Chapter 78: The Ultimate Sealing Technique?

The next morning, Jiner was practicing martial arts alone in the backyard, yet her heart remained unsettled. The events of the previous day weighed heavily on her; she dared not speak of them to anyone, nor did she have the courage to confront Liuye. Strangely enough, it was almost noon, and Tianyu had not yet appeared.

Could it be that he was angry because she had called him a scoundrel yesterday? But that made no sense—she should be the one upset, not him! Such vexation! Suddenly, she felt an overwhelming urge to leave this place and glimpse the world beyond. Upon reflection, she realized it had been just over a year since her arrival. She had learned nearly all of Madam Xue's arts of medicine and poison, and although she could not claim mastery in martial skills, she was at least competent enough to wander the martial world on her own.

With this thought, she left the Blossoms and Rain Pavilion, heading toward the Palace of Mist and Flowers. Since she could not calm her thoughts, she might as well seek out her master to discuss leaving the island.

At the entrance to the palace, a doorkeeper went inside to announce her, then returned to lead Jiner to her master's study. Once they reached the courtyard outside the study, the attendant excused himself, leaving Jiner to enter alone.

As she walked, Jiner took in the exquisite courtyard, realizing it was her first time here. The island lord was truly of a different caliber—even his study was an independent pavilion, grand and imposing.

Before she knew it, she had reached the doorway. Peeking inside, she found the room empty, though tea on the table still steamed, suggesting her master had only just stepped out. She entered, noticing that three walls were lined with bookshelves overflowing with volumes—martial arts, histories, literature, physiognomy, folk miscellanies, and... “The Doctrine of the Five Elements”?

Jiner’s curiosity was piqued as her gaze landed on those three words. She reached to pull the book from the shelf, but footsteps sounded behind her.

“Curious about Five Elemental Spirit Power? That’s not something gained by mere interest, ha ha,” Liu Qiansha said with a smile as he walked in, having caught sight of her reaching for the book.

Startled by his sudden voice, Jiner quickly withdrew her hand, turned around, and bit her lip. “Master, I saw you weren’t here, and there were so many books, so I got curious and came in.” She stuck out her tongue sheepishly.

“It’s fine. Have a seat,” Liu Qiansha replied amiably.

Jiner nodded and, seeing him seated, took a place in a nearby chair herself.

“Master, you have so many books covering such a wide range. You must be a man of vast knowledge and learning,” Jiner said sincerely, her eyes sweeping over the wealth of books.

“I wouldn’t say I know all, but I do have some understanding of most things on the Five Spirits Continent,” Liu Qiansha replied, stroking his small tuft of black beard.

“You’re too modest, Master,” Jiner said with a smile, a sudden thought flashing through her mind.

If her master knew something of everything on the Five Spirits Continent, then...

“Master, I’ve heard a little about Five Elemental Spirit Power, and I have a question. May I ask for your guidance?” Jiner ventured, a little uneasy.

“Of course. What is it?” Liu Qiansha said, smiling.

“Is it possible for someone who originally had spirit power to suddenly lose it? Or for someone who had none to suddenly gain it?” Seeing Liu Qiansha’s expression change, Jiner’s heart grew tense, and she hurried to add, “Or perhaps someone who was born without spirit power, but later suddenly possessed it?”

“What prompts you to ask such a question?” Liu Qiansha asked, brows knit with puzzlement.

Jiner paused, unsure why his expression had turned so odd. Was there truly some unspeakable secret involved?

Not ready to reveal her own identity, she quickly improvised an explanation: “Just curious, really. After the fall of the Wood Kingdom, there were rumors that the princess was born without spirit power. I’ve always wondered about it. And once, I accidentally witnessed a battle between those with spirit power—it was so impressive. Sometimes I wish I could have such power myself.”

