesture of appreciation toward them.

The remaining three were grandmasters of the three great talisman sects: the Celestial Master Sect of Longhu Mountains, the Shangqing Sect of Mount Mao, and the Lingbao Sect of Mount Gezao.

As a junior, Wang Sheng repeatedly bowed in greeting to the elders. They were all kind and approachable, with one even expressing concern about how he had broken his leg.

However, he couldn't just blurt out that he had used the Celestial Soaring Strike and ended up crashing. If they took him seriously and healed his leg right there and then, he could end up having to demonstrate the move for them, which would be a disaster. Hence, he simply said that he had been injured while fighting a corrupt cultivator and would recover after a few days of rest.

One of the elders, dressed in white robes and radiating vitality, stepped forward and took a bamboo tube from his sleeve. Smiling, he said, "This ointment is from the Medicine God Valley. Apply it to your injury three times a day, and it should help you heal a day or two faster."

"Thank you, Senior," Wang Sheng said. Though he accepted the bamboo tube with both hands, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. After all, a copy of the Three Scrolls of the Medicine God was still hidden under his pillow.

Before long, two helicopters descended, their rotor wash nearly blowing the elders' long white hair into a mess. Due to his injury, Wang Sheng and Mou Yue were allowed to board first.

The research institute was just a short name for the organization. Wang Sheng wasn't entirely sure of its full name, only that they were heading to one of its nearby branches.

The Special Investigation Unit handled cultivator-related investigations; the Special Warfare Unit dealt with cultivator combat; and the research institute, as its name suggested, studied cultivators through scientific means, including dissection.

The helicopter flew out of the city, passed over a dam, and headed toward a dense forest.

From above, Wang Sheng noticed numerous sentry posts scattered throughout the woods. A team from the Special Warfare Unit was likely stationed here.

The helicopter entered the mountains and made a series of seemingly aimless turns, as if it were lost. After some time, it finally descended steadily in front of what appeared to be an underground bunker."

The entire mountainside had been modified. As Wang Sheng extended his spiritual consciousness, he detected numerous hidden weapons embedded within it.

At the entrance of the research institute, men and women in suits or white lab coats lined up to welcome the Daoist elders. Some were young, while some were already quite old.

A few elderly men with graying hair, likely the leaders of the branch, stepped forward to shake hands with the Daoist elders one by one. They exchanged endless pleasantries, seemingly afraid of missing even just one polite phrase.

"We've long admired you."

"Thank you for coming to guide our work."

Afterward, a middle-aged man with a receding hairline approached Wang Sheng with a broad grin. "You must be Little Wang. How's your leg? Captain Chi Ling has already briefed us. Later, I'll show you something interesting."

Wang Sheng was momentarily speechless. Seeing his slightly awkward but still polite smile, Mou Yue struggled to hold back her laughter.

The man looked to be in his forties, an age that was still considered prime, yet his hairline had already surrendered to time. The name plate on his chest read, "Ma Zibin, Associate Professor."

Upon entering the tunnel, they boarded a two-carriage underground tram. It slowly brought them deeper into the mountain, where the entire research facility descended according to the terrain. No one knew its exact size, but the sheer scale of the project exuded the unmistakable aura of wealth.

The Hua Republic had gained an international reputation for its seemingly limitless financial resources, and this place was no exception. Even the well-traveled Daoist elders had never seen such a facility before. Though they maintained their dignified demeanor, they couldn't help but curiously survey their surroundings.

Wang Sheng, on the other hand, was much more relaxed. He examined the passing chambers with interest while freely extending his spiritual consciousness to probe deeper.

Soon, a white-haired professor picked up a microphone and briefly introduced, "Our research primarily focuses on the physiological changes that cultivators undergo at different stages of cultivation. We strive to explain these changes through scientific methods. This branch also leads major projects on analyzing the energy structure, suppression, and diffusion of primal qi..."

In a corner, Mou Yue sat beside Wang Sheng and muttered, "Daoist Master Wang, you really are my lucky star."

"Oh? How so?"

"This tour is probably the only break I'll get this month..." She sighed. "It makes me wonder when I'll ever have time to sort out my personal life."

Wang Sheng looked thoughtful for a moment before saying seriously, "Martial Aunt Jingyun doesn't have a disciple yet. Would you like to consider?"

Mou Yue blinked, nearly taking his words seriously. Then, noticing the slight smirk at the corner of his lips, she rolled her eyes.

"Don't joke around like that, Daoist Master Wang. Bulldozer and I both got eliminated from the Special Warfare Unit because we couldn't meet the required aptitude. We were already lucky enough to get assigned to the Special Investigation Unit."

Wang Sheng chuckled but didn't press the topic further.

Mou Yue, however, sighed once more. "I don't know how long I'll last in the unit. My parents keep pushing me to settle down and get married, but even though this job is exhausting, I feel like I'm actually doing something meaningful. I'd hate to leave."

"There are plenty of capable young men in the Special Investigation Unit. How have you not found someone yet?" Wang Sheng asked.

"The state has already taken all the tall and handsome ones! The Special Warfare Unit is full of good-looking guys. Unfortunately, I didn't make the cut."

"If you ever have time, you should visit the Wudang Mountains. I can introduce you to some sword cultivators. Our mountain has an issue with gender imbalance, too."

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"No way. I'd be growing old while they still look as refined as ever. How could I even live with that?"

Wang Sheng suddenly felt at a loss for words. Why did girls have to be so particular when it came to finding a partner? As he had expected, romantic relationships were far too exhausting. A carefree life of cultivation in the mountains was much more appealing.

The tram gradually came to a stop. By now, they had descended about seventy or eighty meters underground. Outside the train doors was a brightly lit underground plaza with a ceiling over twenty meters high.

At the far end of the plaza was a seven-story building embedded into the rock wall. In front of it, dozens of researchers had gathered, waiting eagerly for the Daoist elders.

The excitement in their eyes made Wang Sheng feel unsettled. It was as if they were finally seeing living cultivators in the flesh after spending years studying preserved specimens.

After a brief but enthusiastic welcome ceremony, the institute's leaders and a dozen senior researchers led the Daoist elders and Wang Sheng into a conference room.

A long-winded speech followed, outlining research goals and prospects. Wang Sheng struggled to stay awake.

Before he could nod off, Ma Zibin stood up, cleared his throat, and said in a serious tone, "Next, we have classified footage for you to watch. When you return to your respective sects, I ask that you do not disclose this to your fellow sect members. We mainly wish to hear your insights on this matter."

After a brief pause, the middle-aged man pressed a button. A large screen at the front of the conference room lit up and played soundless surveillance footage. It was recorded inside a vast laboratory filled with an array of precision instruments.

At the center of the video was a sealed containment chamber surrounded by various monitoring devices. Before long, alarms began flashing on several instruments, making several researchers spring to their feet and shout urgently. As people rushed about in the lab, several elderly scientists disregarded all caution and charged toward the containment chamber.

A few seconds later, the chamber suddenly burst open, releasing thick white smoke. Amid the swirling mist, a pale figure slowly rose from a horizontal position and gradually floated. Its long, dark hair drifted weightlessly in the air.

Wang Sheng stared at the screen, momentarily forgetting to breathe.

Snap!

The video cut off abruptly.

Ma Zibin's expression turned solemn. "Before we proceed to the second video, let me say a few words."