novelraw Chapter 402: The Keys to the Ancient Dao Field
Chapter 402: The Keys to the Ancient Dao Field
The commotion surrounding Yu Zhao attracted the attention of several cultivators present.
The reason it was only “several” was that many others were facing a situation similar to Yu Zhao’s.
The Ancient Dao Field was open to the entire cultivation world. While the number of keys wasn’t overwhelming, it was far from scarce. Even the Seven Great Sects each held a fair number of these keys in their treasuries.
Now, with the sudden appearance of these keys, chaos ensued.
Su Ming stood dumbfounded, staring at the five jade tokens before him, unsure of what to do.
When he initially acquired these five jade tokens, he hadn’t known they were keys to the Ancient Dao Field. Their uniform size and ancient, simplistic beauty had caught his eye, so he had bought them cheaply as collectibles and promptly forgotten about them.
Now, discovering their connection to the Dao Field left him stunned.
Master Qing Yan glanced at Su Ming’s dazed expression and couldn’t help but marvel once more at his disciple’s extraordinary luck.
“Why are you just standing there?” Qing Yan’s cold shout brought Su Ming back to his senses.
Su Ming instinctively tried to store the jade tokens in his storage space, only to realize he couldn’t. Reaching out to grab one, a token automatically embedded itself into his palm.After a moment of hesitation, Su Ming looked at Qing Yan uncertainly. “Master, it seems each person can only bind to one jade token. I can’t control the others.”
Qing Yan scanned the room and noted that no one else was able to store the jade tokens in their spatial tools either.
His gaze shifted to Fang Cheng Lang and Cui Jue, standing expressionless beside Su Ming. “The two of you, bind one token each.”
The two hesitated briefly, exchanged glances with Su Ming, and then took a jade token each.
After a moment of thought, Qing Yan attempted to pull another token toward him with spiritual energy. Just as his fingers were about to touch it, the jade token teleported away with a flicker.
Raising an eyebrow, Qing Yan waved his hand, forming a binding spell to seal the surrounding space. He extended his hand again, but this time, the jade token vibrated violently, stirring up a gust of air.
At this moment, a voice rang out from nearby. It was the head of the Mo Xin Courtyard.
“The conditions to bind a token for the Dao Field are strict: under a hundred years of age and above the Golden Core stage. Those who do not meet the requirements cannot bind.”
Qing Yan scoffed and lowered his hand.
Other sect leaders and elders, who had been attempting to bind the tokens, sighed in disappointment upon hearing this and gave up as well.
Meanwhile, the Sect Master of Ji Yuan was grinning ear to ear. He happened to have two Ancient Dao Field keys in his possession, and his two most promising disciples, Zhou Jin Yue and Zhang Jun, were conveniently present. Wasting no time, he urged them to bind the keys immediately.
This trip had proven fruitful indeed.
Yu Zhao, holding her newly bound jade token, found herself with an additional token floating before her. Unable to store it or bind it, she realized keeping it might invite unnecessary trouble. Turning to the crowd, she considered gifting the extra token.
Senior Sister Zhou and Zhang Jun had already bound their tokens. Mu Ye, Silence, and Mo Ci had also received theirs. As Yu Zhao’s gaze swept the room, she realized she had no one left to give the token to.
At that moment, the glowing runes in the sky shifted again. The characters for “Dao Field” disappeared, replaced by a blank celestial map adorned with countless points of light, many clustered together.
“Is that… a star map?”
“No, it must be a map! A map showing the locations of other keys!”
“Does this mean we’re supposed to find the remaining keys?”
Yu Zhao quickly scanned the map. The light points numbered in the hundreds. Except for the Western Region where the Harmony Sound Temple was located, the rest were scattered, rarely clustered.
She could already imagine the frenzy this revelation would spark.
Suddenly, a message came to her through the jade token: each cultivator could use only one key. Keys couldn’t be transferred, stored in spatial tools, or rebound. Seven days later, the Dao Field would open, and cultivators would be drawn in through the keys.
The moment Yu Zhao received this message, someone nearby read it aloud.
“If the keys can’t be stored, it’s like carrying a target on our backs! This is deliberately provoking attacks!”
“Exactly. Even if the keys can’t be rebound, those without one won’t believe it. And even if they do, it won’t stop them from killing to try!”
“Look! Some of the light points are already dimming!”
Everyone turned to the map. Sure enough, some points of light were gradually fading until they disappeared entirely.
It had begun—people were already targeting the key holders.
The sect leaders and elders were visibly restless.
Some carried their sect’s keys with them, while others had stored them in their sect’s treasuries. Although they weren’t concerned about the safety of their keys, deciding how to distribute them remained a pressing issue. Many quickly excused themselves and left, thinning the crowd significantly.
Yu Zhao stood before the array, clutching her jade token in deep thought.
She still couldn’t comprehend the connection between the Ancient Dao Field and the Heavenly Ladder. Could it be that a powerful being from the Dao Field would enlighten her? Or was there an unforeseen opportunity awaiting her within the Dao Field?
“Yu Zhao.”
She turned. The speaker was Abbot Jie Tan.
“Come with me,” he said.
Using spiritual energy, Yu Zhao secured the extra jade token and followed Abbot Jie Tan.
At first, she assumed Jie Tan had something to tell her privately. To her surprise, he led her straight to the temporary quarters of Long Fei Fei.
Perplexed, Yu Zhao looked at Jie Tan, who offered a mysterious smile.
Moments later, Long Fei Fei burst out of her room, chasing a jade token that danced nimbly before her.
“Don’t run!”
Despite her butterfly-like grace, Long Fei Fei couldn’t catch the token.
Yu Zhao’s divine sense swept through the room and was astonished to find six more jade tokens inside—more than even a major sect might possess.
“Yu Zhao! Just in time! Help me catch this thing!” Long Fei Fei called out enthusiastically.
Yu Zhao chuckled. “Stop chasing. Everyone can only bind one token.”
“Really?” Long Fei Fei halted, turning to Abbot Jie Tan for confirmation.
The abbot nodded. With a resigned sigh, Long Fei Fei muttered, “If I’d known, I would’ve persuaded my master to take in more disciples. What a waste!”
These tokens had been passed down for generations within the School of Skillful Empty Hands. Finally, they had a chance to be used, only to find they were limited to one per person—what a pity.
Eyes gleaming with an idea, Long Fei Fei divided the remaining seven tokens into two groups, pushing the larger pile toward Yu Zhao and the smaller one toward Jie Tan.
“Yu Zhao, these are for you—as thanks for saving my life. And Abbot Jie Tan, these are my medical expenses. Take them.”
Yu Zhao hesitated. With an extra token already unclaimed, she hadn’t intended to accept more. But given Long Fei Fei’s heartfelt gesture of gratitude, declining would seem discourteous. Smiling, she accepted the gift.
“Such kindness!” Abbot Jie Tan beamed as he accepted his share, even praising Long Fei Fei’s wisdom.
Only then did Yu Zhao realize why Jie Tan had brought her here—he had been eyeing Long Fei Fei’s jade tokens all along.