In truth, after the ministers made a fuss about her lack of spirit power, the emperor had issued a death order: anyone who spread the news would see their entire clan wiped out. Thus, only ministers and palace insiders knew the truth. It was only after the Wood Kingdom’s destruction that rumors began to spread. The princess was said to be dead, the kingdom lost, and the prophecy gained new, mysterious credibility.

Liu Qiansha seemed to understand after hearing her explanation, his expression relaxing. “Silly girl. Only the royal family can possess Five Elemental Spirit Power. Ordinary folk like us can only dream of it; it’s impossible for us to acquire.”

Jiner feigned disappointment, but inwardly was frustrated that he had skipped over her first question.

“There’s no need to be discouraged. Those with spirit power are few, and even then, without sufficient cultivation, one may still lose to a skilled martial artist. With your talent, if you work hard, even royal experts may not be your match one day. You needn’t dwell on this,” Liu Qiansha comforted her.

“Thank you, Master. I will work even harder and not disappoint your expectations,” Jiner replied earnestly.

“That’s the spirit. I knew I hadn’t misjudged you,” Liu Qiansha said, stroking his beard with satisfaction.

“Um, Master, do you know anything about the Princess of the Wood Kingdom? I’ve been curious for a long time,” Jiner pressed on, unwilling to give up.

“You’re that interested?” Liu Qiansha asked, frowning.

“Yes!” Jiner nodded enthusiastically. “I’m always fascinated by mysterious or magical things!”

Amused by her exaggerated expression, Liu Qiansha shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. “Curiosity is good—it leads to endless learning. In this, you’re quite like me. Since you’re so eager to know, I won’t keep secrets, especially since you’re now my disciple and a member of this island.”

Jiner was overjoyed, nodding eagerly, anticipation and anxiety mingling in her heart.

“As for the Princess of the Wood Kingdom, I’ve heard the stories. Leaving aside the truth of the rumors, if she truly was the emperor’s daughter and yet had no spirit power, there could be only one explanation.”

“What explanation?” Jiner leaned forward, tense with excitement.

Liu Qiansha was taken aback by her intensity, not understanding her urgency.

Realizing her own agitation, Jiner quickly sat back, embarrassed. “Please go on, Master, heh…” she said sheepishly.

Liu Qiansha shook his head, sensing that Jiner was different today—more like a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girl, less like the overly mature child she usually appeared to be.

Seeing Jiner so anxious, Liu Qiansha finally returned to the point. “If the princess was indeed the emperor’s true daughter and yet had no spirit power, it could only be because her powers were sealed.”

“Sealed?” Jiner exclaimed in shock.

“Yes. In fact, I only discovered the sealing technique for spirit power twelve years ago. There is now someone on this island who can perform it,” Liu Qiansha replied calmly.

“Really? Then can they also break the seal?” Jiner asked, trying to suppress the excitement in her heart.

Her intuition told her that her own body, too, had been sealed. She could not believe she wasn’t the true daughter of the emperor and her mother. If she weren’t, the emperor would have killed them both in his shame and fury, not continued to favor her mother for years.

“In theory, yes.” Liu Qiansha noticed her odd expression and asked, “Jiner, what’s wrong with you? I feel you’re acting strangely today.”

Jiner nervously twisted her fingers, torn by conflicting feelings.

Though the island lord was her master and had treated her well over the past year, her first impression of him had not been good, so she did not truly feel much affection for him. Their relationship was more a matter of survival and mutual benefit, much like her connection with Madam Xue. Yet her relationship with the island lord was a little closer.

She had never revealed her true identity to anyone. Should she tell him now? There was someone on the island who knew the sealing technique—if she spoke, perhaps the mystery of her body could be solved. But, the thought made her uneasy.

After much inner debate, she decided to take the chance. After all, Mist and Flower Island was independent, beholden to no nation. Even if she revealed her true identity, it should not bring trouble.

“Jiner? Jiner?” Liu Qiansha called her, seeing her lost in thought.

Jiner snapped back to attention, looking up at him.

