Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 515 Mystery of the Secret Realm
Gazing at the black banner lying quietly on the table, Song Xian fell into deep thought.

This turn of events was unexpected, but so far, the outcome seems quite good.

However, fortune and misfortune are often unpredictable. Although the owner of the black banner seemed to have encountered some misfortune, resulting in being trapped inside the banner and losing his memory, it was hard to say whether it did this on purpose to gain his trust and make him continue to search for a way to restore his power.

Even if the master of the black banner did lose his previous memories due to some unforeseen event, judging from the method he used to regain his power, he is no good either.

Can someone who replenishes themselves by absorbing the blood, flesh, and spiritual energy of others be a virtuous person?
He's currently in a daze and trapped inside the black banner, so perhaps we can't harm him.

However, if one day its power is restored and it breaks free from the Black Banner, there is no guarantee that it won't kill people to cover up its secrets.

Furthermore, the relationship between the black banner and its ghost master is also quite subtle. As the ghost master's power gradually recovers, the black banner also grows stronger step by step.

From this perspective, the two should be considered symbiotic.

But the ghost master also said that he was too weak to leave the space inside the black banner.

An existence possessing Nascent Soul level divine sense power, capable of enhancing the cultivation of dozens of Foundation Establishment ghosts, was so weak that it could not leave the Black Banner.

This is simply ridiculous.

Unless the black banner itself was specifically designed to seal it.

The best solution right now is to throw the black banner far away, or give it to someone else and let them bear the consequences.

But having already invested so much, it's hard to give him up now.

Moreover, this black banner can continuously advance in rank, making it a unique treasure in the cultivation world.

After much deliberation, Song Xian finally sighed and put the black banner into his possession. Now he could only take it one step at a time.

"Sect Leader, a Golden Core cultivator claiming to be your old friend Cheng Zongyuan has arrived outside the sect. He says he has something to ask of you." He put away the black banner and left the secret room. A disciple quickly walked in from outside, bowed to him, and reported.

Why is Cheng Zongyuan here?

The two had no contact after that exploration of the secret realm, and had not communicated for many years. Now that he has reached the Golden Core realm, why did he suddenly come to visit?

Could it be for that gourd? Cheng Zongyuan and Wei Fan both witnessed him picking the gourd from the tree that day.

The two of them obtained the contents of the stone coffin, but Wei Fan remained in that secret realm, his fate unknown.

Cheng Zongyuan must have also obtained something good. Could it be that he coveted my gourd because of this, and that's why he came to find me after breaking through to the Golden Core Realm?

Besides, Song Xian really couldn't think of any reason why the other party would personally visit him after so many years, and after he had already broken through to the Golden Core stage.

If there really is something wrong, would a Golden Core cultivator need to ask a Foundation Establishment cultivator for help?
Moreover, he is the pride of the Xuan Yuan Sect, with a powerful backer.

Presumably, he was curious about the use of the gourd that Song Xian had picked, so he came to inquire after breaking through to the Golden Core stage many years later.

If not, they can't possibly be here just to reminisce!
After a moment's thought, Song Xian strode out of the mansion. Since the other party had come to his door, he couldn't avoid them no matter what; he had to face them.

Inside the mountain gate formation, the disciples of the Hunyuan Sect were on high alert, their expressions solemn as they nervously watched the handsome man outside.

Only when Song Xian's escape light fell did everyone breathe a sigh of relief, as if they had found a pillar of support.

When Song Xian looked over, Cheng Zongyuan had a warm smile on his face, and with his fair and handsome features and refined temperament, he really did look like a celestial being.

"Senior Cheng, it's an honor to have you here. I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting." Song Xian quickly stepped forward and bowed to him.

He wasn't surprised to hear that Cheng Zongyuan had broken through to the Golden Core Realm. Cheng Zongyuan was originally a single-spiritual-root talent and a disciple of the Xuan Yuan Sect. His cultivation had already reached the tenth level back then, so it was only natural that he had now successfully formed his Golden Core.

"Sect Leader Song, please don't be so polite. I apologize for disturbing you, but I hope I haven't disturbed your cultivation."

"How could that be? It is an honor for me and my clan to have Senior Cheng deign to visit us in person. It is my fault for being unprepared and failing to provide adequate hospitality, which has kept you waiting. Please come in."

The two entered the mountain gate together and arrived at the main hall.

"Senior Cheng, please take a seat." Song Xian was unaware of the other party's purpose, so he could only deal with the situation as it came, as he could not be impolite.

“Fellow Daoist Song, there’s no need for such formalities. We are old friends and have been through life and death together. Although I have already formed my core, I’m only one step ahead. We can address each other as equals. This is your territory, so let’s all make ourselves at home.” After saying this, Cheng Yuyuan took his seat on the lower left.

Song Xian then sat down opposite him on the right: "Then I will presume to ask, Fellow Daoist Cheng, aren't you serving in Anfeng County? What brings you here?"

Cheng Yuyuan still had a smile on his face: "After I formed my core, I was transferred back to the sect to take up a post. Recently, I was ordered to handle important sect affairs in Xijiang County. After finishing, I thought that Sect Leader Song was in Bianxi City, so I came to see my old friend."

