novelraw Chapter 253 246: Gathering
Chapter 253 246: Gathering
Above the courtyard, magnetic fields converged, creating an iridescent display like an auspicious omen. It was as if a host of immortal gods were having a small gathering within.
Only those at the Saint Awakening Level could exert such an immense influence on the surrounding magnetic field. This meant that right now, within that courtyard, there wasn't just a single Saint Awakening. Judging by the intensity of the magnetic fields, there had to be at least five of them.
Aside from the Kunlun incident, this was the first time Zhou Yuanjue had ever seen so many Saint Awakenings gathered in one place.
It seemed that half of Donghua's top experts were gathered here at this very moment.
Recalling the upcoming inauguration ceremony for the Martial Arts Association in a few days, Zhou Yuanjue instantly understood why they were here.
An intrigued smile touched the corners of his lips. A gathering of this scale was likely a rare sight in the entire history of the Donghua Martial Arts Realm.
He strode toward the courtyard. The gate stood wide open, but looking through it revealed only a stretch of gray haze. It seemed a layer of magnetic field covered the entire courtyard, altering the light spectrum within and concealing the true situation.
It was a sleight of hand that could switch heaven and earth.
Zhou Yuanjue had seen this technique of manipulating scenery with magnetic fields to create illusions before.
'Could Elder White Dragon Divides Water be here too?'
Zhou Yuanjue took a step forward and walked through the gateway.
Sure enough, the moment he stepped into the courtyard, he felt the magnetic field within shift abruptly, and the scene before his eyes transformed.
The ground was wreathed in mist, as if he were floating on clouds. The once-simple courtyard was now elegant and magnificent, complete with a small pond and rockery, lush flowers and plants, and Golden Lotuses growing in the water. An auspicious, rosy light filled the air, making it truly feel as though he were in an Immortal Cave Heaven.
'Definitely Daoist Bailong's style.'
The instant he entered the courtyard, Zhou Yuanjue confirmed the identity of the one who had set this up. An image immediately flashed through his mind: a white-haired old Daoist in a white Daoist Robe, driving a military SUV, blasting the "Purifying Heaven and Earth Divine Spell" as he calmly floored the gas and sped wildly down the road.
'Old people always have such peculiar tastes. Like a certain centenarian who would rather go to the trouble of using his magnetic field to send a message than just make a simple phone call.'
He looked into the courtyard and saw six figures sitting in a small pavilion by a pond, seemingly engaged in pleasant conversation. Two younger figures were pouring tea for them—they were none other than the Chief Commissioner's two young disciples, A Mu and Xiaoyuan.
Zhou Yuanjue's entrance immediately drew the attention of everyone in the courtyard. The boy pouring tea, A Mu, got a clear look at Zhou Yuanjue, and his head began to ache faintly.
Zhou Yuanjue looked at the six people in the pavilion. As he expected, there were several figures he had seen before.
One of them had no physical body; it was a humanoid form composed of deep yellow magnetic light. This was clearly the Chief Commissioner's "avatar."
Another was a smiling old man with a white beard and hair, dressed in a white Daoist Robe. It was Daoist Bailong.
There was another man, dressed in practical camouflage pants and a black tank top. He wasn't tall, but his frame was lean and honed, with every inch of muscle seemingly packed with explosive power. His eyes were incredibly sharp and held a vast, murderous aura, as if he could take an opponent's life at any moment. This was Lei Yi, the expert from the Military Department who had worked with Zhou Yuanjue during the Kunlun incident.
Of the remaining three, one was an old man in a green robe. Another was a very young-looking man in casual clothes, though his skin was pale and his complexion seemed somewhat weak. The last was a burly, sturdy old man with a bushy beard, wearing a white Martial Arts Uniform.
Judging by their auras, all three of them possessed the strength of the Saint Awakening Level.
Six Saint Awakening Level masters in a single courtyard—such a grand event was only possible in the current era. If this were ancient times, it wouldn't be wrong to call it a true gathering of Immortal Gods.