“Is something troubling you?” he asked with concern.

Seeing the worry in his eyes, Jiner’s resolve strengthened. She gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, and said, “Master, I would like you to take me to see the person who knows the sealing technique.”

Liu Qiansha was startled. “Why?”

“Because… I am the princess of the Wood Kingdom, the one without spirit power,” Jiner replied solemnly.

“What?!” Liu Qiansha was stunned, unable to react for a long time.

She was the princess of Wood Kingdom? Hadn’t the princess died long ago? How could this be…

“It’s a long story, but I’ll keep it brief…” Jiner explained her background to him.

After hearing her tale, Liu Qiansha sighed repeatedly at the workings of fate. “Come, I’ll take you to see him!” he said gravely, rising to his feet.

Jiner nodded and followed him out.

Though the distance was not great, Jiner felt as if the journey lasted a century. At last, they arrived at the Heavenly Palace, one of the five great palaces of Heaven, Earth, Sun, Moon, and Stars.

Though she had been on the island for over a year, she had devoted herself solely to martial arts, caring little for other matters. Of the twelve pavilions, she had only visited Tianyu’s Star Palace a few times; she had never inquired about the others.

Now, setting eyes on the imposing Heavenly Palace—second only to the Palace of Mist and Flowers—she realized how modest the Star Palace truly was. Though the Star Palace was luxurious and elegant, it simply could not compare in grandeur.

After entering the main hall and sitting for only a short while, a man in purple robes, about the same age as the island lord, quickly approached.

“Island Lord, why did you come in person? Had you sent word, I would have come myself—there was no need to trouble yourself,” the purple-robed man said effusively.

“My personal arrival means this is a matter of great importance. Let’s talk inside,” Liu Qiansha said, preparing to move forward. Then, remembering something, he turned to Jiner. “Jiner, this is the Lord of the Heavenly Palace—Bai Qi. Old Bai, this is the disciple I’ve mentioned to you—Jiner.”

“Jiner greets Lord Bai.” That title, “Lord of the Palace,” sounded strange to her.

“Well, this is the first time I’ve met you. And you’re such a pretty and charming young lady, truly delightful,” Bai Qi said, his eyes full of appreciation.

“Ahem!” Liu Qiansha gave a couple of deliberate coughs, and Bai Qi quickly composed himself, chuckled awkwardly, and gestured for Liu Qiansha to lead the way inside.

The three of them entered the inner chamber together.

“Check whether her spirit power has been sealed,” Liu Qiansha instructed Bai Qi without even sitting down.

Bai Qi was surprised but quickly regained his composure. Pointing at Jiner in astonishment, he asked, “She’s of royal blood as well?”

Jiner raised her brows in confusion. “As well?” What did that mean?

“Just do as I say and stop talking nonsense,” Liu Qiansha said sharply, frowning.

Bai Qi pouted but obediently walked over, guiding Jiner to sit beside him. “I need to look at the back of your neck,” he said.

Jiner nodded, moving her long hair aside to reveal her slender, smooth nape.

Bai Qi raised his right palm close to her neck, closed his eyes, and murmured an incantation. Soon a white light glimmered in his palm, growing brighter and more dazzling. The light enveloped Jiner’s neck, and only after a long moment did Bai Qi open his eyes and withdraw his hand, the light fading away.

“Hm? This is…” Bai Qi was stunned when he saw the faint blue pattern on the back of Jiner’s neck.

Liu Qiansha hurried over for a look, his brows furrowing deeply.

Though it was unmistakably a spirit power seal, the intricate symbol before them was far more complex than any he had seen before.

“What’s the verdict?” sensing their unease, Jiner asked anxiously.

“It is indeed a seal,” Bai Qi replied gravely, his eyes fixed on the ornate circular mark.

“That’s wonderful!” Jiner was thrilled. She had spirit power! She truly had it! Once the seal was broken, she would become even stronger.

