Lei Weiyuan didn't say anything after seeing their reactions and just kept silent as he led them forward. The mountain of sword domain would even affect someone in the core palace realm let alone them, where one of them was just in the early stages of the palace realm while the other was in the core formation realm.
Once Yang Qing had mustered enough courage to not glance back he asked the question that had been bearing down on his mind ever since those paragon domains showed up.
"Supervisor Lei Weiyuan who do those domains belong to? Especially the mountain of sword one?" asked Yang Qing with his voice having faint tremors.
Mao Yunru also tried to forcibly forget her fears and experience once she heard Yang Qing's question as she too was equally curious.
"I guess it's only reasonable that you'd be curious. All who have visited this place would get curious about the owners of the domains that get reflected during their visit.
The eye domain you saw first belongs to the chancellor, and the mountain of swords you just experienced belongs to someone you met during the week," Lei Weiyuan mysteriously said.
It didn't take even a minute before a name surfaced in Yang Qing's mind.
"Meng Chao?" Yang Qing shockingly asked.
He couldn't reconcile the genial, gentle person he met in the courtroom to the tyrannical soul-shaking domain he was exposed to.
"Yes, it's his….Otherwise how else do you think he could witness a battle between quasi-saint experts despite only being in the seventh stage of the domain realm himself? Only those with paragon domains can ensure their lives in that situation," Lei Weiyuan calmly stated.
"What about the book?" Yang Qing asked as he recollected the massive book that seemed to house the knowledge of the whole world.
It may have seemed the least dangerous but he still couldn't forget the sage voice that was produced by the rustling of pages. He couldn't help but wonder what would happen if the book was opened and the pages were fully exposed.
"That one belongs to Zhu Ling," Lei Weiyuan said as he sighed.
Both Yang Qing's and Mao Yunru's pupils froze when they heard that name. Yang Qing's reaction was even more drastic as he stammered the name over and over.
This was one of the names featured on the top ten names on the merit wall. The name Zhu Ling calmly sat in the fourth position.
But the reason for Yang Qing's drastic reaction wasn't because of the merit wall but because of why he was there. Zhu Ling was the creator of four purple-grade cultivation arts. Something that hasn't happened in over 50,000 years even among the holy lands.
It was said it was easier to find 100 saint-grade treasures than to create a single purple-grade cultivation art.
The gap between cultivation arts grew the higher up it went from red, orange, blue, gold, and finally purple grade. The gap between gold-grade art and purple-grade art even though it was just one grade was the difference between heaven and earth.
A purple-grade art would guarantee a dynasty better than a soul formation expert would because as long the art was around you were always guaranteed to have soul formation experts. So long as there were those who could cultivate the art. Even holy lands would shed all cordiality for the sake of a purple-grade art, so Zhu Li's value as a creator of four, not just one purple-grade cultivation arts couldn't be underestimated.
Yang Qing couldn't help but wonder what the top three did to outdo Zhu Li on the merit wall.
"Supervisor Lei Weiyuan, do senior Zhu Li and Dean Zhu Lao have any relations?" Yang Qing quickly asked. In his excitement, he had even overlooked Lei Weiyuan's subtle reaction at the mention of Zhu Li's name.
"They are brothers with Dean Zhu Lao being the older one," said Lei Weiyuan.
"Really?!!!! So will he also be in attendance?" asked Yang Qing as his eyes glittered.
"No, he is currently preoccupied with other matters as you have well noticed he has never made any public appearance ever since you joined. He is in indefinite seclusion. We don't know when he will come out," Lei Weiyuan patiently explained though a strange light flashed in his eyes.
"Oh," Yang Qing said with a downcast expression before he perked up once more. Dean Zhu Lao had not created a purple-grade art but he was just as equally skilled. Creating gold-grade art was no small feat either. He couldn't help but marvel at the talents shown by these two brothers.
As they were walking, Lei Weiyuan suddenly paused as if remembering something.
"Though there was one person who didn't want to know the identity of the owners of the domains he saw. He got exposed to five paragon domains during his visit. To date, it's an all-time record.
The saint-grade treasure responsible for the reflection has no rhyme or reason towards the domains it displays. Sometimes a single domain may be reflected the whole day other times it would change sporadically every few minutes like it did today.
But despite all that, when it comes to paragon domains they get reflected once or twice a year. It's rare for more than one to appear on the same day.