"Oh! I see. It's rare that Fellow Daoist Cheng remembers me. May I ask when you achieved Core Formation?"

"It was only a few years ago that I was fortunate enough to form my core. Fellow Daoist Song should be close to achieving it as well!" "How can I compare to Fellow Daoist Cheng? I still have a long way to go, and my future is uncertain."

"With Fellow Daoist Song's strength, I believe he will surely succeed in forming his core."

The two chatted like old friends, catching up on each other's recent situations.

When the other party came to his door, they were in no hurry to state their purpose, and he was in no hurry either. He was prepared to deal with them perfunctorily, so he chatted idly with them.

"Fellow Daoist Song, have you seen Fellow Daoist Wei since you left that secret realm?" As the two chatted, the topic naturally turned to the treasure hunt in the secret realm, and Cheng Yuyuan asked.

"No, what's wrong? Did Fellow Daoist Cheng see Fellow Daoist Wei afterwards? Did he also leave that secret realm safely?"

Seeing his expression, Song Xian realized that they were getting to the point, and his mind raced.

Cheng Zongyuan has come all this way, so he must have something important to say. Could it be related to Wei Fan?
The three of them went treasure hunting together back then, but Wei Fan was ambushed and fell unconscious on the spot. Facing the attack of the powerful and strange stone man in the secret realm, the other two were too busy to take him out.

“I met him once a few years ago.” Cheng Yuyuan’s expression was somewhat solemn.

Song Xian realized something was amiss and immediately pressed for details: "How is he? What happened to him?"

"he's changed."

"Changed? What do you mean, Fellow Daoist Cheng?"

“I’m sure he’s been possessed by the mysterious person in the secret realm. He came to visit this time to tell you this news. We should all be careful; I don’t think he’ll let us go.”

Song Xian's eyes flickered slightly, his mind racing. If what he said was true, and Wei Fan had indeed been possessed by the mysterious being in the secret realm, it was very likely that he would secretly deal with them.

Since the treasures in the secret realm have already been obtained by the two of them, and those treasures belong to the master of the secret realm, and he has possessed Wei Fan, he will definitely try to get his treasures back.

He didn't know what benefits Cheng Yuyuan had gained from it, but this gourd that could absorb yin and yang energies, although its function was not yet apparent, was definitely a treasure that no one would casually discard.

So the question arises: why didn't Wei Fan come to reclaim the treasure? Was it because his cultivation level wasn't high enough after the possession, so he didn't dare to reveal it, or was there some other reason?

"How can Fellow Daoist Cheng be so sure that he has been possessed?" After pondering in silence for a while, he asked.

Cheng Yuyuan replied, "Three years ago, I overheard his whereabouts by chance. I was curious about how he finally escaped from that secret realm and why he didn't come looking for me after leaving, so I went to visit him. But the first time I saw him, I realized that he was no longer the Wei Fan I knew."

"Although he tried his best to cover it up, I still noticed a flaw. In order to verify what I thought, I made a move to test him, but I didn't expect him to easily deflect my attack."

"I had already successfully formed my core, while he was still stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage. However, his techniques were very strange, and in the end, he slipped away right under my nose."

“The spells he used when he fought me were definitely not the ones Wei Fan originally knew. If he hadn’t been possessed, how could such a strange situation have occurred?”

Song Xian frowned slightly, realizing the seriousness of the matter. According to Cheng Yuyuan, Wei Fan must have been possessed.

With Cheng Yuyuan's strength, let alone having broken through to the Golden Core Realm, even if he were still stuck at the Foundation Establishment Realm, dealing with Wei Fan would be a piece of cake.

Now that he has reached the Golden Core stage, he let Wei Fan slip away right before his eyes, which shows how extraordinary Wei Fan's strength is.

But since Wei Fan has already been possessed, why hasn't he come to cause trouble for him and take back the gourd?
There are only three possibilities.

First, he had been cultivating at the mountain gate for many years and had not found an opportunity.

Secondly, he wasn't confident of winning and didn't want to expose himself.

Third, Wei Fan himself might not know what the gourd growing on the tree was for, or he might not even know that a gourd had grown on the tree because he had been asleep for so long.

With this in mind, Song Xian still asked the question very carefully.

"Is it possible that Wei Fan obtained some kind of supernatural power or technique from that secret realm, which is why his strength has increased by leaps and bounds?"

“No.” Cheng Yuyuan shook his head: “If that were the case, he would definitely come looking for us. Think about it, we went to the secret realm together back then, and in the end, the two of us left safely, leaving him unconscious in the inner room.”

"Anyone would want to know what happened. If you were in that situation, would you just swallow your anger?"

"Moreover, his tone of voice and demeanor were different from before, so I concluded that he had been possessed."

Song Xian nodded: "If that's the case, then we all have to be careful from now on."

"There's no such thing as a thousand days of thievery, but a thousand days of guarding against thieves. To be honest, I've been tracking his whereabouts for the past three years. I'm here today to join forces with Fellow Daoist Song to eliminate this person and remove any future trouble for us. Otherwise, once he breaks through to the Golden Core stage, it will be much harder for us to deal with him, and he will definitely cause us trouble then. Now that we have an absolute advantage, we should take the initiative and strike."

(End of this chapter)