The Sect Master's private meditation chamber was a space that existed outside of normal space. It was a silent, empty void, containing only a single floating platform of white jade upon which he sat, his form shrouded in the swirling mists of the Great Dao.
When Elder Liu Changqing, in a state of fervent excitement, used a high-level communication talisman to request an urgent audience, the Sect Master was not surprised. He had been observing the ripples caused by the strange disciple from the Ninth Peak. He had anticipated that another 'artistic crisis' was inevitable. He allowed the summons.
Liu Changqing practically burst into the void-like chamber, his usual stern demeanor completely gone, replaced by the wild-eyed zeal of a prophet.
"Sect Master!" he exclaimed, bowing hastily. "A miracle is about to occur! A breakthrough in the very understanding of the Dao! And we, the Tianxuan Sect, are on the precipice of witnessing it!"
The Sect Master remained silent, his aura as still as the void around them, letting the elder present his case.
With a torrent of passionate, poetic language, Liu Changqing explained the situation. He spoke of the "dissonant song of the sword," the "imbalance of harmony," and, most crucially, his disciple's vision of a "deep, ancient, slumbering song" emanating from the mountain's core—a "bass note" that her soul desperately needed to hear.
When he finally uttered the words "the Dragon-Locking Pool," the temperature in the void dropped several degrees.
"Impossible," the Sect Master's voice was flat, absolute, and carried the weight of finality. "That is a forbidden zone. The Blackwater Serpent Demon is a calamity-level threat. To approach its lair is to court death, not enlightenment."
"But you don't understand, Sect Master!" Liu Changqing pleaded, his voice cracking with earnestness. "This is not a matter of cultivation or strength! It is a matter of the Dao! Her path is unique! She does not conquer discord; she harmonizes with it! To her, the serpent is not a beast; it is a musical instrument, the largest and deepest in the world! She only needs to listen, not to touch!"
This was, without question, the most insane proposal the Sect Master had heard in his thousand years of life. His first instinct was to throw Liu Changqing out and order him into a hundred years of calming, secluded meditation.
But then, he remembered. He remembered the scene in the Tianxuan Hall, where this girl had described him as a 'complicated alchemy recipe.' He remembered the duel, where she had turned Jian Wuchen's ultimate sword art into her personal dance. He was dealing with an anomaly, a being who did not operate on the same logical plane as everyone else.
What if... what if this fanatic was right? What if this was a genuine, once-in-a-millennium moment of enlightenment? The risk was immense. But the potential reward—a disciple who could truly commune with the fundamental forces of the world—was a prize that could elevate the entire sect.
It was a wager. A colossal, foolish, and utterly irresistible wager.
After a long, heavy silence, the Sect Master spoke again, his voice now carrying a new, decisive weight.
"I will not grant your request," he said, and Liu Changqing's face fell. "I will... amend it."
"I, myself, will accompany you," the Sect Master declared. The mists around him swirled. "We will go to the outer edge of the Dragon-Locking Pool. Not the entrance to the forbidden zone, but the observation cliff, a hundred zhang above it. It is the absolute closest we can get without disturbing the seals."
He laid out his conditions, each one as unyielding as iron.
"One: The duration will be for one single stick of incense. No more."
"Two: You and your disciple will remain absolutely silent. You are there to 'listen,' not to act."
"Three: At the slightest, most infinitesimal sign of the serpent stirring, the session is over. We leave immediately. There will be no negotiation."
"Do you accept these terms, Elder Liu?"
Liu Changqing was so overjoyed he could barely speak. He hadn't just gotten permission; he had gotten the personal escort of the Sect Master himself! This wasn't just approval; it was a sign of the utmost importance the Sect Master placed on this event!
"I accept! On behalf of my disciple, I accept! Thank you, Sect Master! Thank you for your profound wisdom!" he stammered, bowing repeatedly.
"Go. Prepare your disciple," the Sect Master said, his form beginning to fade back into the mists. "Tomorrow, at the hour of the rat."
Liu Changqing left the chamber, walking on air, convinced he had just secured the greatest opportunity in the history of Bai Cao Peak.
When he arrived back at Xiao Xiao Peak, glowing with triumph, he relayed the glorious news.
"My disciple, rejoice! The Sect Master himself has granted his blessing! He recognizes the profound importance of your enlightenment! Tomorrow night, he will personally escort us to the Dragon-Locking Pool!"
Yue Qingqian looked at her Senior Brother, her face a mask of utter horror.
Lin Fan, who had been listening from the doorway, maintained a perfect, polite smile on his face. "That is wonderful news, Elder," he said in a tone of humble gratitude. "We are truly grateful for your and the Sect Master's wisdom."
But on the inside, his entire strategic mind was screaming in silent, abject terror.
The plan had been to sneak past one sleepy, easily distracted guardian.
Now, the security detail had been upgraded to the single most powerful, most perceptive, and most unpredictable entity in the entire sect.
The heist had just gone from 'difficult' to 'impossible'.