To date ever since the establishment of the dark valley, the number of times more than one paragon domain has been shown on the same day is eight. Now I guess it should be nine seeing how three showed up during your visit," Lei Weiyuan paused as he did the calculations.
"Luckily you were exposed to three, unlike your friend who got hit by five paragon domains. By the time the fifth one arrived, his eyes had rolled backward as he bled from every orifice. He didn't even get to do what brought him here Hehehe what a poor kid," Lei Weiyuan lightly chuckled as an amused glint flashed in his eyes.
Yang Qing was flabbergasted as he rarely sees Lei Weiyuan laugh. The only times he did were when he was dishing out punishment to Yang Qing.
"Old geezer Weiyuan might be more of a sadist than I thought," Yang Qing thought as he warily eyed Lei Weiyuan.
"Yang Qing did you just think of something improper about me?" said Lei Weiyuan as he coldly stared at Yang Qing.
"Supervisor Lei Weiyuan I'm deeply hurt by the accusation. All I hold is deep veneration for your sage presence that I even burn incense sticks to you in the morning before I go to work. It's the only reason my attendance record has been spotless the past couple of years," Yang Qing pitifully said showing an aggrieved look of a pious believer who got doubted.
Of course, it wasn't all a lie. His attendance record had been spotless the past couple of years if one ignored the trick he pulled by lying about the time it took him to break through to the palace stage.
He did arrive on time all for the sake of his promotion scheme where he will get to work less the higher up the Order ladder he moved and he did burn an incense stick to Lei Weiyuan's picture frame but it wasn't out of reverence. He hexed Lei Weiyuan's picture every morning and it became a routine he couldn't do without as it always left him refreshed and in a chipper mood.
"So who was the unlucky visitor?" Yang Qing hurriedly asked.
"It was your friend Kang Huilang,"
"Him? HAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA…I wish I was there to see it...Where are Mao Mao's recording talismans when you need them. Serves that welcher right..," Yang Qing said as he ragingly laughed till he even had to clutch his stomach as a few tear drops escaped his eyes.
"How did he get to that point, didn't the domain expert guiding him shield him from the effects like you did with us?" Yang Qing curiously asked.
Despite him occasionally relishing in Kang Huilang's misfortunes he knew the person's capabilities well enough. It was almost as good as he knew his own team if not better. They were rivals when in the institute and there were a couple of areas though few which even Yang Qing had to admit he fell a little short of him. The primary one being combat.
He was a monster who mastered three different types of intents and could use almost any weapon as though it had been part of him from his womb. His skills in combat made him even get approached by the roaming inquisitor's deputy director in charge of coordinating the palace courts before he had graduated. His talents were better suited to be an inquisitor than a judge which was a disappointment to them when he decided to be a judge instead of an inquisitor despite the great benefits they offered.
Yang Qing couldn't fathom how someone of such a caliber had such a severe reaction not unless he was exposed to even more tyrannical paragon domains like the mountain of swords. If Yang Qing were to endure four more domains that resembled the mountain of swords he wasn't sure he would be conscious by the third domain.
"He was an early-stage core formation expert then and he had arrogantly mentioned how he could weather through any domain and even made a bet. The domain expert who was with him indulged him and the rest is as I've mentioned.
There was even a betting pool among the residents to see how far he would reach without passing out. Who thought he'd end up facing five paragon domains..hehehe…..Actually, the host Su Liqiu was about the only one who bet in his favor. She netted a pretty good sum," Lei Weiyuan enviously said as he stroked his beard.
…..
After walking for a few minutes they saw a wooden board with the words 'Snow peach blossom abode' written in beautiful calligraphy.
Yang Qing could detect a valiant spirit in that calligraphy like one of a seasoned general which went in contrast with the beautiful calligraphy or the name.
Lei Weiyuan urged them to move forward past the board. The moment they took a step past the board it was as if a new world had opened up before them. A Snow landscape filled their view with small mountains, rivers, and at the center was the largest peach blossom tree he has ever seen that was easily a few kilometers tall with wide-spread branches and peach blossom flowers that were the size of his head.
Single petals would fly with the wind around the area giving the area a breathtaking beauty with the snowy backdrop.
Just as Yang Qing and Mao Yunru were busy admiring the view, one of the petals floating by them suddenly transformed into someone.
"You must be Yang Qing, my daughter has told me a few things about you," a cheery humorous voice sounded as a valiant-looking middle-aged lady with deep pink hair appeared before them.