"You're here. Come, have a seat."
Daoist Bailong beckoned to Zhou Yuanjue with a smile.
Zhou Yuanjue nodded and walked over to an empty seat at the table, then sat down.
"Yuan Jue, you've met some of these people, but others you don't yet know. Allow me to make the introductions."
The yellow figure of light in the head seat vibrated the magnetic field to produce sound, then pointed first to the old man in the green robe.
"His name is Chen Qingmu," the Chief Commissioner said. "He is the current Commissioner of the Secret Protection Bureau, a comrade-in-arms from my era, and a pure Martial Artist."
'The Secret Protection Bureau…'
Zhou Yuanjue looked at the old man in the green robe. He had long heard of the Secret Protection Bureau. Compared to the Secret Inspection Bureau, which had branches all over Donghua to handle special incidents, the Secret Protection Bureau's scope was much smaller. It was primarily responsible for the safety of Shangjing's political leaders and also held certain vetting and supervisory functions. If a political leader traveled abroad, for example, the Secret Protection Bureau would handle all related security measures. Therefore, despite its smaller scope, its influence was not to be underestimated.
'To become the Commissioner of the Secret Protection Bureau, with a status on par with the Chief Commissioner in some respects, his strength must be extraordinary.'
"A pleasure to meet you."
Zhou Yuanjue stood up and extended his hand to Chen Qingmu.
Everyone understood implicitly. It was both a polite gesture and a probe. However, they had already tested each other before Zhou Yuanjue's arrival, so they weren't surprised by this.
It was unavoidable for martial artists to get excited when they met a worthy opponent.
Especially for people like them, things like names, appearances, and voices were all unimportant. These things could be changed and used as tools of deception. Only the Life Magnetic Field, the very essence of one's being, could not be altered.
Chen Qingmu smiled, stood up, and clasped Zhou Yuanjue's outstretched hand.
VMM!!
The instant their skin touched, their magnetic fields converged, violently affecting the surrounding area. The disturbance was so strong that it partially destroyed the illusion set by Daoist Bailong, revealing a glimpse of the courtyard's plain, true appearance.
The others frowned slightly. Such a powerful magnetic field from a simple exchange?
Through the entanglement of their Life Magnetic Fields, Zhou Yuanjue felt a peculiar sensation.
Withering, flourishing, then withering and flourishing again.
Flowing into one another in an endless cycle.
Life and death in a single instant.
For a moment, it was as if he experienced the changing of the four seasons all at once. It was an intensely contradictory sensation, yet the conflict erupted in the very same instant.
"Yin Yang Unity?"
The two released their hands, and Zhou Yuanjue asked, his gaze piercing.
'I'm very familiar with this contradiction and unity; it's the feeling of Yin Yang Unity. This man's mastery of it might even be greater than my own. No wonder he's a bureau commissioner, on equal footing with the Chief Commissioner and responsible for the security of the highest political leaders. He's certainly no simple character. I just wonder what stage his Yin Yang Unity has reached. How does he compare to Zhang Dongwei? I suppose I'll only find out if we have a real fight.'
"So you have also grasped the mysteries of Yin and Yang. No wonder you were able to trigger a Celestial Phenomenon back then," Chen Qingmu said with a smile, pretending not to notice the warlike glint in Zhou Yuanjue's eyes.
"It was a stroke of luck."
Seeing that the other man had no intention of fighting for the moment, and knowing that now was not the right time, Zhou Yuanjue didn't press the issue.
'Anyway, there will be opportunities in the future. He won't be able to avoid it.'
"This man is also from the Secret Protection Bureau. He is the current Deputy Commissioner, Li Zhaonan," the Chief Commissioner said, pointing to the pale, seemingly weak young man.
'Li Zhaonan?'
'So this is the Patriarch of the Shangjing Prefecture's Li Family?'