Xie Zhaolin was well aware of Ling Chuan's doubts. She didn't care in the slightest about his internal suspicions or his cautious probes. Saving Ling Chuan was never about righteousness or kindness, nor was it because she had once fought alongside him in the past. Such sentimental notions held no place in her calculations.
After all, the leak about the Star Core Source Essence had been her own doing in the first place. She had simply muddied the waters further with carefully planted rumors. By drawing every faction's attention toward the Northern Ice Palace, she ensured she could move in the shadows with more room and more opportunities for herself while the world watched them.
Saving him served two distinct purposes. On one hand, she valued his identity and strength as a true heir of the Northern Ice Palace. This made him a decent temporary ally and a convenient shield against the greed of others. On the other hand, and more importantly, his survival was tied to a plan she had been nurturing for a long time.
Her focus had already shifted away from the Star Core Source Essence. She was looking toward the true heart of the Tianxu Secret Realm, which was the inheritance of Tianxu Palace itself.
The Tianxu Secret Realm had opened countless times over the centuries, and the legends of Tianxu Palace had circulated for just as long. According to those ancient legends, Tianxu Palace had been a super sect that once dominated an entire realm in ancient times. Its core inheritance was hidden somewhere deep within the secret realm, waiting for a destined successor to awaken it from its slumber.
Yet for countless years, there hadn't ever been any confirmed news of anyone truly obtaining that core inheritance. The inheritance site was like a ghost, existing only in rumors and scattered ancient records. No one had been able to find its true entrance or breach its hidden gates.
But Xie Zhaolin knew that it wasn't entirely untouched by the hands of men.
That knowledge came from an extremely obscure secret, one nearly buried by the relentless march of time. It originated from a Supreme Elder of the Hehuan Sect who had long withdrawn from worldly affairs and had very little lifespan left.
That Supreme Elder's master had once been the Dao companion of a certain generation's palace lord of the Northern Ice Palace. She had accompanied him for nearly a thousand years of cultivation. Even with such an intimate relationship, the Dao companion had only managed, over long ages and with astonishing patience and scheming, to piece together a sliver of the Northern Ice Palace's deepest secret from fragments and half-whispered hints. The Northern Ice Palace possessed a remnant map or guidance detailing internal routes of the Tianxu Palace inheritance abode. Its origin traced back to an extremely special exploration that occurred a thousand years ago.
That past had been mentioned by the Supreme Elder purely by chance to Yun Qingyue, who had been the sect's Young Sect Master at the time. Her words had been filled with reverence for her master and deep wariness toward how thoroughly the Northern Ice Palace concealed its secrets from the rest of the world.
The information was far too old and vague to be used easily. The Northern Ice Palace was said to have not set foot in the inheritance abode for nearly a thousand years. Whether those ancient routes were still valid or where the markers led was unknown to most. It had become a core secret known only to successive palace lords and a tiny number of core Supreme Elders.
If not for the special status of that Supreme Elder's master and the erosion of nearly a thousand years of time, even that sliver of information would never have surfaced.
That was the real reason she had saved Ling Chuan from his pursuers. As the leading figure of the Northern Ice Palace's younger generation and a future Young Palace Master, he was very likely to know things about the inheritance abode that outsiders didn't. He might even possess special methods or tokens to enter the inheritance region safely.
A ready-made guide who might hold the key to the Tianxu Palace inheritance was far better than her blundering around the perilous depths of the secret realm like a headless fly. From the very beginning, the Star Core Source Essence had never been Xie Zhaolin's true target in this place.
The essence was undoubtedly valuable. However, for a cultivator like her who urgently needed to raise her strength, it wasn't the only option available. The Tianxu Palace inheritance was her fundamental purpose for coming here. It was the true master of this secret realm and the ultimate treasure left behind by suspected ancient great powers.
If she could obtain an opportunity that suited her particular path, it would be far more important than any fragment of the Star Core Source Essence. And the more desperate the Northern Ice Palace's situation became, the more Ling Chuan would need her as an ally. This would give her more chances to access their core secrets as they fought together.
For this reason, she had even temporarily shaken off Elder Chou. Bringing the elder along might've increased their combat power or served as a pathfinder at times, but when it came to core secrets like inheritance clues, one more person meant one more variable. This was especially true with someone so deep-minded and powerful.
By comparison, dealing alone with Ling Chuan was clearly more favorable for achieving her goal. He seemed proud, but he was actually under immense pressure due to carrying a priceless treasure and a heavy responsibility. He was much easier to guide or bargain with in certain situations. His identity as the Young Palace Master of the Northern Ice Palace might even bring unexpected convenience at critical moments.
Ling Chuan naturally knew nothing of the far larger game she's playing behind the scenes. He carefully stored the newly obtained fragment of the Star Core Source Essence separately, keeping it apart from the intact Star Core Source Essence he already carried. Feeling the faint yet pure stellar power radiating against his palm, the tension in his heart finally eased slightly.
But worry quickly rose again as he thought of Elder Han Ji, who had covered his breakout from the ruins. He didn't know whether the elder had managed to escape safely under the siege of multiple Nascent Soul cultivators. What worried him even more was that when he'd left, he had handed a Mirage Form Pendant to Junior Brother Xin, who had been traveling with him. The pendant was capable of mimicking part of his aura and appearance.
That junior brother was only at the mid Golden Core stage, but he's sharp and skilled in concealment and illusion techniques. They'd agreed that Junior Brother Xin would disguise himself as Ling Chuan and stay by the elder's side, even leaving the fragment behind to buy him time to escape. Now that the fragment had returned to him, he had no idea what had become of the elder or his fellow senior and junior brothers.
"Instead of brooding here, you might as well do something useful." Xie Zhaolin's cold voice interrupted his thoughts. "Since we can't find Yu Xiaotang for now, let's look for the others from the Hehuan Sect."
"The others from the Hehuan Sect?" Ling Chuan froze, his eyes narrowing at her suggestion. "You mean those Golden Core disciples Yu Xiaotang brought with her?" He hadn't paid much attention to that group of small fry before, viewing them as nothing more than insignificant tag-alongs.
"Yu Xiaotang risked everything to save Granny Hua, so she won't abandon her fellow disciples," Xie Zhaolin said. "They're heavily injured and urgently need a safe place to recover, so they will definitely regroup with the others."
Xie Zhaolin had already guessed why Yingsha had been unable to find any trace of the Hehuan Sect before. It was Yu Xiaotang. She'd used that special method to conceal their auras, but now she was fleeing with the heavily injured Granny Hua and barely managing herself. That concealment couldn't possibly cover everyone anymore, or its range was now severely limited.
The other Hehuan Sect disciples were very likely already exposed to the senses of those nearby. This judgment was based on her inference that Xi Tong's power was limited, and it also aligned with common sense.
"You mean we capture the other Hehuan Sect disciples and force them to reveal Yu Xiaotang's whereabouts, or draw her out?" Ling Chuan asked.
"That's right." Xie Zhaolin nodded. "The Hehuan Sect sent many people into this secret realm. There must be confidants or close companions of Yu Xiaotang among them. They'll have ways to contact each other. Find them, and we take the initiative."
Ling Chuan fell silent for a moment as he considered the plan.
"Alright." After weighing the pros and cons, he nodded his agreement. "But how do we find them? The secret realm's vast." He looked at Xie Zhaolin, certain she already had a plan if she suggested this course of action.
"Wait."