“Don’t celebrate too soon. I can’t break this seal,” Bai Qi said with a sigh, sounding frustrated.

“What?” Jiner felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her, her excitement instantly fading.

“Don’t move. Let me look closer,” Bai Qi said, bending to scrutinize the mark.

After a while, he turned to Liu Qiansha. “Island Lord, look—there seem to be five characters embedded in the design.”

Liu Qiansha peered closer and indeed saw, hidden among the intricate patterns, five tiny, oddly shaped symbols—almost invisible unless you searched for them.

“Ancient script!” Liu Qiansha exclaimed, astonished.

He leaned in, murmuring as he read, “Metal…”

“Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth?” Bai Qi finished the sequence before Liu Qiansha could.

The two men exchanged glances.

Jiner, facing away, could barely contain her anxiety and could only wait in silence, as if a cat were scratching at her heart.

“Could this be the Ultimate Sealing Technique?” Bai Qi suddenly exclaimed. This technique was described in his book as the highest level of spirit power sealing.

There were four levels: ordinary, intermediate, advanced, and ultimate. The methods and incantations for the first three were not complex, though different spirit powers required different approaches. Those sealed by the first three could sometimes break the seal themselves, provided they had strong enough will and power—and if the practitioner’s skill was lacking.

But the Ultimate Sealing Technique could not be broken by one’s own strength alone. How it was cast, or how it could be undone, he did not know—his book contained only part of the instructions.

Liu Qiansha frowned, lost in thought, his mind drifting to events twelve years earlier.

One day, twelve years ago, a tremor shook the Mist and Flower Island. As the Lord of the Star Palace, Liu Qiansha, along with the other palace lords and the prior island lord, sought the source. They found it in the main palace, where they discovered a hidden underground chamber.

There, they found many lost manuals, including one on sealing techniques. But amidst the chaos and the triggered traps, the chamber was left in ruins, and only the first half of the manual was recovered. Though they searched for the second half, it was nowhere to be found, and they let it go.

Now, it seemed the missing portion was still out there—and had been used. But was it always outside, or…?

“Master, Lord Bai, what does this all mean?” Jiner finally burst out, unable to endure the suspense.

Liu Qiansha returned to himself, nodded to Bai Qi to explain, and went to sit aside.

“Girl, do you know who put this seal on you?” Bai Qi asked, frowning.

Jiner resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “If I knew, would I need to ask you to check if I was sealed?”

Bai Qi realized his question was foolish and chuckled awkwardly, sitting down with a troubled expression.

After a long moment, he sighed and said, “What I can tell you is this: first, you have indeed been sealed; second, I cannot break this seal; third, you must find the one who placed it on you.”

Before he finished, Jiner had already turned away, exasperated. Did he really need to state the obvious so solemnly?

“Jiner, do you truly have no clues? No one would risk so much to seal the spirit power of a princess for no reason. Think carefully,” Liu Qiansha said, ignoring Bai Qi.

Jiner nodded, propping her chin and sinking into thought.

She had long suspected that the mysterious fire and her nurse’s late-night meetings held some key. Perhaps her mother had known something. But her mother was gone—who could she ask now?

“It’s been so many years, and my mother is gone. I have no leads. It’s all that wretched prophecy’s fault! Who started that damned rumor?” Jiner fumed. If not for the prophecy, she would not be in her current state.

“Prophecy?” Liu Qiansha’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve heard of it. It seemed absurd at the time, but after the Wood Kingdom fell and the Gold Kingdom swallowed up most of it, I suddenly felt I understood. I can’t say for certain, but if you have no other leads, you might try investigating the Gold Kingdom.”

“The Gold Kingdom…” Jiner murmured. She remembered once doubting how the Gold Kingdom had conquered the Wood Kingdom so quickly and easily, but had never connected it to the prophecy.

Now, with her master’s reminder, she saw how the two might be linked. Still, thirty years… if this was truly a conspiracy, the mastermind was terrifying indeed.