Inside the lofty, sunlit cavern of Secret Realm #3: That Ancient Sword-Saint Cliff Cave five thousand feet atop Cloud-Piercing Peak. A crisp mountain breeze carried the aroma of sizzling Cumin & Chili Lamb Skewers from the [Hot-Air Kitchen Balloon] parked on the outer terrace straight into the inner sanctum.
In the center of the inner cavern lay a ten-foot-wide circular pool carved from white mountain jade.
Filling the pool to the brim was three thousand pounds of shimmering, silver-gold [Rank 4 Sword-Tempering Jade Marrow]—a supreme heaven-and-earth treasure condensed over five centuries from the peak’s natural sword-intent and starlight. Capable of washing a sword-cultivator’s bones and propelling them straight across the Immortal threshold!
Inside the cavern, Gu Changsheng , at Rank 4 Early, had already set up a round folding picnic table twenty feet from the Jade Marrow pool. A two-chambered copper hotpot—half spicy red beef-tallow broth, half clear mushroom-and-bone broth—was boiling merrily over a portable Warm-Hearth stove.
While Grandpa Yao , at Rank 4 Early, Auntie Qin , at Rank 4 Early, Grandpa Fu , at Rank 4 Early, Envoy Zhao. Twelve-foot two-headed Flame-Hound Hotpot arranged platters of washed spinach, lotus root slices. Handmade shrimp paste around the hotpot table, Gu Changsheng walked ten-year-aged Gu Ye Xiao [Half-Step Rank 4, Darkening Meter: 6%], nine-year-old Gu Nian.
